Did you know that RHI’s Consumer Program provides funding to community groups to support quality of life initiatives within BC?
Since 2010, the Government of BC has provided RHI with $11 million, of which $4.2 million funding over seven years supports the BC Spinal Cord Injury Community Services Network (BC SCI CSN). The BC SCI CSN is comprised of five community-focused, non-profit organizations dedicated to improving the lives of over 12,000 British Columbian’s with spinal cord injury, as well as people with other disabilities, and their families. The network’s organizations include:
These funds supported community initiatives and events such as:
- BC Wheelchair Basketball Society’s Wheelchair Loan Program
- Disabled Sailing Association of BC’s sailing program
- Vancouver Adapted Music Society’s Choir performances
- BC Wheelchair Sports Association’s community “Have a Go Days”
- ConnecTra’s Annual Abilities Expo 2014
We are also looking forward to supporting projects that engage people with SCI in research through the funding we receive from the Rick Hansen Foundation for the Blusson Integrated Cures Partnership. For example, RHI will be partnering with SCI BC to conduct social media outreach activities that promote the benefits of participating in research.
RHI is also partnering with Spinal Cord Research Evidence (SCIRE) authors (www.scireproject.com) to develop a go-to-resource, to answer critical questions for the newly injured and their supporters about the healthcare, services and resources available to best support recovery after SCI.
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Spotlight on Neil Squire's Computer Comfort Program
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With support from the Government of British Columbia, RHI is continuing to support community disability and SCI organizations, such as the Neil Squire Society’s Computer Comfort Program.
- The Computer Comfort program assists people with disabilities, including SCI to learn how to use computers to achieve their individual goals.
- More than 20,000 have participated since the program’s inception in 1984 including 170 in fiscal 2014-2015.
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Meet Bhajan, one of the newest clients to the program. After a work-related injury Bhajan was left with a C4/C5 spinal cord injury. Here is what he has to say about the Computer Comfort Program:
“There are miles ahead of me, but I’m still learning. These guys teaching me are genius; they are very, very good. I’m learning how to use email, the internet, how to download. I’m a slow learner, but I’m enjoying it!”
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