We can’t wait to commemorate our bin hosts, especially those who have been with us for the past 10 years! At DDA, we have a lot to be grateful for. Just like those MC Hammer Pants or the big permed hair, it’s always fun going down memory lane to reminisce the good old times. Take a stroll in our gallery and see how our donation bins have evolved over the years.  

For a list of our donation bins across the Lower Mainland and how to donate to us, please visit our website here.

One of my favourite quotes that never run old and truly evinces this achievement is from Margaret Mead, “A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

On behalf of DDA and the board, we want to thank our supporters, clients, and self-advocates  throughout the years for making what DDA is today. We have a plethora of events to celebrate DDA’s big birthday and would be honoured to have you join us. Stay tuned for the details.

The event will be filled with activities, dancing, door prizes, and food! We hope you too can join us in celebrating the wonderful achievements and spreading the word about inclusion for everyone.

Event: 2011 International Day of Persons with Disabilities!

Date: Saturday, December 3, 2011

Time: 2:00 pm to 7 :00pm

Location:  Roundhouse Community Centre, 181 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver

For more information, please visit their website: http://www.vancouverdisabilitiesday.ca/

Travelling with disabilities can often present a unique set of challenges that can often make it difficult or daunting to begin their journeys. However, such challenges did not prevent a man who is blind from climbing Mt. Everest, and it did not prevent Rick Hansen from wheeling across 34 countries, and four continents, averaging 85kms in his wheelchair each day on his Man of Motion Tour.

The Rick Hansen Foundation has set out to further revolutionize living and traveling for people with disabilities through their launch of the Rick Hansen Global Accessibility Map (GAM). Through the brainchild of Daryl Rock, the GAM is an easy-to-use online tool that rates the accessibility of buildings and public spaces around the world from a mobility, hearing, and sight accessibility perspective.

In 2005 the World Health Organization determined that there were 650 million people living with a disability. Currently in Canada people with disabilities have a discretionary spending capacity of more than 25 billion dollars. In the USA that number is more than 158 billion dollars. In addition, people with disabilities take on average 2.3 trips per year, each lasting 7 to 8 days.

This online tool can make it infinitely easier to organize and plan travel, whether you’ll be traveling in with mobility aides, with a stroller, or with sight or auditory disabilities. The tool can be accessed by computers, iPads, iPhones, BlackBerry Torch, and Android devices.

For more information, please visit http://www.rickhansen.com/ or http://www.rickhansen.com/en-ca/home/globalaccessibilitymap.aspx

Our West 8th Day Program at 624 West 8th Avenue, will be one of the voting locations for Vancouver. We support elections and encourage everyone to exercise their right to vote.

For more information, please visit their website: http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/elections/2011election/

We strongly encourage all families who do not already have a connection with CLBC to contact them and ensure you have an open file and to confirm that your loved one is indeed on their waitlist (CLBC calls this a service request list). This will be crucial should you have an emergency in the future or if you need to access Health Services for Community Living as examples.

CLBC can be contacted in Vancouver at 604-660-3323 or Richmond 604-660-2100 and if you do not already have an assigned facilitator, you should ask to speak to the intake worker. You can also contact our Family Support Program at 604-273-9778, who can assist with this process.

We have many things to be thankful for at Creekside and to celebrate we shared a special Thanksgiving Day Lunch.  The Turkeys were prepped and in the oven by 7am on Thursday morning, the children each brought in a vegetable to share with their friends.  We had spaghetti squash, mashed potatoes, beans, corn, yams, acorn squash, carrots and cranberries.

The children sat all together as though they were at a big family dinner.  The tables were decorated with orange plates and cups and small pumpkins lined the table. By the time we were finished are tummy’s were full and we were thankful for that!

Before we had our special lunch we talked to the children about what it meant to be thankful.  We then asked our 3 and 4 year olds what they were thankful for, here some of their responses:

• My mommy, daddy, sister and triceratops
• Sleepovers at Grandmas
• Eating and riding my scooter to school and living with my mommy and daddy
• Lightning McQueen
• My mommy, daddy and stuffies
• Carrots
• My watch
• My Bracelet
• For everything

We hope that everything had a wonderful Thanksgiving day with Family and Friends

As some of you may be aware, Haiku Media Group has been a great supporter of DDA since we met. As a not-for-profit organization, Haiku Media Group has provided DDA with free advertising on their television screens in cafes, ice cream shops, and eatery joints across Vancouver and now they introduced us to another socially responsible organization, Social Conscience. Social Conscience is an organization that supports fair trade products, particularly sports balls. These fair trade sports balls are from Pakistan (where 70% of world’s soccer balls are stitched). The fair trade model supporting no child labour, guaranteed fair minimum wages for employees, and premiums for social programs.

On September 23rd,  Social Conscience and Haiku Media Group visited Creekside Child Development Centre to personally donate 8 soccer balls to our kids. Our kids immediately gravitated towards the balls and played with their peers. It is always heartwarming to see how organizations dedicate their efforts to give back to the community.

On behalf of everyone at DDA (especially our kids at Creekside), thank you to Social Conscience and Haiku Media Group for your support. Your dedication to the community is admirable.

To purchase fair trade sports balls, please visit their website here.