Annual General Meeting

A panel of local and national disability leaders addressed the Fourth Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Centre on Disability Studies (CCDS), Thursday, October 28, 1999, at the Norwood Hotel, Winnipeg, Manitoba. Their topic was “Identifying Research Issues in the Community.”

Following the business meeting of the Centre, five panel members gave short introductory presentations answering a series of questions put forward by the Research Section of CCDS. Panellists included: David Martin, Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities (MLPD); Bill Martin, Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA); Dr. Dickie Yu, St. Amant Centre; Dr. Henry Enns, CCDS; and Margaret Laing, Human Resources Development Canada.

David Martin, suggested that “in many ways, I see CCDS acting as a bridge between the university research community and disability organizations. Also, I think CCDS can help stimulate interest within the university community on the topic of disability issues.” Bill Martin said, “Participatory action research is a good thing; involve us, listen to our stories.” Dr. Dickie Yu, urged CCDS to “raise public awareness, do strong advocacy for research and convince the public that this research is not frivolous.”

The audience raised important issues. Among the comments were suggestions that “social policy research is cross-disability: the research-to-practice gap (10 years) is too large; more research in the area of public attitude needs to be carried out; and we need to know what the public is thinking.

The Centre will continue to release research papers and results in printed form and on its website.

BOARD APPOINTMENTS

Seven members were elected, re-elected or appointed to the CCDS Board of Directors at the Fourth Annual General Meeting of CCDS on October 28.

Incumbents to the Board include Robb Finnen, CA, who was re-appointed for another one-year term as Treasurer. Finnen is a partner in the firm of Finnen, Bettes and Finnen of Winnipeg. Dr. Carole Miles-Tapping moves from Secretary to Vice-Chair of the Board. She is an experienced researcher and is actively involved with Disabled Sailing Manitoba.

Newly elected members include Dr. Gregor Wolbring of Calgary, Grace O’Farrel of Winnipeg and Judith Sandys of Toronto. Wolbring is a research scientist and educator at the University of Calgary specializing in biochemistry. O’Farrel is a researcher/presenter in the area of disability management and is the Dean of Student Services at the University of Winnipeg. Sandys has more than 25 years of involvement with disability issues as a researcher and advocate and is currently the Dean of the Faculty of Community Services at Ryerson Polytechnic University in Toronto. She has played a key role in the development of an undergraduate degree program in Disability Studies at Ryerson.

Newly appointed to the CCDS Board are Theresa Swedick and Tannis Woodland of Winnipeg. Swedick holds a Universal Design Consultants Certificate and serves on the City of Winnipeg Access Advisory Committee as well as consulting for the television and movie industry in the area of closed captioning. Woodland is active in the Manitoba Blind Sports Federation, works as an access consultant and is employed by the Canadian Institute for Barrier-Free Design at the University of Manitoba.

COLLABORATION WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF WINNIPEG

University of Winnipeg President Constance Rooke signed an agreement with CCDS on December 8, 1999, which will allow for collaboration on research and education surrounding disability issues.

“We are delighted to form this new link and are looking forward to the education and research initiatives that it will provide.” Said President Rooke.

In addition to collaboration on research, the Centre plans to work with the University of Winnipeg to deliver distance education courses, and develop initiatives associated with the University’s newly established Manitoba Chair in United Nations Studies, said CCDS Executive Director Dr. Henry Enns. He said the new alliance with the University will also help the Centre to develop its Disability Information Network, a virtual library and web page on the Internet, which deals with current disability issues and research.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

CCDS, #2404-7 Evergreen Place, Winnipeg, MB, R3L 2T3: e-mail: [email protected]; tel(204)287-8411: fax: (204)284-5343; TTY: (204)#475-6223. Visit our website at http://www.escape.ca/~ccds/.