Differentiate between intellectual & developmental disabilities, understand some best practices, identify diagnosis criteria, go over techniques to help establish a therapeutic rapport with patients/clients with these diagnosises.

Join us for our free webinar on Tuesday 7 March at 1pm GMT, when we will be joined by Kush Kanodia, disability rights campaigner and AbilityNet trustee, alongside guest speakers from NHS Wales and SignHealth, to share how boosting digital skills will help both NHS patients and staff alike.

Highlighted by the remarkable talent of artists with disabilities, Raw Beauty Project is showcasing powerful women with limited mobility who are unstoppable in their lives, however do experience stops in accessing basic healthcare. Their vision is for all to be ABLE to obtain equal and accessible healthcare.

People with disabilities have faced a heavy toll in the COVID-19 pandemic, compounded by discrimination in the healthcare system. This webinar will discuss recent guidance and enforcement actions from HHS and DOJ including FAQs for Healthcare Providers during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency; Guidance on "Long COVID" as a Disability Under the ADA, Section 504, and Section 1557; Disability Access in Vaccine Distribution; and other critical issues. Join us to learn more about the application of civil rights laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability during the COVID-19 public health emergency, and other key health policy issues that impact people with disabilities.

In preparation for a disaster or other emergency, emergency management agencies have many things to consider such as accessibility of emergency messages, and accessible evacuation and shelters. Emergency management and shelter professionals also must understand how to work with people who have assistance animals in an emergency.

This webinar will explore the issues around assistance animals in an emergency. Topics covered will include a basic overview of definitions and rules around assistance animals, evacuation of assistance animals, and the differences between the types of shelters that allow service animals and those that allow emotional support animals.

Get a chance to share your own thoughts and feelings on how COVID-19 has impacted you

Get a chance to share your own thoughts and feelings on how COVID-19 has impacted you

Disabled and d/Deaf people experience numerous barriers to healthcare, including ableist attitudes and policies, inaccessible exam rooms and equipment, inadequate interpreter services, and more. In this presentation, panelists with disabilities will be discussing their experiences in the healthcare system and what changes they believe will reduce ableism in healthcare and improve the system for all.

Based on a Chapter from his latest book Luke explores some of the barriers that might occur for autistic people within the healthcare system, along with some possible ways forward to reduce those barriers and reduce risk of discrimination. In the second part of the talk Luke suggests nine considerations (he argues that they could even be global reasonable adjustments) that could help reduce autistic anxiety and lead to better autistic well-being.

Registration for this session is from 3.45pm, with a 4pm prompt start.

For any queries, or for further information, please email [email protected]

learn about the challenges peoppe with rare diseases face in the medical system

The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed huge problems with the way Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) decisions are made, understood and communicated with people with learning disabilities and their families and carers. There have been reports of unlawful blanket decision-making and of DNACPR orders noted without discussion with the people involved.

In this webinar, we will focus on some of the questions that have been raised over the past year. What exactly is DNACPR? Why are the terms DNR or DNAR unhelpful, confusing and potentially dangerous? In what circumstances is CPR not a good option, and DNACPR therefore appropriate? How should those decisions be made? Who should be involved? What if the person lacks capacity for a DNACPR decision – how can we make decisions based on best interest?

We will hear people’s experiences with DNACPR decisions.

Speakers: Dr Claud Regnard (Honorary Consultant in Palliative Medicine), Dr Kathryn Mannix (Palliative Care Physician & author) and Baroness Ilora Finlay (chair of the National Mental Capacity Forum).

We will also hear the personal experiences and views of Muireann Ní Riain (Acute Liaison Nurse for Learning Disability), Sharon Prowse (manager of a learning disability service), and Terry Barlett & Luise DeLarua (people with lived experience of learning disability).

We need data on institutions for disabled people! Come “Hack the Data Gap” and make institutions for disabled adults visible

About this Event

Here’s what we know …

Despite ongoing provincial, municipal and national calls to action, there is no database of congregate institutions for disabled people. This makes it difficult to trace COVID’s impacts on these vulnerable populations and to accurately prioritize vaccine distribution amidst the phased roll-out. Currently (03/01/2021), federal and provincial COVID-19 vaccine roll outs have yet to include disabled people.

In the UK—where this data is disaggregated—we know disabled people make up 60% of all COVID deaths, and that disabled people with developmental disabilities are four to six times more likely to die from COVID-19. Canada needs data on where disabled people are living to prioritize them in our vaccination program.

“...the lack of data is a major hurdle when making decisions, so a nationwide census needs to be undertaken to determine how many people with disabilities live in institutions or semi-institutions in Canada.” - Jonathan Marchand, Président, Coop ASSIST

We need your help to learn more about congregate institutions for disabled people.

On Sunday March 7th, 13:00–16:00, join the Canadian Open Data Society (CODS), GO Open Data (GOOD), and Open North together as part of the Tracing COVID-19 Data Project to “Hack the Data Gap” and make institutions for disabled adults visible.

If you enjoy hunting for information online and know your way around a spreadsheet, we need you. Orientation and instructions will be provided (though you’ll have to provide your own coffee and donuts). Join us this Sunday via Zoom to Hack this Data Gap… and together let’s shed light on this issue!

A Zoom link will be sent to the email used for registration the day of the event.

This #DataGapHack is supported by:

GO Open Data Association (https://www.go-opendata.ca/)

GO Open Data Association (GOOD) is a grassroots driven non-profit. Our mission is to support the Open Government and Open Data principles for sustainable community well-being.

Our approach is to focus on knowledge sharing, open dialogue and collaboration and delivering programs such as webinars, GOOD annual conference, an open information clearinghouse, networking, mentoring and advocacy.

Canadian Open Data Society / Communauté canadienne des données ouvertes (https://www.opendatasociety.ca/)

Canadian Open Data Society / Communauté canadienne des données ouvertes is a national membership-driven non-profit organization. We are stewards of the Canadian Open Data Summit, and active year-round with events, awareness campaigns, and advocacy.

At heart, CODS is a movement of passionate people on a mission: to raise awareness of Open Data and advocate for its use in all sectors, for the benefit of all Canadians.

Open Data is woven into our lives already via weather forecasts, electoral results analyses, crime reports, charitable activities, and transit schedules embedded into online mapping applications. But a universe of actionable insights remains to be discovered, in fields as diverse as genealogy, scientific observations, public records, and program impact measurements. Publications, usage, and insights from Open Data have serious untapped potential to transform the world. Open Data offers promising pathways to social, economic and civic development.

Open North (https://opennorth.ca)

Founded in 2011, Open North is a Montréal-based non-profit organization with roots in civic technology development. Today, its interdisciplinary team works with a wide variety of innovative public administrations and community stakeholders in key areas of data and technology management and governance. Our applied research, capacity building, and advisory services are driven by our values of transparency, autonomy, and responsibility. Our mission is to empower communities to reinvent how they use and manage data and technology.

Welcome to the second of two webinars we're hosting on accessing supports under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).

We'll be looking at healthcare on Wednesday 3rd March from 19:00 - 21:00. Our keynote speaker will be Dr Alistair de Gaetano, Chair of Malta's Autism Advisory Council and a human rights law graduate of Trinity College Dublin.

This will be a chance to gain an in-depth insight into the latest human rights instrument on disability rights, the provisions it offers, and how autistic people and their families can exercise their rights under it.

During our education seminar, some of the topics we will specifically be covering include:

• Article 25
• The right to healthcare
• Anti-discrimination in the CRPD
• Barriers to access
• Reasonable accommodations
• Ireland's duty as a signatory State to provide provisions

We will also be joined by Dr Mary Doherty, MD, a consultant anaesthetist with over 20 years of experience in Irish health services. Her interest in autism began following her child’s diagnosis in 2013. Mary has spoken extensively on autistic perspectives accessing healthcare at conferences across Europe, drawing on her son's experiences as well as her own as an autistic medical professional.

The Agenda is as follows:

• 19:00 - Introduction from AsIAm
• 19:10 - Keynote lecture from Dr Alastair de Gaetano
• 20:00 - Q&A session
• 20:10 - Break
• 20:20 - Insights from Dr Mary Doherty, MD
• 20:50 - Q&A session
• 21:00 - Closing remarks

The seminar will take place online over Zoom, and will be recorded. It will be uploaded onto AsIAm.ie shortly afterwards.

Places will be limited on a first come, first serve basis - register now!

If you have any questions, feel free to email our Policy Officer at [email protected].

A 2 hour workshop for healthcare professionals to help them support people with a learning disability in healthcare settings.

This workshop is suitable for any staff member working in health and social care in Northern Ireland. It is particularly useful for those with little or no training in learning disability, or who wish to refresh their knowledge. There will be information that is relevant to receptionist and other support team staff, not just frontline healthcare providers, and so everyone working in healthcare is welcome*.

Topics include what a learning disability is and is not, health inequalities for people with a learning disability, and practical ways you can support individuals with a learning disability, with particular attention to doing this during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Workshops will be co-facilitated by one or more adults with a learning disability who will share their lived experience and top tips for accessible communication and reasonable adjustments.

Please note that the same workshop is being offered on various dates, it is not a sequence of workshops. Please register at least 48 hours in advance of the workshop where possible. You will be sent a Zoom link and additional information.

If you are registering after this time, have not received joining information within 24 hours of the start time, or are no longer able to attend, please contact [email protected].

If these dates do not suit, please get in touch as we may be able to offer a bespoke session for your organisation or team's specific needs, and/or add future dates for open sessions.

*We offer a 'Know Your Rights in healthcare' workshop for people with a learning disability, their carers and supporters which may be more appropriate for you if you do not work in healthcare. Please see our other event listings or contact us for more information about this if required.

This event is part of the Together We Rise Master Class series. Dr. Linda Lunger is a physical therapist, specializing in treating individuals with disabilities for over 30 years. She brings her experience with essential oils to naturally support the symptoms of a variety disabilities.

Which healthcare professionals are recognized by workers’ compensation boards and why is this relevant to the care and return-to-work experience of injured workers? How do work disability policy frameworks and programs support or impede Canadians with physical disabilities who wish to engage in work-related travel, or ‘work mobility’?

These are just some of the questions that will be examined at this webinar hosted by the Policy and Practice in Return to Work after a work injury: Challenging Circumstances and Innovative Solutions research program. Join Dr. Anne Hudon and Dr. Dana Howse, as they share the results of their respective research.

Presentations:1. Introduction and Legal Underpinnings of Interventions and Practices

Katherine Lippel, Distinguished Research Chair in Occupational Health and Safety Law, University of Ottawa, Law Faculty, Civil Law section

2. Ethics, Practices and Policies of Health Care and Return-to-Work for Persons Compensated Following a Work Injury: Important Findings

Dr. Anne Hudon, Assistant Professor, Université de Montréal, Faculty of Medicine, School of Rehabilitation, Physiotherapy Program

Description: In this presentation, you will learn more about the ethical and organizational aspects of care and return to work. Anne Hudon conducted a critical interpretive synthesis of the literature on first-line healthcare providers’ roles in four jurisdictions (Ontario and Quebec in Canada, the state of Victoria in Australia and Washington State in the United States). She also conducted 40 interviews with different stakeholders in these jurisdictions to discuss healthcare policies and return to work trajectories after a work injury. Critical reflections on the organization of care currently provided will be raised.

Links to publications that presentations will be based on:  Anne Hudon, Katherine Lippel, & Ellen MacEachen, «Mapping first-line healthcare providers’ roles, practices and impacts on care for workers with compensable musculoskeletal disorders in four jurisdictions: a critical interpretive synthesis», (2019) 62(7) American Journal of Industrial Medicine, DOI: 10.1002/ajim.22972, published on line May 9th 2019.

3. Getting to work with a physical disability and the policies and people that make a difference

By Dr. Dana Howse, Senior Research Associate, Primary Healthcare Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University

Description: This presentation will examine the ways work disability policy frameworks and programs support or impede Canadians with physical disabilities to engage in work-related travel, or ‘work mobility.’ For this work, Dana Howse conducted a scoping review of the work disability policy and mobility literature, analyzed policy frameworks and case law in NL and ON related to workers’ compensation and human rights, and interviewed key informants and persons with physical disabilities who have experience and knowledge of how work disability policies and programs operate in practice to enable or hinder work mobility. The presentation will address the ways workers’ compensation policy can overlook work- and injury-related travel needs of disabled workers, and the significant role of family, and the systems' reliance on it, to support persons with work injuries and physical disabilities to accomplish work mobility.

Society Matters is delighted to bring to you: Disabilities and Long-Term Health Conditions and Carers in the household.

In this webinar you will learn:

• Which benefits different age groups should be applying for if they are disabled or have a long-term health condition.
• The effect of disabilities and Long-term health conditions on UC.
• Benefits for carers who look after family and friends with a long-term health condition or disability.
• Benefit add-ons to help people with disabilities and their families.

A 90 minute workshop for parents, carers and support workers to help them support people with a learning disability in healthcare settings.

This workshop is suitable for those who provide support and/or care for adults with a learning disability in Northern Ireland, but are not employed in a healthcare profession*.

This session focuses on the rights people with a learning disability have in hospitals and other healthcare settings, with a focus on using hospital passports and asking for reasonable adjustments.

All of our healthcare workshops are co-facilitated by one or more adults with a learning disability who will share their lived experience and top tips when asking for support.

Please register at least 48 hours before the workshop where possible. You will be sent a Zoom link and additional information in advance of the start time.

If you are registering after this time, have not received joining information within 24 hours of the start time, or are no longer able to attend, please contact [email protected].

If this date does not suit, or you would like to find out more about our work in healthcare, please get in touch. We may add future dates or be able to offer you a bespoke session for your organisation, depending on availability.

*We offer 'Learning disability awareness for healthcare professionals' workshops for people working in healthcare professions. For information on these please see our other event listings, or contact us for more information about this if required.

A 2 hour workshop for healthcare professionals to help them support people with a learning disability in healthcare settings.

This workshop is suitable for any staff member working in health and social care in Northern Ireland. It is particularly useful for those with little or no training in learning disability, or who wish to refresh their knowledge. There will be information that is relevant to receptionist and other support team staff, not just frontline healthcare providers, and so everyone working in healthcare is welcome*.

Topics include what a learning disability is and is not, health inequalities for people with a learning disability, and practical ways you can support individuals with a learning disability, with particular attention to doing this during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Workshops will be co-facilitated by one or more adults with a learning disability who will share their lived experience and top tips for accessible communication and reasonable adjustments.

Please note that the same workshop is being offered on various dates, it is not a sequence of workshops. Please register at least 48 hours in advance of the workshop where possible. You will be sent a Zoom link and additional information.

If you are registering after this time, have not received joining information within 24 hours of the start time, or are no longer able to attend, please contact [email protected].

If these dates do not suit, please get in touch as we may be able to offer a bespoke session for your organisation or team's specific needs, and/or add future dates for open sessions.

*We offer a 'Know Your Rights in healthcare' workshop for people with a learning disability, their carers and supporters which may be more appropriate for you if you do not work in healthcare. Please see our other event listings or contact us for more information about this if required.

Ciara is Accessible Information Officer with the charity MENCAP and is one of the most well-known campaigners in the UK with a learning disability. She writes and campaigns on disability issues and has had articles published in the Guardian, the Huffington Post, and the Independent.

Previously, as a Campaigns Support Officer for Mencap she led their campaign to make OKCupid remove an offensive question about people with low IQs. She gained national press coverage and the dating website eventually bowed to public pressure. In 2016 she won the CharityComms Inspiring Communicator Award for her campaigning work.

Ciara says “I was diagnosed with a learning disability when I was 10 years old. I was always told that I couldn’t do things or that I would not achieve anything. I am now 38 and have a wonderful 16-year career at Mencap, am married and I want to prove that with the right support you can do anything like anyone else.”

Ciara is a tireless advocate and spokesperson. Outside of her job she is a club night volunteer and the first trustee with a learning disability at the Sunnybank Trust. Ciara is also a trustee of Head2Head Theatre, which runs multi-sensory performances for children and young people with special educational needs and their families.

Ciara is passionate about helping to improve the way disabled people are portrayed in the media, and works to help improve representation. She has spent time with the production team at Coronation Street to help the programme successfully include a character with a learning disability.