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  • The Abilities Connect Fund: Grants for Hiring and Accommodating People with Disabilities in Ontario

    The Abilities Connect Fund: Grants for Hiring and Accommodating People with Disabilities in Ontario

    The Abilities Connect Fund offers grants for hiring and accommodating people with disabilities. Are you a business or not-for-profit organization that employs between five to 500 people? If so, through the Abilities Connect Fund you may qualify for:

    • Up to $20,000 for the employment (co-ops, internships, part-time, full-time) of persons with a disability with preferences given to college/university students or recent graduates with disabilities; and

    • Up to $3,000 for the purchase of assistive devices, training, and assessments for ANY employee(s) with a disability.

     The Abilities Connect Fund, administered by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, seeks to encourage employers to leverage an untapped talent pool to meet their skills requirements and raise awareness about the benefits of hiring, training and integrating people with disabilities in the workplace.

    Visit ABILITIESCONNECT.CA and apply today!

    www.occ.ca/programs/accessibility-works/abilities-connect/

    The program is supported and funded by the Province of Ontario.

    Via www.neads.ca

  • NEADS Event Calendar: January 2016

    NEADS Event Calendar: January 2016

    Event Calendar listings from www.neads.ca –  Vist NEADS.ca for more information on upcoming events!

    Organizer: Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work (CCRW)
    Title: Workplace Essential Skills Partnership (WESP) Workshop
    Category: Employment
    Location: Toronto, Ontario
    Date: January 11, 2016 – January 29, 2016
    Telephone: 416-260-3060 ext. 232
    E-mail: cmacdiarmid@ccrw.org
    Web site: http://www.ccrw.org/wesp
    Description: WESP is a pre-employment workshop for job seekers with disabilities. Topics focus on the enhancement of job search skills: cover letter and resume writing, networking, accessing the hidden job market, job interviewing, disclosing workplace accommodation requirements, etc.

    Organizer: Reach Canada
    Title: The Diversity of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Broadening the Conversation
    Category: Education
    Location: Ottawa, Ontario
    Date: January 13, 2016
    Telephone: 613-236-6636
    E-mail: joannesilkauskas@reac.ca
    Web site: http://www.reach.ca
    Description: What are the issues around Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and why is dealing with PTSD so important for the health and being of families, employers and our communities? This seminar is valuable to persons with disabilities, family members, employers and service/health providers.

    Presenters:

    Michel Drapeau: Lawyer, Michel Drapeau Law Office and Professor, Faculty of Law at the University of Ottawa

    Fiona Gilligan, MSW, RSW: Author, Speaker & Trauma Specialist; Clinical Services, Ottawa Anxiety and Trauma Clinic

    Welcome to bring your lunch! This event takes place from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m.

    Organizer: Mitacs
    Title: Mitacs – Career Showcase in Vancouver
    Category: Education
    Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
    Date: January 18, 2016 – January 19, 2016
    Web site: https://www.mitacs.ca/en/events
    Description: Career Showcase – #BCTECH Summit

    Event Date: 01/18/2016

    Students and recent graduates: don’t miss the Career Showcase at #BCTECH Summit in Vancouver on January 18–19, 2016. Attendance is free.

    The Career Showcase offers activities and resources to help students and recent graduates learn about career opportunities in BC’s growing tech industry. The #BCTECH Summit will explore how technology is transforming our economy — and our lives.

    Organizer: National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS)
    Title: Breaking it Down: Dialogues on Removing Barriers for People With Disabilities in the Workplace – University of Regina
    Category: Employment
    Location: Regina, Saskatchewan
    Date: January 22, 2016
    Telephone: 613-380-8065, ext. 201
    Web site: http://www.neads.ca/en/about/media/index.php?id=327
    Description: Breaking it Down: Dialogues on Removing Barriers for People With Disabilities in the Workplace (Regina, Saskatchewan, Friday, January 22, 2016)

    The National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS) invites post-secondary students and graduates with disabilities, career educators and representatives from federally regulated private sector employers to a one day innovative and interactive workshop “Breaking it Down (BID): Dialogues on removing barriers for people with disabilities in the workplace”, to be held in Regina, Saskatchewan on Friday, January 22, 2016 from 8:00am – 4:30pm at the University of Regina, Main Campus, Room LI 215, 2nd Floor, Language Institute.

    Register online now: • https://secure.neads.ca/register/en.php?id=15SK

    Organizer: Cannexus – Career Development Conference
    Title: Cannexus – Career Development Conference 2016 – Ottawa
    Category: Employment
    Location: Ottawa, Ontario
    Date: January 25, 2016 – January 27, 2016
    Web site: http://cannexus.ca/
    Description: About Cannexus

    CERIC, the Canadian Education and Research Institute for Counselling, presents Cannexus — a bilingual National Career Development Conference designed to promote the exchange of information and explore innovative approaches in the areas of career counselling and career development. The 2016 conference will be in Ottawa from January 25-27, 2016 at the Shaw Centre.

    Organizer: National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS)/Saint Mary’s University Career Services
    Title: Breaking It Down: Dialogues on Removing Barriers for People With Disabilities In The Workplace (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Friday, January 29, 2016)
    Category: Employment
    Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Date: January 29, 2016
    Telephone: 613-380-8065, ext. 201
    E-mail: frank.smith@neads.ca
    Web site: http://www.neads.ca/en/about/media/index.php?id=330
    Description: Saint Mary’s University Career Services presents: A National Educational Association of Disabled Students’ event – Breaking It Down: Dialogues on Removing Barriers for People With Disabilities In The Workplace (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Friday, January 29, 2016)

    Organizer: Athabasca University
    Title: Impact – Universal Design for Learning conference at Athabasca University (January 29 – 30, 2016)
    Category: Accessibility
    Location: Edmonton, Alberta
    Date: January 29, 2016 – January 30, 2016
    E-mail: Reg_udlevent@athabascau.ca
    Web site: http://udl.athabascau.ca/about/index.php
    Description: Athabasca University is hosting a conference that will empower a range of stakeholders in the application of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Accessibility principles in post-secondary education.
    Attendees will gain cutting edge knowledge via informative presentations, practical workshops and create networks with others who research, promote and implement UDL and web accessibility in on-line or blended learning environments, in post-secondary education.

    This event will be held on January 29 & 30, 2016 at the Chateau Louis Conference Center in Edmonton, Alberta.

  • Thriving with Anxiety: Where does it come from, and what can I do about it?

    Thriving with Anxiety: Where does it come from, and what can I do about it?

    You are sitting in class. The clock ticks. Then it hits you: Your heart runs wild and beads of sweat run down your forehead. Anxiety comes hard and fast, but with reportedly one in five teens suffering from it, you are far from alone. Yet so many of us still see it as a crippling weakness, as something they have to hide.

    We live in a world of competition. Students compete for the honour roll. Graduates compete for internships and jobs. Even friendship and dating is a competition to be selected as a friend or romantic partner. Anxiety can hurt your grades, your work opportunities, and social interactions. So how did humans end up with such a burdensome trait?

    There is a specific part of the brain that handles anxiety called the amygdala. It may be hard to pronounce, but all you need to know is that it is a very small part of the brain that handles strong emotions like fear, anxiety, and aggression. The amygdala focuses on survival in the face of danger, and was essential to our evolution as a species. The problem is that it overrides other emotions and bodily functions. This makes sense when a predator is chasing you, but not when sitting in a classroom.

    We evolved to associate certain sounds, like the roar of a predator, with danger. We would know when to be scared and to run away. When that same mechanism associates certain sounds and sights with anxiety, it creates phobias that we struggle with. A traumatic event like a failed test can trigger this, and cause you to fear tests far more than is healthy. Anxiety was a useful tool for survival that is trying to adapt to a modern society very different from the world in which we evolved.

    In that problem lies the solution: The very nature of evolution is the idea of change. You are not doomed to have anxiety forever. Therapy can make a huge difference. This is nothing to be ashamed about, and is no different than getting treated for a papercut. The brain is a physical organ, and needs to be cared for and receive treatment just like any other part of the body.

    Find your triggers. Whenever anxiety strikes, grab a pen as soon as possible. Write down the time and place, what was happening, and what thoughts went through your head. By keeping a log, you will find patterns that are hard to spot in the midst of an anxiety attack. When in a calmer state, you can write responses to these moments and thoughts, challenging them using a calm and rational state of mind. This is a component of cognitive behavioural therapy, which emphasizes the importance of thoughts and how they influence moods. By looking at anxiety as something that can be treated, you can begin working on the bandage that will make it better.

    Sources:
    AnxietyBC. Parent and Child.
    http://www.anxietybc.com/parenting/parent-child

    The Doctor Says. Where does anxiety come from?
    http://www.thedoctorsays.com/anxiety/where-does-anxiety-come-from/

  • The Importance of Networking When Looking for a Job

    The Importance of Networking When Looking for a Job

    Stop me if you’ve heard this before: In order to get a job or start your career, networking is the single most valuable thing you can do in your post-graduate life. We’ve all heard variations of this theory for years, and, (I almost hate to say it), it’s entirely accurate. Let me explain why you should strongly consider networking if you have not started your own work connections to the world yet.

    I never really saw the point of networking. It can be seen as a “real-world” work-based version of Facebook, keeping in touch with your friends and their careers. But, it’s much more serious and has a lot less cat pictures. It’s people trading information – a good thing if you want outsider perspectives on a project, which can help in a lot of different ways. Personally, networking has landed me jobs. Consider LinkedIn for this specific reason; it helps you to identify your work connections’ connections far more quickly than Facebook, showing you potential connections to job postings. In addition to those, LinkedIn allows you to keep in touch with others without Facebook friend issues: keeping your private and public lives separate. It helps me work towards meeting my career goals so I can eventually have the career that I’ve desired ever since I heard about it. (There are certainly careers out there that aren’t as well known, so ongoing research is always a good thing.)

    I reached out for help finding a job through a career network, and got in touch with a lovely person who helped me with my search. Having this person at hand to work with, made me feel like there was a team behind me as I tried to enter the work force – which, for the newest generation entering the workforce – is particularly challenging these days. Personally, I’m optimistic that future generations will have more opportunities than I did when finding an entry-level job.

    For me, my original job-search agency got in touch with another agency; this one was more specialized and had better connections, although not well-known for its job-searching abilities, but rather assistance for those with my disability (hearing). Between them, I was able to find something that fit with not only my education, but also with my career goals.

    It took time, but those network connections that I had so dismissed earlier actually pushed me closer to my desired career, better than before not networking. So for all of you who may be looking for employment – I strongly suggest that you not ignore that networking advice. Even if the people you meet aren’t able to get your foot in the door, they can keep you in mind when that fantastic first impression comes along, and put you in touch with their own network.

    So do some research, and drop by your local job hunt/search clinic from time to time – the people you meet there will be a valuable resource in your job search – even if it takes time for that work to pay off. Consider reaching out towards work agencies because, as in my case, the agency that helped me (even though it wasn’t as well known for their job search strategies), became helpful in the end. As a result, the networking connection I had formed through the original job search agency, won me a job after all- it can happen for you too!

  • Disability Studies: Exploring the Margins ( Conference in Hawaii)

    Disability Studies: Exploring the Margins ( Conference in Hawaii)

    The conference Disability Studies: Exploring the Margins from the Center and the Center from the Margins will take place from April 25-26, 2016 at the Hawaii Convention Center, Honolulu, Hawaii. The due date for conference submissions is December 17, 2015.

    Follow this link for proposal questions: http://neads.ca/en/about/media/index.php?id=302

    Disability-related issues are becoming more and more mainstreamed. For instance, several universities are starting to offer Disability Studies as an undergraduate major option. At the same time, people with various disabilities, ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations and gender issues, for example, expressly discuss how they remain at the margins and may be even at the margins of the margins.

    Where does Disability Studies fit in these discussions of multiple oppressions/identities and social inequalities, and what are scholars doing to advance theories and understandings of intersectionality? We are interested in presentations that will address less discussed areas of contemplation, critical reflection and analysis.

    If you have a proposal that may not fit in to the above targets, we will welcome them as part of our discussion. We welcome proposals in any presentation format. We also welcome presentations in innovative formats including readings, performance art, graphics and roundtables. Please see presentation formats on our webpage at http://www.pacrim.hawaii.edu/presenters/formats. Please check the criteria for each format and ensure that you have the appropriate number of presenters for your chosen format. You may submit proposals online at: http://www.pacrim.hawaii.edu/submissions or send your proposals via email to prcall@hawaii.edu. For more information about this topic area, contact the topic chair, Steve Brown, sebrown@hawaii.edu.

  • Muscular Dystrophy: From Immobility to Opportunity

    Muscular Dystrophy: From Immobility to Opportunity

    Many things are so second nature that we never give them a second thought. Your legs take those steps out the door in the morning, and your thumbs dance across the phone screen to text your friend. Now imagine losing the ability to take a step or to move your fingers. That is muscular dystrophy, a devastating disease that eats away at the body’s muscles and leaves the affected individual immobilized. It primarily affects male children, with studies indicating 1.3 to 1.8 cases for every 10 000 boys.

    My uncle, Frank Ritacca, was born with the condition. He went from a walking toddler to a weakened youth in a wheelchair by the time he was a teenager. The prognosis was not a good one: a life expectancy in the early 20s with increasing debilitation.

    In December of 2015, my uncle celebrates his 52nd birthday. He has been a lifelong inspiration to his family, his friends, and me. A smiling face in the midst of adversity, his optimism and humour make the man with a muscle-weakening disease the strongest man I know.

    Many years ago, severe conditions like that were death sentences. But one of the greatest, if not the greatest, aspects of advancing technology is the improvement in quality of life for those who need it most. Frank’s wheelchair has allowed him some mobility, and his healthcare equipment has allowed him to breathe and be fed. Yet those are the basics for survival, and we humans want more than that from our lives. Through buttons operated via his knees and his finger, Frank is able to fully operate a computer.

    Companies such as Invacare offer devices for those with limited mobility. Their MK6i remote programmer attaches to Frank’s wheelchair and connects him to the on-screen mouse of his computer. A man who could not write now sends emails and posts on Facebook via his on-screen keyboard. A man who could not walk since childhood now meets people from around the world and has a great group of friends to chat with. A man who lost his ability to make things or use his hands now creates websites and videos, and destroys his competition in chess, Scrabble, and Settlers of Catan. Of course, he will always make time to binge watch Star Trek on Netflix. Technology has allowed for a much greater harnessing of human potential, moving discussions away from limitations and towards capabilities.

    In a world where a person’s merit is measured by their contribution to society, it is easy for someone like Frank to feel disadvantaged and weak. Technology has given him and others like him the opportunity to do more. Yet just like for all of us, that technology is merely a tool. It is his optimism, determination, and unyielding strength that make Frank who he is. My uncle is a techie, a Trekkie, a gamer, a friend, a beloved member of the family, and an invaluable inspiration to us all.

  • NEADS News December 2015: The Assessment and Resource Centres of Ontario Student Mental Health Survey

    NEADS News December 2015: The Assessment and Resource Centres of Ontario Student Mental Health Survey

    We need post-secondary students with mental health difficulties to help us develop an online transition program geared towards students like you. The Assessment and Resource Centres of Ontario (one at Queen’s University and one at Cambrian College) have been funded to develop an online transition program in both a northern and southern region of Ontario for students with mental health issues transitioning from high school to post-secondary education. In order to address current gaps in transition programming, we need information from students with mental health concerns who are 18 and older and who have been accepted into or are currently studying at a post-secondary institution in Ontario.

    The National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS) is a research partner in this project and is conducting a series of focus groups and an online survey as part of an environmental scan. Focus groups are being held at four locations in Ontario: Timmins, Toronto, Kingston, and Sudbury. The online survey will allow students to participate in a manner that is accessible to them even if they cannot/do not wish to participate in the focus groups. Who is eligible to participate in the study? Any student who has been accepted into or is currently enrolled in a post-secondary program and who has experienced significant mental health difficulties is eligible. Students should be at least 18 years old, in their first or second year of college or university and have graduated from high school in the past two years. Participants can provide opinions via the anonymous online survey.

    The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete and you can fill it out here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZL57MDT This research has been approved by the Cambrian College Research Ethics Board, the Queen’s University General Research Ethics Board and also by the Limestone District School Board. For additional information, please contact Alana Holmes at alana.holmes@cambriancollege.ca or at 705-566-8101 ext. 7643.

  • NEADS: December 2015 Event Calendar

    NEADS: December 2015 Event Calendar

    Organizer: Ability Starts Here – Conference on Inclusive Education and Employment
    Title: Ability Starts Here – Conference on Inclusive Education and Employment
    Category: Employment
    Location: Ottawa, Ontario
    Date: December 1, 2015 – December 2, 2015
    Web site: http://abilitystartshere.ca/
    Description: The Power of Participation

    8th Annual Symposium On Inclusive Education And Employment
    In Celebration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities
    Tuesday and Wednesday December 1 & 2, 2015
    World Trade and Convention Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia

    Over 350 participants – educators, employers, labour organizations, entrepreneurs, persons with disabilities, government representatives and service agencies – will gather in Halifax for Symposium 2015. Learn, from each other and experts in the field, about the initiatives of and for persons with disabilities in the areas of education, employment and human rights. Inclusive and Accessible best practices will be shared. This further develops the opportunities for persons with disabilities to fully participate and contribute to the workforce in our communities across Nova Scotia.

     

    Organizer: Ability Starts Here – Conference on Inclusive Education and Employment
    Title: Women with Disabilities Series: Symposium 2015 – Ability Starts Here – Inclusion is Everyone’s Business
    Category: Education
    Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Date: December 1, 2015 – December 2, 2015
    Web site: http://www.abilitystartshere.ca
    Description: Women with Disabilities Series: Symposium 2015 – Ability Starts Here – Inclusion is Everyone’s Business

    Women with Disabilities Series: Breaking the Barriers – Women’s Success in Education; Exploring the Connection among Gender, Disability and Employment; Exploring Violence Against Women with Disabilities. December 1-2, at the World Trade and Convention Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Check out our website www.abilitystartshere.ca for more information and registration.

     

    Organizer: Tangled Art + Disability
    Title: Fixed: The Science/Fiction of Human Enhancement – Documentary
    Category: Accessibility
    Location: Toronto, Ontario
    Date: December 3, 2015
    Web site: http://http://tangledarts.org/season-2015-16/

    Description: Please join Tangled in celebrating the International Day of People with Disabilities at the TIFF Lightbox. As part of TIFF’s Higher Learning Series, Tangled is co-presenting the documentary Fixed: The Science/Fiction of Human Enhancement. The documentary and the panel that follows will explore the drive to make ourselves ‘better than human’ and debate the radical technologies, like prosthetic limbs and mechanical eyeballs, that promise to take us there.

    DECEMBER 3RD, 2015 11AM-1:30PM
    TIFF Bell Lightbox, Reitman Square
    350 King Street West
    FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
    This event is a co-presentation between TIFF Higher Learning and Ryerson University’s School of Disability Studies.

     

    Organizer: South Saskatchewan Independent Living Centre
    Title: United Nations International Day of Persons With Disabilities – Regina
    Category: Education
    Location: Regina, Saskatchewan
    Date: December 3, 2015

    Description: The South Saskatchewan Independent Living Centre, with support from the City of Regina is holding its United Nations International Day of Persons With Disabilities event on December 3rd, 2015. It will be held from 1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the Core Ritchie Neighbourhood Centre, 445 14th in Regina. The theme is: Inclusiion Matters: Access and Empowerment for People of All Abilities, featuring presentations and discussion on the topics of Education, Recreation and Employment of persons with disabilities. Attendant support will be provide. Light refreshments will be served.

  • You Can Handle Anything- Just Try!

    You Can Handle Anything- Just Try!

    I am an amputee, missing both hands and my right leg above the knee. I know what you’re thinking, “How is she typing this?”

    Well, it’s easy. I simply bash my head against the keyboard until the right sentences string together.

    Okay, okay, just kidding. But you should have seen your face.

    I was born with my amputations, so I have lived my entire life being “different” and learning how to become an independent person. As you can imagine, there have been many challenges to face as well as many funny experiences. My family raised me with a healthy sense of humour and so I have always felt comfortable with my disability. However, that didn’t change the fact that other people weren’t so comfortable, and that I had to find ways to deal with strangers asking me questions on a daily basis. I have heard everything from “What happened to you?” to “Can I touch your arms?” so by now I have a decent variety of responses to be ready with at all times.

    When I went off to university, I had no idea just how different my life would be. It was my first time living by myself. Even though I knew I was completely capable of being independent, I still had a few concerns. What if I couldn’t do laundry? What if I needed help with it? It’s normal for students to feel nervous about moving away from home, but I felt especially anxious considering that I had a lot to deal with that other kids didn’t. I made up my mind to not be discouraged by ‘what if’ and instead be as confident as I had always been. After all, if I could live independently in my hometown, I could live independently anywhere!

    Things went well during my first week of university. I lived in residence with a roommate and it didn’t take long for me to get adjusted to student life. All my insecurities went away until one day a professor called me into his office to meet with him and a special needs advisor. I had never really used special needs services before, but have always appreciated that they are available to me. At this meeting I was told that with the semester getting underway and workload starting to pick up, I should probably use a scribe to take notes during my lectures because there was no way I would be able to keep up with my peers. Now, most people wonder how I write or type – it’s not very exciting; I just use my arms. I’ve learned to be very crafty and resourceful with what little I have, and I type up to 100 words per minute!

    I knew that I didn’t need a note taker. I could do this myself. But I let people who thought they were helping me get in my head. I started to panic thinking that maybe they were right – maybe I wouldn’t be able to keep up. Just as I was about to give in, I reminded myself of my decision to be confident. I spoke up and said, “No thank you! I’ll be fine!”

    And I’m proud to say, I was. Not only did I complete the semester taking notes on my own but by the end of the semester I had actually volunteered to be a scribe myself and take notes for other people!

    If you are struggling with insecurity, just remember that you know yourself better than others. Be confident in your abilities, take a chance, and show people what you can do.

  • Living in the Now

    Living in the Now

    One of the biggest causes of unhappiness and discontent is the inability to let go of things that went wrong in the past. Living in the now is not some kind of hippie-wannabe-Zen concept, it’s an absolute necessity for conquering your goals and becoming the person you want to be. In my third year of university I had a breakdown that was so different from any anxiety attack or obsession over my future I had had in the past that I stayed home from school in bed for a week and a half. Setting aside any personal learning disabilities or anxiety problems I may have been dealing with at the time, there were three key issues that contributed to this depressive state that many may relate to:

    Build self-esteem and confidence.
    I was not confident in myself and spent too much time comparing my success and patterns with other peoples; this lead to poor work and exam performance. One of the most crippling things you can do is to compare yourself to someone else. Avoid vices that appear to give you confidence, because that is temporary and misleading.

    You are not controlled by your past, you are propelled by it.
    Don’t forget the past. We learn from our mistakes, and recalling how you handled things in the past can help you approach the present in more productive, lucrative and healthy ways.

    Build resiliency by learning to cope well with problems.
    How have you handled problems in the past? If your reaction was to crawl into bed and not leave for days, get out and go for a walk. Watch a movie that inspires you, listen to a soundtrack that builds you up, and take time to spend with nature. Being overwhelmed by workloads can perpetuate a constant feeling of ugliness. As silly as it may sound, go outside and drink in the beauty of your surroundings. Remind yourself that your problems are fleeting and there will always be new ones, so take a minute to appreciate something beautiful and live in that moment. Learn to brush off the right things, and confront other things head on with a goal to problem solve.