The Vancouver Sun published an article on October 28th related to the power of inclusion in the workplace. The concept of the story is that when employers turn disability to diverse ability, it becomes a win for the business and a win for the individual. Hiring differently abled workers is a catalyst for positive cultural change in the workplace, spurring innovation and even employee retention.

The article highlights the experiences of Gabi & Jules Handmade Pies in Port Moody, discussing their team of baking specialists, each seemingly faster and more skilled than the last. Aaron can perfectly fold dozens of pie boxes in less than two hours, and when they have enough, he is outta there. Part-timers Ryan, Chris and Alex come in to scoop and weigh cookie dough, which they do by the hundreds with speed and accuracy. The key is ultra-short, ultra-intense shifts, that require a special kind of worker. What is special about the workers at Gabi & Jules Handmade Pies is that these hired guns are people with autism, some of whom are non-verbal. Seven of their 15 staff have some form of autism.

Rather than being a drag on productivity, workers who have autism at Gabi & Jules are matched with jobs they can knock out of the park. One of the owners of Gabi & Jules, Lisa Beecroft’s daughter Juliana has autism, so creating opportunity for people like her was the inspiration for the bakery. But Gabi & Jules is also a key cog in a larger empire, supplying baked goods to the Beecrofts’ three Caffe Divano locations.

Lisa is a member of the Presidents Group, made up of about two dozen B.C. business executives committed to creating inclusive workplaces. Inclusive workplaces make business sense and social sense. It helps us staff positions effectively and move towards a more inclusive society.

In our Employment program, Community Ventures Society works hard to match the individuals we serve with jobs that they enjoy and will excel in. This allows them to go out into the community and contribute as well as earn money for their own needs. We fully support the efforts of Gabi & Jules as well as other inclusive employers throughout BC.

To read more about this story, check out the article in the Vancouver Sun.

We wanted to share this article posted by the CBC that highlights the lessons a mom of a special needs child. She notes

\”I wasn\’t prepared for your crinkle-nose smile, your flashes of brilliance (yes, brilliance, I\’m not at all biased) or your fits of spontaneous dancing and laughter. Nor was I prepared for all the fancy labels you would pick up during your nearly 10 years on earth. Autism. Attention deficit disorder. Oppositional defiance. Anxiety.\”

It is a beautiful article that shows the impact a child can have on a parent. In this case, the mother highlights that her lessons have included growing patience, strength and perspective.

To read the full article and get a glimpse into this mother\’s story, please click here.

Shared Living & Specialized Children\’s Residential have been through a few changes over the past couple of months. We wanted to take the time to introduce the new organization of both teams to our community.

Since September, Colin Wood has assumed the role of Manager of Shared Living. Colin and his team continue to work to find alternative housing to staffed residential homes by providing an individual with the opportunity to share their life and build relationships with a family, or a person who has expressed an interest in sharing their home.

Anna Campion has been appointed to the role of Assistant Manager of Shared Living and will start working on the team on Monday, October 22nd. Anna joins Shared Living from our Community Inclusion program and is excited for this new opportunity.

In terms of Specialized Children\’s Residential, Amrita Dhoot assumed the role of Manager of Children\’s Specialized Resources in September. Amrita and her team continue to provide specialized residential resources to meet the medical or behavioural needs of the children we serve.

We are excited for the new structure of these teams and are looking forward to the months ahead.

If you would like additional information about our Shared Living programs or Specialized Children\’s Residential, please get in touch with Colin, Anna or Amrita at the details below:

Colin Wood, Manager of Shared Living – email: [email protected]; tel: 604.939.8070 ext. 2026; cell: 604.833.3790.

Anna Campion, Assistant Manager, Shared Living – email: [email protected]; tel: 604.939.8070 ext. 2026; cell: 604.417.0046

Amrita Dhoot, Manager of Children\’s Specialized Resources – email: [email protected]; tel: 604.939.8070 ext. 2023 ext. 2026; cell:778.387.8070

Inclusion BC recently announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Karla Verschoor as Executive Director.

Karla Verschoor has been with Inclusion BC since 2006, when she joined the organization as a volunteer coordinator. Since starting at Inclusion BC, Karla has worked in various leadership roles including advocate and Director of Strategic Initiatives. Karla has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Alberta where she studied Political Science and Government and a Certificate in Dialogue and Civic Engagement from Simon Fraser University. She was appointed Associate Executive Director in September, 2017 and has been Acting Executive Director since June 1, 2018.

Karla has worked with countless community partners to develop ground-breaking local and provincial initiatives that have improved the lives of people with intellectual disabilities and their families. Just a few of these include:

• I am Voting campaign,
• Road to Inclusion provincial dialogue series,
• Self Advocates Seeding Innovation project, and
• Promoting our Abilities employment project.

Most recently, within her role as Director of Strategic Initiatives and Associate Executive Director, Karla led the development of Inclusion BC’s current strategic plan.

We congratulate Karla in this appointment and look forward to working with her and her team in the months ahead.

A Global News article highlighted that a mother of a West Vancouver boy with autism faced her insurance provider cancelling her policy after her teenage son had a meltdown and did about $4,500 worth of damage to her home.

Westland Insurance offered to cover the cost, as she’d only had one minor claim over her 20 years with them. However, the company then began questioning her about her child’s health. Then, this week, it announced it was ending their relationship with her as a client.

The incident is deeply concerning to Disability Alliance B.C.

Westland Insurance initially agreed to an interview with Global News. Then they backed out and contacted Angela. “They told me I would not be cancelled, but they would have to discus further about mitigating circumstances that caused the claim,” she said on Friday.

The mother of two is relieved her insurance isn’t cancelled, but she questions how she’ll be treated in the future and worries how insurance companies treat others with disabilities.

CVS is aligned with the concerns expressed by Disability Alliance B.C. It appears that the insurer is providing services to the family but it will be interesting to see how they are treated in the future. We\’re sure that the West Vancouver family and Disability Alliance B.C. will be keeping a close eye so it can ensure that the family is treated fairly.

This week it was announced that survivors of Woodlands who lived at the institution before 1974 have begun receiving compensation payments from the Province. This comes following the Province\’s announcement in March.

Residents who lived at Woodlands before 1974 (who were previously excluded from the settlement) will now receive $10,000. As well, all residents who lived at Woodlands (at any time) will receive a minimum payment of $10,000. The money is expected to be paid out by March 31, 2019.

For more information: news release from the Province of BC.

Inclusion BC responded to the announcement early this year: 

\”This is what real leadership is. Setting things right by providing common experience payment to ALL Woodlands survivors. In doing so righting the wrongs by the previous BC government that refused to recognize the harm done to former residents prior to 1974 and that also required proof of harm. Now we can say some justice has been served and we must never forget why institutions were and will always be places of abuse and a denial of human rights\” (then Executive Director Faith Bodnar).

At CVS we fully support this action by the Province and are pleased to hear that payment to all victims of this abuse is occurring at this time. This is a big step that is long overdue for the victims and their families.

Former residents or their guardians and caregivers who have not already been contacted can call toll free:
1 888 523-7192  
Or email: woodlands.care.facility.reside[email protected] 

The provincial government is funding a Complex Medical Dental (CMD) pilot project led by the BC Dental Association (BCDA). The pilot will create new opportunities to receive dental coverage for recipients of disability assistance, income assistance, and their families.

The CMD pilot funding will be available on a pre-approval basis for applications submitted to the BCDA between June 21st 2018 and January 31st 2019. Eligible people accessing the pilot will receive one-time coverage of up to $1,000 for certain medical dental procedures and up to $500 for necessary sedation or general anesthetic. These amounts may be exceeded in exceptional circumstances with approval.

To apply, an application form must be completed by a person’s dentist. Please click here to access the application form. We have attached the application form for your reference and apologize for any confusion.

Disability Alliance BC (DABC) have stated that the CMD pilot represents a significant first step towards addressing this inadequacy. CVS supports this initiative and hopes that this is a success.

For more information, please read the information sheet prepared by the BCDA. This can be accessed by clicking here.

UK retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S) recently made headlines about a new line of clothing specifically tailored for children with disabilities. The garments are made with extra space for casts and pockets for feeding tubes. They also are made of the softest materials with as few seams as possible and hidden care labels so that they won’t irritate sensitive skin.

The retailer has received much praise for this new line. While the line resolves some of the challenges with dressing and undressing kids with disabilities, the clothes are also stylish. So kids can get the best of both worlds.

To develop its line, M&S listened to parents of children with disabilities and designed clothing around these needs. At CVS, we think this is a great example of fostering an inclusive community. M&S is providing a great example of what can be done in our communities by businesses to make life easier for individuals with disabilities and enable them to feel comfortable in all the clothes they wear.

To read more about this new line of clothing from M&S, click here.