San
Francisco Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors (BAADS)
is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational group of well over 100 people
from all around the Bay Area. First and foremost, these are people
who love sailing. About half have disabilities. All levels of
sailing ability and experience are represented, from raw beginners
to veteran racers and world cruisers. About one-quarter are ASA
certified skippers, many of whom are disabled and take charge
with assistance as requested from able-bodied crew members.
The mission of BAADS is to make all aspects of sailing in the
San Francisco Bay Area accessible. This includes full participation
in teaching, day excursions, racing, and advanced sailing activities,
as well as development of adaptive facilities, sailboats and other
equipment and information to promote these ends.
TAD's
(Technical Aid to the Disabled) origins date back to 1973
when eight engineers combined their efforts to build special equipment
for people with disabilities. The group was convened in Sydney
by George Winston, AM, an electrical engineer. Within two years,
the potential of this group was recognised by leaders of organisations
for people with disabilities. With their support and encouragement,
TAD was established formally in 1975 and a one year seeding grant
obtained from the Federal Government.
From then on, growth was rapid in response to demand for technical
assistance. Access Industries provided office premises and an
occupational therapist was engaged in 1977 to deal with client
requests. As time went on, interstate sister organisations arose
also: TADVIC in 1976, TADSA in 1978, TAD(Q) in 1979 and TADWA
in Western Australia in 1985, Tasmanian and Northern Territory
groups were also established. View site at:
www.technicalaid.org.au/
TADVIC
(Technical Aid for the Disabled in Victoria, Australia)
is an organisation whose volunteer members design, construct or
modify equipment for people with disabilities, provided no commercially
available product or service will meet their needs. Founded in
1975 and incorporated in 1977, it operates from a small office
at the Royal Rehabilitation Centre in Kew. It is staffed by two
part time occupational therapists/ project coordinators, and 2
administration support staff. The organisation is funded by a
grant from the Department of Health Services and donations. In
recent years, in response to community demand, TADVIC has established
10 branches in rural Victoria. TADVIC has over 200 volunteers
throughout the state. 533 projects were completed in 1997 and
this number increases each year as the demand for our service
grows. There is no charge for the TADVIC service and clients are
only asked to reimburse the volunteer for any cost of materials
and travelling expenses incurred. View site at:home.vicnet.net.au/~georged/tadvic.htm
The
Washington Assistive Technology Alliance (WATA) is
a consumer advocacy network that includes the University of Washington
Center for Technology and Disability Studies (UWCTDS), and the
AT Resource Center at Easter Seal Society in Spokane (EATRC).
WATA also receives guidance from a Consumer Majority Advisory
Board. View site at:wata.org/
The
Neil Squire Foundation is a Canadian national non-profit
organization committed to providing education, technology and
career development for people with physical disabilities. We have
a staff of about fifty and offices in Vancouver, Victoria, Regina,
Fredericton, Moncton and Ottawa. View site at:www.neilsquire.ca/
Workshop
Solutions is a voluntary, not-for profit, website
. It is maintained and completely funded by the founder. It was
established for the purpose of providing a place in space
where engineers, technicians, inventors and workshop enthusiasts
can display and share knowledge on the assistive devices they
have built to better the lives of the disabled. To submit your
innovation and freely share it with all the world. View site at:www.workshopsolutions.com/
REMAP (Technical
Equipment for Disabled People) operates through a network
of 1,500 volunteers. The professional engineers, technicians,
and craftspeople - along with medical and paramedical staff from
community services and hospitals - all belong to 100 panels (groups)
linked to regions across the UK. View site at:www.remap.org.uk/
Special
Education Technology - British Columbia (SET-BC) was established
in 1989 to provide assistive technology services for students
with physical disabilities. The Special Education Branch of the
Ministry of Education considered the following trends when designing
the purpose and structure of this program:
students with special needs were being integrated into regular
classrooms and participating in standard curriculum activities
new technologies were being developed that allowed students with
disabilities to participate more actively in their educational
programs.
The Provincial Advisory Committee on Computers
(1988), which investigated the use of technology in the school
system, recommended that technology services for special education
students should be a priority. View site at:www.setbc.org/
Canadian
Therapeutic Riding Association have centers across
Canada promoting riding as a therapeutic, recreational and sport
activity for children and adults with disabilities. View site at: www.cantra.ca
Persons
with Disabilities Online is a federal government website
where you can access a broad range of disability related information.
View site at: www.pwd-online.ca
British
Columbia Paraplegic Association is committed to assisting
persons with spinal cord injuries and other physical disabilities
to achieve independence, self reliance and full community participation.
View site at: www.canparaplegic.org/bc
Rockwell
Collins Retirees Volunteer Program is an organization of
Rockwell Collins Retirees involved in a wide range of volunteer
activities in the community. It is intended to benefit both retirees
and the community while responding to needs which volunteers can
fill. Many retired Rockwell Collins management, financial,
engineers, technicians, metal workers and other craftsmen find
an opportunity to continue using their creative abilities, talents
and experience in the RCRV Community Projects Program. View site at: www.collinsclubs.com/rcrv
The
Muscular Dystrophy Association of Canada endeavors to provide
relevant and current information about many types of neuromuscular
disorders in an easy to understand format. MDAC’s mission
is to generate the financial and human resources necessary to
help people challenged by neuromuscular disorders today, while
searching for tomorrow's cure. View site at:www.mdac.ca
Multiple
Sclerosis Society of Canada aims to be a leader in finding
a cure for multiple sclerosis and enabling people affected by
MS to enhance their quality of life. View site at: www.mssociety.ca
The
Cerebral Palsy Association of British Columbia (CPABC)
is an independent, not-for-profit Association led by a Volunteer
Board of Directors. The CPABC was founded in 1954 by a group of
concerned parents who wanted the best possible opportunities for
their children living with Cerebral Palsy (CP). We have
evolved into a provincial Association that supports individuals,
families, caregivers, professionals, students and other organizations
whose lives are touched by Cerebral Palsy. View site at:www.bccerebralpalsy.com
The
Arthritis Society (TAS), BC and Yukon division is a progressive
not-for-profit organization committed to excellence and leadership
in research, care, education and advocacy for people with arthritis.
View site at:www.arthritis.ca/bc
ALS
Society of BC's mission is to find the cause of and a cure
for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. We are also committed
to providing support to ALS patients, their families, and caregivers. View site at: www.alsbc.ca
BC
Disability Sports is committed to providing leadership
and support to its member organizations while striving to maximize
the participation of British Columbians with disabilities in sport,
recreation and physical education. View site at: www.disabilitysport.org
The
British Columbia Society of Occupational Therapists (BCSOT)
is the provincial professional association representing occupational
therapists in British Columbia. BCSOT seeks to be the leader
in enabling occupational therapists in BC to achieve excellence
in practice and in promoting a healthy and vital profession in
the province. View site at:www.bcsot.org
The Disabled Sailing
Association of BC is an independent, charitable
society dedicated to enriching the lives of people with significant
disabilities through leisure and competitive sailing.
In addition to the Disabled Sailing Association,
associated groups have also been created by the Sam Sullivan Disability
Foundation:
The
BC Mobility Opportunities Society is an independent,
charitable society dedicated to helping people with significant
disabilities achieve an enriched quality of life within the community.
Tetra
Society of North America's purpose is to recruit skilled volunteer
engineers and technicians to create assistive devices for people
with disabilities.
Tetra recognizes that people are not handicapped
by their disabilities but by obstacles or barriers in their living
environment. Volunteer engineers, design technicians, and health
professionals work one to one with their clients to make assistive
aids or modifications to their environment so that greater independence
can be achieved.
Vancouver
Adapted Music Society was started in 1988 by Dave Symington
and Sam Sullivan, who were musicians before spinal chord injuries
resulted in quadriplegia. They, together with many others, spent
years trying to develop ways to create music. These efforts led
to the formation of VAMS awareness band, Spinal Chord, to raise
awareness of the capabilities of people with severe disabilities.
VAMS worked with G.F. Strong Rehabilitation
Centre to open a recreational music studio in 1992 for the benefit
of all people with disabilities. In 1993 Spinal Chord released
its first album of original music called "Why Be Normal?".
ConnecTra
Society works in partnership with people who have disabilities
to reduce the barriers that may limit them in the contribution
of their skills and abilities to the community and in their access
to earning income.
Our goal is to connect people with disabilities to the community
at large on a number of levels. Individuals and businesses get
involved to encourage and support our participants with opportunities
that help them to pursue interests and realize ambitions.
The satisfaction that occurs from meeting new people, becoming
more active and achieving results leads to increased confidence,
establishes focus and encourages new challenges.
