In April 2011, the BCCPD formed the Disability Without Poverty Network (DWP). In addition to the BCCPD the Network’s members are the BC Association for Community Living (BCACL), Canadian Mental Health Association – BC and Yukon Division (CMHA), Social Planning and Research Council (SPARC) and the Community Legal Assistance Society (CLAS).

The Network has just completed a paper entitled, Overdue: The Case for Increasing the Persons with Disabilities Benefit in BC, calling on the province to increase the Persons with Disabilities Benefit (PWD) rate, index benefits and introduce a rent assistance program for PWD recipients.

You can access the paper at this link: http://www.bccpd.bc.ca/dwpnetwork.htm

We have produced a new Help Sheet thanks to the support of the Legal Services Society. Our new Help Sheet is on the Monthly Nutritional Supplement (MNS).

To apply for the MNS, applicants must have the Persons with Disabilities designation (PWD) and be in receipt of PWD income assistance. People who qualify for the MNS may receive up to $205 a month for nutritional items and vitamins or mineral supplements.

The application for the MNS has six questions. Our new Help Sheet reviews the questions and uses examples of applicants with various medical conditions to demonstrate how the questions may be answered.

The Help Sheet is accessible from our website at: http://www.bccpd.bc.ca/hs4.htm.

If you would like hard copies of the Help Sheet, we are happy to mail them to you free of charge. Please contact Val at 604-875-0188, 1-800-663-1278 or at feedback@bccpd.bc.ca to place your order.

Help Sheet funded by the Legal Services Society of BC, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada: Homelessness Partnering Strategy and Health Sciences Association of British Columbia

___________

PS. Have you signed up for Our Voice, our monthly e-newsletter? If you would like to receive it please go to this link: http://www.bccpd.bc.ca/ And don’t forget to “like” us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Thank you.

The BC Coalition of People with Disabilities (BCCPD) is seeking a student to join our team and provide administrative support for our office in Vancouver during the summer.

Our mission: For over 30 years, the BCCPD has been a provincial, cross-disability voice in British Columbia. Our mission is to support people with all disabilities to live with dignity, independence and as equal and full participants in society.

Duties and Responsibilities
– Providing administrative support to BCCPD’s different programs
– Assisting with basic case management for our Advocacy Access team
– Filing, data entry, faxing and photocopying
– Front desk reception, assisting staff and volunteers to answer the phones
– Responding to basic inquiries and information referral requests
– Greeting clients and providing excellent client service
– Researching funding opportunities and other initiatives

Desired Skills and Experience
– The applicant must work with people with disabilities in a respectful & inclusive manner
– Excellent verbal and written communication skills
– Strong customer service skills, experience answering a busy phone line is an asset
– Sense of humour, positive attitude and a willingness to learn
– Ability to work independently, to work within a team setting and to take direction
– People with all disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply for this position

This job is funded by the Canada Summer Job Program, applicants must:
– Be between 15 and 30 years of age at the start of the employment
– Have been registered as full-time students in the previous academic year and intend to return to school on a full-time basis in the next academic year
– Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or in possession of refugee status/protection
– Be legally entitled to work in Canada

The salary for this position is $10.25 per hour. This position is 30 hours per week for 12 weeks from June 4, 2012 to August 27, 2012. Office hours are 8:30am to 4:30pm, with some flexibility for the successful candidate’s weekly work schedule. We are a dog-friendly office.  

To apply: Please submit your resume and cover letter via email to Nicole Kiyooka at the BC Coalition of People with Disabilities: nicole@bccpd.bc.ca

Applications must be submitted by Wednesday, May 22^nd 2012. No phone calls please.