Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods

C.A.N. Successes


CAN Successes:

CAN receives feedback from community members through meetings, response to our newsletter, feedback from our website, and from people around town, or word of mouth. The feedback that we are receiving is extremely positive and people are glad to know that a group has been organized to look to the future and work to create all-inclusive communities.

2010 CAN Successes Archive - CAN Successes 2005-2009 Archives

Ongoing CAN Successes

2011

DECEMBER

NOVEMBER

OCTOBER

SEPTEMBER

AUGUST

JULY

JUNE

MAY

APRIL

MARCH

FEBRUARY

JANUARY

Read About Ongoing CAN Successes here.

See the CAN Successes Archives for 2005-2009 here & 2010 here.

DECEMBER

CAN Members Attend, and Network at, ConnecTra Meeting

Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods is an active member of ConnecTra, "a connecting agency, linking people with disabilities to activities and programs that will, over time, allow them to gain confidence and become more active and involved in community life. ConnecTra is one of the six affiliated societies that makes up the Disability Foundation." In December CAN members attended the ConnecTra meeting. The meetings are a great opportunity to learn about services for people with disabilities as well as to network with people with disabilities and find out about hot topics. We look forward to continuing our relationship with ConnecTra and their members.

CAN ED Presents Access Transit Priorities Report to TransLink's Board of Directors

The Access Transit Users' Advisory Committee held a workshop in the summer to create a list of priorities. From this meeting a priorities report was written and it was presented to TransLink's Board of Directors on December 7th. Heather McCain, the ED of CAN and Vice-Chair of Access Transit, presented the report with Rob Sleath, the Chair of Access Transit. The board received the report with enthusiasm and they were glad to know what our committee perceived as being our priorities. This report will be available on TransLink's website in the new year. If you are interested in reading the report and cannot find it on TransLink's website please contact Heather at 604.437.7331 or info@canbc.org

CAN Attends BEST's Winter Open House

CAN first met BEST (Better Environmentally Sound Transportation) at a TransLink Roundtable meeting. Since our first meeting we have both supported one another and the projects of both organizations. CAN attended the BEST Winter Open House to meet more members and board members and to learn more about the organization. CAN looks forward to our continued supportive relationship with BEST.

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CAN ED Voted in as Chair of the Access Transit Users' Advisory Committee

At the December Access Transit Users' Advisory Committee Heather McCain, the Executive Director of Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods, was voted in as the Chair of the committee. Heather has been Vice-Chair of the committee from its inception in 2007. Heather will have served her two terms at the end of 2012 and she is proud to have been chosen as the Chair for her final year.

NOVEMBER

CAN Delivers Presentation at LOVE (Leave Out Violence) Media Arts Program Session

CAN was invited to have a member attend a session of LOVE's Media Arts Program to discuss issues regarding accessibility and ableism. The Media Arts Program is for teenagers between the age of 13-17 who have  lived with any kind of violence. MAP is "designed for youth who are interested in a supportive space where you can learn digital and photography, darkroom skills, video production, journalism, creative writing and other media arts to speak up and join other youth ending violence." CAN was excited to get to talk with teenagers which is not a demographic with which we have had a lot of contact. The presentation was interactive and we used photographs and physical activities to demonstrate some of the experiences of people with disabilities. We were very impressed with the program, the staff from LOVE, and the participants. The teenagers asked some very insightful questions and seemed to understand people making assumptions based on ability or looks. CAN looks forward to working with LOVE again and to continuing to work with this age group.

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CAN Participates in Workshop for People with Print Disabilities

CAN was invited to attend a workshop on the needs of people with print disabilities. The Services to People with Print Disabilities Working Group (SPPD) and the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) are working together towards the goal of having a better understanding of the needs of people with print disabilities in regards to library services. They are working towards building better provincial and federal supports. CAN was pleased to have a chance to express our views on this topic as it is often an overlooked section of people with disabilities and oftentimes one's perspective of a "person with a print disability" is narrow and incomplete. We would like to thank the Burnaby Library Home Services for putting this session together, it allowed home service members to add their voice to this issue. The response from the participants was positive and they were all glad to know that people were working to better understand the needs of people with print disabilities. SSPD and CNIB had a survey for people to fill out at the session or online. CAN also provided some additional information regarding groups of people who have print disabilities who are sometimes overlooked. The definition of a person with a print disability is someone who requires print in alternative formats (braille, audio, large print, etc.) due to a visual, physical, perceptual, developmental, cognitive, or learning disability.

We at CAN are very encouraged that there is a joint project working to improve access to library services for those with print disabilities and we know that everyone's feedback will truly help those working on this project.

In addition to participating at the session CAN sent out an email to our contacts with the link to the online survey. We would like to thank everyone who took the time to fill out the survey, every voice counts!

CAN Circulates Music Video from Vancouver Adapted Music Society

Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods was asked to circulate the latest video from Vancouver Adapted Music Society (VAMS) highlighting music's power to change lives. VAMs explains the video by saying "blending a classic Canadian rock anthem with heartfelt messages from people whose lives have been touched by music, this is the third in the award-winning "Music Saves" series."

To watch the video go to www.vams.org/video.html
To support Vancouver Adapted Music Society or to get more information about the organization go to www.vams.org

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Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods Holds Annual General Meeting

Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods held their Annual General Meeting at The Kingfisher restaurant in Maple Ridge. We were pleased to have members, board members, and volunteers at our AGM. Half of our time was spent reviewing the past year and talking about our plans for 2012 and the second half was spent socializing. It was nice to see the members and board members meeting and chatting.

CAN presented Donna and Ron (in memory) Molnar with a certificate of appreciation for their involvement in CAN. Donna and Ron were two of the first CAN board members and they were both great supporters of CAN. Both Ron and Donna played a key role in the creation of CAN. Their support, encouragement, and optimism really helped to start CAN off on the right foot and we hope that the framed certificate reminds Donna that her and Ron's support was vital to the success of Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods.

We thank everyone who attended the Annual General Meeting, we look forward to seeing everyone again next year.

CAN Circulates Survey for Neil Squire Society Regarding 911 Services for People with Disabilities

In November CAN was contacted by the Neil Squire Society who asked us to circulate a survey for people with disabilities who want to ensure that 911 services meet their needs. The notice from Neil Squire asked "Have you ever had problems accessing 911 emergency services or are you concerned about getting emergency notifications such as storm warnings or natural disaster alerts? Do you feel current technology is limiting your access to these services. If you have a disability (especially one that affects your dexterity or your ability to communicate) and are interested in making 911 emergency services and emergency alerts better or would like to ensure these services meet your needs, then please take a few minutes to complete this survey."

CAN is proud to be known as a contact who can circulate emails and surveys to a wide range of people. We are always glad to know what other organizations are working on and participating by encouraging public feedback. If you have an email or survey you would like CAN to circulate please contact us at 604.437.7331 or info@canbc.org. 

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CAN Delivers Presentation at Burnaby Access Committee Meeting

Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods was invited to deliver a presentation to the Burnaby Access Committee. CAN was welcomed heartily and we appreciated the interest of the committee members. We did a brief overview of our various projects and then talked about issues that were of specific interest to the committee members. Transportation was a hot topic and we talked about driver training for taxi drivers, the upcoming Compass card and faregates, and safety while using transit with a mobility device. We would like to thank the committee for their welcome and their time. We appreciated learning about the committee and all the work that they do. We hope to continue our relationship with the committee.

CAN Circulates ASIC Email Regarding Alert Tones on Buses

In November CAN was contacted by ASIC (Access for Sight-Impaired Consumers) and asked to circulate an email to our contacts regarding the tones on buses throughout Metro Vancouver. TransLink was assessing which of three tone alerts is preferred by users of public transit. The tone alert plays immediately prior to the next stop being announced on most public transit buses throughout Metro Vancouver. The email included three files of tones, the first a ding (the original trolley clang currently being used throughout the system), the second was "Next Stop" (a verbal tone alert) and the third a chime (a milder tone).

We circulated this email and were pleased to know that many of our contacts took the time to respond to the email.

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OCTOBER

Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods Delivers Two Presentations at Walk21

Walk21 is an international conference that "exists to champion the development of healthy sustainable and efficient communities where people choose to walk. Through the Walk21 Conferences series and the International Charter, Walk21 have a vision to create a world where people choose and are able to walk as a way to travel, to be healthy and to relax." We at Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods were very excited to be a part of this conference as both a participant and presenter.

The first presentation by CAN was a breakout session, which was a twenty minute power point presentation. CAN was placed with two other presenters and the session was titled "Accessibility and Inclusivity: The Community, The City". The program described the session as follows: "This session discusses the challenges of walking in the city from three perspectives: how do ill-suited streetscapes lead to increased rates of injury in older pedestrians and how can we account for this? How has the idea of "pedestrian" evolved to include people pushing baby strollers and in wheelers (wheelchairs)? How does inclusivity create a stronger, more accessible space for all?"

The session was moderated by Tony Armstrong (Chief Executive, Living Streets, London, UK ). Heather McCain, the Executive Director of CAN, was the second speaker. The first speaker, Carmel Boyce (Social Planner, Morris Goding Accessibility Consulting, East Brunswick, Victoria, Australia) spoke about "Counting the Costs of Pedestrians Harmed on the Streetscape". Heather then delivered her presentation "The Evolution of the Pedestrian". The synopsis of Heather's presentation was as follows: "Over the years the definition, and image, of the "pedestrian" has changed to include people with agility, mobility, hearing, visual and other disability aides.  All people, including those with disabilities, should be able to safely, comfortably, and confidently traverse their environment. Inclusiveness is vital to the ability of the user to conduct their daily life, to maintain independence, and to increase participation in society. The overall quality of life for every member of the community is directly correlated to the community's social and physical environment. We will discuss how pedestrian pathway designs can be safe, comfortable, and attractive while being a pedestrian environment that functions effectively for the growing types of pedestrians." Following Heather's presentation Catherine Smart (President, Smart Move Training & Development Inc., Thornbury, Ontario, Canada) delivered a presentation entitled "Looking at Your Community Through a Different Lens".

Following the presentations there was a question period and many of the questions were directed at CAN. We also had several participants come up to our ED at the end of the presentation to say what they had learned or how the presentation had opened their eyes. The presentation utilized photographs and that seemed to really help people grasp some of the accessibility features. It is always rewarding to have people approach you following a presentation but we wonder how often people think about the presentation following the conference, we were therefore very pleased to hear that one participant blogged about the "enlightening" that occurred as she watched the presentation and how she realized that accessibility is vital to all demographics. This participant is doing her doctoral thesis and in an e-mail she stated that she has "been doing some work conducting environment audits to evaluate the favorability of different neighborhoods in Metro Vancouver to older adult pedestrians. As you went through your presentation, I could not help but notice the parallels between the elements of the environment that you were highlighting, and the elements that are in the checklist I was using"  We are glad that our presentation has real world applications for her.

The second session that CAN presented was a walkshop entitled "Moving Towards Inclusive and Accessible Streetscapes". The walkshop was a ninety minute walk throughout downtown Vancouver. The synopsis of the walkshop was as follows: "Tour downtown Vancouver as we focus on the need for inclusive and accessible streetscapes. Disability affects 15-20% of every country's population and with an aging demographic there is an even greater need for understanding about accessibility and inclusion and how it can be achieved. People with various disabilities will attend the walk so that participants can witness, first-hand, how accessibility, or a lack thereof, affects a person in their day to day lives. Accessibility is not understood until a person lives it themselves; this tour will help participants move towards a better understanding by feeling, hearing, and seeing it themselves."

The participants that Heather led were from around the world. We had participants from the Netherlands, London, Edmonton, Calgary, and from throughout the Lower Mainland. Heather had arranged to have three other people with disabilities to come on the walkshop to ensure that the ten participants always had someone with a disability with which to converse about barriers. The route was designed with accessibility, or lack thereof, in mind and the participants with mobility devices were able to show people, rather than just explain, how accessibility affected their everyday life. The three participants with disabilities were Richard who is blind and has a guide dog, Laurie who is legally blind and uses a guide dog who is also a service dog as Laurie also uses a power wheelchair, and Mike who uses a manual chair. We also had a manual wheelchair and a walker for participants to try for themselves to see how accessibility is vital to the safety and independence of people with disabilities.

In addition to doing our presentations it was a great experience to network with people from around the world and to hear about the issues, and in some cases solutions. We would like to thank TransLink and the Access Transit Users Advisory Committee for their support of our presentations and for making us aware of this conference.

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CAN ED, and Access Transit's Vice-Chair, Leads Selection Committee for 2012

The Executive Director of CAN is also the Vice-Chair of TransLink's Access Transit Users' Advisory Committee and this year Heather led the selection committee for the 2012 committee. We were very sorry to be losing members as their terms had finished but we were very excited by the quantity and quality of the applications. Each year the number of applications rise for the Access Transit committee which is a strong sign that people take this committee, and our work, very seriously. It also demonstrates that people see the value of this committee and TransLink's dedication to making their system as accessible as possible. The selection committee meeting went very smoothly and we are very excited by the new members of our committee. For more information about the Access Transit committee go to: http://www.translink.ca/en/Rider-Info/Accessible-Transit/Access-Transit/Users-Advisory-Committee.aspx

CAN Delivers Disability Awareness Presentation for Front Line Staff with the City of Burnaby

Citizens for Accessibility delivered a Disability Awareness Seminar for front line staff at the City of Burnaby. There were fourteen participants from various areas within the City of Burnaby. The seminar was four and a half hours and focused on customer service for people with disabilities as well as educating people about what "disability" means. The seminar incorporated interactive activities that allowed the participants to get up and move about and to learn more about the perspective of a person with a disability. The response to the seminar was overwhelmingly positive. In the feedback forms the main comments were that the participants really valued the activities and personal stories and that by the end of the seminar they felt they had a better understanding about customer service for people with disabilities as well as a better comfort level when interacting with people with disabilities.

Here are some of the comments from the participants regarding the strengths of the presentation:

"I thought the interactive activities, really opens your eyes and helps you have a better understand about what it is like to have a disability and how to help people with disabilities."
"People were made comfortable enough to enter into discussions."
"Tips were good, I like how Heather used examples and stories."

Here are some of the comments from participants regarding what they got out of the seminar and how it will be beneficial to them in the future:

"I feel I better understand the "obstacles" that people with certain disabilities deal with and that I will be more patient, respectful and helpful with these people because I am now more educated."
"So much opened my eyes to so many things that have not thought about for years and will now."
"The ability to possibly assist someone instead of running away and hiding."

Several of the participants wished the seminar could have been longer and expressed interest in attending any future seminars from CAN. CAN was proud and pleased to know that our presentation had such a positive response from the participants. We were also very pleased to then hear from staff at the City of Burnaby who asked us to deliver another Disability Awareness Seminar next March and November. We look forward to continuing our relationship with the City of Burnaby and helping to educate staff about customer service for people with disabilities.

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CAN Consultation Work for The Rick Hansen Foundation On Web Through Launch of Global Accessibility Map

Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods had a contract with the Rick Hansen Foundation from January to September of 2010. This contract was for RHF’s Global Accessibility Initiative. CAN worked with other consultants to create an accessibility checklist, to test the checklist, and to help create a form for the project’s website. In October of 2011 the Rick Hansen Foundation launched the Global Accessibility Map at www.rickhansenglobalaccessibilitymap.com

"The Global Accessibility Map is a unique online ratings tool designed to raise awareness of the importance of improved physical access to buildings and public spaces in communities around the world. This easy-to-use consumer reviews tool, gives users the opportunity to submit and obtain reviews from a mobility, hearing or sight perspective, on the accessibility in your communities."

SEPTEMBER

CAN Asked to Post Listing on ABCoop Website

Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods was contacted by the Abilities Business Cooperative. We were asked to post a description of our services on their website (www.abcoop.org). CAN looked into the organization and was glad to have been asked. The ABCoop offers a variety of products and services to businesses and individuals within the Metro Vancouver region. Members are self-employed people with disabilities. The co-op brings members together to support each other, exchange products and services, market collectively and attract the business community as customers and preferred suppliers. Their objective is to facilitate self-employment for members, while at the same time presenting the community at large with the opportunity to work with a group of individuals with significant contributions to make.

Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods will have listings under Consulting and Advocacy. We are proud to know that our name is getting out into the community and that groups like ABCoop are keen to have us listed on their site.

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AUGUST

CAN Consultant for City of Vancouver Project ‘citizenU'

CAN was contacted by a associate who is working on a a project with the City of Vancouver called 'citizenU' (www.vancouveryouth.ca/citizenU).  citizenU aims to create an even safer, stronger and more inclusive Vancouver by tackling racism, discrimination and bullying head-on on all fronts (discrimination based on ability, age, citizenship, culture, ethnicity, faith, gender, health, language, race, sexual orientation, socioeconomic circumstances, and/or social groupings) and by striving to build stronger, more positive relationships among our diverse communities.

We were contacted because they are currently writing a training manual on anti-discrimination issues which will be available to any organization beyond this 3 year project.  CAN was contacted because of our expertise in doing popular education work and we were asked to help them with some of the content. The manual will address race, class, gender/sex, sexuality, age, ability, looks. Each of these issues will have a 2hr lesson plan.  They had a very rough outline of each of these issues and they were asking for our support by having CAN's E.D. review the section on the 2 hour workshop on Ableism to provide input, suggestions and provide an experiential activity or two to get the message out to young people.

CAN was pleased that we were thought of for this project and we happily offered our expertise. We expect to continue to work on this project in a consultant role. We will add updates to the Success Page as the project proceeds.

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CAN Applies for Access and Activity Grant from Mountain Equipment Co-op

The MEC Access and Activity Grants support programs, initiatives and infrastructure projects that encourage backcountry, urban and near-urban outdoor recreation. Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods (CAN) completed an application  requesting a grant from Mountain Equipment Coop to help in developing a trail app for improving accessibility data/information on municipal, regional and provincial trails. If CAN receives the funding we intend to partner with everyoneincluded (www.everyoneincluded.com) to help develop and promote the trail app to trail users and parks agencies from a municipal to provincial scale. (Keep an eye on our Success Page and hopefully we will soon post that we were approved for the funding.)

Currently, there is little available trail data and online mapping that is detailed enough to provide useful information for people with disabilities, seniors with impaired mobility or people with small children. Through the development of the app, CAN intends to help provide better online information to encourage people to actively explore trails. The trail data will provide users with critical information when choosing where to go and how to navigate a trail system once they are actually out there.  It also provides municipalities and parks agencies with data that can be used to better design and manage their trails for all.

The mobile app will help users/park agencies to easily collect accessibility information about paths and trails by using a combination of built-in phone functionality (GPS, accelerometer, etc.) and simple checklists. Information to be collected includes path conditions (slope, cross slope, surfacing, width, hazards, and obstacles) as well as features (water, benches, businesses, etc.). The end user is provided with a map of the trails with embedded accessibility information.

CAN E.D. Attends Meeting in Response to Her Report on Equipment Installation Locations for the Upcoming "Compass" Smart Card

In June Heather McCain, the E.D. of CAN, participated in a review session for the proposed locations of readers for the upcoming "Compass" Smart Card. Following the review session Heather had many concerns from the perspective of the disability community and so she wrote and submitted a report outlining all of the concerns. The report was received by the Access Transit department of TransLink and subsequently shared with the people associated with the project. In response to this report and the many concerns a meeting was arranged at TransLink headquarters.

We at CAN are very impressed with the speed of the response following this report as well as the serious tone of the response. During the meeting we went over the concerns and found that many of these concerns had been echoed by other groups, including the drivers. A team of people have been brainstorming and presented some solutions at the meeting. The transition from the current system to the smart card and fare gate system will not be easy but with teamwork and true consultation such as this CAN believes that we will be in a much more promising position as we transition because the team working on this project is truly concerned, and dedicated to, addressing these issues now and not waiting for them to affect the transit users.

Those who attended the meeting, including CAN's E.D., left the room feeling positive about the direction of the ideas and solutions. This was truly a collaborative effort in which our comments and concerns were taken to heart and solutions were created by openly discussing the pros and cons of ideas. We look forward to our continued consultation on this project and we will add updates to the Success Page as we proceed with this project.

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CAN Asked to Prepare Presentation on Ableism for LOVE's Media Arts Program for Youth

During our consulting with the City of Vancouver on their citizenU project we met an employee of LOVE (Leave Out Violence) who contacted us recently to ask us to participate in a workshop for youth at LOVE. The workshop is part of LOVE's Media Arts Program (MAP), an after-school program for youth who identify as having been affected by violence. During the MAP Youth work collaboratively with their peers to develop a variety of multimedia and media literacy skills (including: film-making, photography, music, poetry and journalism etc) to share personal or community experiences with violence. While developing media literacy, critical thinking skills and artistic expression, our participants create compelling images of youth culture.

The program is run in cycles and one of their five week cycles is about Ableism. LOVE was impressed with CAN's work on the citizenU project and have asked us to do a presentation to the youth regarding some of the successes and challenges that CAN may have had around increasing awareness accessibility and other issues affecting people with disabilities in the Lower Mainland.

CAN is proud of our partnerships with other grassroots non-profit organizations and we are happy to accept LOVE's invitation to do a presentation for their program in November.  We will keep you updated through our Success Page as we proceed with this project and with our relationship with LOVE.

For more information about LOVE visit: www.leaveoutviolence.com

CAN E.D. Attends Networking Lunch at Connecting Communities Youth Summit Conference

The E.D. of CAN was pleased to be invited to a networking lunch at the Sage Bistro at UBC.  The food was delicious but the company was the best part of the lunch. It was wonderful to meet so many other people dedicated to improving transit. This lunch was a wonderful opportunity for CAN to talk about accessible transportation to youth who have not yet considered what accessibility is, how it affects transportation, and how accessible current transportation systems are.

CAN made some great connections at this lunch and we were delighted by the conversation and company. It is truly refreshing to be in a room full of positive people all working towards the same goal. It is events like this that re-engerize us and keep us marching forward.

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CAN E.D. Delivers Presentation on Accessible Transit Systems at Connecting Communities Youth Summit Conference

CAN's E.D. was invited to present at the Connecting Communities Youth Summit Conference on Transit, People and Places: Designing for Transit held at UBC. We were very pleased to be asked to participate and we were eager to open the eyes of youth who may not yet have considered accessibility within the context of transit systems. The presentation CAN's E.D. delivered was entitled "Accessible Transit Systems: Connecting People to Their Community". The presentation discussed who benefits from accessible transit systems and what the keys to achieving an accessible transit system are. Our presentation was partnered with two other presentations by Mary Beth Rondeau from the City of Surrey and Kamala Rao from TransLink. Each of us had fifteen minutes and following our three presentations we opened the floor to questions.

Youth from all over BC attended the summit on sustainable transportation and they were eager to learn and to hear new perspectives. We had an excellent response to our presentation. For many youth accessibility is not a topic that has been covered in their schooling and so it benefits from the newness of information. During the presentation we used photographs to illustrate some of the experiences CAN has encountered over our six years. The presentation led to a wonderful discussion during the question and answer period. It was great to see youth excited by accessibility and their role in ensuring that transit systems are accessible to all.

Following the conference we were contacted by several participants as well as organizers who wanted to convey that our presentation had made a lasting impression on many of the participants whose eyes were opened to issues surrounding access. We are glad to know that our presentation had a profound effect. It is important to talk to youth as they will be the ones designing our future transit systems. CAN looks forward to more opportunities like this in the future and we thank TransLink for asking us to participate in this conference.

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CAN E.D. Delivers Speech at Picture This Film Festival

In August CAN's E.D. was asked to speak at the Picture This Film Festival hosted by the Open Door Group. Representatives from CAN attended this film festival in 2010 and made some great contacts prior to the screening of the films and a year later that contact remembered his conversation with CAN's E.D. and asked that she speak at the festival. It is always rewarding to know that we are remembered and that our networking efforts are working. It is also humbling to know that a brief conversation was imprinted in a person's mind so much so that a year later they still remembered it.

The Picture this... film festival is both a competitive and exhibition festival. The festival features films that are about disability and/or films on any subject that were produced, directed and/or written by people with disabilities. The Picture This film festival travels around the world and the event in Vancouver was hosted by the Open Door Group.

CAN's E.D. spoke of her experience with disability and were it has lead her and what she has created with CAN. The speech was well received and several people approached Heather to compliment her on the speech, her positive attitude, and her work with Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods.

In addition to being another great networking opportunity it was great to watch the wonderful films that were screened. The quality of films in this film festival is amazing and we look forward to continuing to attend the annual Picture This film festival.

CAN E.D. Invited to Join Speaking Bureau with All Abilities Welcome

As Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods raises our profile within the community our Executive Director does a lot of presentation and speeches. Recently Heather, CAN's E.D., was asked to become a member of the All Abilities Welcome Speaking Bureau. CAN is proud to work with ALABC as a board member and we are pleased to enhance our relationship with ALA by having our E.D. participate as a speaker for their All Abilities Welcome program.

All Abilities Welcome (AAW) is a campaign being launched by the Active Living Alliance for Canadians with a Disability that aims to encourage an attitude of openness and cooperation around inclusive physical activity at the community level. Recognizing the initial hesitancy of many people with a disability to engage in physical activity, coupled with a lack of awareness about inclusion among many community clubs and fitness facilities, All Abilities Welcome hopes to create public awareness, build a knowledge base, train and support community organizations, and keep people of all ages and abilities informed about the message that active living is for everyone. AAW feels that their ability to pursue the objective of greater access to inclusive physical activity depends on the collaboration of likeminded organizations and individuals with sport, active living and disability specific expertise.

To learn more about All Abilities Welcome or to book one of our speakers for your event, please browse the pages of this website or contact us by calling 1-800-771-0663 or by email at allabilitieswelcome@ala.ca.

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JULY

New Word of Mouth Listing: Camp at BC Parks for Free

If you live in British Columbia you may be able to camp at a BC Park for free. This BC Park Program is open to individuals who receive income support for their disability or for a child with a disability. The purpose of this program is to provide support for persons with disabilities who are also receiving income assistance. Check out the BC Parks website to find out the criteria and whether you qualify.
Website: www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/fees/disability

CAN E.D. Attends and Participates in TransLink Workshop for Developing Priorities

The Access Transit Users Advisory Committee held a Workshop for Developing Priorities and CAN's E.D. attended and participated in the discussion. The workshop was facilitated by Jeff Busby, TransLink's Manager of Infrastructure Planning. During the meeting all modes of TransLink's public transportation and infrastructure were reviewed including conventional buses, Community Shuttle, SeaBus, SkyTrain, Canada Line, West Coast Express, HandyDART, as well as major roads and bridges.

This workshop was extremely well run and it was very productive. The TransLink system has many different components and people's perspectives as to what the most important issues are vary widely. This workshop offered an opportunity for people to educate one another about issues and to hear from others about what they view as the priorities of the system. There was a lot of agreement within the room about what needs to be addressed and at the end of the day the participants felt positive about the report that will be created from this workshop. The report, once complete, will be reviewed at an upcoming UAC meeting. We believe that the report that will come from this workshop will offer a firm direction for TransLink in regards to the priorities of people with disabilities and older adults.

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JUNE

CAN Talks with Residents of Fort St. John and Surrounding Area Regarding Accessibility Issues

This year's Annual General Meeting for the Social Planning and Research Council of BC (SPARC) was held in Chetwynd. The trip to Chetwynd was a wonderful opportunity to learn about access outside of the Metro Vancouver area. CAN's Executive Director and a board member attended the AGM and took a couple of days to explore the area.

The trip was an amazing experience. It is beautiful country around Chetwynd and Fort St. John. As we traveled we spoke with people about their experiences with accessibility. Most stated that progress is happening, albeit at too slow a pace. We were impressed by the amount of designated parking spaces and well done curb cuts available throughout the region. Not every place was accessible but there was an awareness about what accessibility was and some places were able to make up for a lack of accessibility by accommodating natures and great customer service.

CAN is proud to be represented on the SPARC BC board and we are proud that SPARC is a true provincial organization that understands there is work to be done beyond Metro Vancouver; as CAN grows we hope to emulate them by becoming a recognized provincial organizations. Trips such as this one help us understand the pulse of communities beyond our current region.

CAN Promotes and Supports TetraLites Project (Lights for Mobility Aids)

Tetra has an amazing crew of volunteers who work hard to enhance the lives of people with disabilities by working collaboratively on projects for items not available in the commercial market.

One of the latest Tetra projects "TetraLites"  As Matthew Wild wrote in Tetra's Gizmo magazine: TetraLites could increase road safety for every man, woman and child using a wheelchair. "TetraLites" tackle a particular vulnerability faced by anyone in a wheelchair: being lower than other pedestrians, motorists tend not to notice wheelchairs at intersections. The design features three rows of 15 LE.D. lights, in Plexiglas tubes, which mount to the sides and rear of a wheelchair or can be set vertically like a flagpole. They draw a negligible amount from powerchair batteries, or can be connected to rechargeable batteries for use on a manual chair."

The idea for TeatraLites came from Brian Johnson, a volunteer of Tetra, following a conversation with Tetra employee Eric Molendyk who was struck by a vehicle while crossing a street on his way to work on November of 2008.

Matthew Wild, in his Gizmo article, explains how the TetraLites can be used: "Johnson said the lights can be attached to the sides of a wheelchair or in the form of a vertical flagpole, can produce the whole colour spectrum, and be set to strobe. "I've not spoken to a wheelchair user who doesn't want them. They can save a life." The lights are bright enough to let someone see their way out of a pitch black room but make no noticeable impact on the wheel- chair's battery life, said Johnson. "I think everyone should have these lights on their chair. If it makes a motorist slow down for just one second, they can save a life."

Brian Johnson has a great team of volunteers working directly on the TetraLites. The TetraLites consist of tiny chips on a silicone covered flat strip which we energize with 12 or 24 volt power.  Despite being very bright (they can be dimmed) they use very little power and are ideal for use on your mobility device. The main purpose for TetraLites is safety - to be seen.  But there is a fun factor too, in many cases, the ability to change colours, intensity and flashing sequences.  The team respects people's concerns about warranty and power loss and they will never alter the wiring on the mobility device.  Wherever possible they access the wheelchair power through the charging port.  For those who have concerns in this regard we can (at extra cost) supply rechargeable battery packs.

The team is working on several improvements including a design of Antenna Tetralites which will have a vertical multi-LE.D. unit at the top as well as a snap in/snap out design and specialized switches for use where the remote controls are not practical or wanted.

As these are still early days in product development Vancouver Tetra volunteers will be involved in assessing the individual's TetraLites needs, producing and installing your lites and ensuring that you  and your mobility device are happy with the installation.  The only charge to you will be the cost of the TetraLites themselves and the mileage costs of the volunteers. 

For more information on this product, and other Tetra products, visit their website at www.tetrasociety.org

For more info about Tetra – ranging from a phone conversation, to brochures and newsletters, please contact: PAT TWEEDIE the National Program Coordinator at ptweedie@tetrasociety.org or by phone at 604-688-6464, ext. 108

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CAN E.D. Consultant for BC Rehab Foundation Community Based Funding Initiative

The Executive Director of Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods was asked to be a consultant for the BC Rehab Foundation Community Partnerships Initiative which was offering five grants of up to $10,000 to improve community accessibility in the Province of BC.

The BC Rehab Foundation is a registered Canadian Charity supporting people with physical disabilities. They are committed to closing the gaps between people with and without disabilities. BC Rehab encourages and supports universally designed spaces and opportunities that can be utilized by everyone, regardless of physical ability. The intent of the BC Rehab Community Partnerships Initiative is to increase accessibility in BC communities and create opportunities for the full participation of people with physical disabilities. BC Rehab is committed to equal opportunities and improving community inclusion in the Province of BC. BC Rehab encourage projects that involve multiple community partners, promote universal access and demonstrate community support.

The funding BC Rehab was offering was for a community-based project that benefits a particular community by improving accessibility and increases opportunities for people with physical disabilities living in BC.

CAN's E.D. was part of the review committee and we considered a range of grant requests and project proposals. Examples of areas where BC Rehab considered granting funding range and could include retrofitting a building, upgrading existing facilities to improve access, community-based programming, public space projects(e.g. accessible urban gardens) and equipment acquisitions to improve universal public access (e.g. ramps, lifts, etc).

The applications were assessed on a variety of criteria including, but not limited to, the following: the extent to which accessibility needs in the community will be met through this program, cost effectiveness and a thorough project budget, history of the applicant organizations service to the community, ability of the lead organization to maintain the program or project and complete it on time and
on budget, the recognition provided to BC Rehab for sponsoring this initiative,     and evidence of community support, especially from members of the community who have a physical disability

The selection committee was composed of people from the disability community, BC Rehab Foundation staff and BC Rehab Foundation Board members. CAN was happy to be a part of this committee. We were very impressed by the quantity and quality of applicant for this first time grant opportunity. We congratulate BC Rehab Foundation as the quality of applicants demonstrates that communities took this grant opportunity and BC Rehab Foundation very seriously. It was a very hard decision but our E.D. submitted her suggestions. We are proud to have a blossoming relationship with BC Rehab Foundation and we were glad to support them with this project.

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CAN E.D. Interviewed for MVT (HandyDart) Newsletter "In the Loop"

Heather McCain, the E.D. of CAN and Vice-Chair of the Access Transit Users Advisory Committee, was asked by Pat Robertson of MVT Canadian Bus (HandyDart) to be an interviewee for an article regarding UAC and how it relates to HandyDart. Pat also interviewed Chair of UAC, Rob Sleath, for the article.

The readers of the In the Loop Newsletter is MVT's employees and then their customers and community partners. Pat asked us to explain your roles, the purpose and our experience with UAC and how it relates to HandyDART. Part of the reason for the article is that MVT welcomes feedback in order to continually improve the service they provide. MVT has made quite a few improvements to they system since they took over two years ago and Pat wanted to hear how the HandyDart customers had benefited from the changes that were made to the system, including discussion about how the level of service was and how it is today. 

The article appeared in the June newsletter. We have received positive feedback regarding the article. We were pleased to be asked to be interviewed as the more information we can get into the general community the more discussion we can have about the state of transit in Metro Vancouver and what we can do to improve it.

Oftentimes what is most discussed most are the problems within the transportation system and often in a broad sense as opposed to positive experiences that individuals have had thanks to those who work within the transit system. We thought we would share an incident that was related to us about a good experience, on a personal level, with the HandyDart system. A HandyDart driver was doing his route when he recognized a client sitting out in front of the Jim Pattison Pavillion. He saw that the client was slumped over and didn't look right.  The driver approached her and saw that she was very disoriented, he immediately became concerned. He checked with the clinic and they said that she didn't have an appointment and that she should probably go to emergency but they did not offer any assistance.  The driver did not leave the client and even though she wasn't booked on HandyDART he took her to emergency.  The driver followed up the next day and learned that the client had been admitted to hospital with hypothermia, dangerous blood levels, and a dislocated shoulder due to a serious fall. He was told that if he had not acted as swiftly as he did she would most likely have died. The driver's actions saved the woman's life.

If you have any comments, positive or negative, to share about the transportation system please let us know. We take all comments seriously and will do our best to ensure any concerns or questions you have are addressed by the appropriate person. We have had some some people state that they don't want to be a "complainer" but we urge people to think of it in another light, without your input the system cannot know what they are doing right or wrong.

In addition to contacting CAN with your comments about the transit system you can share any incidents, commendations, complaints and suggestions with TransLink by filling out their form at tripplanning.translink.ca/CustomerComplaint

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CAN Participates in Workshop Regarding New Engagement Tool: MetroQuest

The City of Vancouver staff, in collaboration with UBC, are exploring a new engagement tool: MetroQuest. MetroQuest allows participants to visually explore transportation, energy, and land use trade-offs and choices based on the participant and the group's priorities. CAN was invited to have a representative at the interactive workshop which was designed to hear our feedback on the MetroQuest tool and its potential use in future public consultations.

Exploring the use of this tool is a continuation of the work the City of Vancouver staff are doing as they develop the  Transportation 2040 plan and CAN appreciates being included in the group of people whose opinions the City of Vancouver staff respect and want to hear.

There was a very healthy discussion regarding this tool. There were concerns that the tool was too simplistic and that the choices were too restrictive, some people felt as if they were being pointed towards an answer rather than actually being able to answer as they would have liked. It was suggested that the ability to offer feedback or information outside of the choices would be beneficial. Another issue that was raised was that is was too broad as communities and neighbourhoods within Vancouver (Commercial Drive, Chinatown, Kits, Champlain, etc.) are distinct and need different things from the transportation plan.  Many felt that the tool had potential but it would have to be monitored. Another comment was that wording, language and terminology is vital to this tool being usable. Plain language is important and so is ensuring words that have multiple meanings are not used as we don't want people answering questions without fully understanding them.

The representative from CAN had several comments regarding MetroQuest. We mentioned that accessibility should be taken into account in the discussions but also in the images that are used. We asked if the program was JAWs compliant (JAWs is a screen reading program for people with vision loss) and was told that the people in the room were not aware of it being JAWs compliant but that they would check. We also asked if the buttons for MetroQuest would be tactile. We also suggested that they provide materials to people in advance of meetings or use of this program so that people could familiarize themselves with the questions, ideas, and wording; for people with cognitive or age related memory issues having time to thoroughly think through the information is important to them feeling comfortable and able to fully participate. We were in agreement that wording was important and we supported plain language and definitions so that people fully understood the question they were answering; we also suggested that images can be useful for people with low levels of literacy, people who do not fluently read English, and people with cognitive disabilities.

Overall there was a lot of concern about the usability of this tool and whether it would be flexible enough to incorporate people's ideas or whether it was just a program that had multiple plans already decided upon without room for changes from people's feedback. There were also several accessibility concerns from the CAN representative. As with all community outreach there is a lot to consider and CAN was pleased to be a part of the discussion so that we could bring awareness to issues that are often overlooked by committees, groups, and people who do not consult with a representative from the disability community. It is important that any program for consulting with community members ensures it is usable for all community members and we will continue to work towards a better understanding of how this can be achieved. 

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CAN E.D. Reviews Equipment Installation Locations on Buses for the Upcoming "Compass" Smart Card

Faregates and electronic Smart Cards will soon be used by transit users across Metro Vancouver. Following a competition among transit users the Smart Card has been named Compass. As TransLink works towards the installation of the card readers and the change over to faregates it is vital that people from the disability community are consulted to ensure that we can work towards as inclusive a system as possible. TransLink is committed to ensuring that accessibility is at the forefront of their projects and they rely on the Access Transit Users Advisory Committee to bring issues to light and work with them to find creative and open minded solutions. Heather McCain, the Executive Director of CAN and the Vice-Chair of the Access Transit committee, attended a review session at the Oakridge Transit Centre to look at the proposed location of the card reader on the various bus models.

During this review there were several red flags regarding the accessibility of the card readers and the Compass Smart Card. There are issues regarding the height and location of the card readers as well as how the Compass cards will be tagged on when the card reader is at the front of the bus but the only access to a person with a mobility device is at the rear of the bus. There was a lot of discussion during the session as the various representatives worked together to try to come to an understanding of each other's perspectives and what some of the issues were.

Following this review session CAN's E.D. wrote a report outlining the many concerns that were raised during the meeting. The report has been submitted to Peter Hill in the Access Transit Department of TransLink and he has assured us that he will make sure the proper people see the report and respond within a timely manner. We will update CAN's Success Page when we hear a response from TransLink. We are certain that TransLink is taking our concerns seriously and we are in constant communication with the Access Transit department. We all want to ensure that we deal with these issues now so that they will not be an issue when the system is installed. We feel confident that the report is being taken seriously and we look forward to hearing the response from TransLink.

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CAN E.D. Delivers Presentation at ConnecTra Meeting

The ConnecTra Society provides outreach services for people with disabilities, primarily those with mobility and physical disabilities in Vancouver and throughout the Lower Mainland. ConnecTra serves as a connecting agency, linking people with physical disabilities to activities and programs. ConnecTra aims to get all people with significant disabilities living in the Lower Mainland as socially active and involved as possible, setting the stage for many to consider training, education and work.

As part of this goal ConnecTra hosts meetings once every two or three months with speakers. These meetings are a great opportunity to network and to learn about what is available for those within the disability community. Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods regularly has representatives at the ConnecTra meetings; we see the value in this organization and their meetings and we appreciate them organizing these sessions.

At the June ConnecTra meeting CAN's Executive Director did a presentation of Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods, our website, and our current and upcoming projects. The June meeting had the best attendance of the year and we at CAN were very happy to have an opportunity to tell a crowded room of people about our work. Many in the audience were already aware of CAN but there were some new to us and we were glad for the opportunity to update people, familiar or not, with our plans and projects. Following our presentation, during the break, we had several people approach us to thanks us for our presentation and the work that we do. It was truly nice to get out and do community outreach and have such an immediate positive response.

Following the meeting we were told by the Program Coordinator, Stephen Street, that he had feedback from several members who felt that the June meeting was one of the most informative sessions ever held. We are glad that we could be a part of the session and we look forward to our continued relationship with ConnecTra.

For more information about ConnecTra visit their website at www.connectra.org

CAN E.D. Asked to Join Active Living Alliance BC Board

In May CAN was was an exhibitor at the BC Recreation and Parks Association Annual Symposium Tradeshow; across the aisle from CAN's display table was a display table for the Active Living Alliance for Canadians with a Disability, the BC Chapter. During a lull in symposium participants we wandered over and spoke with their representatives. We were pleased to hear from them that they were aware of who CAN was and what we did. They are part of a a national network that was created to motivate and assist Canadians with a disability to become more physically active. One of the projects that they had been thinking about doing for a while was a database of active lifestyle opportunities for people with disabilities; they had recently learned that they did not need to take on this task as we already had a database on our website. They were very pleased to meet us and to tell us how much they admired our database. It is always rewarding to hear such positive feedback from other community organizations. They mentioned that they would like to improve their website and maybe CAN's E.D. could assist them. We had a great conversation and a week later they followed up with an invitation for Heather McCain, CAN's Executive Director, to join their board.

Adaptive Sports and Recreation and access to information about said sports and recreation is a very important component of CAN's work and we were pleased to be asked to join forces with ALABC to work together to improve that access to information as well as improve the availability of accessible programs. ALABC has a core network of individuals, agencies, communities and organizations who are dedicated to facilitating increased activity across British Columbia.  The desire of ALABC is to see this network expand as the Alliance reaches out to involve partners and stakeholders at the local and provincial levels. As these goals very much align with the goals and mandate of Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods we were happy to accept their offer of joining their board. We look forward to growing with ALABC and working on projects with them that increase sport and recreation for people with disabilities across British Columbia.

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CAN Finishes Project with Canadian Centre for Disability Studies on Livable and Inclusive Communities

Late last year Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods was asked to put together a team of people who could offer input and feedback on a study regarding livable and inclusive communities by the Canadian Centre for Disability Studies. Our team attended a workshop in the winter and in March two members of our team flew to Winnipeg and participated in a workshop in which we reviewed the tool and the usability of the tool. The direction, priorities, and criteria of this project has changed from that which was presented to us when we started last December and due to these changes the groups from CAN and SPARC BC have left the project. We did not feel there was a place for our group and our feedback and we would like to dedicate our time, resources, and members to other projects.

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MAY

CAN's E.D. Has Two Proposals for Presentations at International Conference Walk21 Approved

During the April Access Transit meeting Amelia Shaw addressed the group to ask if there was any interest in putting a presentation and proposal together for the upcoming  international conference Walk 21. Walk21 is geared towards conversations about walkability; TransLink is a sponsor for the event. The event was missing an accessibility standpoint which is why Amelia approached our committee. We were told that if we wanted to submit a presentation proposal that it would need to be received within two weeks of our April meeting.

Heather McCain, Executive Director of CAN and Vice-Chair of the Access Transit Users Advisory Committee followed up on this by speaking with several TransLink staff members to better understand what the conference was about and what the presentation options were. Walk21 has breakout session, a twenty minute Power Point Presentations, as well as Walk Shops are themed walks outside of the convention sites. Forty proposals for walk shops had already been received for the event. Through Heather's conversation with TransLink staff it was suggested that Heather create a proposal on behalf of the Access Transit Committee as well a proposal through Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods. Heather submitted two proposals, one for a walk shop through CAN and one for a breakaway session through UAC. Both proposals were accepted. The event will happen October 3-5, 2011 at the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue and new Woodwards facilities in downtown Vancouver and we will update the Success Page as to our experience at the conference and with our presentations.

If you would like a copy of the proposals please contact Heather at info@canbc.org

CAN an Exhibitor at BC Recreation and Parks Association Annual Symposium Tradeshow
BCRPA

The BC Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA) held their Annual Symposium in May and Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods had a display table at the tradeshow.  The tradeshow was an opportunity for CAN to directly engage with members of the parks, recreation, physical activity and culture sector from across BC. CAN promoted our projects, particularly our Sport and Recreation Database and our upcoming Inclusive Playgrounds and Community Garden Databases.

The exhibition allowed us the chance to enhance awareness about CAN and illustrate our commitment to building and supporting a high quality of life for everyone in BC.

In addition to speaking with participants at the tradeshow CAN also communicated with fellow exhibitors. We were able to forge new connections and learn about other organizations in the community. The feedback we received from participants and exhibitors was all positive and we were happy to hear how many people already knew about Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods and the work that we do.

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CAN Joins Stakeholder Advisory Group for City of Vancouver Transit Plan

The City of Vancouver will update its citywide transportation plan in 2012. The plan will look out to the year 2040, and direct the City's transportation decisions over the next 10 years. Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods has been invited  to participate in a stakeholder advisory group that will provide regular input into the plan over the next year and a half. CAN representatives have attended several meetings and throughout this year and next we will continue to offer input as we work towards creating an equitable, safe, and accessible transit plan for the City of Vancouver.

CAN Participates in PlanTalk Workshop on Transportation Funding Solutions

Late last year CAN was asked to join a Sustainable Transportation Coalition, a loose association of volunteer individuals and organizations who care about our region's transportation future. CAN has developed an excellent reputation when it comes to transit related projects and we were proud to be asked. In May the Sustainable Transportation Coalition in conjunction with sponsors Planning Institute of B.C., Architecture Canada, the SFU City Program and Halcrow Consulting held a PlanTalk Workshop on Transportation Funding Solutions in Metro Vancouver. The purpose of the meeting was to help the region reach an agreement on a funding formula for transportation that is: saleable (politically), sustainable (ongoing and behaviour-changing), and sufficient for TransLink's 2040 plan ($450-million version).  

As representatives have met with many of the senior transportation decision-makers in the region they hear a constant refrain: "Continuously increasing property taxes and fares is not the answer. We know what we have to do, but we don't think we can get political support for it."   The coalitions' goal is to work free of the constraints of any political, governmental or industry organization in order to come up with smart solutions for transportation funding. There is no hidden agenda except to break this funding logjam, and to provide support for those who are prepared to help make these critical decisions.  

The workshop was an excellent meeting with lots of open, frank discussion regarding the future of transportation in Metro Vancouver and how we can fund it. CAN was glad to be a part of this candid discussion and we left feeling that there was a better understanding as to the pros and cons of various funding options. We will continue to work on this issue through this group as well as with our participating in the Roundtable Stakeholders meetings and we will continue to add updates to our Success Page.

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CAN an Exhibitor at the Annual Canadian Therapeutic Recreation Association's Conference

CAN has been working hard to ensure that community members know about us and about the work that we are doing. Oftentimes we do this work without having a way to measure its effects therefore we were very pleased to be contacted by a representative for the 15h Annual Canadian Therapeutic Recreation Association Conference who told us that several of their members had requested that Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods be an exhibitor at their conference. It is very rewarding to  know that our work in the community is noticed and that people have a positive perception of our work. We were glad to accept.

The conference was held in The Four Season Whistler Resort. Professionals from across Canada gathered to exchange ideas, research, network, and socialize. The conference offered us a unique opportunity to introduce our new products, demonstrate our website, and establish relationships with professional leaders in the field.

Therapeutic Recreation is a profession which recognizes leisure, recreation and play as integral components of quality of life. The provide service to individuals who have physical, mental, social or emotional limitations which impact their ability to engage in meaningful leisure experiences. Therapeutic Recreation is directed toward functional interventions, leisure education and participation opportunities. These processes support the goal of assisting the individual to maximize the independence in leisure, optimal health and the highest possible quality of life.

The conference was an excellent experience as we had nothing but positive (and exuberant) response to our organization and projects. Recreational Therapists are the perfect audience to promote our goals of improve access to information, particularly in the Sport and Recreation sector. CAN had a great time at this conference and we thank those Recreational Therapists who suggested us to the conference organizers.

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CAN Participates in Yearly Access Awareness Week Event at Port Coquitlam Transit Centre

Every year during Access Awareness Week Coast Mountain Bus Company welcomes members of the Access Transit Users Advisory Committee to their depots for an afternoon of interaction with bus drivers. This year CAN's Executive Director (and Vice-Chair of Access Transit) attend the event at the Port Coquitlam Transit Center on Monday, May 30th. The format is open. A booth is set up in the depot's bullpen, where questions from employees will be answered. CMBC and Heather strove to to encourage conversations to bring awareness to the facts of living with a disability.
There were several gift packs which certainly assisted in getting the attention of bus drivers and once they were drawn over for the draw they began a conversation with us about their experiences, good and bad, with transit passengers with disabilities.

The turn out this year was good. We had a lot of great conversations, some good laughs, and a lot of Timbits! CAN board member Dan Olson works out of the Port Coquitlam Depot and he popped by to talk.

This was the third year that CAN's E.D. attended at the Port Coquitlam Bus Depot. While the area we cover is larger than when we first started in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows will still strive to ensure that we are doing what we can to improve access to transit for people in the outer-lying areas of Metro Vancouver.

CMBC had booths at the following depots: Oakridge, Vancouver Transit Centre, Burnaby Transit Centre, Surrey Transit Centre, Gateway SkyTrain Surrey, Richmond Transit Centre, Port Coquitlam Transit Centre, North Vancouver Transit Centre, SeaBus, and West Vancouver Transit.

CAN applauds Coast Mountain Bus Company for doing this event every year. It is important that transit staff and transit users are able to talk to one another about the differing perspectives. It is a great way of starting a dialogue and ensuring that both sides feel heard and respected. We look forward to our continuing involvement in this yearly event.

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APRIL

CAN Contacted by Wheelchair Dancer in Poland

We, at CAN, are constantly amazed by who contacts us on the strength of our website. This March we were contacted by a wheelchair dancer from Poland who wanted to learn more about opportunities in the Vancouver area. We had some language barriers to overcome but we were able to supply her with the information with which she was requesting.

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CAN E.D. Attends Better Environmentally Sound Transportation AGM

Better Environmentally Sound Transportation


At the CAN AGM in 2011 we celebrated our fifth anniversary so we were pleased to be invited to help BEST (Better Environmentally Sound Transportation) celebrate it's 20th year in operation at its AGM. It is a true success when an organization can not only survive but thrive in the current economic environment.

BEST is an active and clear voice in the Lower Mainland region for sustainable transportation choices. BEST started as a small activist group and it has grown into an organization that works with governments, educators, youth, workplaces and community groups to bring about the changes that will contribute to a better quality of life for people and communities in the Lower Mainland.

BEST's AGM was an excellent opportunity to talk transit and to meet new contacts. Following the AGM we had some delicious food and great conversations; we didn't always agree but everyone was respectful and we learned about some interesting new initiatives and projects.

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CAN an Exhibitor at Abilities Expo

The Abilities Expo event is a yearly event at which CAN sets up a table. We are very glad to be a part of this Expo and to be able to get space as there is a wait list of organizations interested in participating. The Abilities Expo is held at the Roundhouse Community Centre. The expo brings together people with disabilities and more than 30 service providers. As with past years we had a lot of attendees who stopped by our table to talk about CAN and our current projects. We had brand new signage and posters made for this event and our poster created quite the buzz with many compliments on our logo.

Photo by Brian Dennehy, courtesy of Tetra

 
Photo by Brian Dennehy, courtesy of Tetra

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CAN Disability Awareness Videos Being Used by Organizations for Their Volunteers

Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods has been contacted by five organizations who wanted to thank us for our Disability Awareness Videos as they use them to train new volunteers. CAN is proud to have our videos used in this capacity. We work hard to improve access to information and it is truly humbling to hearing that organizations across BC see the value in our videos and share them with their volunteers. The Disability Awareness Videos are one of the largest draws to our website.

One of CAN's services is to provide longer versions of our Disability Awareness Seminars and if you are interested in us creating an individualized seminar for your organization or business please contact us.

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New Word of Mouth Listing: TAO (Tetra Ability Opportunities) Program
TAO

CAN has been a supporter of Tetra since our inception. We are proud to work with them on projects and to let people know about their newest initiatives such as  TAO (Tetra Ability Opportunities). CAN has several connections to this project, the first being that the Executive Director of CAN spoke at a meeting with possible funders for a new Tetra project and fortunately the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation Canada saw the benefits of this project (a workshop) and did indeed offer funding. The second connection is that volunteers of TAO's workshop are required to watch our Disability Awareness Videos before volunteering. We are glad that our videos help the volunteers to feel more comfortable about their language and actions when interacting with people with disabilities.

The Tetra Society has opened a Vancouver workshop to clients – providing a unique opportunity for people with disabilities to learn and practice craft skills. Tetra opened the 620-square-foot, fully equipped, fully accessible workshop, in June 2010. Based at the Blusson Spinal Cord Centre (818 West 10th St., Vancouver) it features a radial saw, band saw, lathes, drill press and a variety of hand tools. It's a shared resource for the chapter's 35 volunteers – and, volunteers observed, too good not to share with clients. Hence the new program, Tetra Ability Opportunities (TAO), which offers guided workshop sessions. Experienced Vancouver chapter volunteers are offering classes for those interested in learning how to use various pieces of workshop equipment to produce interesting projects – craft items such as jigsaw puzzles, bird feeders and toys. TAO participants can determine their own personal projects, and there will be help provided whenever possible.

If you would like to take part in upcoming sessions, contact us as soon as possible. We intend to begin again mid-March.

In addition to the classes, we want to give participants assistance marketing their handmade craft items. Ask us about this, too!

TAO
Mission Statement: Never prejudge the ability or someone with a disability
To Serve all people with disabilities, insofar as i possible, under the auspices of the Tetra Society and in spirit of Tzu Chi.

To work with other societies and agencies in providing task oriented workshop classes for those with disabilities.
To assist persons with disabilities in developing their interests and talents in a workshop environment for pleasure, quality of life enrichment and possible reentry to the work force.
To develop, design and create prototypes of assistive devices and other products with commercial possibilities.

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E.D. of CAN Juror for 2011 City of Vancouver Access and Inclusion Awards

In 2010 Heather McCain, the Executive Director of Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods won the City of Vancouver Access and Inclusion Award for her work within the community.  This year Heather was asked to be a juror for the 2011 applicants alongside 2010 winners Brad McCannell and Greg Travers.

The Access and Inclusion Awards recognize individuals and organizations that demonstrate leadership and commitment to enhancing accessibility, inclusion, universality and the elimination of any barriers that may impede the full participation of persons with any type of disability in community life. The City also recognizes that improvements in accessibility and inclusion ultimately benefit all community members. There are two categories of awards: Individual and Organization.

The three jurors attended a meeting where we had a great discussion as we worked our way through the large pile of applications considering the following selection criteria: scope, achievement impact and method. There were many worthy applicants and it was difficult but fortunately the three jurors were, for the most part, of the same mind.

Following our meeting our recommendations will be forwarded to City Council for their endorsement; once approved by council the awards will be formally presented to recipients on June 7, 2011 where they will be given an award as well as a certificate of merit.  A record of the recipient's name will also be maintained at a permanent site.

For more information about the Access & Inclusion awards visit: vancouver.ca/eeo/accessinclusion_awards

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CAN E.D. Joins the Canadian Urban Transit Association Accessible Transit Sub-Committee Via Webinar
CUTA

The Canadian Urban Transit Association is the national association representing public transit systems, suppliers to the industry, government agencies, individuals and related organizations in Canada. In late 2010 the E.D. of CAN was invited to a CUTA conference where she met people from across Canada dedicated to improving transit systems. At the conference we were invited to join the Accessible Transit Sub-Committee. 

On February 22, as part of an ongoing series about accessible transit issues, CUTA hosted its first webinar. During the webinar the Director Edmonton Transit's DATS (Disabled Adults Transit Service) program described the reasons that they requested an APTA (American Public Transit Association) Peer Review as well as explain the logistics and the costs undertaking it and the follow-up actions being taken on the review's recommendations. The presentation was very informative and it assists CAN in understanding how other specialized transit systems work and what the pros and cons are to their systems.

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MARCH

CAN Representatives Attend Workshop Hosted by BC Disability Games Society

On March BC Disability Games Society organized a workshop for Provincial Sport organizations and health and disability specific agencies to come together and discuss what kind of activities would support new and/or continued partnerships. The result of these discussions determined the type of activities BCDGS would undertake and the comments made during the meeting assisted in their short and long term planning. Representatives of CAN attended this meeting and were pleased to have an opportunity to share their perspectives.
 
Sport opportunities for people with a disability are rarely well known and those with disabilities most often do not consider the possibility of engagement in sport.  Sport organizations need first to develop awareness plans to present the possibility of participation to prospective athletes with a disability. Clubs and Provincial Sport Organizations (PSOs) need support to build and deliver these awareness plans. Sport only has one opportunity to create a positive first experience for prospective athletes with a disability. It is not easy for athletes with a disability to make the first approach to sport; their experience is unrelated to the first experiences of able bodied participants. Research has shown that a negative first experience often has a lasting negative experience. PSO's and their members need to be provided with information and support if they are to continue with a successful para sport program.
 
BC Disability Games Society (the organization name is to be changed) hopes to establish itself as a first point of contact for organizations, coaches, participants, parents and teachers seeking information, assistance or opportunities to participate in sport for British Columbians with physical disabilities. They will serve as an advocate and a resource and support centre for organizations which focus on an aspect of Para sport. They will link communities and sport organizations to create and offer sport opportunities – Sport Festivals, Have a Go, Sport Demos, Sport Camps (for athlete and coaching training sessions).  Higher participation levels increase the likelihood of more high performance athletes and potential Paralympians. Promote inclusivity of participants by encouraging all levels of recreation and competition through existing programs. Connect with health care and community agencies and advocate for sport opportunities including integration initiatives at the provincial level.

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CAN Representatives Attend Interprovincial Working Meeting in Winnipeg for CCDS Project

CCDS

In December CAN put together a team to work on the Canadian Centre for Disability Studies Livable and Inclusive Communities Project. This March two of CAN's team members attending an interprovincial working meeting in Winnipeg. The purpose of the meeting was to provide participants with an overview of research findings to date including workshops and surveys. We also tested the LIC tool and assessed selected initiatives. We then spoke about possible opportunities to test the model.

The two members from CAN's team were interested to see what had become of the feedback we offered in November. We saw several similarities to that of Measuring Up. We encourage any tool that community members can use to apply to projects to ensure that the project is universal but we feel this project has work to do to make it usable by community members as while it is understandable at the level of an advocate the average community member would be confused by many of the terms and ideas. One of the hardest things to do in a project like this is to ensure that as many people as possible could pick up the tool and use it without a lot of defining of words and terms.

We look forward to continuing to work on this project and offering our experience, knowledge and perspectives.

CAN An Exhibitor at Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows Transition Fair

The Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadow's Life After School Transition Fair is an annual event that Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods has been involved with from our first full year. We are always happy to go back to Maple Ridge and set up a display table at this wonderful event. The transition fair is held for high school students/families and recent graduates who have extra support needs.  The purpose of the fair is to educate young people about the many community resources and services that will help them make a successful transition from high school into the adult world.

This year we revealed our plan to create Inclusive Playground and Community Garden Databases to our website, there was a lot of excitement. We found that the majority of attendees who talked with us wanted information about accessible transportation and adaptive sport and recreation opportunities. It was nice to see participants from past years and to meet some new people. CAN had four members and the E.D. present and we were all kept busy. We look forward to attending the 2012 Transition Fair.

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FEBRUARY

New Word of Mouth Listing: Tetra Society Database TETRA

Tetra is very excited to let you all know that our Website Database of Tetra Assistive Devices has now been expanded to 750 Devices! More devices will be added as the projects are completed by our talented and dedicated "army" of volunteers working across Canada and the United States to help children and adults with disabilities.

The database has been designed for ease of use by everyone including prior Tetra clients, potential new Tetra clients, healthcare professionals, volunteers and the general public. Find a device by either using the "Quick Search" feature (e.g.wheelchair footrest) or by browsing through the "Category and Sub Category" feature (more detailed instructions are found under "Find a Device" )

Not sure how to search? Give us a call or send a quick email to the contact below (Pat Tweedie) and someone will walk you through the process.
Want more information on a specific device? Contact us and we'll connect you to the appropriate person.

Fastest way to get to the database?
Go to the Tetra website www.tetrasociety.org click on "Search Our Database"
Copy the link below and paste into your browser
www.tetrasociety.org/devices/search.php

Pat Tweedie
National Program Coordinator
Tetra Society of North America
Phone: 604-688-6464 Ext. 108
Fax: 604-688-6463
ptweedie@tetrasociety.org

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JANUARY 2011

New Sport Listings for Adaptive Sport and Recreation Page

CAN is contacted on a monthly basis with requests from organizations to be on our Adaptive Sports and Recreation Database. We are very proud that the hard work and time that our volunteers poured into this project is paying off for individuals and organizations. We have heard from several organizations who have had volunteers find them via our database and we have heard from several individuals that they are trying an adaptive sport for the first time because they were encouraged by our database. It is rewarding to continue to get new listings and to hear such positive feedback from people within the disability community.

Membership Doubled in 2010 and New Memberships Already Up in 2011

Citizens for Accessible Neighbourhoods must be doing something right because our membership doubled in 2010 and in the first month of 2011 we already have more memberships than we did in the first three months of 2010.  A big thank you to the volunteers of CAN who continue to promote our organization. We truly appreciate it when someone takes the time to fill out a membership form and become a part of our organization. The money raised from memberships help fund our projects and we are humbled that many of our members live below the poverty line and yet they find the money in their budget to pay their membership dues.

If you are unable to afford our membership fees please still fill out a membership form as we have members who pay for the fees of those who are unable to afford it themselves and, in some cases, we will waive the fees.

CAN is happy to welcome new members to our team and we look forward to meeting even more members as 2011 proceeds.

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