Archive for the ‘News’ Category
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Spike in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome in BC
The Province recently released an article over the concerning spike in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome( (SIDS) in BC. Over 21 cases were reported to date this year, whereas last year, a total of 16 was reported for the entire year.
SIDS is when a healthy baby (under the age of 1) dies unexpectedly sleeping in bed. There are no signs of suffering and no particular reason explaining the death.
The current statistic is alarming so here are a few tips to protect your baby from this:
1. Avoid bed-sharing or sharing a sleeping surface with a baby. Instead, place the crib in the parent’s bedroom for the first 6 months
2. Ensure the crib is equipped with a hard mattress and a fitted sheet (also ensuring that the crib meets the Canadian safety standards)
3. Breastfeed (it provides a safe environment)
4. Lay the baby to sleep on its back, not front or side
5. Avoid exposing your baby from second-hand smoke
For more tips and questions, please consult your doctor.
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Volunteer at DDA
Now that school is out, join us at community events as a volunteer. Learn more about DDA as you interact with event attendees and other volunteers!
We will be participating at the Squamish Day Parade and the Vancouver Pride Parade on July 31st.
Please contact Carrie Beler at 604-233-5437 or cabeler@develop.bc.ca if you are interested! Don’t forget to check out Events Calendar for other upcoming events and activities you can be involved in.
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2011 Access and Inclusion Award
On June 7th, DDA was honoured with the 2011 Access & Inclusion Award. This award, presented by Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson on behalf of the city of Vancouver, recognizes individuals and organizations that demonstrate leadereship and commitment to enhancing accessibility, inclusion, universality and elimination of barriers that impede the full participation of persons with any type of disability in community life.
Alanna Hendren, our Executive Director, accepted the award with full pride as access & inclusion is what DDA is all about. Having receiving this from one of the most accessible and inclusive cities in the world was definitely more than just the icing on the cake.
We are all truly grateful and humbled to be selected; the award would not have been made possible without the support from the community and our partners, particularlly Jill Weiss of City of Vancouver, Ryan and Sharon Hill of West Coast Assistance Teams Society, Tamara Taggart of CTV, and Lisa Purdy of Evolve Media Consulting.
Our congratulations to Former Paralympic athlete Bruce Gilmour for winning the award in the individual category and Learning Disabilities Association Vancouver and Devon MacFarlane of Vancouver Coastal Health for the Honourable Mentions.
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Your Right to Vote
Why is it important to vote? Maybe it is because we are a part of a population and country that believes in the democratic process and democracy is your private and personal right. It is part of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and to vote or not to vote is your liberty as well your private and personal choice. We all have the right to vote and it is our duty to choose our government leaders responsibility in order to benefit the people of Canada. To vote means to choose who you want to be in the parliament and who you want to lead our country. We all are a part of this country and nation that have such a rights and privileges. There are many other countries and nations on this planet that do not have these private & personal rights and do not have the Charter of Rights & Freedoms like we have. We should all feel privileged to have the honour of voting. You should also feel lucky that we have the power to vote in a democratic country and to choose how we live.
Remember Election Day is on Monday May 2nd 2011 we all should be ready to vote at the polling stations. If you are a registered voter you get a voters information card in the mail that shows the polling stations that are in your location. If you are not registered you can register online at www.elections.ca or go to any polling station to register to vote. Remember to bring some identification such as your Driver’s License and BC Identification. If you don’t have it you need to show two other pieces of identification each requiring your name and one that shows your address. Everybody should vote and set an example for other countries that the Canadian democratic system allows its people to choose how their lives should be governed.
Your vote will help decide who will form government in Canada and put disability issues on the map! For more information, visit this guide (written in plain English) to help you understand the voting process.Special thanks to our advocacy group, Ray Beyerstein, Jane Barrett-Lennard, Christine Routledge, David Deng who put this article together.
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March 16 Update: Creekside Announcement
The Developmental Disabilities Association is excited to be the operator of the new Creekside Child Development Centre!
Waitlist applications available January 4, 2011.
Click here to download the application form.For more information, go to our website.
Updated Information: Projected opening of Creekside is some time in late Spring 2011.
Updated Information 2: Please visit the comment section for answers to frequently asked questions as well as more information.
Links & Resources
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