Article by Jeff Nagel
Published May 2nd, 2012

Rising demand for HandyDart rides from the elderly and disabled who can’t easily take regular buses is outstripping TransLink’s ability to deliver the custom transit service, advocates warn.

“There are always more and more people needing to use the HandyDart,” said Jane Dyson, executive director of the B.C. Coalition for People with Disabilities.

But service levels are frozen at about 600,000 annual service hours – likely until 2015 – and TransLink is simultaneously under pressure to carve savings out of the program after an efficiency review.

The result: more passengers being denied rides or offered a one-way trip only but no guarantee of a return trip.

“They may be able to get a ride from Richmond to Vancouver but when they want to get back it’s very difficult,” Dyson said. “A ride one way is pretty useless if you can’t get back.”

She’s heard complaints from passengers who say up to half of their trip requests are denied because the system is over-subscribed, and that trips are getting longer as dispatchers organize trips to pick up more passengers than before.

“For people who have health conditions like bladder issues, or bowel issues or breathing issues, that can be very challenging,” Dyson said, adding it is undercutting the reliability and usability of the system.

“We have to remember this is a service for people with disabilities and seniors. There needs to be some understanding of that built into a budget system.”

To read more, visit this link: http://www.surreyleader.com/news/149906135.html

Ottawa, March 29, 2012

The National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS) is proud to announce the availability of a new, comprehensive guide on disability service provision and accommodations at colleges and universities in Canada. This Guide is now available on the NEADS website. It is the product of research conducted by the Government of Canada’s Office for Disability Issues and is a resource designed with direct input from Canadian campus disability service providers and student groups.

“The Enhancing Accessibility Guide is a very well-written and comprehensive document,” said Frank Smith, NEADS’ National Coordinator. “It is a resource that will be used extensively by disability service providers on college and university campuses, but it is also very valuable or students with disabilities as it is a model for optimal services and accommodations.”

Access to post-secondary education (PSE) is an integral component of achieving income security, yet people with disabilities are less likely to attend and complete PSE than those without disabilities. Students with disabilities have the potential to be successful in PSE and the support they receive from their institution can play a large role in this success.

NEADS partnered with the Government of Canada to ensure that the Guide was thoroughly reviewed by university and college disability service providers and student disability groups. NEADS then developed the Guide into a web-based tool, the purpose of which is to build awareness of disability issues within Canadian PSE institutions and to share best practices in accessibility and accommodation practices and procedures.

“The Government of Canada is committed to creating opportunities and ensuring the full participation of all people with disabilities, including students, in society,” said the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development. “We are proud to work with organizations such as NEADS, which has done important work in helping students with disabilities gain access to post-secondary education.”

The Guide contains best practice examples of accessibility policies and programs as well as a variety of resources on topics which include Financial Support, Mental Health, Sports and
Recreation, Transition to Employment, and many others.

We hope all people, whether service provider, student, or staff, will find this tool useful.

You can locate the guide on the NEADS website in English:
http://www.neads.ca/en/norc/eag/
and French: http://www.neads.ca/fr/norc/eag/

For more information, please contact the NEADS office:
National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS)
Rm. 426 Unicentre, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6,
tel. (613) 380-8065, www.neads.ca

On April 2^nd 2012, the Provincial government will launch a new system of employment programs for British Columbians. Under this model, all employment services will be centralized and consolidated into WorkBC Employment Services Centres, which will be operated by various organizations.

People who want help finding employment through WorkBC will need to contact an Employment Services Centre. The model differs from the previous system in that the Centres will provide help to people from all communities including people with disabilities, immigrants, youth, women and people receiving basic social assistance.

Please note no changes have been made to the rules about seeking employment for Persons with Disabilities (PWD) benefit recipients or for people receiving the Persons with Persistent and Multiple Barriers to Employment benefit (PPMB).

About Accessing the Centres
After April 2^nd job seekers should go to the WorkBC website http://www.workbc.ca/ or phone toll-free at 1-877-952-6914 between 12:30 pm – 4:30 pm for answers to job, career or labour market questions.

To locate their local WorkBC Employment Services Centre, job seekers can go to this map: http://www.workbc.ca/workbccentres/interactive_map.htm. Please note that the phone numbers of the Centres are currently not provided on the map and need to be accessed from the various Centre’s websites or through the phone directory.

We’d Like your Feedback on the New Service Model
There is concern in the community that people with disabilities will find the new system less accessible and useful because the Service Centres are not specialized but rather provide assistance to all types of job seekers.

We’d like your feedback on how this new system is working. Please share your experience with the new system by emailing feedback@bccpd.bc.ca.