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Shannon#8217;s final semester of high school is now underway! I went into Shannon#8217;s classes for the very last time to share with the students how important it is that they treat her as they do all their other friends, to joke with her, invite her into the group, share secrets and to just be. Today was also the day that it has hit me, this is it! This amazing group of kids who have absolutely accepted Shannon exactly as she is will be moving on, dispersing, starting their adult lives.

I entered the dance studio feeling great, then I saw the familiar faces of students who have danced on Massey stage with Shannon. I felt a little tug at my heart. The dancers sat in a big circle and I joined in. There are always lots of faces I recognize when I come to talk and dotted amongst them are students who are meeting Shannon for the first time. This is Shannon#8217;s eighth time in dance class and her teacher knows the value of having Shannon in her class, she has requested Shannon#8217; presence and has heard my words many times before. Just before I started she let me know that the class had already been warned that I might get emotional during my talk today, I thought I#8217;d have until May when classes and activities start to wind down before feeling the effects of the end of school, apparently February is the new May!

It#8217;s hard to explain how important a school filled with peers is for Shannon, and even more so, how amazing dance has become in her life. As I started my talk I remembered back to the first time I saw Shannon dancing, her group chose music from the Pink Panther and every time she has heard that song since, she smiles. I looked over towards her teacher, she had tears in her eyes, I looked over at Shannon#8217;s support worker, more tears, what chance did I have!

As I was leaving the dance studio toward the drama studio Shannon#8217;s teacher came over to me. The Year end dance performance is a big deal and one where many of the grade 12 students take on important roles.The teacher had already picked the lead choreographers and talked to them to make sure they plan something special for Shannon#8217;s final dance on stage, they were way ahead of her, they already have something in mind, something where Shannon will be featured with a song that has meaning to her. We have also been fortunate to have met amazing people in the community, wheelchair dancers who have come to Shannon#8217;s class in the past and are more than willing to share their talents, if needed, to make sure this show is one to remember. Bring on the tissues, I don#8217;t have a hope!

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Visit Kathy’s Blog: Time as we know it

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“When we were growing up,” Cat Main recalls, “my parents did everything they could to make sure that my sister Kirsteen had all the same opportunities as my brother and I.  When we got a swing set, my dad made a special swing that Kirsteen could use;  when we got bikes, he made a special seat for the back of his bike so she could come with us.  She went horseback riding, sailing, skiing . . .  the list goes on.”

(Noella and Sylvie Rousseau)

Both Sylvie and Cat really value this perspective, recognizing the tremendous effort required of their parents and other visionaries of the time to keep their children with disabilities out of institutions, segregated classrooms and more.  “They needed to push the pendulum that far,” Cat emphasizes.Cat’s friend Sylvie who also grew up with a sister with a disability, smiles as she explains, “Cat and I call ourselves the Integration Generation because it was so important in our families that our sisters have the same opportunities as the rest of us.  There was a big push in the Community Living movement at the time to close institutions and have integrated classrooms etcetera.  Inclusion was the big goal.  Cat and I grew up in that culture, living out its values.  It definitely shaped out world view.”

At the same time, both women describe thoughts and feelings that, even now, seem almost taboo.  “Things were pretty different for our families.  Our lives are different in a lot of ways.  And it’s important to be able to talk about those differences for better or for worse.”

“It started with me being able to acknowledge that my sister and I are very different physically,” says Cat.  “It sounds really basic but initially it felt quite wrong to actually look at that fact directly.”

Because the sibling with a disability often needs more care and support than the typical sibling, it’s easy for the typical sibling to feel jealous or resentful of that extra attention.  Both Cat and Sylvie say how important it is to be able to own and process those feelings.

“As a child you think if I get this mad it means that I don’t love my sister anymore.  It’s very freeing to realize you can both love your sibling and have these very intense emotions.”

They also talk about the struggle of confronting the outside world’s reaction to their sisters’ disabilities.  “In our home we learned to accept my sister for who she is, this unique individual like the rest of us,” says Sylvie.  “But that understanding got challenged at a very young age when we interacted with the outside world and began to see her through the eyes of society as someone ‘different from the others’.  This is challenging because you are left trying to reconcile the two views of your sibling, one from within the family and one from without.  An example of this is how I appreciate my sister’s poetic way with words while the world judges her as ‘developmentally delayed’.  Or another example might be the way Cat enjoys her silent time with K which others may view as ‘lack of communication’.”

Being a sibling of someone with a disability has affected them both in very positive ways as well.  “When we were growing up, anything could happen at any time,” Cat laughs, adding, “and it did.”  As a result she and Sylvie both consider themselves to be very flexible and patient.  They are also used to being seen.  “We’re totally ok with letting our inner eccentric out,” Sylvie jokes, having learned over the years that having extra attention in public isn’t a problem.  “I’ve learned to just be who I am and not apologize for it.”  Cat’s experiences with her sister have helped her “get past peoples’ exteriors and hunt more deeply to find out who they are.”  Both siblings talk about valuing the uniqueness in others and relishing the moments when they can let the world slow down in order to be present with someone.  “My sister reminds me to ignore all the little worrisome details and just be in the moment,” Sylvie adds.

When Cat and Sylvie first started exploring with each other their experiences as siblings, they quickly became convinced it was important for siblings to connect to talk honestly about the joys and challenges of being a sib.  The women have been working to create Canada’s only group for adult siblings of people with disabilities, with workshops and coffee chats in Vancouver as well as an on-line presence.  To find out more about what they are doing, as well as other North American resources for “sibs”, please go to their Sibslink website:  www.sibslink.blogspot.com, look for them on Facebook or email them directly: sibslink@gmail.com .

The Disability Tax Credit, AKA the DTC, AKA the disability amount: who would think that it would be difficult to understand a tax credit? We get hundreds of questions about the DTC each week. What follows are the five most common misunderstandings about the disability tax credit:

1.  Canada Revenue Agency denied my application so I am not eligible for the disability tax credit

Not necessarily. CRA denies people’s DTCs applications for many reasons; it’s not always because the person is not eligible. We have been appealing DTC denials for the past year.  We have been successful in nearly every situation.

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2.  The Disability Tax Credit is not worth applying for because I don’t have any taxable income

Absolutely false. First, the Disability Tax Credit can often be transferred to an eligible family member with taxable income. Second, it is the eligibility requirement to be able to open a Registered Disability Savings Plan. Third, the federal and provincial governments have increasingly begun to administer social benefits through the tax system. A number of benefits, such as the Canada Child Disability Benefit, are worth money to the tax filer even if there is no taxable income.

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3.  A person on provincial disability benefits qualifies for the Disability Tax Credit

Not automatically. In most cases, a person on provincial disability benefits (like BC Persons with Disabilities Benefits or Ontario Disability Support Program) will qualify for the Disability Tax Credit but not always. More importantly the DTC has slightly different eligibility criteria (provincial benefits are generally more related to a person’s ability to work) and requires people to complete the application process whether they receive provincial disability benefits or not.

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4.  A person with Down syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis or other disabling condition (i.e. a disability) will qualify automatically for the Disability Tax Credit

Not necessarily. Eligibility for the Disability Tax Credit is determined based on how the condition affects a person’s ability to carry out those tasks necessary for day to day life.  A person with Down Syndrome or multiple sclerosis or any other condition may or may not be able to carry out these tasks therefore it follows they may or may not qualify for the DTC.

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5.  The Disability Tax Credit is only for people with disabilities

You would think so. The problem is there are many people who don’t think of themselves as disabled who have conditions that have a significant impact on their lives.  Many of these people would qualify for the Disability Tax Credit but don’t apply because they think the DTC is for people with disabilities. The two most glaring examples are people with mental illnesses and people with learning disabilities but people with many medical conditions, such as kidney disease, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, also might qualify depending on how their condition affects their ability to carry out the basic tasks of daily living.

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For more information on this important topic, check out Tax Planning for a Person with a Disability course at PLAN 

Lawyer, Access Law Group

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Is your child, sibling, or other relative one of the approximately 50,000 British Columbians receiving Disability Assistance – the provincial government’s support program for people with disabilities?  If so, your failure to properly write your will may seriously affect their ability to continue to receive assistance.

For people with significant disabilities (disabilities that render a person unable to hold regular, gainful employment) who depend on small disability pensions to survive, receiving a bequest from aging parents can mean the loss of the pension #8211; often the person’s only means of support.  This leads to anguish and, ironically, even greater poverty.  Disability pensions in British Columbia are means-tested, making them conditional on the recipient having few liquid assets.

In British Columbia, if a person receiving Disability Assistance has more than $3000 in assets (with a few exceptions, such as a car, a principle residence, and a $5000 limit, plus $500 for each additional dependent, in the case of the recipient having dependents), they become ineligible for Disability Assistance. There are also rules about receiving unearned income when on Disability Assistance. However, both Canadian law and BC’s Employment and Assistance Act for People with Disabilities provide exceptions to these rules if the funds are held in trust.

A trust is an arrangement where a person (the “trustee”) holds the money for the exclusive use or benefit of another (the “beneficiary”). Courts in Canada have determined that money held in a discretionary trust (also called a “Henson Trust” or a “Supplemental Needs Trust”) for a person with a disability does not affect the person’s ability to receive their Assistance. In BC, if the funds from the trust are used to cover “disability related expenses”, without being given to the beneficiary as cash, they will have no impact on the beneficiary’s continued receipt of Disability Assistance.

As a result, it is crucial, when giving a bequest to a person receiving Disability Assistance, to plan your will so that their share flows into a discretionary trust. While there may be ways to resolve the problem if a person making a will forgets to place their disabled son or daughter’s share into a trust, these can be both expensive for, and stressful on, the person cut off of disability assistance.

For more information on this important topic, check out Wills, Trusts and Estate Planning course at PLAN 

The following are a few airport security tips  which  parents of children with special needs can be aware of:

• Inform the security officer if the child has any special needs or medical devices.


• Inform the security officer if you think the child may become upset during the screening process as a result of their disability.


• Offer suggestions on how to best accomplish the screening to minimize any confusion or outburst for the child.


• Ask the security officer for assistance during the process by helping you put yours and the child#8217;s carry-on items on the X-ray belt.


• Know that at no time during the screening process will you be separated from your child.


• Know that if a private screening is required, you should escort and remain with your child during the private screening process.


• Tell the security officer what your child#8217;s abilities are. For example: can the child stand slightly away from equipment to be handwanded, walk through the metal detector, or needs to be carried through the metal detector by the parent/guardian.


• Know that at no time should the security officer remove your child from his/her mobility aid (wheelchair or scooter). You are responsible for removing your child from his/her equipment at your discretion to accomplish screening.


• Know that if your child is unable to walk or stand, the security officer will conduct a pat-down search of your child while he/she remains in their mobility aid, as well as a visual and physical inspection of their equipment.

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Good News

Before leaving for the airport and travelling within the United States:

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• The Transportation Security Administration has a new toll-free hotline specifically for airline passengers with disabilities and special medical needs. TSA Cares is available weekdays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST by calling (855) 787-2227.

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• Representatives are available to answer questions about airport screening procedures and can refer passengers to TSA disability experts as required.  it is recommended that one calls 72 hours before leaving home so that the agency can coordinate as needed with local airport security

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• Travelers can request a supervisor at the airport if they have questions about screening procedures.

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It’s been a rather long day already and it’s only 4:30. This morning I finished up some paperwork as part of Shannon’s transition from Youth to Adult services. In order to qualify for funding I was asked to write down everything that is done for Shannon, either by myself or others, in one 24 hour period, every little thing including clipping her finger and toe nails. Once I completed the five page document and read though it I felt rather overwhelmed.

Not ten minutes after I emailed off the document I received a call from Shannon’s teacher about her staffing for next term. We’ve worked really hard with the school to make sure Shannon’s experience at school has been an amazing one, we have had numerous successes. This call came as a disappointment. Shannon has five months of high school left before she moves on to, well, we don’t really know yet but it’s not high school, and it didn’t even enter my mind that her staff might change, the phone call changed all that. I then spent my morning trying to figure out a plan.

After school today I was cleaning out Shannon’s bag in preparation of getting her ready for her big dance production at the theatre tonight and I came across a play. The students in Shannon’s Drama class have been amazing and have just naturally included her in all they do. Shannon has had many roles during her years in high school drama, often a Nun’s Habit or King’s crown has come home by accident in her bag. After the roller coaster day I shed a happy tear after reading the play, I don’t know who wrote it but I do know it was written with Shannon in mind. For those of you that don’t know my daughter, she often has her head down and rarely makes eye contact. Enjoy the play….

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Description: two teenage girls having a sleepover on a Friday night. A secret is revealed. Will these two remain friends?

**Takes place in bedroom

Hannah – “Shannon, I heard you told my secret to the whole entire school”

Shannon – (Silent)

Hannah – “I thought that I could trust you. You promised that you wouldn’t say a thing.”

Shannon – (Silent)

Hannah – “You don’t really have anything to say right now?”

Shannon – (Silent. Doesn’t make eye contact. Head is down)

Hannah – ” Come on Shannon, we were best friends.”

Shannon – (Long silence)

Hannah – (Gets up) ” I mean, we were best friends.”. (Exits room)

Since writing this post, I’ve had a call from nursing support and the document I submitted was detailed enough to allow them to calculate some funding. I’ve received an email to inform us that Shannon’s present staff will now stay with her for her final term. The play was written as Shannon’s final drama assignment which she will perform in her pajamas on Monday and our tiny dancer has danced on the big stage once again, a beautiful way to end a very long day.

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Visit Kathy#8217;s Blog: Time as we know it

I have wisdom. Yes I know a very bold statement perhaps even cocky#8230;but for the moment I am believing it. And I think you have wisdom too.

A family from Australia came in to the PLAN office and at the last minute I was asked to speak to them as a Mentor of Networks. I am thinking to myself; how can I help them, I have only been a Mentor for a few months?

Well we sit down at the board room table, I put on brave face as the first questions are tentatively asked. Questions like: Is 2-6 hours really enough to build a network? I had heard this question from new community connectors and my/our answer had been about being intentional about connecting and the fact that families are paying for the time of the Community Connector. Well that was not the answer here, so I took a breath and thought just for a moment and realized 2- 6 hours a month was the right amount of time. The family and I began to discuss how much time we spend with really good friends growing a relationship. Yes as children we were spending all day at school with friends and many hours after school but as adults our lives just do not work that way. Even with a good friend you may have coffee once per month, go for dinner and chat on the phone a few times; does that not sound like 6 hours?

This wisdom was just sitting right inside me, it was sitting inside the family from Australia too. There was many more questions and the wisdom kept coming, not as a knee jerk reaction but slowly emerging from a place inside. The family had it too, as I told stories, they were realizing the answers to their questions themselves.

So use your wisdom, just take the time to trust yourself. You know how to build a network. Your wisdom may get stuck, that is where the many minds in the room (the network) come it. Go to your network for help bring out your wisdom, or assisting bringing out theirs. Give yourself the time and the credit to allow wisdom to emerge and do not forget to give others the same time.