Currents
Connecting families from Tofino to Sechelt and Port Hardy to Port Alberni
Families living on the Sunshine Coast and North Vancouver Island are invited to attend a series of FREE virtual sessions. Learn ways to strengthen your advocacy and access resources to help build a good life for your loved one with a disability. Join other families in sharing knowledge and developing community support.
- Cost: FREE (Scholarship for childcare available, see details at the bottom of registration.)
- When: 9 sessions between July 7 – 27 , 2022
- Where: Virtual Zoom sessions
- Who: Families living on the Sunshine Coast and North Vancouver Island who support a loved one with an intellectual or developmental disability.
- Event Contact: info@inclusionbc.org or call 604-777-9100
- Registration: you will be registering for all 9 sessions; this is a series that is meant to be taken together. We understand families are busy so if there are times you cannot attend, just attend the ones you can. After you register you will receive a confirmation email with the Zoom link for all sessions. Scholarships are available.
Sessions Details
Week 1
Self-Determination Opening and Elder Welcome
Thursday, July 7th, 10:30 am
Panel: Self-advocates and families tell their stories of life and successes. Learn from the discussion about how they make choices and manage their own lives and from a family member about how they support self-determination.
Rights, Processes, and Advocacy
Monday, July 11th, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Learn about what your rights are, how to exercise them, and how to advocate for yourself and your family member. We go over how the systems of MCFD, CLBC, and Education work and their hierarchies. We will also touch on Health and Early Childhood.
Ignites Session Lunch time 45 Minutes
Wednesday, July 13th, 12:00 pm
Communication and Advocacy: Come hear what techniques and strategies our Advocacy team is using to have good clear communication breakthroughs within the systems. Even when you know all the right policies and processes, clear communication is needed. Come learn what we have learned while we advocate alongside families and self-advocates.
Hopes, Dreams, and Planning
Thursday, July 14th, 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm
There are many techniques and strategies for planning for an inclusive future. Come learn about different planning tools that will help support your vision for life in community – we will talk about home, education, employment, and being part of your community.
Week 2
Financial Planning
Tuesday, July 19th, 10:00 am – 11:30 pm
Learn about options for planning financially. Topics to be discussed: Registered Disability Savings Plan, Disability Tax Credit, Wills, and Estates. This session will bring information about funds and grants available to all families of children with a disability; both before and after their 19th birthday.
Ignites Session Lunch time
Wednesday, July 20th, 12:00 pm – 12:45 pm
Hear about innovative programs that are inclusive to people with disabilities. Persephone’s Brewery and their inclusive employment program, and Curiko and online platform for discovering and learning things like writing a resume or a poem, making Microwave Mochi Chapssaltteok, or Dancing with Amanda … so much to explore.
Digital literacy and online knowledge and safety
Thursday, July 21st, 1:30 pm – 2:45 pm
Come learn about a new program CLBC is offering about digital literacy. Learn how to teach people with step-by-step instructions and online tutorials about how to use their computer, tablets, and smartphones. How to surf the internet and connect with friends and family. Now that we are online how do we keep ourselves, our devices, and information safe.
Week 3
Provincial and Local Resources
Monday, July 25th, 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm
Learn what resources are available both locally and province-wide and how to access them.
The History of Disability in BC: What have we learned
Wednesday, July 27th, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
No Human Rights, no voting rights, living in Institutions, and forced into segregated schools. Let us go through the historical and current advocacy at the provincial and national levels for the rights of people with intellectual disabilities to live as full citizens in their communities.
Scholarships
Inclusion BC is able to offer some scholarships for childcare or other types of support to facilitate families’ participation. Please submit an application here.
Event Contact:
Jay Sandhu
1 844 488 4321
jsandhu@inclusionbc.org
Thank you to the members of the Currents Working Group
