Online Journal - April 20, 2009
Hi everyone,

Spring has sprung! Thank goodness. I hope this entry finds everyone in good health.  I have been busy sitting at my desk, writing applications and proposals non-stop!  The life of an Executive Director is not always that glamorous. Fundraising on a continuous basis is challenging to say the least, especially in this economic climate.

We just completed an extensive core funding application process, and created and submitted a number of other proposals. All you can do is sit back and wait for a response.
   
New Office Location Secured - IL Canada and the Ottawa IL Centre have secured a new location and will be moving at the end of June.  The office space is approximately 3900 square feet and there will be two separate offices with some shared common space.  It is in a pleasant 4 story office building (we are on the top floor) and it is very bright with windows all around.  The space is completely empty right now and renovations are underway.  On the 4th floor there is also a state of the art board room that belongs to Caisses Populaires; however, we will have the ability to use the meeting room when it is not in use.  The building is located in a charming neighbourhood, and for the first time ever, IL Canada will have signage outside of a building.

Executive Director’s Forum – The staff are very busy coordinating an upcoming Executive Directors’ Forum being held in Ottawa on May 7th and 8th.  IL Canada is extremely proud to announce that BMO is sponsoring this event.  BMO was the first financial institution to offer the Registered Disability Savings Plan Program in Canada and they are already demonstrating incredible commitment to the Canadian IL movement.  Their sponsorship will enable the Executive Directors to be thoroughly trained on the RDSP program and to plan and discuss outreach strategies to reach diverse communities across the country.

Brendon Pooran, a lawyer from Toronto, who currently practices in the area of disability law, is one of our RDSP trainers. He has a particular interest in wills and estates planning, employment law, government benefits and human rights for people with disabilities

We have a number of keynote speakers including Gary Rabbior, the President of the Canadian Foundation for Economic Education. Gary will be providing an overview of their first national survey on the economic and financial capabilities of Canadians.  This topic will provide the backdrop for a brainstorming session on the financial literacy needs of Canadians with disabilities.

The Executive Directors will also have the pleasure to hear from another guest speaker, Rabia Khedr.
She will speak on the issue of Independent Living and diversity and her presentation will provide a natural transition into a discussion on RDSP outreach strategies to diverse communities including Asian, South Asian and Aboriginals with disabilities. I have worked with Rabia on the Access2Entertainment advisory committee and find her to be extremely knowledgeable, articulate and very funny.  Below is how she describes herself:

“I personify this reality with the following line as my identity statement: I am a hyphen with many hijabs: Rabia Khedr, Muslim-Punjabi-Pakistani-Canadian, woman, wife, mother of four, sibling of individuals with intellectual disabilities, facilitator, consultant, human rights advocate, etc. and person with a disability - blind. The world sees me as a blind, brown woman or a brown, blind woman. The jury is not in on the order of which comes first - blind or brown.”

The contributions from Gary, Rabia and Brendon will definitely be valued by all.

National Face-to-Face Board Meeting May 29 and 30th

Another major event in May is a face-to-face board meeting being held in Calgary, Alberta.  Two national events within 3 weeks of each other – what a month!  The national board is developing a new strategic plan and will distribute a draft to all the IL Centres for feedback.  Everyone on the board is looking forward to visiting the Calgary Centre and spending time planning for the next few years.

The North Pole – Accessible? - I guess so! If you haven’t heard yet, Dave Shannon, a previous board member of IL Canada, lawyer, disability rights advocate, and now frontier explorer, became the first person in history with quadriplegia and in a wheelchair to reach the North Pole. He along with expedition co-leader and fellow lawyer, Chris Watkins, developed “Team Independence 09” to promote breaking barriers to accessibility and greater community inclusion. To mark this achievement Dave and Chris planted a Wheelchair Access Parking sign on the North Pole along with United Nations, Canadian and Ontario flags.


Upon reaching the pole Dave stated, “This sign represents all people who have faced challenges or adversity in their lives and have dreamed of overcoming them. If we as people work together in our homes, our cities, our countries and in our global village, there is no dream that cannot be realized.”

Way to go Dave!  What’s next….the moon?