Jean Vanier - wise humanitarian and all-round mensch

Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC) is pleased to forward this article, from Montreal Gazette, April 13, 2010, about humanitarian, Jean Vanier, written by CJC CEO Bernie M. Farber.
It has been said that one true measure of civilization is how well we treat the most vulnerable members of our society.
If there's one man who truly understands the importance of kindness, compassion, understanding, and, as we say in Hebrew, "tikun olam," or repairing the world, it's Jean Vanier, the Founder of L'Arche.
By creating L'Arche - a remarkable and unique network of homes where the developmentally disabled live comfortably, together with volunteers and staff - Vanier has given those who are often forgotten and locked away as worthless, the miraculous opportunity to play an important role, by touching others.
I, too, was touched recently by the remarkable work being carried out through L'Arche and Vanier's vision. As a leader in the Canadian Jewish community and during my travels as a social worker with the Youth Services Bureau and Children's Aid Society of Ottawa, I have seen much.
It was through long-time friends Bob and his son Marvin that I learned of L'Arche. Marvin was born with a developmental disability. He was also visually impaired, making life that much more difficult. His parents were wonderful people who cared deeply for their only son whom they had late in life. Marvin's mother died when he was young. Bob devoted his life to his son but as the years crept up on him, he was running low on the energy needed to support Marvin. That's when they connected with the good people of L'Arche.
Almost immediately, it became their new and loving home. Marvin even found satisfying work there and found joy in the horses he was introduced to. Thanks to the people and community of L'Arche, he learned to care for his new four-legged friends as well as ride them. They became a strong passion and suddenly this remarkable man had a sense of purpose and fun, both of which were new to him.
Marvin, while Jewish, was never able to celebrate his bar mitzvah, the right of passage for every Jewish boy who turns 13. Despite being in his late 50s, Marvin always wanted to have his bar mitzvah but, up to this point, with his developmental and physical challenges it had never been given serious thought.
Thanks to Vanier and L'Arche, the thought of Marvin not enjoying this important part of a Jew's life was out of the question.
Working with a local rabbi, Marvin worked hard to learn the required biblical chants from the Torah. Finally, at the age of 60, Marvin, L'Arche, and the rest of his family and friends gathered at a local synagogue to celebrate his bar mitzvah.
This was not a case of 47 years too late; in fact, the timing couldn't have been better.
This remains one of the most moving experiences of my life and, ironically, it was made possible through L'Arche and Vanier's strongly held Christian values.
Vanier had his beginnings in Montreal where his mother Pauline met her husband Georges, a future governor-general of Canada. Jean received much of his early ethical and spiritual guidance while growing up in Quebec.

In the Jewish tradition we speak of an individual like Vanier as a "mensch." This is a special honour recognizing the unique qualities of a man who has devoted so much of his life to helping those whose lives are filled with unique challenges. Our sages tell us, "He whose deeds exceed his wisdom is like a tree whose branches are few but whose roots are many. Even if all the winds of the world come and blow upon it, they cannot move it from its place."

Through his wisdom and deeds, Vanier has planted the roots of tolerance, decency, compassion, and understanding and it is up to each of us, regardless of background, affiliations, politics or religion, to see to it that those roots and branches grow long and strong for generations to come.

While the merits of the Nobel committee having bestowed the honour on U.S. President Barack Obama will be the fodder for high-school debate clubs for years to come, I can think of a man who better exemplifies all that the prize stands for. That man is Jean Vanier.

Bernie M. Farber is CEO of Canadian Jewish Congress.

© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette

JFSA Concerned with Provincial Cuts to PWD Funding

March 29, 2010 Prepared by Jewelles Smith, MA
New regulations that were announced on March 4, 2010, will cause serious challenges for people living on fixed incomes. Beginning April 1 2010, individuals with PWD (Provincial Disability) designation--a group that already struggles to meet their basic needs--will face increased hardship. With a decrease in provincial funding towards these programs, service agencies like JFSA will be called upon even more so to cover the costs of people’s basic needs. The proposed cuts amount to $25 million over the next two years.

Between September 2009 and March 2010, JFSA had 310 open cases in Basic Resources. Of these open cases, 170 (or 55%) accessed financial services. The total amount of financial assistance given out to clients was $41,988.69 for medical and health expenses. Currently, JFSA has 97 clients with PWD status and 37 clients on regular assistance, 79% of our clients who have accessed our financial aid to date could be affected by these budget cuts. Of the 103 individuals who received housing assistance within the time period, 30 have PWD status, 22 receive income assistance, and 4 rely on employment insurance.

The BC government has a history of publicly presenting “generous” increases while quietly cutting funds behind the scenes. What is missing from the present budget proposal are the millions of dollars of cuts to programs over the past year, including: July 2009—the Permanent Disability Benefits Program, the Debt Reduction in Repayment program, the B.C. Loan Reduction for Residential Care Aide and Home Support Worker Program, Nurses Education Bursary, Health Care Bursary, Early Childhood Educator Loan Assistance Program, and the Premier's Excellence Award program, all quietly shut down; and in February 2010—$10 million was cut from the Ministry of Children and Families. And now these new regulations purported to save $25 million can be added to this list.

There will be cuts to funding for medical equipment and supplies include diagnostic devices, medical delivery systems, contraceptive devices and premade orthotics. There are new restrictions to repairing equipment as well as reductions for funding new equipment. Existing funding does not meet the costs of most equipment, therefore; further cuts will increase the burden on families, and charities to cover the shortfall.

Eligibility for the monthly nutritional supplement (MNS) will be even more difficult to qualify for, including changing the requirement from having one symptom or disorder to requiring a client to exhibit two symptoms from the list in order to qualify for the funding. The list of symptoms include: malnutrition, underweight status, significant weight loss, significant muscle mass loss, significant neurological degeneration, significant deterioration of a vital organ, and moderate to severe immune suppression. Currently 20 of our clients access this supplement.
Previously, individuals who were able to increase their income over the disability maximum were able to keep their medical benefits indefinitely (MBO). With the proposed budget, this will no longer be the case. People with PWD status who earn more than $30,000 annually may face immediate loss of benefits. Those who receive CPP disability benefits and individuals over 65 years old will have one year of benefits before they are cut. Medical expenses can be one of the most costly aspects of living with a disability. Medical expenses for some individuals can be hundreds of dollars (or more) a month. $30,000 per annum does not go far when covering these costs. The loss of these benefits may prevent some individuals from being able to seek work as the greater cost is just too much. Further, individuals may have to seek funding from charities and service agencies, or go without necessary medical items.

When the province cuts the $75 shelter allowance given to individuals who do not pay rent, including those who are homeless, JFSA can expect an increased need for emergency assistance. For people living on the street or couch-surfing, the $75 so-called “comfort” allowance paid for a portion of the necessities of life: food, basic clothing, phone, and bus fare to appointments. Not all people living in shelters are able to meet their dietary and health needs. Once again, charitable organizations are being expected to replace government services.

Communities can expect these cuts to medical and health services to people with disabilities will result in an increase in homelessness, illness and death as more people are forced to choose between paying rent, eating, or meeting their medical needs. JFSA is disappointed in these and other new regulations. If you share our concerns, please contact Minister Coleman, and your MLA. MLA contact information can be found at: www.leg.bc.ca/Mla/3-1-1.htm.

More information about these cuts can be found at:

“Province Protects Services for Low-Income Clients”. Ministry of Housing and Social Development. March 4, 2010. http://www2.news.gov.bc.ca/news_releases_2009-2013/2010HSD0026-000219.htm and at http://www.bccpd.bc.ca/cutstomedical.htm.

For more information, please contact:

Jewelles Smith

Jewish Family Service Agency

Tel: 604 257 5151 ext. 223
Email: jsmith@jfsa.ca

You are invited to join us at the 6th Annual JFSA Innovators Lunch featuring keynote address by the creative, trendhunting Jeremy Gutsche! For Reservations and more information please go to the JFSA website.


Wednesday April 14th, 2010
11:30 am -1:30 pm
Vancouver Convention Centre
1055 Canada Place
Vancouver, Canada

Welcome: Building Physical and Social Inclusion

Community building has to include a sense of belonging – that is, an awareness of being grounded in space, place and base. Without this awareness, no matter how inspired the vision of universal justice and equity may be, people end up floating yet another package of solutions – only to find that no one solution in whatever attractive packaging can ever fit all situations. Grasping after fix-it solutions will not work: the many different, changing realities of space, place and base simply rearrange themselves out of the neat patterns we try to devise[1].

For many Jewish people, connection to and participation within the larger community (schools, synagogue, and community events) is part of ones’ identity. Exclusion from larger society has been part of the past and continued experience of so many individuals. For People with disabilities who are Jewish, isolation from culture and community is just one more barrier to attaining a full and meaningful life. You may have experience or heard about a private club opening its membership policy to include Jewish members; however, policy change does not immediately wipe away discrimination. It takes concerted effort on the part of all members to make a welcoming environment. It is the same with persons with disabilities. Building a ramp or offering sign language translation does not mean that a space is welcoming and inclusive. For a place to be welcoming to a person with disabilities, attitudes, language, and behaviour must change with the same diligence that spaces are adjusted and rebuilt to accommodate.

What does inclusion mean to you? Does it mean that there is a ramp to your entrance? That your synagogues and businesses have automatic door openers? That lights switches and door handles are easily accessible in your school, synagogue, home? Does your space or event feel haymish? Or do you understand inclusion to mean more—that is, not just creating a physically accessible space. Developing a welcoming environment where people with many different disabilities feel included may include allowing adaptations to allow participation and interaction. It is essential to understand that disability is a complex term, with historical and personal meaning, encompassing many visible and invisible, physical, mental, and behavioral conditions and challenges.

Architectural, communication, and attitudinal barriers can exclude people with disabilities from participating in your community events. Examine these areas and see where changes can be made. According to Shelly Christensen, Program Manager at the Minneapolis Jewish Community Inclusion Program for People with Disabilities, “Inclusion is the opportunity for every person, regardless of ability, to participate in meaningful ways in the life of the Jewish community”.

When examining a space for accessibility, be aware that not all disabilities are visible. It is imperative to be aware of the diversity in the disability community. Lisa, who works in the JFSA office, recently shared an anecdote with me: She was asked by an acquaintance why she did not look Jewish. Lisa has lighter hair and blue eyes, and apparently lacks some facial features socially assumed to be “Jewish”. After an ironic comment to her acquaintance, Lisa was left wondering: What does looking Jewish mean? Why brown hair, brown eyes, and long nose? Rightly, she was offended by this query. Persons with invisible disabilities have similar experiences as Lisa did on a daily basis. A person with a learning difficulty/disability is not obviously marked, yet s/he might struggle when handed a long document to read, or when asked to fill out a form. Similarly, there are many individuals who have mobility challenges but do not use mobility devices such as walkers, canes or wheelchairs; be aware and flexible, not everyone can walk up a flight of stairs, carry an object, lift and move chairs, or stand/sit for extended periods of time. Someone who has an immune disorder such as allergies, asthma, or anaphylaxis may not obviously appear to experience challenges, but living in a world with perfume, cigarette smoke, and hostile foods can feel like walking through a minefield.

Being aware of how your space accommodates is also crucial to accessibility—are aisles clear and easily navigated by persons who are blind, or who use mobility devices? Do you offer and know how to access Sign Language interpretation services (for example, in BC in can take 2 weeks or longer to book an ASL interpreter)? Does your organization have a fund set aside to pay for accommodation services? When you send out newsletters do you state how your space is accessible and who an individual can contact to access these accommodations? Is your website accessible to persons with disabilities? Do you have a TTY phone? These are just a few of the questions you can ask yourself and your organization. If you do not know how to accommodate an individual, ask them; or ask an organization that works with persons with disabilities and the community.

Breaking down barriers by addressing Myths about the lives of Persons with Disabilities

As far as disability is concerned, if it is seen as a tragedy, then disabled people will be treated as if they are the victims of some tragic happening or circumstance. This treatment will occur not just in everday interactions but will also be translated into social policies which will attempt to compensate these victims for the tragedies that have befallen them[2].

Persons who live with disability do not live either tragic or heroic lives. For the most part they are everyday children, adults and elders in your community. Outwardly, their disability may be obvious or hidden. There are many myths about persons with disabilities. Honestly addressing these myths and replacing them with facts will help to make your events and spaces accessible and welcoming. I have adapted the following list of myths and facts from several online sources (please see footnotes for these websites):

Myth: A person’s disability defines who they are as an individual.

Fact: People often label individuals with a disability according to their condition or limitations. It is common in our daily lives to hear references such as “the disabled” or “the epileptic.” Individuals with disabilities are people first.

Myth: People with disabilities cannot lead a full and productive life.

Fact: People with disabilities are capable of fully participating in community life. The challenge is to focus on a person’s ability, not their limitations.

Myth: People with disabilities are brave and courageous.
Fact: Adjusting to a disability requires adapting to a lifestyle, not bravery and courage.

Myth: All persons who use wheelchairs are chronically ill or sickly.
Fact: The association between wheelchair use and illness may have evolved through hospitals using wheelchairs to transport sick people. A person may use a wheelchair for a variety of reasons, none of which may have anything to do with lingering illness.

Myth: Wheelchair use is confining; people who use wheelchairs are "wheelchair-bound."
Fact: A wheelchair, like a bicycle or an automobile, is a personal assistive device that enables someone to get around.

Myth: All persons with hearing disabilities can read lips.
act: Lip-reading skills vary among people who use them and are never entirely reliable.

Myth: People who are blind acquire a "sixth sense."
Fact: Although most people who are blind develop their remaining senses more fully, they do not have a "sixth sense."

Myth: People with disabilities are more comfortable with "their own kind."
Fact: In the past, grouping people with disabilities in separate schools and institutions reinforced this misconception. Today, many people with disabilities take advantage of new opportunities to join mainstream society.

Myth: The lives of people with disabilities are totally different than the lives of people without disabilities.
Fact: People with disabilities go to school, get married, work, have families, do laundry, grocery shop, laugh, cry, pay taxes, get angry, have prejudices, vote, plan and dream like everyone else.

Myth: Most people with disabilities cannot have sexual relationships.
Fact: Anyone can have a sexual relationship by adapting the sexual activity. People with disabilities can have children naturally or through adoption. People with disabilities, like other people, are sexual beings. [3] 

Inclusive Spaces

Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen. --Winston Churchill

Creating a space that is welcoming to a diverse population is not easy at first. It begins by becoming aware of what individuals need. Making your space accessible can start with asking if accommodations or adaptations are needed (in newsletters, registration forms, and websites). Ask—is there any way we can make this space accessible and inclusive for you? And be open to comments, criticisms, ideas, and diversity. This might mean installing a ramp, or ensuring that light switches, door openers, and mezuzot are at appropriate levels for people who use wheelchairs or who are small. Members may require sign language interpretation or large print formats for handouts. Ensure that your websites, newsletters, and buildings are accessible. Become familiar with People First Language. The kind of society one lives in has a profound effect on the individual. By creating a sense of community and acceptance for difference, and by examining your understanding of accommodation and inclusion, you can create a space that is welcoming.

For More Information on How your Organization can become more Inclusive, Contact:

Jewelles Smith, MA is Special Needs Coordinator at Jewish Family Services. She can reached Mondays and Wednesdays at 604.257.5151 ext. 223 or via email at jsmith@jfsa.ca

Footnotes:

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[1](Kelly, Anthony & Sewell, Sandra. With head, heart and hand: dimensions of community building, 1988, 42-54, Brisbane, Queensland: Boolarong.: 51-52)

[2]http://www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies/archiveuk/Oliver/p%20of%20d%20Oliver1.pdf
[3]http://www.easterseals.com/site/PageServer?pagename=ntl_myths_facts www.togetherwerock.com/pdfs/Draper_MythsMisc_Nov1.pdf