Community Pages - DAWN Alberta
Alberta Representative
President
Carmela Hutchison hutch@efirehose.net
Carmela's biography
Press Releases
Province strengthens supports for seniors and persons with disabilities
Monthly benefits increase and more Albertans receive support
April 8, 2009 - Edmonton - The Alberta government will invest nearly $2 billion this year to assist low-income seniors and persons with disabilities, providing increased benefits and helping more individuals in need.“This budget clearly reflects the Alberta government’s commitment to assisting seniors and persons with disabilities who are most in need,” said Mary Anne Jablonski, Minister of Seniors and Community Supports. “We’ve significantly increased funding to more than $1.97 billion to assist these Albertans and help improve their quality of life.”
Effective April 1, the maximum monthly benefit for low-income seniors through the Alberta Seniors Benefit (ASB) program will increase $40 to $280 for single seniors and $60 to $420 for senior couples. The qualifying income thresholds for the ASB are also increasing to $24,000 for single seniors and to $39,000 for senior couples, effective July 1. Approximately 6,000 additional seniors are expected be eligible.
Low-income Albertans with disabilities will also receive increased support. The maximum Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) benefit is increasing $100 per month effective April 1, raising the maximum monthly income benefit to $1,188. The increased program funding will also accommodate an expected growth in the number of Albertans receiving AISH.
A budget increase of 5.8 per cent for the Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) program will help contracted agencies recruit and retain staff. The increased funding will also assist more clients and improve support for those with complex needs.
“Seniors and persons with disabilities will also benefit from the $50 million to provide more supportive living units across the province,” said Jablonski. “We expect this funding will help build about 450 more units, which will support the Continuing Care Strategy to allow more Albertans to age in the right place.”
Low-income seniors and persons with disabilities will also continue to be assisted through successful ongoing programs, such as Aids to Daily Living and Public Guardian Services.
Overall, the 2009 budget for Seniors and Community Supports is increasing by $108 million to nearly $2 billion. For more information on programs and services, visit www.seniors.alberta.ca.
Media inquiries may be directed to:
Sonia Maryn, Seniors and Community Supports, 780-415-9950
To call toll free within Alberta dial 310-0000.
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Largest Family Conference in the World for Parents of Children with Disabilities
EDMONTON, Alberta – Over 700 parents, children, teenagers and adults with developmental disabilities from across the province and as far away as Australia and New Zealand, will gather at the Fantasyland Hotel March 20 – 21 to attend the Alberta Association for Community Living (AACL) 17th Annual Family Conference. There is no other comparable event in the world where close to 200 children and teenagers attend along with their families. There will be 25 parents from Australia and New Zealand attending the conference to learn from Alberta’s many successes.Among this year’s award recipients for outstanding contr ibution to inclusion will be The City of Calgary, Recreation and Concordia University College of Alberta, for their commitment and leadership in creating inclusive opportunities for children and adults with developmental disabilities. This will occur at the President’s Reception on Friday evening March 20 where The Honourable Mary Anne Jablonski, Minister, Alberta Seniors and Community Supports, will be speaking.
AACL is the global leader in the development of inclusive post-secondary education with more post-secondary institutions in Alberta including adults with developmental disabilities than anywhere else in the world. The Conference will feature sessions, among others on family advocacy and the new Registered Disability Savings Plan offered by the Government of Canada. The closing session will have immigrant and refugee families who have children with disabilities sharing their journey to Canada, the many challenges they have faced and how th eir children are now being included in regular classrooms.
June E. Downing, Ph.D., internationally acclaimed educator and author on inclusive education. Hundreds of teachers and parents will be attending her workshop on how to successfully include students with significant disabilities in regular classrooms to the benefit of all students. The National Inclusive Education Award will be presented at the conference to three Alberta schools and one school district.
John O’Brien, Ph.D., the author of numerous publications and books, and globally recognized for his more than 30 years of work with families to help them secure an enduring inclusive life, will lead a workshop on new possibilities for community inclusion through the leadership of families and the capacity of communities.
The Conference features free childcare, a teen club, and youth forum and wraps up Saturday evening with a dinner and celebration for the entire fami ly. AACL is a family-based, registered charity supporting thousands of children and adults with developmental disabilities and their families across Alberta for over 50 years
For more information regarding AACL Family Conference, please contact:
Matt Mandrusiak
Communications Coordinator
Phone: 780.451.3055 Ext. 226
Toll Free: 1.800. 252.7556 Ext. 226
Cell: 780.974.7923
Email: mmandrusiak@aacl.org
Breanna Bourke
Executive Assistant
Phone: 7 80.451.3055 Ext. 228
Toll Free: 1.800.252.7556 Ext. 228
Cell: 780.910.3942
Email: bbourke@aacl.org
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Strong Communities
November 27, 2008Alberta supports new federal disability savings plan
Savings will not affect eligibility for provincial financial assistance programs
Edmonton... The Alberta government will ensure Albertans with disabilities who have a federal Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) will not have their provincial benefits affected.
The RDSP is a new federal program that will help parents and others to save to ensure the long-term financial security of a child with a severe disability.
“This will encourage families with children with disabilities to plan for their future needs, as well as help Albertans with disabilities to save money to supplement their income and maximize their independence,” said Mary Anne Jablonski, Minister of Seniors and Community Supports.
The Alberta government is ensuring Albertans with disabilities will continue to qualify for benefits as they would without an RDSP, by fully exempting the RDSP as income and assets when determining eligibility for provincial financial assistance programs. Government programs affected by this cross-ministry initiative include the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) program, the Alberta Seniors Benefit program, and the Income Support program.
“This exemption offers families peace of mind knowing that they can save for the future of a family member without affecting their provincial benefit,” said Hector Goudreau, Minister of Employment and Immigration. “It will also help family members maintain a good quality of life.”
More information on RDSPs is available on the Canada Revenue Agency website at www.cra-arc.gc.ca or by calling 1-800-959-8281 (TTY users call 1-800-665-0354).
Media inquiries may be directed to:
Jenn Guzzwell, Communications
Seniors and Community Supports 780-415-9950
To call toll-free within Alberta dial 310-0000.
Announcements
ASL Immersion 2009
This is just a courteous reminder that the Alberta Cultural Society of the Deaf (ACSD) and WCCSD are hosting ASL Immersion 2009 from July 6 - 10. Please check out the website by clicking here for more news about this amazing program.Western Canadian Centre for Studies in Deafness
The David Peikoff Chair of Deaf StudiesUniversity of Alberta
6-102 Education North
Edmonton, AB T6G 2G5Ph: (780) 492-5213 (voice and VP)
IP: 129.128.47.24 (VP)
Fax: (780) 492-1318
rdemko@ualberta.ca------------------------------------
On Site Placement Services Association
Job Placement for Professionals with DisabilitiesThis program assists individuals who have professional qualifications to secure and retain employment at professional levels.
Professional employment qualifications are defined as acquisition of a diploma or degree from a post secondary institution.
Clients with qualifications for professional positions access OSP services to enter or retain employment that match their skills.
Job Placements for Professionals has been created to remove barriers for professionals with disabilities.
802-9707-110 Street
Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2L0
870-488-8122 Fax: 780-447-4432Professional mailout poster available in JPG format
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Carmela Hutchison: Something Better To Offer
Posted by D. Cole
Shameless Magazine
February 26, 2009Every Thursday I profile a new incredible woman, each from a different walk of life. Different professions, causes, backgrounds, ethnicities, orientations, and anything/everything else!
So without further delay, let me introduce the wonderful Carmela Hutchison…
President of DisAbled Women’s Network of Canada, Carmela Hutchison is “committed to working for the day people living with multiplicity/DID will have the same access to treatment that other diagnostic categories do; a right they do not share with their fellow Canadians.” When no resources could be found for a fellow multiple after a critical event, Carmela became committed to working to improve the quality of life of mental health consumers, and all people living with a disability. Carmela reminds us that even if we feel insignificant or that we can’t contribute, all we need to do is take a look around!
What drives you to do what you do?
The human family must have something better to offer its members.
How does being a women empower / challenge you?
I believe women are able to empower one another by listening and sharing universal experiences in our lives. I am challenged as a woman by the way many women today feel feminism is not relevant for them, and these are the two biggest questions I try to address: How do we make feminism relevant to women again? How do we stop violence against women?
What advice would you give to young women who want to follow in your footsteps?
Educate yourselves and really learn about current events. Believe the world can be different and make it so. Women must also really remember to support the work of other women.
Name one person, place, or thing every young woman should know about?
The wise words of women who write about feminism and feminist issues.
What is the most important thing we can do in order to change the world?
People often think what I do is so special, but really, it is not. Anyone who wants to help someone only has to walk outside his or her front door. Read everything you can, and try to become involved in one activity that helps others around you. If you think you are insignificant or that you cannot contribute, walk outside your door and really look at all the ways around you that you can make a difference. In organizations, we call this the environmental scan, but the opportunities to be significant and helpful are all around us.
Direct link to the interview : HERE
Newsletters
DisAbled Women's Network Canada
Réseau d'action des femmes handicapées du Canada
110 Sainte-Thérèse Street, Suite 505 /110, rue Sainte-Thérèse, bureau 505
Montréal, QC H2Y 1E6/ Montréal (Québec) H2Y 1E6
Phone /Téléphone: 514 396-0009 (QC); Fax /Télécopieur: (514) 396-6585 (QC)
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