Ponyo, Avatar, and Autism

Besides having autism showcased in a variety of movies (such as Rainman), movies themselves have had significant links to autism therapy. Although it’s true that children with autism require significant therapeutic interaction, TV and videos can actually help children with autism learn. One example I previously tweeted about is about Hayao Miyazaki’s movie, Ponyo. Ponyo, in brief, is a magical goldfish that one day emerges out from the ocean and begins to learn human interactions and what it means to be human, but is “not always hitting the mark” (as the author of this interesting blog post regarding the movie Ponyo and autism mentions).

This weekend, I had the opportunity to watch James Cameron’s, Avatar in 3D. Besides the very predictable plot, I found this movie to be an incredible movie filled with beautiful sceneries, landscape and life. Without giving away too much of the movie, Avatar shared a similar theme with Ponyo about learning how to interact, but it also showcased enrapturing graphics that I can only describe as “sensory therapy”. The computer graphics, sound, and choreography of every movement was so well thought out, it felt like I was living inside the movie. The lights, sound and movement, were very auditory and visually stimulating; I was glued to my seat in the theater for a whole 3 hours without flinching. This gets back to my original point on autism. Auditory and visual teaching have often been touted as the ideal forms of teaching for children with autism, as people with autism tend to learn best with their eyes and ears when words might not do the trick. While it’s true therapeutic interactions are necessary for children with autism, the use of TV and movies can also help stimulate. Much like the experience of a Snoezelen room, the immersion into the beautiful world of Avatar, or watching a movie like Ponyo,  different auditory and visual stimuli can help someone with autism learn.

Check this link out for another great read on good reasons children with autism should be allowed to watch TV and videos.

Accessibility in the Workplace for Disabilities

I’m working on a little side project with the Richmond Multicultural Concerns Society as a member of their advisory committee for the Welcoming and Inclusive Communities and Workplaces Programs (WICWP). One of the topics we’ve discussed in our past meetings is a “workplace diversity audit”. As a member of this committee, we talk about all sorts of cultural diversity regarding the workplace; however, I am fortunate to be a part of this committee by contributing my take on diversity from the standpoint of working at the Developmental Disabilities Association. For our diversity audit, here are some things to consider and some changes (some smaller, and some larger) for any workplace to become more accommodating for anybody with a physical or intellectual disability:

• Use large print and refrain from using cursive fonts, italics, or fonts with serifs (typography tip of the day: Verdana is considered the most readable font on print)
• Ensure that office hallways, doors, and openings are large enough to accommodate for wheelchair passage
• If your office has multiple floors or stairways to the front, consider an elevator or wheelchair ramps
• Write using simple text in layman’s terms instead of using flowery jargon and excess adjectives (here is a comprehensive article on communicating with and about people with disabilities in general from the U.S. Department of Labor)
• Install handrails in areas such as long walkways and in washrooms
• Use different auditory or visual instruments (such as auditory feedbacks, voice output software and pictures) for people who may have difficulty with learning in one particular learning style

There are plenty of other ways to ensure your workplace is accommodating for people with disabilities, and it’s important to be understanding and accepting of others and their differences. Another great article to read on workplace disabilities is Paul Rendine: Workplace accommodations mostly easy to implement.

The Price for Customized Employment

This is a special guest blog post by our Executive Director, Alanna Hendren.

I felt like a real reporter the other day when I received a “brown envelope” in the mail with no return address or identifying material inside. Whoever sent it had taken some time to analyze a recent report published about Community Living BC’s (CLBC) Customized Employment Initiative and was outraged over the high costs of finding work for individuals who had been placed in customized employment. He or she had calculated the cost to be over $58,000 per placement.

He or she was relatively correct in his or her facts and I could understand the disappointment over the high costs for CLBC’s customized employment placements. However, DDA’s employment placement costs are zero to government or CLBC for the 46 people who would otherwise be clients but now work at Starworks Packaging Assembly for minimum wage or better. Starworks, is a social enterprise of the DDA’s that hires people with developmental disabilities to perform light manual labour work at competitive prices.

Jobs West on the other hand, is DDA’s work placement program that costs about $6,700 per person. This cost includes discovery, employment readiness training, work experience, volunteering, and work placement. Over the past two years, 36 people successfully got jobs with community employers. DDA also operates a pre-employment skills training program for 6 people that is consistent with the objectives of the Customized Employment Initiative. This costs DDA $60,000 per year but the funding does not come from the government or CLBC – we earn it.

With the downturn in the economy and anticipated budget cuts looming, one would assume governments will not have the money much longer to spend on projects that have high costs and minimum benefits or returns. At that time they may start rewarding agencies who provide the best services for the lowest amount of funding, but that has not been the case over the past decade or so. Very soon we will also have to accept that government no longer provides enough funding to adequately address community need in any area because they really will have no money. This reality is most grim for Vancouver, because our region has been historically under-funded in favor of other regions.

If agencies view themselves as servants to the community – as charities – they will step up and find ways to support as many people as possible through creating efficiencies or investing in social enterprises. If agencies continue to view themselves as servants to the government, community support will remain as political and limited as declining government funding will allow.

Message to brown envelope person: Next time, have the courage to sign your name!

Onward, February

January has seemed like the longest month to me. I felt like it was probably 7 weeks long! With that said, February is finally around the corner. DDA has a lot to look forward to in the future months. We hope to get more involved in different events over the next little while so that we can increase the involvement from 2009!

There’s plenty on our to-do list, so keep your eyes peeled on all the upcoming DDA events, updates at DDA, and so on so forth.

If you have any questions/suggestions about either any of our publications or events you think we should look into participating in, email us!

Look! Here comes February!

Flu Season Returns

Remember late 2009, there was huge concern for the outbreak of h1n1, and our Executive Director,  Alanna Hendren, even wrote a first-hand blog on the experiences of catching that virus?  In all the hullaballoo about the h1n1, we forgot how miserable the typical flu can make you feel.  Both Victor and I have been unlucky enough to catch some sort of bug. Even now, I am blogging from the comfort of my own home instead of the office. The sunny weather is a nice change from the rainy days, but somehow it seems like the prime opportunity to catch the flu! Many people at the office have fallen victim to the bug and are all staying home so that they don’t spread the bug around!

The Health Agency of Canada is keeping us posted with the spread of the seasonal flu on their FluWatch website, so if you would like more info, visit their website. Remember, even though “it’s just the flu”, there are preventative measures–for info on preventative measures, visit Health Canada’s site on some simple tips.

Until next time, stay healthy, everyone!

Vancouver Helps Haiti

Continuing Victor’s post on Wednesday about the sad news of the aftershock, and fundraising for this worthy cause, I took the time to take a look at what others in Vancouver are doing to help. With the help of many other blogs, and other online resources, I’ve compiled a list of upcoming events currently fundraising for Haiti.

Event: Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser
When: Friday, January 22nd, 5:00pm
Where: Tofino Community Hall
Details: Visit here for details or email janethepain15@hotmail.com

Event: Cru Haiti Earthquake Relief Dinner
Where: Cru Vancouver – 1459 W. Broadway, Vancouver
When: January 31st, 2010 at 6:30pm
Cost: $100 per person (all proceeds go to Haiti)
Details: Call 604-677-4111 to make reservations. There will also be a silent auction taking place.
*thanks goodlifevancouver for that information

Event: Help Haiti Pub Night
Where: Steamworks Brew Pub and Restaurant – 375 Water Street Vancouver
When: Thursday, January 28th, 7:00pm – 11:00pm
Details: If you are interested in donating items for a silent auction, please contact Bren at 604.765.7273. Net proceeds from this event will be donated to UNICEF for the purchase of water.
*thanks to the villagegamer for this info.

Event: Family Event In Collaboration with Klik Photography and Lilli’Q Café
Where: Lilli’Q Café, 1268 Pacific Blvd. (in Yaletown), Vancouver, BC
When: Sunday January 31st, 2010
Details: To register for the event or for more details call 604-725-9428 or visit www.lilliq.com
*thanks to Vancouver Mom for this info.

If you know of any events you’d like me to add to the list, please comment and I will update the list ASAP!

Fundraising for Haiti with DDA

Photo Credit: Wolfgang Rattay, Reuters

With another major aftershock of 6.1 in Haiti this morning, and an ever increasing death toll, a few friends of mine decided to start a fundraising group for Haiti. We’ll be taking advantage of the Developmental Disabilities Association, Cash 4 Clothes program, to raise funds for the Haiti victims.  Cash 4 Clothes, in a nutshell, works like this:

• Collect a minimum of 75 full bags of clothes and up to 150 full bags at one time, and DDA gives you $2.00 per bag
• If you collect over 151 full bags at one time, DDA gives you $3.00 per bag
• DDA will pick up all the bags after the clothing drive has been completed

Our goal is to reach 1000 bags, which would equate to $3,000 for Haiti. All the money we raise from collecting bags of clothes and donating them to DDA will go directly to helping Haiti. The benefits of Cash 4 Clothes will be helping two charitable and important causes: locally, the Developmental Disabilities Association; and internationally, with the people in Haiti.

If you would like to help out with this fundraiser, you can drop by DDA’s Head Office with your bags of clothes and/or housewares. Simply leave them with the receptionist and let her know the bags are for Victor. You can also start your own fundraising group for Haiti (or for any other cause, organization, or sports team that needs money) through our Cash 4 Clothes program.

Update: I was just informed that Savers/Value Village, where DDA sells their used goods, will be delivering trailers of used clothing, bed, bath and shoes to the areas in need at Haiti!

Paint the Town Red

After taking a long hiatus in Hong Kong, I’m finally back to blogging. Thankfully, while I’ve been gone, Joyce has been doing a stellar job covering some of the things that have been going on in our community, and around the world. Locally, the Developmental Disabilities Association will be participating in the Richmond Chamber of Commerce “Paint the Town Red” initiative, in welcoming the world to Vancouver, showing community spirit, and raising camaraderie in Richmond. We’ll be installing decals with the Canadian flag on the hood of our pickup trucks for our clothing and houseware donations, in addition to decorating our sites in red and white, so watch out for us in the community. All this red makes an excellent way to celebrate our Canadian nationalism along with Valentines Day and Chinese New Years (which conveniently also falls on February the 14th). You or your business can also participate in “Painting the Town Red” by clicking here to make your own custom Paint the Town Red poster.

http://dda604.wordpress.com/2010/01/15/earthquake-in-haiti-help-needed/

Earthquake in Haiti: Help Needed

Many of you have probably heard the devastating news of the earthquake that took place in Haiti this past week. It has left many casualties, but that’s just the beginning. There are countless who are missing, injured and homeless, and many are left without food and water. Over the past few days, help has been pouring in, yet it seems like there’s still a way to go.

I think this tragedy has touched many, and I hope we will continue to provide support to Haiti. Please read more about the disaster here. You can also read more about their needs and how you can help on the Red Cross website.

The Olympics Are Coming

Over the past few months, you may have experienced being bombarded by news of the Olympics. You turn on the TV, the radio, walk outside, and everything is plastered with Vancouver 2010!

I personally am really excited about this whole thing, so I don’t mind!

The Olympics and ParaOlympics stand for accepting diversity and working together harmoniously, values that DDA embodies. I think it’s really a meaningful message to not look at skincolour, country, disabilities, abilities, and so on (unless it comes to the medal count!). It’s always about the people, and never about our differences!

I hope everyone else is enjoying the saturation of the Olympics. Even with this big event, here at DDA, we plan to celebrate the other holidays that may be eclipsed, like Chinese New Year, and Valentine’s Day, just to name a few! We also plan on helping paint the town red (not literally). We’re “Red”y, are you?

And don’t worry, Victor will be back soon, so you no longer have to read my mind-numbing blog entries