February 2012 - WIAIH

New ResourcesLegal InformationACTION MAIN-D’OEUVREAction main-d’œuvre is a non-profitcommunity organization financed chieflyby Emploi-Québec. Our mission is to assistpeople with an intellectual handicap and/or autism spectrum disorder to accessemployment opportunities.The services offered are evaluation,guidance, assistance with job search andinterviews, on the job training and follow-up.Quebec Human Rights Tribunal Rules that Municipalities MustIntegrate Children with Special NeedsLa Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse ruled recently thatthe municipality of Stoneham must stop excluding children with special needs fromtheir regular day camps. A judge decided that integrating a child with special needsdoes not represent undue hardship for the municipality. The case was brought forwardby a family whose daughter was denied integration into the summer camp. The judgedecided that the actions of the municipality constituted discrimination according to theQuebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms and awarded the family $16 000.The Everyday Dog ProgramSince 2008, the Pacck Foundation(Positive Assistance andCompanion Canines for Kids) hasbeen training service dogs to work withchildren with autism. The benefits havebeen well documented, but for manyfamilies, the $20 000 cost of a traineddog is prohibitive.The Pacck Foundation has just startedanother program, The Everyday DogProgram, which is a canine assistedtherapy program designed to providefamilies with tools and activities toget the most out of their everydayinteraction with their family dog inorder to provide a therapeutic benefitfor their child with a developmentaldisability. An instructor works with yourfamily dog, any size or breed (providedit has some obedience training) tohelp your child with autism. Costs arereasonable, between $150 and $300,depending on whether you chooseindividual or group training.For more information, or to booklessons, call 514-876-8888 or emailinfo@pacck.org.We are not a placement agency and requirethat our clients participate in the job searchprocess to the extent their ability allows.Clients must be at least 16 years of age, ableto travel independently and communicate ineither official language.For more information please contact ouroffice at 514-721-4941 ext. 116.iBelongL’Arche Canada has created a fantasticwebsite on friendship for young adultswith an intellectual disability. The newwebsite uses plain language, videos,stories and “listen” buttons to shareinformation on making and maintainingrelationships. It covers the basics ofmaking and communicating with friends,planning activities, and addresses datingand sexuality. The site is available in Englishand French. We have heard very positivefeedback about iBelong from a WIAIH familywith teens. Check it out at www.ibelong.ca!The child has previously been integrated into a camp, but in 2005, the municipalitydecided that children with special needs would no longer be integrated, but would besent to a specialized camp. In this particular case, the mother did not want her daughterto attend that camp because her daughter had had difficulty at the camp in the pastand it was not the right environment for her. After several attempts at integrationwithout a companion, the municipality decided that integration has not been a successand that for the girl to return to camp, the mother must provide proof from an expertthat the girl did not have special needs.This decision by the Commission represents the first ruling of its kind, and sets aprecedent that municipal camps must integrate children. It also shows the power thatparents can have when they fight for the rights of their children!Legal ClinicsPierre FregeauMany thanks to WIAIH Board member andattorney, Pierre Fregeau, for carrying outthree information sessions on legal issuesof importance to families. We are thinkingabout repeating the sessions in the spring,so that more members can benefit from hisexpertise.Pierre explained the difference betweencuratorship, tutorship and advisership(Answer: the different level of supporteach provides), the difference betweena succession, a will and a trust (Answer:depends what your needs are) and howdivorce can impact the family who has achild with an intellectual disability. (Mainpoint: battling over details only benefits theattorneys!).12 13