|
Ontarians With Disabilities Act
As stated in the Ontarians with disabilities act 2001. "Disability" means,
(a)any degree of physical disability, infirmity, malformation or disfigurement that is caused by bodily injury, birth defect or illness and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, includes diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, a brain injury, any degree of paralysis, amputation, lack of physical co-ordination, blindness or visual impediment, deafness or hearing impediment, muteness or speech impediment, or physical reliance on a guide dog or other animal or on a wheelchair or other remedial appliance or device,
(b) a condition of mental impairment or a developmental disability,
(c) a learning disability, or a dysfunction in one or more of the processes involved in understanding or using symbols or spoken language,
(d) a mental disorder, or
(e) an injury or disability for which benefits were claimed or received under the insurance plan established under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997; ("handicap")
Common Disabilities
Intellectual Disabilities
 People with intellectual disabilities have unique needs with regard to information processing. The disability may affect learning, memory, problem solving, planning and other cognitive tasks. Individuals with intellectual disabilities vary widely in their abilities, and definitions of intellectual disability differ; however, there is agreement that a person has an intellectual disability if there are limitations affecting several areas of cognitive function to a degree that interferes with the demands of daily life. Because the demands of daily living may vary, for some individuals a diagnosis of intellectual disability will be made at certain times and in specific situations, but not in others.
Where to find more information?
Health Canada
Website: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hppb/familyviolence/
html/fvintellectu_e.html
What is an Intellectual Disability? by Canadian Association for Community Living, 2003.
Website: http://www.cacl.ca/index.cfm?PID=188&LNG=E
Etiquette when Meeting a Person with an Intellectual Disability, People with Disabilities from DAWN Ontario by Moira Horgan Jones for The Canadian Centre on Disability Studies, 1997.
Website: http://dawn.thot.net
Organizations:
Canadian Association for Community Living (CACL) is a national association that promotes the participation of people with intellectual disabilities in all aspects of community life.
Website: http://www.cacl.ca/index.cfm?PID=176&LNG=E
People First of Canada advocates and promotes equality and a voice for people with intellectual disabilities.
Website: http://www.peoplefirstofcanada.ca
Family Service Association of Toronto
Website: http://www.fsatoronto.com/programs/topics/intellect.html
Blind and Visually Impaired
 Vision disabilities range from slightly reduced visual acuity to total blindness.
A person with reduced visual acuity may have trouble reading street signs, recognizing faces, or judging distances. They might find it difficult to maneuver, especially in an unfamiliar place. He or she may have a very narrow field of vision, be unable to differentiate colours, have difficulties navigating or seeing at night, or require bright lights to read. Most people who are legally blind have some vision.
Where to find more information?
Healthy Canada
Website:http://www.healthyontario.com/english/
static.asp?channel_id=6&text_id=143
Communicating with Someone who has a Visual Impairment, Curriculum Guide: Working Effectively with Persons with Disabilities Against Crime by the Canadian Association of Independent Living Centres and the North Saskatchewan Independent Living Centre, 2000. The title is self-explanatory.
Website:
http://www.cailc.ca
People with Visual Disabilities, People with Disabilities from DAWN Ontario by Moira Horgan Jones for The Canadian Centre on Disability Studies, 1997. It gives comprehensive background information and etiquette tips for individuals interacting with people who are blind or visually impaired.
Website: http://dawn.thot.net/disability_guide.html#pwvd
VisuCAT, The Canadian National Institute for the Blind It is CNIB Library's online catalogue and networked library server for Canadians who cannot read print.
Website:
http://www.cnib.ca
Organizations
The Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) provides services and resources to help people who are blind or visually impaired to find ways to lead satisfying lives in their home and community.
Website: http://www.cnib.ca/eng/index.htm
Deaf or hard of hearing
 Hearing loss include problems distinguishing certain frequencies, sounds or words, ringing in the ears and total (profound) deafness.
A person who is deaf, deafened or hard-of-hearing may be unable to use a public telephone, understand speech in noisy environments, or pronounce words clearly enough to be understood by strangers.
Where to find more information?
- Define deaf, deafened and hard of hearing by The Canadian Hearing Society, 2001.
Website:
www.chs.ca/xcinfobase/XcIBViewItem.asp?ID=43
- What is ASL? by the Canadian Hearing Society, 2001.
Website:
www.chs.ca/xcinfobase/XcIBViewItem.asp?ID=52
- Communicating with Someone who has a Hearing Impairment, Curriculum Guide: Working Effectively with Persons with Disabilities Against Crime by the Canadian Association of Independent Living Centres and the North Saskatchewan Independent Living Centre, 2000.
Website: www.cailc.ca
Organizations
- Canadian Association of the Deaf (CAD)
It is a national organization that provides activities and resources that promote and advocate the rights, needs and concerns of Deaf Canadians.
Website:
www.cad.ca
- Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf (CCSD) encourages the cultural interests of Canada's Deaf population, promotes understanding between people who are deaf and who are hearing, and advocates for ASL and LSQ languages and literacy.
Website:
http://www.ccsdeaf.com/indexe.html
- Canadian Hearing Society (CHS)
It provides services to enhance the independence of people who are deaf, deafened or hard of hearing.
Website: http://www.chs.ca/
- The Bob Rumball Centre for the Deaf
Website: http://www.bobrumball.org/
Learning Disabilities
 Learning disabilities are disorders that affect verbal and non-verbal information acquisition, retention, understanding, processing, organization and use.
People with learning disabilities have average or above-average intelligence, but take in information, retain it, and express knowledge in different ways. Learning disabilities affect reading comprehension and speed; spelling; the mechanics of writing; manual dexterity; math computation; problem solving; processing speed; the ability to organize space and manage time; and orientation and wayfinding.
Organizations
- Canadian Dyslexia Centre
It provides training sessions for literacy practitioners and for adult learners with dyslexia and their families.
Website:
http://www.dyslexiacentre.ca/english/what_is_new.htm
- Learning Disabilities Association of Canada (LDAC)
It is a national association that provides information, activities and public awareness for people with learning disabilities to become citizens with equal opportunities.
Website: http://www.ldac-taac.ca/english/ldac.htm
- Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario (LDAO)
It is a provincial organization that provides resources, publications and public awareness events for people with learning disabilities.
Website: http://www.ldao.on.ca
Assistive Technology
- Technology for Students with Learning Disabilities by Gail Ivanco, SNOWboard E-Journal, Issue #13, 2002.
It is an overview of assistive device products useful for students with learning disabilities such as Word Prediction Programs, Writing Process/Planning and Reading Problems. Website: http://snow.utoronto.ca
- Technology tools by the Movement for Canadian Literacy, literacy.ca, Vol. 3, No. 3, 2001.
It lists low and high tech assistive devices useful for adults with learning disabilities.
Scroll down the page at: Website: www.literacy.ca
- The Literacy and Adaptive Technology Project by the Action Read Community Literacy Centre, 2002 - 2003.
This project document reviews the results of field tested text-reading software used with adult literacy learners, including those with a wide range of disabilities. It evaluates software, discusses the benefits of text-reading software and gives recommendations for their use in literacy training.
Website: http://home.golden.net
Web Based Training
Learning Differently: An Introduction to Learning Disabilities and Adult Literacy by Lori Herod, Adult Learning and Literacy, Manitoba Education, Training and Youth, 2000.
It is a modular correspondence course for the Level II Literacy Certificate, Province of Manitoba.
Click on title below Correspondence Courses for PDF version:
Website: http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/aet/all/training
/distance.html
Physical Disabilities
 Physical disabilities include minor difficulties moving or coordinating a part of the body, muscle weakness, tremors and in extreme cases, paralysis in one or more parts of the body. Physical disabilities can be congenital, such as Muscular Dystrophy; or acquired, such as tendonitis.
Physical disabilities affect an individuals ability to
- Perform manual tasks, such as hold a pen, grip and turn a key, type on a keyboard, click a mouse button, and twist a doorknob
- Control the speed of ones movements
- Coordinate ones movements
- Move rapidly
- Experience balance and orientation
- Move ones arms or legs fully, e.g., climb stairs
- Move around independently, e.g., walk any distance, easily get into or out of a car, stand for an extended period
- Reach, pull, push or manipulate objects
- Have strength or endurance
Where to find more information?
The Companion to SARAW: An Exercise Workbook from NALD by the Neil Squire Foundation, 1999.
This workbook gives literacy tutors basic grammar exercises and literacy activities for adult learners with physical disabilities using the SARAW program. SARAW (Speech Assisted Reading And Writing) technology helps teach basic reading and writing skills to adults with physical disabilities.
Access HTML or PDF version at:
http://www.nald.ca/CLR/saraw/cover.htm
- A Pan Canadian Study on Literacy Issues for Youth with Significant Physical Disabilities from NALD by the Neil Squire Foundation, 1999.
This literature review discusses literature, issues and findings about learners with physical disabilities. It addresses the barriers that confront people with physical disabilities who access literacy services.
http://www.nald.ca/fulltext/pat/nlsfinal/cover.htm
- Computer Comfort, Neil Squire Foundation, 2002.
It is a one-on-one basic computer skills program for people who have a physical disability that affects mobility, who are able to communicate independently (verbally or augmented), and who want to learn how to use computers.
http://www.neilsquire.ca/info/comfort.htm
- Special Needs Assessment Procedures: A guide to ensure equal access to literacy programs for adults with disabilities by Pat Hatt, Toronto District School Board, 2002.
This guide provides best practices on assessment procedures for literacy practitioners whose students are adult learners with a physical disability or with other types of disabilities.
Click on Motor Disability at:
http://gear.torque.net/%7Ebpd/dev/snap/index.htm
- Etiquette in Interacting with a Person with a Physical Disability, People with Disabilities from DAWN Ontario by Moira Horgan Jones for The Canadian Centre on Disability Studies, 1997.
The title is self-explanatory.
http://dawn.thot.net/disability_guide.html#pwphd
Organizations
- Canadian Paraplegic Association (CPA)
It is a national organization that provides services and resources for people with spinal cord injuries and other physical disabilities to reach self-reliance and independence.
http://www.canparaplegic.org/national/index.tpl
- Community Head Injury Resource Services of Toronto (CHIRS)
It is a regional organization in Toronto that provides a broad range of services to people who have an acquired brain injury.
http://www.chirs.com
- Neil Squire Foundation is a national organization that gives information, conducts research and provides services in education, technology and career development for people with physical disabilities.
http://www.neilsquire.ca
- Ontario Federation for Cerebral Palsy (OFCP)
It provides programs and services for people with cerebral palsy and advocates for people with physical disabilities.
http://www.ofcp.on.ca
|
