News Archives of the ConnecTra Society Events of the ConnecTra Society About the ConnecTra Society Connectra Society Home Page ConnecTra Society
            

     Contact Us

      Donate Now


 中文簡介
 
     August 2009
     April 2009
     December 2008
     October 2008
     June 2008
     February 2008
 

 
 

Welcome to the
ConnecTra Society

Rewarding activities for people with disabilities.

 

Happy birthday: ConnecTra is 10 years old - thanks to all our members, funders and donors who make the organization possible.

ConnecTra was formed November, 1999.

 

Next event - February 2010 workshop

ConnecTra's next workshop will be on Thursday, Feb. 26.

It will be held from 1pm to 3pm in the Alma VanDusen and Peter Kaye meeting room of the Library Square Conference Centre, 350 West Georgia Street, Vancouver.

The theme will be sexual health, with a presentation by Vancouver Coastal Health sexual health clinician Christine Zarowski.

For more information, or to confirm attendance, please contact Stephen

Street at 604-688-6464 ext. 115, or sstreet@disabilityfoundation.org

 

Disability culture festival

The Kickstart disability arts & culture festival runs at various Vancouver locations from March 8 – 27 to promote the various talents of people with disabilities.

“In Canada and around the world, artists and

performers with disabilities are contributing to

one of the most radical and effective aspects of disability culture – challenging conventional notions of beauty, form and motion,” says Catherine Frazee, Professor of Distinction, School of Disability Studies & Co-Director, Ryerson RBC Institute for Disability Studies (quoted on the Kickstart website).

Together, the various events encompass music, visual art, dance, multi-media presentations and workshops – aiming to “produce and present works by artists with disabilities and to promote artistic excellence among artists with disabilities working in a variety of disciplines.”

Hip hop dance artist Bill Shannon, pictured above, performs March 20 - 21.

 

Free children's sport wheelchairs

An initiative to promote physical activities in children with disabilities offers free sports wheelchairs to BC children under six.

The BC Wheelchair Basketball Society, with funding from the Rick Hansen Foundation’s Let’s Play program and the Ministry of Education, is launching providing free sport wheelchairs in communities throughout British Columbia.

According to their consent form “Inclusive physical activity for children at a young age helps to set the foundation for basic movement skills, increased self esteem and independence, healthy attitudes towards exercise, and strong social bonds that remain with them throughout their lives. Tap into these benefits now and participate in this great program!”

If you have a child with a physical disability who could benefit from having access to a sport wheelchair, email letsplay@bcwbs.org

Events calendar

This calendar lists events, lectures, presentations and other happenings arranged by or involving the Disability Foundation, which includes ConnecTra (the full list of affiliated societies is to the right of this page).

Jim Byrnes/VAMS Music Saves

Vancouver Adapted Music Society’s Music Saves Video Project showcases a stellar array of West Coast music scene names.

Produced by Shore 104 FM, it features VAMS members Jim Byrnes, Sylvi MacCormac and

Rolf Kempf, joined by The Sojourners, Ndidi Onukwulu, Geoff Hicks, Shaun Verreault, Adaline, Daniel Wesley, Shane Turner and Jets Overhead in an amazing cover of Bob Dylan’s I Shall Be Released.

Watch the video, and if you like it, please, please pass the word along. VAMS is making this a word-of-mouth ("viral") project.

Joe Coughlin award and album

Joe Coughlin, the jazz legend

and longtime VAMS member,

has been announced Canada’s

best male jazz singer – for the

second year in a row – and

just released a new album.

Coughlin was announced Male

Vocalist of the Year in the

2009 National Jazz Awards.

And his new CD,

Lowdown West Broadway, is just hitting the stores. It was recorded live at Vancouver’s Cellar jazz club last July - more info and sound samples here and here. Joe, backed up by a truly stellar rhythm section, has never sounded better than on the 13 standards here.

 

Video site

A video-sharing site “designed by and for the disabled people across the world” has been launched.

 

This is your chance to tell your story, share your journey, seek encouragement or help someone who is struggling.

 

Webby Talents is an online community “designed to unite persons with disabilities through the posting, sharing and discussion of personal videos.”

 

RDSP information

ConnecTra is providing information to members about "the first disability savings plan in the world”– the

Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP).

RDSP plans are designed specifically for people with disabilities, and offer substantial returns over a minimum 10-year period. People under 30 will be the main beneficiaries, and the maximum

age to obtain government grants is 49.

There was a deadline in early March for people wanting to retroactively receive government grants and bonds for 2008, but RDSPs can be opened any time. More info in the official PDF.

Full report of the presentation here. And email us if you want to know more.

 

Jobseekers website

 

A website specifically for jobseekers with disabilities has just been launched: jobs.abilities.ca

 

It is run by the Canadian Abilities Foundation in partnership with Workopolis, Canada's largest job site with nearly 4 million users a month.

 

The site promotes itself as “for job seekers to gain exposure to employers who are committed to diverse work places.  Also, it is a place for employers to gain a competitive edge by recruiting and hiring people with disabilities all across Canada.”

 

Users can post resumes or search for vacancies.

 

Recording studio open

Vancouver Adapted Music Society (VAMS) has opened the city’s most modern studio for musicians with disabilities.

Built at Vancouver’s GF Strong Rehab. Centre (4255 Laurel St., Vancouver, BC) the studio allows playing, composition and multi-track recordings – in 24-bit, 96 khz DVD-quality audio.

According to Vancouver music scene veteran Bobbi Style, of Coquitlam: “With most studios, even if owners are accepting of a person in a wheelchair, it’s difficult to get around. You find that you can’t get over to the mixing desk, or to use the computer. These places just aren’t made to be accessible. They are also very expensive.”

To book a studio session, email or call (604-688-6464 ext. 128) VAMS manager Kirk Duncan.

 

Get on board Wheels recording project

Longtime Vancouver Adapted Music Society (VAMS) member sylvi MacCormac is looking for people with disabilities to provide voices - spoken and singing - to her latest Wheels recording.

Sylvi will be recording people with disabilities for musical compositions and soundscapes. She will record adult and children's voices, speaking and singing, including people who have never sung before along with seasoned professionals. Recording will take place on location and at the VAMS accessible studio at G.F. Strong Rehab.

The intent of WHEELS is to inspire excite and empower people, encouraging individual creativity and collaborative creative projects. Please add your voice to this project.

More about sylvi. Email her here.

 

Accessible vacation accommodation

A BC-based foundation which supports people with disabilities and their families is attempting to create a fully accessible vacation accommodation.

 

The Abilitas Foundation is fundraising to create the lodge on a ranch located 20 minutes west of Merritt, BC. When completed, the Cold Water Ranch, will be available for people with disabilities (and their friends, family and carers) at no charge

 

The project will offer both respite accommodation and accessible outdoor recreation opportunities (including ranch tourism) to people with disabilities living in BC.

 

Soar like an eagle

ConnecTra member Cleo

Pawson (right) is reaching new

heights after seeing her

artwork go on display

outside Vancouver City Hall.

She painted a two-metre

tall fiberglass bald eagle for

the Eagles in the City project

- which follows on Orcas in

the City in 2004 and Spirit

Bears in the City in 2006.

The fiberglass statues will

be auctioned off in April

2010, raising money for the

B.C. Lions Society for Children

with Disabilities and the Canucks for Kids Fund.

More information here, here and in Pawson's photo diary of the project.

 

 

 

An archive of previous news coverage can be found here.


The ConnecTra Society thanks the British Columbia Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance for their ongoing support.


On the trail with the BC Mobility Opportunity Society's Trailrider

CONNECTRA IS...

ConnecTra is a connecting agency, linking people with disabilities to activities and programs that will, over time, allow them to gain confidence and become more active and involved in community life (it also includes self-employment group Abilities Business Co-op). ConnecTra is one of the six affiliated societies that make up the Sam Sullivan Disability Foundation

Others are:

British Columbia Mobility Opportunities Society provides opportunities for people with physical disabilities to explore the outdoors, centered around the TrailRider. This is a specially designed, single-wheel, remote access wheelchair that enables the user, propelled by two able-bodied helpers, to take part in wilderness and recreational activities.

Disabled Independent Gardeners Association provides people with significant physical disabilities the opportunity to become involved in gardening. DIGA recognizes gardening as a recreational activity that can enable people with disabilities to develop skills, build self-confidence, learn and grow.

Disabled Sailing Association of British Columbia promotes freedom and independence by providing people with disabilities the opportunity to actively participate in an exciting and challenging outdoor sport. Uses a specially designed adaptive sailboat, the Martin-16, which allows joystick or (mouth-operated) sip 'n' puff control. DSA has affiliates in Victoria, Chemainus, Kelowna, and other cities across Canada.

Tetra Society of North America provides volunteer engineers to design and construct customized assistive devices for people with significant physical disabilities. Volunteers work one-on-one with people with specific needs that cannot be met by commercial assistive devices.

Vancouver Adapted Music Society works with musicians of all levels of ability. Provides karaoke and entry-level music making, along with fully equipped performance studios at the GF Strong Rehab Centre and George Pearson Centre, both in Vancouver. The society also promotes more accomplished musicians through its website, by arranging performance opportunities, staging concerts and through recordings.