Will UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities mean anything on PEI

Posted on December 3, 2010 by Stephen Pate

PEI celebrates the day with plagiarism, pontificating and prevarication

Minister of Community Services, Seniors and Labour Janice Sherry, press release to follow

The world celebrates UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities. On Prince Edward Island, we can look forward to political hot air.

The appropriate minister will rise in the Legislature to acknowledge her love for and empathy with the situation of Islanders living with disabilities. Those speeches are fulsome, with profound words that puff up those who listen. In reality, they are hollow with pontificating and prevarication. Continue reading →

Disabled now an environmental hazard

Posted on June 19, 2010 by Stephen Pate

DARfP of the week – “There’s always the struggle between preserving the environment and making it accessible” Marcia Carroll to CBC

Marcia Carroll - DARfP of the week on the eternal struggle between the disabled and the environment

DARfP is our acronym for dumb ass replies from politicians or other public officials.

People with disabilities have been blamed for lots of silly things – being possessed by demons, taking the best parking spots, costing too much for building renovations.

We are now in a struggle – no we have always been in a struggle with the environment according to Marcia Carroll CEO if PEI’s Council of People with Disabilities.

I never saw myself as an enemy of the environment until now. Something else to worry about if I paid any attention to the feckless leader of PEI’s official disability organization.
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PEI’s Currie makes autism announcement

Posted on June 15, 2010 by Stephen Pate

Short notice and no press release which is typical disability abuse on PEI

Doug Currie promising reforms in 2007 but nothing has changed

“Minister Doug Currie will release Provincial Autism Strategy. Staff and individuals from the Autism Action Group will be on hand to answer questions about the strategy. The public is welcome to attend Today @ 1:30 pm pm at the Shaw Building (south) 95-105 Rochford Street, Ch’Town, PEI” (From Autism Society Prince Edward Island)

“Short notice! Gov’t likes it that way!” says one Facebook comment.

This is typical government procedure to bury all disability issues. An important issue – autism – gets an announcement held almost secretly.

Despite promising reforms prior to the election in 2007, the Ghiz government has made little if any progress in services to people living with disabilities.

Less than 5% of the disability community qualifies for benefits. Seniors are still excluding from receiving assistance like wheelchairs. Many people with disabilities live far below the poverty line, many of them are women. Continue reading →

Disability in-Action Council insults disability community

Posted on May 7, 2010 by Stephen Pate

Liberal Government propaganda gets swift response from Guardian readers

Minister Janice Sherry "should be ashamed of herself"

The Charlottetown Guardian reprint of Liberal Government press release – P.E.I. Disability Action Council identifies 14 areas of priority was condemned by their readers.

Readers called Carroll’s statements and the press release an insult, hot air, shameful, BS, a waste of money, bordering on abuse, and cynical. A reader thought Minister Janice Sherry “should be ashamed of herself.”

“I feel the areas that the council have chosen to focus on over the next year, which are aimed at improving the disability supports and services around housing, employment, training and leadership, align well with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,” said Marcia Carroll, chair of the Disability Action Council and CEO of the PEI Council of the Disabled.

Ms Carroll is in her usual form with plenty of rhetoric pandering to the government.

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The real story of PEI Easter Seals

Posted on March 22, 2010 by Stephen Pate

PEI Easter Seals is a long-running charity drive that needs to change.

Children with disabilities don’t need Easter Seals. They need respect and a chance to be full members of society.

Easter Seals has been running on PEI for more than 50 years. It’s like old idea who’s time has come. It could be a decent way to raise money but as it sits the campaign is seriously flawed.

The Easter Seals Ambassador job is emotionally abusive for the child with a disability. After three months of attention from CBC and Rotarians, the child is dropped like a stone. For a child with a learning disability, or most children, it leaves them hurt and confused. Other Provinces have acknowledged this. Ontario no longer uses under-age children for the role.

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Survey to determine needs for intellectual disabilities

Posted on February 6, 2010 by Byline

Inclusions East wants survey feedback to adapt programs to needs in Kings County PEI

By David MacDonald david@peicanada.com. Eastern Graphic

Inclusions East, the organization overseeing the Kingswood Centre and the Southern Kings Group Home in Montague, is awaiting responses from a housing needs survey that could be the first step in getting additional support for those with intellectual disabilities living in eastern PEI.

Editor – what the article doesn’t say is if the survey will widen the scope of the program to people with intellectual disabilities beyond existing clients. Secondarily, how much assistance is being given to the people being surveyed? Sending complex questionnaires to people with intellectual disabilities often results in low response rates or inaccurate responses for obvious reasons. They may not understand the questions or may be intimidated by the process. We attempted to ask these questions but gave up after holding on the line for more than 30 minutes.

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Marcia Carroll at PEICOD found her voice to advocate

Posted on October 20, 2009 by Stephen Pate

Marcia Carroll, Executive Director PEICOD

We tip our hat to you Marcia and will ask Mr. Homburg to give you a plaque out in the lobby now

Note to PEI journalists: this story contained irony, satire and sarcasm. It was meant to tickle your funny bone and make you think a little deeper. Or it likely will sail right over your heads.

Asking the Province to fix the Confederation Centre Library elevator for Islanders with a disabilities is a start in the right direction for PEI Council of the Disabled.It proves that satire does work in getting people to move.

Our parody of a PEI press release got a few heads turned and some red faces Government announces solution for disabled access to Confederation Library.

Sorry if the dull and boring Guardian only likes their own satirical cartoons. They never watch the Daily Show and it shows.

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Charities tell Michael J Fox we don’t want to cure Parkinsons

Posted on October 1, 2009 by Stephen Pate

Charities argue for status quo not cure

Muhammad Ali and Michael J Fox fighting against Parkinsons disease

When Michael J. Fox brought his foundation to Canada in an effort to find a cure for Parkinson’s disease, he met the resistance from the Canadian charities lobby.

Michael J. Fox’s New Canada Charity Raises Concern for Parkinson’s Groups ran the headline in Philanthropy Today

“Joyce Gordon, president of the Parkinson Society of Canada, worried that Mr. Fox’s organization could undercut donations to her group and divert funds and attention from existing education and support campaigns.”

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PEI Council Disabled deceived – 8 new disabled parking spaces missing at Canada Games

Posted on August 24, 2009 by Stephen Pate

PEI Council of the Disabled didn’t get anything done – surprised?

We just took new video of the Canada Games site at UPEI.

The 8 new parking spaces for the disabled are not there. On Thursday Wendy Guindon, according to an email quoted in yesterday’s update, was told by Greg Clayton, VP of UPEI maintenance, that UPEI was installing a total of 12 disabled parking spots for the Canada Games.

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Council of the disabled try to grab spotlight

Posted on August 21, 2009 by Stephen Pate

Marcia Carroll CEO of PEI Council of the Disabled, an unaccounted for waste of taxpayers dollars

Why do the taxpayers waste $900,000 annually on the PEI Council of the Disabled

The disabled Parking Story at Canada Games UPEI is another example of how the PEI Council has failed us and act as frauds.

Grabbing the spotlight and belittling the work of others

When Wendy Guindon of the PEI Council of the Disabled returned my call on Wednesday at 2:30 PM, it was the first time she heard about the problem with Disabled Parking at Canada Games. Disabled advocates take action

She must have gotten calls from MLAs since she sent the MLAs this email disingenuously describing herself as the white knight. She played a role but not the only important role.

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Most of the money at Music PEI going to Board of Directors

Posted on June 20, 2009 by Stephen Pate

If you’re not a friend, need no to apply

We just discovered that 84% of the grants given by Music PEI, or $123,000, in the year ending March 31, 2008 went to people related to the Board of Directors.

We’ve been reporting how the inner circle of Board members, their families and business friends are the main beneficiaries for months now. Music PEI latest awards raises questions money and equitable treatment of musicians

Music PEI, a private club with public money

We never thought the conflict of interest was so pervasive. Essentially, the money going to non-connected musicians is peripheral to the main grant money at Music PEI.

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