Accessible Widget

March 29, 2011

Hear from Trevor about his 1188 Challenge!

Stay tuned! Its almost been a month since Trevor has taken on the 1188 Challenge.

Watch this Thursday's FFWD to hear about the hows it been!

March 11, 2011

Celebrating 100th Anniversary of International Women's Day


Disability Action Hall Members joined in solidarity for the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day. We read out a speech, read 'I am a person' poem. Featured below are links to the poem, media coverage and photos...


Our statement for International Women's Day (read out by Ian Gordon and Brad Robertson)



Members of the Disability Action Hall stand in solidarity for the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day. Our message is a ray of hope. Hope for all Albertans to live without poverty...

$1188 a month is not enough money to live on; the rates need to go up to the cost living, so people with disabilities can live a good life like everyone else. 
-People with disabilities are more than likely to be abused and live in poverty; Many of us live on AISH and people in poverty should not be abused. 
-People should have a choice on where to live and not live in a place to be abused. 

We encourage you to learn about these numbers:

39        39% of adult Canadian women have experienced at least one incident of sexual assault since the age of sixteen.
42        42% of women with disabilities have been or are in abusive intimate partner relationships.
58        58%  Alberta had the second highest rate of violence against women in Canada
1188     $ 1188 is what many of us try to live on month to month. Some of us don’t make it.
41,000  Is the number of Albertans living on AISH.
347      $ 347 dollars a month more is what it will take to help Albertans living on AISH to be above the poverty line.
1          Is all it takes... You to help raise awareness...violence and poverty no more for people with disabilities.  Learn about the 1188 challenge and fill out a postcard today. Without you. Without us. There is no hope. Hope for life above the poverty line. Happy International Women’s Day everyone! 




I AM A PERSON (read by Sue Bente, written by Mary Salvani)

 I am a person, who happens to have a disability,
A lot of people see me as one who has no capability.

I am a person, who has got good caring heart,
Who has remained unseen right from the start.

I am a person who has finished school,
where I learned that teachers and peers see me as a fool.

I am a person who feels hurt every day,
Because people say mean things and smack me out of the way.

I am a person who deserves to be fed.
Not sent away every night hungry and off to bed.

I am a person whose sexual boundaries have been broken leaving a void inside me,
That has kept me as a prisoner instead letting me be free.

I am a person who deserves to be treated with dignity, honor, and respect, Instead I feel like I am a reject.

I am a person who feels broken into pieces like is a puzzle,
because the words inside me had been muzzled.

I am a person who deserves to be treated well,
Instead I am living inside a jail cell.

I am a person who needs to be heard.
Yet no one has stopped and cared enough to listen to any of my words. 


Media Coverage

Photos of International Women's Day rally at Harry Hays by Colleen Huston



Calgary Journal on rally by Laura Wershler 


CBC (scroll to minute 16) News Coverage

March 7, 2011

Hope for life above the poverty line

Here is our postcard which we will be sharing at the International Women's Day celebration at Harry Hays, 11:30 am, If you are not able to attend, feel free to pass this blog onto an MLA and share why it is important all Albertans live above the poverty line.


March 3, 2011

Tips to live on how to live $1188 per month


Tips for living on AISH

It can sometimes be very hard to live on $1,188 a month in Calgary, or most places in Alberta. Here are some handy tips to help you make it through the month!

Housing

  • Don't buy a condo or apartment. Even if you can somehow get one, it’s too expensive to keep!
  • Don’t be picky about where you live. Illegal basement suites are the cheapest. Pray nothing bad happens to you.
  • If you sit in the dark, or use candles, you can keep utility costs down.
  • Try to find a place to live where food is included in your rent. That way you can have something to eat at the end of the month.
  • Stay with family as long as they will let you.
  • Rely on your family or friends to pay for toothpaste, haircuts, clothes and tampons. The food bank does not provide diapers or other hygiene items, and you will not be able to afford them.

Food
  • Don’t eat out.
  • Try to eat vegetarian.
  • Cut coupons and look for things on special.
  • Eat Kraft dinner at least once a month. Buy it by the dozen and go during 1.49 day to buy it (which is usually the first Tuesday of the month).
  • Buying meat is tricky. Stick to ground beef. Careful about buying meat from the clearance bin.
  • If you have to feed kids, ask your school about lunch programs.
  • Meals on wheels is too expensive on AISH. The Good Food Box comes once a month and it provides fresh fruits and vegetables.
  • Eat ketchup, soup, and cheap noodles. They fill you up, but they're not good for you. So, you'll end up seeing the doctor more. (Don't forget to hope that Alberta improves its health care system).
  • Ask the local baker if you can have their food before it goes to the garbage can.

Transportation

  • Walk everywhere if it is a nice day.
  • Get a low-income transit pass if it is cold (and you live in Calgary).
  • Walk everywhere you can, you’ll get in shape walk!

Work

  • Try to find a job close to your house so you can walk. It's hard to get places on time with Access Calgary, so you might be late often.
  • Find a job where you don't need to buy a uniform. You won’t have the money up front you need to buy work boots, uniforms, training, or fancy office clothes.
  • Borrow used work clothing from family members because they are often the same size.


Clothing

  • Hang onto your shoes until they fall apart.
  • Haggle at the store for something cheaper if what you want is not sale.
  • Find a place that gives out free clothes. Sometimes you can get free clothes at the Drop-In Centre or the Salvation Army that may fit.
  • Try to borrow clothes from your brother or sister, if you have one.
  • If you living in a nursing home, sometimes you can get clothes from dead people.
  • If you cannot find free clothes, try buying used clothing. If you need extra-large clothing, try to find a discount place to buy a shirt from a big and tall store as many of the stores in the malls are too expensive.

Entertainment

  • Get free movies from the library.
  • Ask to take your neighbour’s dog for a walk.
  • Only go out once a month to the cheap movies—forget about the hockey games!
  • If you are a student, use the gym at school.
  • Get used to being lonely. When you don't have money for entertainment, travel, or even basic toiletries, it's difficult to keep relationships with friends, or find a lover.

Emotion

  • Grow a thick skin. When you have less money, you have fewer choices about your surroundings, transportation, food, etc.


Even better than all of the things above, swap wages with an MLA for a month! Film what it is like to trade places. It would make a great reality TV show!