NEWS OF DISABILITIES AND SPECIAL NEEDS
 
 

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ANNOUNCEMENTS OF EVENTS OR SPECIAL PROJECTS

October 2-4, 2003,  in Vancouver, BC
Canadian Association for Community Living's National Conference
Transforming Community Together
Our struggles for an inclusive Canada, and an inclusive global society, are
all too often unnoticed, unsupported, and unconnected. The Canadian
Association for Community Living convenes this conference, in collaboration
with the British Columbia Association for Community Living, to celebrate and
learn from communities, to share strategies, and to join forces for change.
We invite those who want to help develop inclusive communities -- people who
have been labeled, families, community organizers and service providers,
policy makers, partners and allies in change. This conference will focus on
local places and spaces where children, youth, and adults with intellectual
disabilities live, learn, work, and participate. We will look at how to
build leadership and partnership for community change. We will learn from
how others have opened the doors to inclusive schools, family-enabling
communities, adequate health care, community services, political
participation, paid work, and community arts and culture. We will explore
new models for community governance that make re-investment in community
inclusion possible.
Thirteen communities from across Canada, one from each province and
territory, will be brought together at this conference. Learning from their
strategies, participants will debate and dialogue what lessons they can take
back to their own communities. From community stories to practical skills in
community facilitation, community organizing, public policy for local
development, popular arts and theatre, this conference has something for
everyone.  For more information, please visit www.cacl.ca
 

Planned Lifetime Networks (Waterloo-Wellington-Oxford) announces...
Meeting Schedule for June 2003 – June 2004
Regular Meetings:
Monday, June 9, 2003 @ 7pm – A Good Life Meeting – Chapter 1
Saturday, July 5, 2003 - 10-2 – Solution Circle re: do we need to hire staff or what?
Monday, July 14, 2003 @ 7pm – Business meeting
Monday, August 11, 2003 @ 7pm – A Good Life Meeting – Chapter 2
Monday, September 8, 2003 @ 7pm – Business Meeting
Monday, October 13, 2003 @ 7pm – A Good Life Meeting – Chapter 3
Monday, November 10, 2003 @ 7pm – Business Meeting
Monday, December 8, 2003 @ 7pm – A Good Life Meeting – Chapter 4
Monday, January 12, 2004 @ 7pm – Business Meeting
Monday, February 9, 2004 @ 7pm – A Good Life Meeting – Chapter 5
Monday, March 8, 2004 @ 7pm – Business Meeting
Monday, April 12, 2004 @ 7pm – A Good Life Meeting – Chapter 6
Monday, May 10, 2004 @ 7pm – Business Meeting
Monday, June 14, 2004 @ 7pm – A Good Life Meeting – Chapter 7

Socials:
Sunday, August 24, 2003 – Barbeque at Rowett’s 4 - 8 p.m.
Sunday, January 11, 2004 – 3rd Annual Potluck at Vincent’s 4 – 8 p.m.

Annual General Meeting:
Sunday, March 28, 2004 @ 3 p.m. Potluck to follow 4 – 8 p.m.

Workshops:
Saturday mornings (9-12) in the fall 2003 (September – December?)
1. How to approach a Lawyer
2. Insurance and how to benefit from it
3. Investing and financial planning
4. Capacity Assessment
5. PLN – a panel of parents  - questions and answers
6. Creative Housing Options

For more information about these meetings and how to join PLN (WWO):
Planned Lifetime Networks (Waterloo-Wellington-Oxford) 
 5-240 Erb Street West, Suite 306 
 Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 6K6 
 phone (519) 746-1188 
 email plnwwo@sympatico.ca
 

December 11-13, 2003
Annual TASH Conference, Chicago "the most inclusive and vibrant disability conference around"
Come to Chicago for one of the most invigorating and rejuvenating experiences 
around for a person committed to progressive disability policy, research, and social change! 
Find out more about the Conference or register by clicking here: 
http://www.tash.org/2003conference/ 
Or call to register with a credit card by phone 
(1-800-482-8274, ext. "0", East Coast business hours). 
 

Advance Notice: The Individualized Funding Coalition of Ontario
is planning a symposium in February-March 2004, to share what has been 
learned so far and create strategies and actions for change. 
The last symposium was in October 1998. 
We will post more information as it becomes available. 
IFCO is also creating a new website at http://www.individualized funding.ca
 

See details of more events on OAARSN Bulletin Board and Calendar
Please send submissions for this news bulletin or for the OAARSN Calendar and Bulletin Board
in plain text format by email to 
ebloomfi@uoguelph.ca with "announcement" at the beginning of the subject line.
Please provide details of the following as BRIEFLY as possible: 
 Name of Event 
 Main Speakers and Topics of Event 
 Date of Event 
 City and Location of Event 
 Contact information to learn more about event 
 Please Do Not Send Files Or Brochure Attachments 

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ISSUES AND ADVOCACY

See also: Funding Issues--in OAARSN Discussion Boards and Topics. 
Press the Communications bar on OAARSN’s main page then choose Discussion Area
 

PLAN Federal Law Reform Platform
PLAN (Planned Lifetime Advocacy Networks) of British Columbia is developing 
a policy framework that will be urged on the federal and provincial governments, to: 
-Create tools and instruments to help families plan for the time when they can no longer care
-Acknowledge the existing contributions of families
-Provide incentives for families to contribute and plan for the future

There are several financial provisions, including:
-Developing a Registered Disability Savings Plan
-Improving the RRSP/RRIF rollover provisions
-Creating a Disability Expense Tax Deduction
-Improving the Disability Tax Credit
-Syncronizing Old Age Security with provincial disability pensions
 

Announcing…
The launch of PLAN’s Social Audit website! 

PLAN’s Accountability Report is now available www.socialaudit.ca
where there is also a downloadable file of the complete report. 
Discover how PLAN’s 2002 Accountability Report measures the social benefits of its work. 

Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network is the first non-profit organization in Canada 
to conduct an externally reviewed social audit. 
The resulting Accountability Report, covering the year April 1, 2001 to March 31, 2002, 
provides a transparent view of PLAN, reporting on both successes and challenges in a 
balanced and candid way. 

After your visit PLAN would love to hear from you. Please send your feedback, 
comments and questions to feedback@plan.ca.
Catherine Johnston
Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network (PLAN)
#260-3665 Kingsway
Vancouver, BC V5R 5W2
Ph: 604.439.9566 • Fax: 604.439.7001
cjohnston@plan.ca
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RESOURCES

L'Arche Canada Foundation
publishes a bi-monthly “thought sheet for Canadians”, entitled A Human Future.

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ONLINE ON THE OAARSN WEBSITE 

PLN Bulletin is now posted on the OAARSN website, so that past issues are indexed
and accessible through Internet searches. 
While OAARSN is devoted to adult autism issues, some parts of the website are of 
more general interest to folks concerned about 
inclusion, self-determination and a good life for all who live with disabilities.

See the OAARSN Bulletin Board:
1. General News of Disabilities and Inclusion: 
Ontario News of Disabilities and Inclusion
News of Disabilities and Inclusion in the Rest of Canada
International News of Disabilities and Inclusion

2. Announcements of Events

3.  AROHA ENTITIES FOR PERSONAL EMPOWERMENT AND SUPPORT

4. Perspectives on Abilities and Inclusion (documents of personal experience)

5. our archive of past PLN bulletins
(including announcements of past events)
 

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