PROGRAMS
Life Skills
· Know all services that affect people with disabilities.
· To teach self-advocacy.
· To be an advocate when needed.
· To decrease barriers for people with disabilities (PWDs) through community development.
· To be informed of policies, legislation, and other documents pertaining to PWDs.
· To work with consumers on a self-advocacy model to decrease the following barriers:
funding, housing, transportation, societal views, equipment, technology, legislation, education, employment.
· Working with consumers to overcome their issues, problems or concerns.
· Working with the community on a committee level to be educated and to educate.
Peer Support
The philosophy of the program is based on the foundation that by having the support of others who understand the everyday issues of living with a disability, individuals can gain the self-esteem and confidence needed to make wanted changes in their lives.
Our goal is to facilitate ways that individuals can acquire information on community resources, and discover different leisure interests while receiving encouragement and moral support from other individuals with disabilities who share similar experiences.
Through phone support or face to face discussions with the Coordinator, consumers can receive emotional support and/or explore social / recreational opportunities available in their community. In addition, we offer a Summer Adventure Program where consumers can participate in various social activities during July/August, and some special events throughout the year.
LEARN Program
Lifelong Education and Awareness of Recreational Needs provides a wide variety of recreational opportunities and recreational skill development in community settings for persons who require a moderate to high degree of attendant support. LEARN specializes in providing high quality instructors / facilitators.
Volunteers
This program provides an opportunity to build confidence, self-esteem, practical skills, job exploration, social connections and friendships. Our goals are to support individuals in fulfilling internal volunteer opportunities. As well, through one-to-one consultations individuals with disabilities can be assisted in seeking community volunteer opportunities. Volunteers can attend an introductory workshop to volunteering, monthly volunteer gatherings, and bi-monthly self-esteem discussion groups.
Information & Resources
· Provides various resources to consumers, and/or anyone else that needs them.
· If resources are not within ILRCC, research will take place to find them.
· This program markets the ILRCC through community development.
· Attends various trade shows and community events.
· Constantly updates resources.
· Maintains a database that collects resources.
· Builds and maintains a fully accessible library.
· Makes sure all print material is in alternate format.
· Coordinates the in-house newsletter.
Crime, Violence & Abuse Prevention
For six years this project has focused on the issue that people with disabilities are 1.5 to 2 times as likely to suffer from crime, violence and/or abuse as their able-bodied counterparts, (Sobsey 1994). One out of every seven Canadians aged 15 and over has some level of disability – an estimated 3.4 million people, or 12.4 percent of the Canadian population living in households in the ten provinces (Participation and Activity Limitation Survey, 2001). However, many crisis services still do not report a high percentage of service usage by clients with disabilities. Why does this disparity exist? The main objective of the project involves increasing the accessibility, availability, and appropriateness of services in bringing about greater prevention and reporting and therefore, more individuals with a variety of disabilities receiving support.
Unfortunatly ILRCC has run out of funds for this project and from 1st April it will be continued by a volunteer committee