By Rick Green, CM, OOnt, BSc. A psychologist who specializes in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder once told me, “If you’ve seen one kid with ADHD, you’ve seen one kid with ADHD.” The year was 2008. I was flying all over North America to interview ADHD specialists for what would …
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Getting Chores Done With Your ADHD Kid: A How-to Guide
One of the most important lessons a parent needs to impart upon their children is the importance of housework. Learning to clean up after themselves and the house, as well as being able to cook for themselves are chores that all teach children the essential life skills that they’ll need to survive …
5 Amazing New Developments in Diabetes Treatments
In 2014, the World Health Organization reported 422 million people are suffering from diabetes. With over a million people dying from the disease in 2016. The WHO now considers the condition to be an epidemic and has declared Nov. 14 World Diabetes Day and the entire month of November Diabetes Month …
The Disability Tax Credit application process For Anxiety Sufferers
There are a great number of problems and challenges that would qualify a person for the Canadian Revenue Agency’s Disability Tax Credit (DTC) but many are unknown to the general public. One of those is a problem that many people are totally unaware that they even suffer from. It manifests …
Dyslexia Awareness Month 2019: Events Throughout Canada
Dyslexia is a learning disability defined by difficulty in understanding written text and how it translates to sounds and meanings. This is primarily affects the parts of the brain that process language. It’s estimated that between 7 to 17 percent of people in the world have some form of …
Dealing with the Stresses of Raising Your Child with ASD
For any family dealing with a child or family members living with a disability, stress is an inevitable occurrence in their lives. This fact is even more apparent for families with members diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Studies have shown that parents taking care of children with ASD …
Disability Employment Awareness Month: Advocacy and Technology for an Inclusive Workplace
What is DEAM? October is Disability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM) for a number of Canadian provinces. This yearly month-long campaign is meant to celebrate the contributions of people with disabilities in the Canadian workplace as well as to advocate for further inclusivity in their hiring …
Top Rated Apps for Diabetes Management
Table of Contents What is Diabetes? How Can Apps Help You Keep Track of Your Diabetes? Best Diabetes Apps for iPhone & Android mySugr Sugar Sense Diabetes Connect Health2Sync Diabetes:M Fooducate MyNetDiary Calorie Counter PRO Beat Diabetes BG Monitor Diabetes Diabetic …
If I am eligible to receive Disability Tax Credit, will it affect my chances of getting approved for other government loans such as OSAP?
If I am eligible to receive Disability Tax Credit, will it affect my chances of getting approved for other government loans such as OSAP? No. not at all. The Disability Tax Credit is a federal program aimed at helping tax paying Canadians with disabilities and their families to negate a variety of …
Will I still be eligible to apply for the Disability Tax Credit even if I do not have a taxable income as my disability prevented me from working?
Will I still be eligible to apply for the Disability Tax Credit even if I do not have a taxable income as my disability prevented me from working? Yes, you can. As previously explained, your impairment’s effect on your daily living is what determines your eligibility for the DTC. If you do not …
Can I apply on behalf of my child, or a family member?
Can I apply on behalf of my child, or a family member? The answer is YES for both cases.Not only can parents of children with disabilities apply for the Disability Tax Credit on behalf of their children, the Canadian government grants additional amounts for children under 18. This is called the …
Should I wait until income tax time (spring) to claim this credit, since it is an income tax credit?
Should I wait until income tax time (spring) to claim this credit, since it is an income tax credit? If you were found eligible to receive the DTC for previous years, you don’t have to wait for “tax season” to request the reassessment.However, if you were approved and already received your …
How to Claim Amount Once the DTC Application is Approved?
How to claim the disability amount once the DTC application is approved? You can claim the disability amount on your tax return once the person with the disability is eligible for the DTC. Following are the instructions if you are claiming in the same year you are preparing your taxes: 1. To …
How to Know When Disability Tax Credit is Claimed?
How do I know if my Disability Tax Credit is claimed? You can sign in to your CRA online account and check your past year Income Tax Report for Line 316 (if you were claiming for yourself), Line 318 (if you were claiming for your dependant) or Line 326 (if you were claiming for your spouse or …
Expiry and Renewal of Disability Tax Credit Benefit
Does the Disability Tax Credit benefit expire? The CRA will review your application and will send you a letter to notify you of your approval for the Disability Tax Credit and the time frame you were found eligible for. For example, if you were found eligible from 2015 to 2023, the letter will …
Tenure of approval After been Approved for Disability Tax Credit
I’ve been approved for Disability Tax Credit, do I have to re-apply each year? No, you do not need to re-apply every year. In most cases, the CRA approves the applicant for several years in the future (usually 3-5 years). When your DTC eligibility expires you must go through the application process …
Differences between DTC and other health related income benefits programs?
What is the difference between the Canadian Disability Tax Credit (DTC) and other health related income benefits programs? The Disability Tax Credit is a federal program that is a refund on federal taxes paid by Canadian with disabilitiesOther health related income benefits programs, such as ODSP …
Announcing the 2019 winner of DCCI Scholarship for Canadian Students with Disabilities
Disability Credit Canada is committed to helping young disabled Canadians achieve their goals in higher education or vocational training towards employment and we are proud to be offering the 2019 “DCCI Scholarship for Canadian Students with Disabilities” to Katarina Vuorensivu from Surrey, British …
How Can Autistic Individuals Bring Value To The Workforce
Understanding the autism spectrum disorder challenges in the workplace For people living with autism spectrum disorder, getting a job comes with specific challenges. In Katherine Shadwick’s case, going through a job interview is more daunting than most. According to Katherine, a geological …
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) – A Real Canadian Problem
What is Fetal Alcoholic Spectrum Disorder? Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is associated with bewildering number of symptoms. FASD is an umbrella term describing the range of effects that can occur in an individual whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. These effects may include …
Bill C-81 – An Act To Ensure An Accessible Canada For All
What is Bill C-81 - The Accessible Canada Act about? On June 20, 2018, the Accessible Canada Act was read in the House Of Commons. At this time, the Accessible Canada Act is called Bill C-81. Before becoming a law, Bill C -81 has to go through several stages in Parliament. When it becomes a law, …
Disability Tax Credit Advocate Families With Autistic Children
The Ontario government’s new autism policies have serious impact on families with children with autism and the regression that can probably happen in these children lives is heartbreaking. Disability Credit Canada advocates for disable Canadians to help them get approved for disability tax credit. …
Ontario Government reviving Autism program to clear autism therapy waitlist
The Ontario government has launched new plans for autism therapy in order to clear long waiting list for 23,000 families but Autism Advocates and families with children with autism says government’s new plan is problematic. “ Ontario is overhauling its autism program in an attempt to clear a …
Disability Credit Canada Celebrates 4 years serving disabled Canadians
We are proud to announce that we are celebrating 4 years serving disabled Canadians and it has been a wonderful journey so far. The team behind the success For success to touch the peak there is always a team that is dedicated to meet the needs of the people who have expectations from us. We are …
Initiative Towards Changing Laws related to Multiple Sclerosis
Canada has one of the highest rates of Multiple Sclerosis which is a disease that attacks the central nervous system and the symptoms of the disease causes weakness that includes impaired speech, extreme fatigue and vision problems. The disease is classified as an episodic disability because the …
October Declared as Disability Employment Awareness Month
Employment is the right of every individual in the society. More jobs leads to more employment opportunities but is the society putting forward a helping hand towards disabled people who are looking for jobs and not getting employed? Government of Saskatchewan and Alberta has taken an initiative …
Canada has its 1st disability-inclusive karate charity
Today Inclusion is something that needs to be adapted by the society as everyone has an equal right to receive all the facilities. A Saskatchewan karate teacher has taken an initiative and has introduced a charity for disabled Canadians focusing on inclusion. Brendan Breen is the first Canadian …
Dialing a Hotline Number is not the way to prevent suicide
Disability Credit Canada helps many Canadians with Mental Disorders such as anxiety, depression and PTSD so, today September 10, 2018 is Suicide Prevention Day and we at Disability Credit Canada want to throw light on the ways to identify symptoms of mental illness and the various ways of …
FULLY ACCESSIBLE PARK FOR DISABLED CANADIANS IN BRAMPTON
We at Disability Credit Canada always look for opportunities to help and assist Disabled Canadians. We are happy to announce that Brampton has opened its first fully accessible park and splash pad for Disabled Canadians. Brampton, one of the cities in Ontario recently announced to the public …
The Toronto’s ReelAbilities Film Festival
We at Disability Credit Canada always look for opportunities to help and advocate Disabled Canadians. We are pleased to announce that the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre (MNjcc) is organizing the third annual ReelAbilities Film Festival: Toronto (RAFFTO), Canada’s largest film festival dedicated …
Barriers in Ontario’s Education System For Disable Students
Everyone in Ontario has the right to good education and opportunities that help them be successful in their lives. But for people with mental or physical disabilities, Ontario’s education system has become a barrier for them. 45% of students with disabilities are often excluded from their classrooms …
Please Offer me a Seat Program
In an effort to upgrade the accessibility for disabled customers who need to sit down while travelling in busses, subways or streetcars, the Toronto Transit Commission has launched a new approach “Please offer me a seat” which will help disabled people. This program will offer “Please offer me a …
It’s time to #GETLOUD about Mental Health Awareness
Over 20 percent of the Canadian population suffers from mental health issues that affect their lives in a meaningful way preventing them from living life to the fullest. Mental health is an invisible disability and many people who suffer from mental health issues suffer alone as it goes un-noticed …
New immigration law for people with disabilities.
Good News for Disables: End to discriminatory immigration law for people with disabilities. Canada has again taken a stand on protecting the rights of all people. What is the new Changes in the Immigration Policy for Disabled children Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen’s announcement of the …
Canadian Disable Women More Prone to Experience Violence Than Other Canadians
According to Statistics Canada, Canadians with disabilities are twice as likely to experience violence as other able-bodied Canadians. And the data revealed that women experience the higher rate of violence in many areas. The rate of women victimization is 65 in 1000 people whereas disabled women …
Big announcement by Walmart Canada- End To Job Training Program For People With Intellectual Disabilities.
The program that supposes to provide help to intellectually impaired people is restraining them to do work by ending their job training program. During an interview with Canadian Press, Walmart’s spokesperson Anika Malik confirmed the news of ending their participation in Quebec program that …
What will Canada’s New Accessibility Law 2018 look like?
Canada’s ranked second best country in the world in a survey of best countries in the world, but are we? While the country surpassed all countries based on categories like Adventure, Cultural Inclusion, Open to Business, etc; our society waited long on the Accessibility law for disabled …
Famous People with Disabilities & there Quotes
Disability is a term that is used to describe the weakness of an individual based on their physical or mental health. Disability among individuals can occur either at birth, caused by a mischance, or created after some time. Table of Contents Individuals suffering from Disabilities Top 16 …
10 Best Assistive Technologies for ADD/ADHD
Assistive technologies are a helpful tool that allows individuals to work on tasks in an effective manner. It doesn't require individuals to take help of others in order to work effectively. Similarly, these assistive technologies also help those that are suffering from disabilities. It can help …
Reaction to CRA for Denying Individuals Suffering from Type 1 Diabetes
The Canada Revenue Agency received backlash for denying individuals suffering from Type 1 diabetes disability the right to receive disability tax credit despite having doctor’s certifications the entitle them to be eligible. According to the letter for Revenue Minister Lebouthillier released on …
10 Best Assistive Technologies For Individuals With Down Syndrome 2017 Edition
There are some individuals that can do stuff on their on without anyone's help while there are others that need others help in order to complete the same tasks. However, unlike before there are many assistive technologies that are now available which were impossible to even think out in the early …
Blindness is not a Barrier
According to the recent survey carried out by World Health Organization (WHO), there are more than 285 million visually impaired people worldwide: 39 million are blind and 246 have low vision. In addition, researchers suggest that the number of blind people across the world is set to triple within …
10 Mobile Apps to Help on the Autism Spectrum
Are your loved ones on the autism spectrum? Are you looking for mobile apps that may help your loved one with autism? Well, you came to the right place. This article will discuss 10 mobile apps that may be helpful to individuals with an autism spectrum disorder. The mobile apps discussed in this …
13 Best Mobile Apps for Individuals with ADD/ADHD 2017 Edition
Suffering from ADD/ADHD symptoms? Or is it someone close to you that needs others help to remember stuff or manage their time? Don't worry, we can help you out. This article discusses ADD/ADHD and different apps that individuals can use to help themselves. Table of Contents What is …
14 Assistive Technologies for Individuals with Learning Disability
Are you or your close ones facing difficult time learning due to disability? Well then, don’t worry as we have listed out a few solutions that will help you learn better and faster. This article discusses learning disability and different learning technologies that are available to help you or …
People’s Experiences with Fibromyalgia – A Challenging Condition
Introduction For decades millions of people have been living with a challenging and horribly painful condition known as fibromyalgia. When the condition first appeared, many people were told they were simply getting older, or these were the normal aches and pains of daily life. All too often it was …
Top 7 Technologies to help People with Disability
Technology and new ‘devices’ are all the rage in the modern world. Everyone seems to want to discuss their latest ‘toys’ they use both in the workplace and at home. Here are some new technological break-throughs designed to make life easier for people with disability. Top 7 Technologies to help …
Top 9 Mobile apps to help People with Disability
Introduction Today there are mobile apps for practically everything and everyone. New apps are being developed all the time with people who have a disability. These highly specific apps are designed to make life easier, more fulfilling beyond just financial assistance through disability tax credit, …
Changes to Ontario’s Program for Children on the Autism Spectrum Disorder
INTRODUCTION Many parents throughout Ontario have often struggled to acquire the services and support their children require when they are diagnosed as having Autism Spectrum Disorder. There are still many people who don’t understand what ASD is, and so parents and their kids struggle both to cope …
Part 1: The Application Process- CPP Disability Pension
Introduction In this three-part series, the focus is on the CPP Disability Pension application process. This is something Disability Credit Canada knows a great deal about, and their expertise has been valuable to many Canadians. As millions of Canadians cope with a disability, some are able to …
Aging with a Disability
ADVANCEMENTS ARE IMPROVING LIVES Due to advancements in many areas of our lives, aging with a disability may not be as difficult or challenging as it was in previous times. Science, medicine, technology, and civil rights have all combined to provide people with disabilities a more equitable place …
Disability and Depression: Why do Some People Cope Better than Others?
Disability and Depression The idea that some people find it difficult to cope with onset or an ongoing disability while others cope extremely well isn’t a new concept. Yet, in our modern world, where we have new conveniences and technology to make life far easier for a person with a disability, why …
The Ontario 2017 Budget: What’s in it for People with Disabilities?
Premiere Wynne has been widely criticized for her lack of attention to accessibility issues in Ontario. Irrespective of continuous prompting by the AODA Alliance and their Director, David Lepofsky, the Premiere seems to resist all pressure to do right by people with disabilities in Ontario. However, …
Mental Illness in Canada: Service barriers
People with mental illness would seem, on the surface, to have all the support they require in a country like Canada where there is universal healthcare. However, the truth is, people with mental illness face a number of challenges and barrier to accessing the full spectrum of support they require …
You Can’t Win: The Downside of Advanced Prenatal Screening
Your chest tightens and your throat constricts. The low buzz builds into a sharp ringing in your ears and drowns out your words. But you know you said it aloud because the doctor nods. You know you said it aloud, but you don’t feel any better. “Down syndrome,” you re-read the neat black …
Part 3: Gender and Disability | Men with Disabilities
Men with disabilities have long faced a plethora of issues with respect to body image, relationships, sexuality, employment and financial stability. Even in an age when women are fully present in the workforce (although still earning less money on the dollar than men), men continue to cope with the …
Part 2: Gender and Disability | Disabled and Queer
Disabled and Queer In the second part of this series, the focus is on the intersectionality between ‘being Queer and having a disability’. The following quote is from Bob Guter, editor of Bent: A Journal of CripGay Voices. As we pursue love and work and physical autonomy while being ignored by our …
Part 2 : Strategies for Kids and Teens with Disabilities to Confront Bullying
In the first part of this series the focus was on an exploration of bullying and how it impacts the lives of kids and teens with disabilities. Here we focus on practical strategies for coping and confronting the bullies. First, no one need be silent about bullying; this only empowers them to keep on …
Part 1 : Bullying of Kids and Teens with Disabilities
An issue of epidemic proportions is affecting kids and teens with disabilities and around the world; the bullying of kids and teens with disabilities. Per a WHO survey, Canada ranked a dismal 27th in its anti-bulling efforts. Bullying morphs into many forms – acts of physical bullying/abuse, …
Part 1: Gender and Disability | Women and disability
As a woman with a disability I am, of course, interested in the intersection of gender, politics and disability. In this 3-part series, the following topics will be explored: Women and disability Pride and disability – The LGBTQ community of people with disabilities Men and …
Part 2: Alternative Treatments and Disability
In Part 1 of this series, we explored the concepts of alternative medicine and disability. In this part of this 3-part series, we explore alternative treatments. Some of the more well-known of these treatments include the following: Acupuncture - Traditional Chinese Medicine believes that a …
Alternative Medicine and Disability
In this 3-part series we will explore the ways in which alternative treatments and alternative medicine might be helpful for people with disabilities. The 3-part series will unfold as follows: Part 1: Alternative Medicine & Disability Part 2: Alternative Treatments & Disability Part …
Hiring people with Mental Illness
In this final article of a three-part series on mental illness in Canada the focus is on employment and the strategies employers can use to hire people who cope with mental illness. For people who cope with mental illness, stable, long-term employment is one of the key elements to a healthy life. In …
Disability and Fashion: A complete look
During New York’s Fashion Week in 2015, FTL MODA had models with disabilities go down their runway. FTL MODA had partnered with Fondazione Vertical, an Italian non-profit organization that financially supports spinal cord research, and their runway consisted of models in wheelchairs, amputees and …
Navigating Through Life as a Millennial with a Disability
So, I am a Millennial living with a disability. I often think about how my life is different from a person with disabilities in my grandparents’ (Silent) and my parents’ (Baby Boomer) generations. The Silent Generation were focused on their careers due to the critical need of living through and …
Mental Illness in Canada: On-Going Discrimination and Stigma
Part 1: The On-going Stigma of Mental Illness This three-part series will focus on the ongoing issues faced by people with mental illness in Canada, and around the world. The series will cover the following topics: Continuing stigma of mental health issues Service barriers– lack of …
Schizophrenia in Pop Culture: Phobia, Paranoia and Psychosis
Asylums, prisons and backwater towns all make great television. They show case the odd, the inhuman and the supernatural, compelling viewers to tune in week after week. Aside from plot twists and dark humour, usually one character captivates the audience and quickly gains status as the fan …
Disabled Prisoners in Canada and Fare For Their Proper Cure
One of the topics that is rarely discussed either among activists, or anyone for that matter, is that of people with disabilities who must serve time. Prison time is challenging enough without adding the pressure of having to cope with one’s disability. The individual may have relied on various …
Creating a family plan can empower dementia caretakers
Five years ago, I was unexpectedly thrown into the role of part-time caretaker when my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. It was a daily anguish that was very difficult to come to terms with and is, of course, still a struggle. Loving a parent with dementia has been an adjustment, to say the …
Living with an Invisible Disability
Dr. Ralph Jones, a Chilliwack-based doctor has penned an important article on living life with an invisible disability. Living life with a disability can often be a challenge, but a person whose disabilities are not necessarily obvious face additional barriers; the fact that people do not …
Disability Rights Advocacy: The Power of Social Action
The birth of the disability rights movement is often attributed to Ed Roberts, a man who was also a quadriplegic living in Berkeley, California in the 1960s and a student at U.C. Berkeley. Ed was the first student with a high level disability to attend the university, and subsequently became a …
Celebrating Artists with Disabilities
All too often the discourse on disability gets very caught up in all the work we as advocates seek to accomplish. While this is understandable, it’s also true that we can forget to celebrate the people with disabilities who have already accomplished a great deal. Over the centuries, there have been …
Accessible Home: Creating a Home for Barrier Free Living
Purchasing, building, or renovating your home to fit your needs and eliminate barriers can be a big investment. The Canadian Government has implemented many programs and services that will assist in the process of buying; renovating or adapting your home to best fit your needs. Creating a house that …
Trafficking of People with Disabilities
“As defined under U.S federal law, human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery where people profit from the control and exploitation of others. Victims are forced, defrauded, or coerced into trafficking. Even if victims initially offer consent, that consent is rendered meaningless by the …
Children’s Development: Delayed Not Damaged
From babbles to the slap of sandals on pavement, the first three years of a child’s life passes like a colourful, unstoppable whirlwind. And like any good whirlwind, it brings about rapid changes with great distinction and significance. In fact, how a child develops in those first three years stays …
Abuse of People with Disabilities
One of the enduring challenges faced by people with disabilities is that of abuse. Many people with disabilities face the specter of several forms of abuse: Physical - abuse that can range from hitting and pinching to forcing someone to eat faster than they are able. Sexual - abuse such as …