Canadian Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Increasing

A school girl in Nova Scotia was turned away from donating blood as she has hearing disability. She has been very sad and feels insulted as she was turned away. She has complained as to what relation a hearing disability has with regard to donating blood?

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VANCOUVER - The daughter of an anonymous sperm donor has filed a legal action against the attorney general of B.C., seeking to change the rules that currently deprive children born by way of "gamete donation" the identity and history of one of their biological parents. Once destroyed, a person born by way of a donor cannot get the medical or social history of a donor, and cannot learn crucial components of their identity such as racial, cultural, religious and linguistic history, which may cause psychological distress, the legal action claims. Many of the members of the class were conceived by gamete donation because of the physical disability of one of their parents which resulted in his or her infertility.

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Misguided public policies that fail to protect the health of children undermine the fight against childhood obesity, according to a winning submission to the Canadian Obesity Network's annual thesis competition.

Megan Purcell, MA took top prize for an abbreviated version of her 2008 Master's thesis, which concluded that governments' reluctance to enshrine certain rights for children lest they infringe on the private rights of adults - by ensuring access to proper nutrition and exercise, mandating healthy environments and regulating commercial access to children - has played a key role in allowing the obesity epidemic to flourish. It is estimated that 26% of Canadian children are overweight, while more than 500,000 are obese - all of whom are at increased risk for early disability and death, decreased quality of life and a diminished capacity to contribute to our economy. Together with skyrocketing adult overweight/obesity rates, these factors translate into over $1.8 billion in direct health costs to the Canadian health care system; indirect costs may be many times that amount. "The fact that obesity is now of interest to disciplines outside the health sphere - in this case, political scientists - demonstrates how pervasive the issue is in our society, as well as the wide range of expertise and collective will that are needed to rectify the problem," says Dr. Arya M. Sharma, Scientific Director for the Canadian Obesity Network.

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REGINA -- A benefit paid to Saskatchewan's low-income seniors is increasing for the first time since 1992, the provincial government said Wednesday.

The number of people who qualify for the Seniors Income Plan (SIP) is also expected to double to 20,000 once the changes take effect in January, said Social Services Minister Donna Harpauer. Single seniors will see the maximum amount they can receive rise from $90 to $190 a month. The maximum amount a couple can together receive increases to $310. Some groups representing seniors mostly applauded the news, but also cautioned that more needs to be done as the cost-of-living continues to increase.

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Ontario's Liberal government is condemning the developmentally disabled who receive benefits to a life of poverty by clawing back what they earn, critics charged Thursday.

The government takes back half the earnings of disabled people who find a job while collecting up to $999 a month under Ontario's disability support program, said NDP critic Michael Prue. The disabled have a hard enough time finding work that pays a decent wage without being punished for trying to better their lives, he said. "It's not a matter of money. It's a matter of saying, 'Look, you're actually stopping people from doing things they want to do - they could do - that would be good for us and good for them, through some artifice of public policy."' A spokesman for the Ministry of Community and Social Services said employment has actually increased among those who collect the benefit.

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Earlier this month, the CPP Investment Board, which invests funds not needed by the Canada Pension Plan to pay current benefits, admitted stock market volatility has chopped the value of its assets, which stood at $127.7 billion as of June 30. But the board added that its portfolio is designed to withstand the kinds of short-term fluctuations that have unnerved Canadian investors. Roughly half its investments are in public equities and a quarter in fixed-income securities, with the balance in private equity, inflation-linked bonds, real estate and infrastructure. Full story

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Business development groups say Canadian entrepreneurs with disabilities are increasing, but the exact number of new companies has never been tabulated.

But it's believed to be small compared to the number of people with disabilities who want to - but can't or won't - launch their own firms because of financial roadblocks and discrimination. "There is a whole market out there of people with disabilities who are not necessarily getting the products and services that they could use," says Katherine Roos, community programs manager for the Toronto Business Development Centre (TBDC), which assists entrepreneurs with disabilities. "That's a huge untapped market." http://www.businessedge.ca/article.cfm/newsID/18844.cfm

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Now that Washington voters made their state the second in the U.S. to legalize assisted suicide, euthanasia opponents in Canada are worried they're the next target. Canada activists in the pro-life and disability rights movements, along with medical officials, are starting to organize.

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Dreams can come true everyday in communities across Canada, when you donate through the Give a Dollar Share a Dream campaign starting November 1, 2008 at your local STAPLES store.

Now in its ninth year, Give a Dollar Share a Dream raises funds to maintain and develop community and national sports programs for Canadians with an intellectual disability.

Special Olympics Canada is dedicated to enriching the lives of Canadians with an intellectual disability through sport. It is a national not-for-profit grassroots organization that provides sport training and competition opportunities for over 32,000 athletes of all ages and abilities. More than 10,000 certified coaches currently volunteer with Special Olympics programs every day in communities across Canada. For more information, please visit www.specialolympics.ca or call 1-888-888-0608.

"We thank STAPLES, its 13,500 enthusiastic employees and loyal customers for their immeasurable support of Special Olympics in Canada. For 13 years, STAPLES has given us a tremendous opportunity to share the Special Olympics story with Canadians; has enriched the lives of individuals with an intellectual disability by investing in quality sport programs, and employed Special Olympics athletes like Christina Campbell at STAPLES stores," said Deborah Bright, president and CEO of Special Olympics Canada.

"It's campaigns like this that make my dreams a reality. I have developed many skills not only in athletics, but life skills that I put into practice everyday," said Christina Campbell, Special Olympics gold and silver medalist and STAPLES associate.

Give a Dollar. Share a Dream. campaign has raised more than $2 million for Special Olympics Canada. "The annual Give a Dollar. Share a Dream. campaign allows our associates and customers to make a direct and positive impact on the lives of Special Olympics athletes," said Mr. Steve Matyas, president, STAPLES.

This year's Give a Dollar. Share a Dream. campaign will begin November 1, 2008 and anyone can make a donation at any of STAPLES store. More information is available at www.easy.staples.ca.

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Paralympic School Week, Nov. 3-9, is a new and innovative program that will bring the spirit and the values of the Paralympic Movement to classrooms across Canada.

The Vancouver 2010 Education Program aims to unite all 365 school districts across the country in this unique opportunity for K-12 students to learn about the Paralympic Movement which explores the significance of human interdependence, equity and fairness. The week also provides an opportunity to recognize and celebrate wide-ranging examples of the achievements and successes of people with disabilities engaged in sport, culture or sustainability.