Society offers services to Blood disabled

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Better housing, accessibility and employment are the key goals for the new Blood Tribe Handicapped-Disabled Services and Society, says Blair First Rider, co-ordinator of the program.

The society started as a research and development project last June and has recently received official status as a registered society, able to initiate its own fund raising programs. First Rider says the 10-month study showed a real need for disabled services on the Blood Reserve, the largest in Alberta, and confirmed a disparity exists between disabled services on and off Indian reserves.

"It's partly because of jurisdictional problems," he says. "the provincial programs don't apply on the reserve and there are big gaps in federal programs."

First Rider says he knows of one case where an elderly client, confined to a wheelchair, spent several months crawling in and out of his home, because there was no money to build a ramp.

"The federal government has a program to provide funds for building wheelchair ramps through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. But the $5,000 forgivable loan is only available if the house meets all

the stringent standards needed for a corporation mortgage.

"If there are any structural or electrical or plumbing problems, they

won't give you the money for the ramps, so you have to have money for repairs before you can get the loan," he says. "The shortage of housing in general is a big issue on the reserve, bu the need for housing that's handicapped-accessible is even greater."

First Rider says a provincial government home-adaptation program also exists, but funds are very slow in coming.

"We were able to convince the chief and council to give us a grant of $25,000 to kick start the program, so we can build the ramps and then apply to the government for the funds to cover it," he says.

"We found a lot of gaps in services and no co-ordination of existing services for our people," says Ivan Singer, recreation technician for the society. According to Singer, First Rider has done an exceptional job co-ordinating the Blood program with existing services.

Working through the Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work Skills Training Partnership, for example, the Blood society has initiated a

joint program with the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology

hospitality career department.

"We recruited three women and one man for the 20-week program," Singer

says. "One of them is now working as a short-order cook at the Blood

Hospital, one is working at the Kainai Corrections Centre and one has

set up her own small catering business and cooks part-time at the

Calgary Friendship Centre cafeteria."

In addition to housing and employment, the society has given priority to education and recreational services for its clients. Singer says is's particularly important for disabled Natives to get out for social activities, so they don't feel so isolated.

"We've been able to use the handi-van from Health Services to get clients to the adult literacy program, but we have a lot of transportation needs," Singer says. "We still have to come up with money for the driver and for the gas. And we need a van to get people out for recreation programs and maybe later to pick up and deliver groceries."

Leonard Brave Rock, a visually handicapped counsellor with the program, says getting disabled people involved in recreational and cultural

activities is especially important.

"Our people are kind of shy," he says. "A lot of the handicapped are embarrassed to be seen, so you have to make a special effort to get them

out with other people."

Brave Rock speaks from experience. A one-time Canadian champion in disabled track and field events, he says he didn't know which way to

turn then he injured his leg and could no longer participate in sports. "Contributing or participating in sports, even as a spectator, can be really important to improving a person's self-concept," Brave Rock adds. Singer says seeing other disabled peole on the reserve getting out and working with the program has also been helpful.

"When we started last year we did an intake survey and identified 90 clients. In January of this year we had 200, and right now we have 217."

First Rider says there may be as many as 400 disabled on the reserve, including mentally and physically handicapped, and those with arthritis and diabetes. The society also works with the Piikani First People, Siksika Handicap Outreach Society, Calgary Native Disabled Society and the Treaty Seven Disability Society.

"A lot of the problems we face are really regional issues," First Rider says. "Funding and questions of jurisdiction boil down to political disputes, so it's critical that we work together."