From: Jeff.Dubois@p0.f266.n163.z1.fidonet.org (Jeff Dubois)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: The squeaky wheel gets the oil.  Is it election time?
Date: 10 Apr 92 20:30:50 GMT
Reply-To: Jeff.Dubois@p0.f266.n163.z1.fidonet.org
Organization: FidoNet node 1:163/266.0 - Vision, Ottawa ON

Index Number: 20965

[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

* Original: FROM.....Eduardo Gomez (163/266)
* Original: TO.......All (163/266)
* Forwarded by.......OPUS 163/266

WHAT SERVICES DO YOU NEED?
THE GOVERNMENT OF ONTARIO IS PLANNING TO SPEND 650 MILLION
DOLLARS IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS TO IMPROVE SOCIAL AND HEALTH CARE
SERVICES FOR SENIORS AND DISABLED PERSONS.
THEY WANT TO HEAR YOUR OPINIONS ABOUT HOW THAT MONEY SHOULD BE
SPENT.

IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY, PHONE YOUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICE
AT: 1-800-668-1697

TELL THEM THAT YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT LONG TERM CARE
TELL THEM YOU'RE VISUALLY IMPAIRED.
TELL THEM WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND!  BUT REMEMBER, YOU HAVE TO DO IT
BEFORE MARCH 30.

The following is a summary of the Government's principal
intentions... and a few questions that you, as a visually
impaired person, may want to consider as you form your opinions:

#1 The government intends to expand services in the community
that help people to stay in their own home -such as Homemaking
Services, Meals on Wheels, Transportation, and Counselling.
     Questions:
     1) As a person with a visual impairment, what services do
     you need most in order to stay independent?
     2) Are services in the community accessible to you?  Do you
     have any suggestions for how they could be improved to
     better serve people who are visually impaired?

#2 The Government wants to make it as easy as possible for people
to be able to find the services they need.
Thereby, the are going to create a new kind of agency, called a
Service Coordination Agency (SCA), that will be sort of a 'one-
stop shopping centre' for all services in the community.

If you are a senior or a person with a disability who needs
support in order to say in your own home, you would call your
local SCA and get all the services that you require.  No running
around.  No confusion.  The same if you need to go into a Home
for the Aged or a Nursing Home.

There will be 38 SCAs in total across the province.
     Questions:
     1) SCA's will not know as much as CNIB about how to best
     help someone who is visually impaired.  They will not be
     specialists in visual impairment.  What do you suggest the
     SCA should do if someone, like you, who is visually
     impaired, walks through their front door?
     2) What if you want different services than the SCA decides
     that you should have?  Do you have a say?  Do you have a
     choice?

#3 The Government would like to support the families and
caregivers of seniors and disabled persons in the most effective
way possible.
     Questions:
     1) If you are a caregiver of someone who is blind or
     visually impaired, what do you need in the way of support?
     Do you need training?  Counselling?  Community services such
     as homemaking or respite care?  Volunteers?  Financial or
     Emotional support?

--
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