QPAC

QPAC ~ The business solution in a difficult economy





Glen works on wiring harnesses for QPAC

Businesses all around are feeling the impact of the recession and Community Living Dufferin’s QPAC program is no exception.

QPAC, which offers people with intellectual disabilities an opportunity to join the workforce, has seen business slow as of late.
There is, however, potential for a silver lining in these challenging economic times, says manager Denyse Small. She suggests companies may be able to trim their budgets by making use of what QPAC offers.
“We are very economical for businesses,” Small says, adding, “The Q in QPAC is about quality.
“There’s no F in QPAC, but we’re about flexibility too.”

The organization’s workers are currently involved in assembling various parts — doing piecework — as well as packaging and sorting tasks, for more than 20 companies.
They put together central vacuum muffler parts for Plastiflex Canada, do dishwasher wheel assembly for Rangers Metal Products, piece together gas fireplace harnesses for Oakley Manufacturing, etc.

“I like to focus on assembly jobs,” Small said, explaining assembly typically involves tools of some sort and helps increase fine motor skills. “We’ve had people go from working for QPAC to working in the community.”

QPAC operates out of a 5,400-square-foot space in a building on Centennial Road in Orangeville. That space, Small says, allows them to accommodate a wide variety of needs, as well as timelines.
“A lot of our customers have lost a lot of work,” the manager says. “Last fall, we were so busy it was amazing.”

Depending on the work lined up, QPAC employs between eight and 60 workers.
“Often they don’t get an opportunity to work in the community,” Small says of the workers. She notes people with intellectual disabilities have the same desire to contribute to society as everyone else, and they gain a strong sense of accomplishment by doing so.

For more information about QPAC, contact Denyse Small at 519-941-8456 ext. 167.

Family’s Heartbreaking Plight Sheds Light on Deeper Issues

Press release from Canadian Association for Community Living
April 9, 2009

From Day One it’s been all about what Kaylee Wallace won’t do. She won’t go to school, she won’t walk, she won’t live a typical life. One of the first suggestions was not to feed her. It seems there has been very little about what she might do, what she could become and that her life, while following a different path, could be just as fulfilling, just as wonderful and just as valued as any other. The take away message has been that a life with a disability is a fate worse than death.
The Wallace family, and many that have come before them, have found themselves in a heartbreaking predicament. They are told by medical professionals and experts that their daughter’s life is in immediate peril. That efforts to support her are futile, that the family should leave her be and let her die with dignity. Families, under pressure, often sleep-deprived and in the throes of emotional trauma rely on their trusted doctors to provide them with unbiased information. They rely on their doctors to treat their children, not just with dignity and respect, but to treat their medical conditions. Life-and-death medical decisions are being made on a particular perspective of quality of life. If your child is not expected to follow a particular path perceived by others as typical development then the quality of their life is brought into question.
As a family-based, national association which advocates for people with intellectual disabilities and their families, the Canadian Association for Community Living is concerned that this tragic situation is another example of a child’s treatment being defined and determined by disability. Joubert Syndrome is not described as a terminal illness. The breathing difficulties often associated with the Syndrome are more commonly known as apnea which is a highly manageable condition – one that most people with Joubert Syndrome outgrow. It is hard to get an accurate account of the specifics with Baby Kaylee. Joubert Syndrome, as with many disabilities, doesn’t not have one predictable outcome. Yet, the focus of Baby Kaylee’s short life has been that imminent death was the only outcome.
The active devaluation of the lives of persons with disabilities is a disturbing trend. Misinformation about disability is a real concern for individuals and families who live with disability. The lack of public discussion about the impact of devaluation makes people with disabilities and their families extremely vulnerable. The perception that a life with a disability is not worth living is perpetuated in the media interest surrounding the Wallace family and other similar stories. The increased demand for prenatal testing and the pressure prospective parents experience to terminate when an “anomaly” is detected risks leading us down a dangerous road reminiscent of our eugenic past.
Baby Kaylee may not survive. If that heartbreaking outcome is to be her reality it should not be because she hasn’t received all of the treatments and health supports she deserves.


For more information contact Anna MacQuarrie 416-602-3015
The Canadian Association for Community Living is a national association of 40,000 members, 400 local and thirteen provincial and territorial associations for community living, working to promote and achieve the full inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in all aspects of community life.

Computer Upgrades

Ed's forte is all things techy! He has a knack with gadgets and gizmos and can run circles around most of us here at the office. When something goes wrong with the DVD or VHS players, the TV's, the CD players or the computers, Ed's the first one to step up and help to fix the problem.

So it was a natural step for him to enroll in some computer upgrade courses along with some new courses such as Publisher and Power point.

With one course already under his belt, Ed will spend the next 4 weeks attending morning classes learning some graphics programs.

An avid photographer, these new found skills will enhance Ed's ability to format his photographs and soon you will see the fruit of his accomplishments in the pages of our AMONG FRIENDS newsletter. Ed has agreed to assist us by becoming a CLD photographer.

Congratulations Ed on a successful first course and Good Luck with the rest.

Ideal-Way Inc Art Competition

Luke Gallagher is a multi faceted artist. As a member of the Community Living Dufferin Drama Troupe audiences have enjoyed his many dramatic presentations including Lion King, Hairspray and this years Songs of Beauty and the Beast.

But Luke's talent lies not only on stage but also on paper.

For the past two years Community Living Dufferin have asked for submissions of Christmas themed art to use on our Christmas cards. Of the many designs we received last year, we chose two of Luke's designs for our 2008 Christmas cards.

This past week Luke was one of the 80 artists chosen in the Ideal-Way.ca (seeing ability in disability) province-wide art contest.

160 out of 500 entries were shown at the Varley Gallery in Markham April 1-5.

Here, Luke is seen with Robert the founder of Ideal-Way, and John one of the judges of the contest.

Luke proudly displays his pencil sketches.

Congratulations Luke, it is the ultimate acheivement for any artist to have their artwork featured in a gallery!

The "R" Word

This link will allow you the opportunity to hear a young man, Soeron Palumbo deliver his essay to classmates honoring Olivia, his younger sister with an intellectual disability.

It is a moving and thought provoking video that requires no introduction.

You cannot listen to this young man deliver this speech and not be moved by his words.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoqaNG0Ozqc