Online Journal - July 1, 2009

IL Canada is officially homeless. We are without an office for 3 weeks and will be working virtually.   Construction is underway as I write.  The regular IL Canada phone number is still the same and all the staff can access their messages.  They will all have access to their emails as well. If we didn’t tell anyone, probably no one would notice.  Business as usual for IL Canada!

I will be taking time off this summer and looking forward to resting at my home in the country with my dogs. I plan on lots of reading and sitting at my poolside soaking up the sun.

As summer vacations and schedules begin to kick in, I wanted to remind you that the Human Resources and Skills Development Canada online consultation regarding Canada’s ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities wraps up on July 31st.  The website to access the consultation can be found at: http://www15.rhdcc-hrsdc.gc.ca/ .    PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE take the time to fill out the online survey.  The Government of Canada is using all of the data to decide whether or not to ratify this convention.  I am sure you remember that the disability community spent a great deal of time and energy convincing the current government that they should sign on the Convention two years ago. Signing only meant that the Government of Canada was interested in looking into the full ratification of the UN treaty; however, it wasn’t binding in anyway.  It has been well over two years now and we need to let all politicians know that we expect that the Convention will be signed this year on the United Nation’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities and at announced at IL Canada’s national kick-off event.

Throughout the month of June, I was able to attend numerous government consultations and meetings including a two day consultation on the UN Convention with over 40 disability organizations represented, provincial government representatives and government bureaucrats from the 4 Ministries involved – Heritage Canada, Foreign Affairs, HRSDC and Justice Canada.  I also attended a stakeholder consultation on the revamping of the delivery of federal government Grants and Contributions (based on recommendations from the Blue Ribbon Panel) and a labour market and accommodations meeting where the latest research was shared.  It has been  quite a while since we have seen government consultations regarding disability so it was definitely welcomed and needed.

Annual General Meeting – IL Canada will be hosting its annual general meeting in Toronto in partnership with the Centre for Independent Living in Toronto (CILT).  The national meeting will take place from October 22 – 24, 2009.  So far we plan on an open house at CILT’s new office on Bloor Street, a wine and cheese reception after our AGM for the local Toronto community, a corporate recognition luncheon earlier that day and a celebratory dinner dance on the 24th.   We will also conduct a train-the-trainer event for our new Community Action Kit from our Food for Thought Project.  We will keep everyone posted as we develop the agenda.

International Visitor - The International Committee of the board of Directors of Independent Living Canada has been approached by the Global Independent Living Network to participate in their first IL internship program. Krishna Gautam from Nepal has been selected to visit Canada. His visit will help this committee realize its goals of creating linkages in the development of Independent Living Centres in developing countries and the participation and facilitation of the exchange of information at international venues. He is an excellent fit for this exchange due to his role as an active leader of people with disabilities and the founder of the Independent Living Movement in Nepal.

While in Canada, Krishna hopes to:
•    gain knowledge on the Independent Living Movement in Canada
•    share information with other Canadian disabled leaders
•    build the mutual relationship between Nepal and Canada
•    take back ideas that will help to strengthen the IL Centre in Nepal.

Krishna hopes to get a visitors visa to travel to Canada in the fall and will share his time with Centres in Waterloo, Toronto, Ottawa, and Halifax. He is very enthusiastic about his visit and we look forward to learning from each other. Krishna says “I am sure that I will enjoy the Canadian food, accommodation, and everything in Canada. I would like to have an experience on everything that I find. I have a keen desire to make good friendship with you, your friends and your organization so that we can gain a lot of knowledge form each other.”

We hope to have Krishna attend IL Canada’s AGM and after his Canadian visit he will return to Nepal quipped with new ideas and experiences he can put to use in his country.


Award – IL Canada is delighted to announce that Diane Driedger, IL Canada’s co-investigator with the Literacy and Quality of Life Project, received the First Annual Tanis Doe Award for Disability Study and Culture presented by the Canadian Disability Studies Association at its Annual Conference in Ottawa, May 25-26, 2009. According to the CDSA: "Named for the activist and professor Tanis Doe, who died in 2004, the award honours an individual who dares to 'speak the unspeakable' in advancing the study and culture of disability, and who has enriched the lives of Canadians with disabilities, through research, teaching, or activism."

Diane has also just published a new book that she and Michelle Owen edited entitled “Dissonant Disabilities: Women with Chronic Illnesses Explore Their Lives”.  This book is an anthology with contributions of women who explore and reflect on their lives, their successes and challenges with the ups and downs of living with chronic illness.  As a woman living with “chronic illness” I found comfort reading this book.  For many years I have lived my life never knowing from day to day what my health would be like the following day. It is not easy having an unpredictable body and fluctuating health. In the book, the writers explore how women living with chronic illness fit into the disability movement including asking the questions a) Since our symptoms flare at different times, does this me an we are “disabled” only when we are experiencing symptoms? b) Or is the knowledge that our symptoms can flare at any moment a disabling factor?  Personally I believe the uncertainty of an unpredictable body is definitely a disabling factor! 

I really enjoyed reading the various stories and experiences of women living with chronic illness and if you would like to order a copy you can find it at chapters online and at www.womenspress.ca  Unfortunately this book is only available in English at this time.


At this time, I wish you all a wonderful summer season and look forward to connecting again once we move into our new location.