Category: News

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Your Right to…Vote


Hey everybody, we are celebrating rights (and responsibilities) this month! Today’s post is about VOTING. You can register to vote in BC if you are:

  • 18 or older by General Voting Day (Oct. 24)
  • a Canadian citizen, and
  • a BC resident for the past six months as of General Voting Day (Oct. 24)

While Election Day in BC is coming up next Saturday (Oct. 24), in many places advance voting starts TODAY (Oct. 15)! If you plan to vote, check out what political parties say they will do about issues you care about. For example, the BC Special Olympics focused in on health care, check out this article for more information. Inclusion BC wrote to the political parties to find out what their plans were, check out their questions and issues here. You will need to decide which political party you will vote for in the election.

When you have decided who you will vote for, you will need to know where to go to vote. Find the place you will be voting (either in advance, or on Oct. 24) on the Elections BC website.

You will need to bring some specific items with you when you go to vote. You might want to get the items together in advance (i.e. your ID, a mask, etc). If you aren’t sure what you need, there is more information in this Elections BC voter guide.

Most importantly, if you’re planning to vote… ask for help, if you need it! Here are some ideas of who you could talk to and ask for help:

  • Your family or your friends
  • Your support worker or your home share provider
  • People you know at your church or in your neighborhood

When you’re making your plan to get out there and vote, you might need to know what help is available at the voting station. You can find information about what help is available on this Elections BC webpage.

Elections BC also has a webpage all about keeping healthy and safe while you vote — check it out here.

Happy voting!

19 09 05 Rights Poster VoteDownload
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WEBINAR: Voting!

Hey everyone, if you’re going to vote in the upcoming BC election there’s a webinar that can help answer your questions about voting — happening tomorrow!

You Can Vote! Webinar with Guest Melanie Callas from Elections BC
 WHEN: October 14th, 2020 at 1:00-1:45PM (PST)

Inclusion BC is pleased to welcome Melanie Callas, Outreach Coordinator with Elections BC, to host the 5th webinar in our Virtual Learning Series. Melanie will talk about the voting process and answer questions about voting and the election.
Send us your questions! Inclusion BC is collecting questions to ask Melanie in the webinar. We want to hear from you! Please send your questions to Semanthi at swanni@inclusionbc.org

https://inclusionbc.org/bc-votes-2020/

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Have Your Say In…Parking

Hey everyone, have your say in accessible parking in Kelowna and enter to win a $50 gift card to a local business:

The City is reaching out to accessible parking users to take a survey and share their experiences using City of Kelowna accessible parking stalls. Survey feedback will be used to create a new accessible parking program and respondents can enter to win a $50 gift card to a local business for their participation.

“We completed the Downtown Area Parking Plan last year and during that process we heard from residents that there are barriers to accessible parking in Kelowna,” says Andrew Rolston, Parking Operations Coordinator. “This survey will help us understand more clearly what those barriers are and what solutions users would prefer.”

The survey is open to anyone who regularly uses or has used accessible parking stalls in City owned parking lots and on-street parking, for themselves, friends, family members or clients. The survey is open until 4 p.m., Oct. 20.

To take the survey, go to https://getinvolved.kelowna.ca/. To check out a map of accessible parking stalls, go to https://www.kelowna.ca/roads-transportation/parking/find-parking.

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COVID-19 Disability Survey

Hey everyone, Castanet.net reported this morning that Canadians who identify as having a disability – physical, cognitive, or sensory – or having a child or family member living with a disability have an opportunity to share their unique experiences and concerns while navigating COVID-19.

Participating in this survey provides feedback that will guide policymakers, businesses and national organizations to develop inclusive and accessible policies, processes, and services. To participate in the COVID-19 Disability Survey, click here and for more information you can email or call 1-(866)-639-1858.

“This is an opportunity for people with disabilities to share how their experiences in accessing services during COVID-19 has impacted their physical, mental and social health. … It’s imperative the voices and concerns of Canadians living with disabilities are reflected in the public health response to COVID-19.”

Martin Ginis (Director of the Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management)
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ONLINE Training: LINK! Safety, Relationships, Sexuality

Hey everyone, there is a great opportunity coming up for sexual health training! PosAbilities is offering their LINK! Safety, Relationships, Sexuality course for adults with disabilities in the Creston and surrounding Kootenay region starting on October 20. These ZOOM sessions offer individualized training on hygiene, sexuality, relationships and ways to stay safe. Check out this PDF for more info and pass it along if you know someone who would be interested. You can also register online here.

LINK Healthy Relationships One Pager Creston-3Download
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Have Your Say In…Transportation!

Over two years in the making, the draft plan for transit in the Central Okanagan is published – have your say! The draft was prepared by The Sustainable Transportation Partnership of the Central Okanagan (STPCO), a group of Kelowna, West Kelowna, Lake Country, Peachland and Westbank First Nation officials.

Give feedback and engage in how you want your transportation needs met in your community here!

The West Kootenays are also planning for the future of transit – check out their plan’s webpage!

You can also give feedback about West Kootenay and Kelowna Regional Transit services online.

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CLBC Teleconference Tomorrow

Hey everyone, you can join CLBC’s teleconference COVID-19 update for service providers and home sharing providers tomorrow (Sep. 29) from 2:05 – 3 p.m. Speakers will include:

  • Dr. Daniele Behn Smith, Deputy Provincial Health Officer
  • Ross Chilton, CEO, Community Living BC
  • Brenda Gillette, CEO BC CEO Network

Use participant code 37568# when you call in to 1-877-353-9184. Consider calling early, you can dial in as early as 1:45 p.m.

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New Mental Health Supports…

Local news reports from Castanet.net in Kelowna announced six new Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams in BC to help BC residents with severe mental health challenges access community-based support.

One of the new mobile teams will be based in Kelowna delivering 24/7 flexible, individualized community living, psychosocial, and recovery supports for adults with serious, complex, and persistent mental health challenges that make it difficult to manage day-to-day activities.

We will continue to post new information as it becomes available.

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