Frequently Asked Questions - Frequently Asked Questions

A great resource is Access Guide Canada produced by the Canadian Abilities Foundation - with the help of over 1200 volunteers! Check it out at: http://www.abilities.ca/agc/. It's your guide to accessible public places and spaces. If you know of a place that is not included, add it so that others can find it, too!

To post on the site, you must first be a member. It's easy and free to become a member! Just go to "log in" at the top of the page in the red bar and follow the simple instruction about how to sign up for an account. Once you have an account, go back to the "home" page and link on "message boards" under "Community Zone". Click on "Classifieds" and then "Post New Forum Topic". If you want to respond to a post click on "add new comment". This process is the same case for the "Issues" message board and the "Peer Support" board, too. Best of luck and happy typing!

Hi,
You should receive your tax receipt shortly after your donation. If this is not the case, please contact the CPA Ontario office at (416) 422-5644 or 1-877-422-1112.

Please see the Canada Revenue Agency's answer to your question.

The following organizations provide information for parenting for people with disabilities:

• Through the Looking Glass

Phone: 1-800-804-1616 

Website: http://lookingglass.org/index.php

• Parenting with a Disability Network - Centre for Independent Living in Toronto

Website: http://www.cilt.ca/parenting.aspx

• Parents with Disabilities Online

Website: http://www.disabledparents.net/

Please check out the Canadian Transportation Agency for policies regarding this subject matter.

The following organizations provide information/services on traveling for people with disabilities:

• World on Wheelz

Tel: (519) 745-1860

1-800-578-8958

Email: worldonwheelz@aol.com

Website: http://www.worldonwheelz.com/

• Access-Able Travel Source

Website: http://www.access-able.com/

Email: information@access-able.com

• Kéroul: Tourism and Culture for People with Limited Physical Ability

Tel: 1.514.252.3104

Email: infos@keroul.qc.ca

Website: http://www.keroul.qc.ca/en/

The following organizations offer sports/recreation for people with disabilities:

• Ontario Wheelchair Sports Association

1185 Eglinton Avenue E, Suite 102, Toronto, ON  M3C 3C6

Tel: (416) 426-7189

Fax: (416) 426-7361

Website: www.ontwheelchairsports.org

Email: info@ontwheelchairsports.org

• Freedom at Depth - Scuba Diving for People with Disabilities

2 Rue De L'escale, Gatineau, Quebec J8Z 3R2

Tel: (819) 770-4629

Cell:(613) 866-1143

Website: http://www.freedomatdepth.ca

Email: hchretien@freedomatdepth.ca

• Freedom's Wings Canada

Website: http://www.freedomswings.ca/fw/

Contact: http://www.freedomswings.ca/fw/?page_id=9

• Disabled Sailing Association of Ontario

Tel: (416)214-0358

Fax: (416)260-8780 

Website: http://www.disabledsailing.on.ca/

• Canadian Association for Disabled Skiing
  91 Nelson Street, Barrie, ON  L4M 4K4

Tel: (705) 725-4845

Fax: (705) 725-4804

Website: http://www.disabledskiing.ca/

There are many, many different activities to try out and to get involved. See our Recreation  section of SCI-Way Resources to find out just how many things there are to do and where you can do them.

CPA Ontario provides attendant services across Toronto.

Website: http://www.cpaont.org/service/toronto/attendant-services

Email: attendantservices@cpaont.org

Centre for Independent Living in Toronto also provides excellent attendant services in Toronto.

Website: http://www.cilt.ca/services.aspx

For other attendant service providers, contact your CPA Ontario Regional Office for assistance.

The following organizations offer information on accessible housing: 

• Centre for Independent Living in Toronto:

Tel: (416) 599-2458 ext 28 

Website: http://www.cilt.ca/housing.aspx

• Co-op Housing Federation of Toronto (CHFT)

  Tel: (416) 465-1309

  Email: info@coophousing.com

• Housing Connections

  Tel: (416) 981-6111.

Website: www.housingconnections.ca

• Toronto Community Housing

Tel: (416) 981-5500

Website: http://www.torontohousing.ca/contact

The following organizations offer modified vehicles.  

• KINO MOBILITY LTD.

1140 Shepherd Ave W, Unit 3 Toronto, ON  M3K 2A2

T: (416) 635-5873  

    1-888-495-4455

F: (416) 635-5910

Website: www.kinomobility.com

Email: info@kinomobility.com

• VIEWPOINT MOBILITY

3190 Ridgeway Drive, Unit 17 Mississauga, ON  L5L 5S8

T: 1-800-561-9600

F: (905) 828-4112

Website: www.wheelchairvans.com

• SPARROW HAWK Accessible Vehicle Specialist

675A Davenport Road Waterloo, ON N2V 2E2

T: (519) 884-4295  

    1888 685-4295F: (519) 884-1924

Website: www.sparrowhawkind.com

• UNIVERSAL MOTIONS

124 St. Regis Crescent S Toronto, ON   M3J 1Y8

T: (416) 398-4255   

    1-877-899-0699

F: (416) 398-3009

Website: www.universalmotion.com

Email: info@universalmotion.com

• CREATIVE CARRIAGE LIMITED

330 Sheldon Drive Cambridge, ON  N1T 1A9

T: (519) 740-4801

F: (519) 740-2751

Website: http://www.creativecarriage.com/

The following website contains information on financial assistance for modified vehicles: http://www.marchofdimes.ca/dimes/

The following companies work on home modifications:

• ACCESS DESIGNS

558 Upper Gage Ave. Hamilton, ON  L8V 4J6

T: (905) 318-2737  

    1-800-695-2138

F: (905) 575-8724

Website: www.AccessHomes.on.ca

Email: MarkB@AccessHomes.on.ca

• ACCESSIBLE SOLUTIONS INC.

3027 Harvester Road, Suite 201 Burlington, ON  L7N 3G7

T: (905) 681-7345  

    1-800-977-8110

F: (905) 681-0386

Website: www.accessiblesolutions.ca

Email: info@accessiblesolutions.ca

•  Accessible Design & Construction

220 Pony Dr., Unit 8A Nemarket, On L3Y 7B7

T: 1-800-203-4713

    (905) 953-0438

Website: www.accessibledesign.ca/

Email: service@accessibledesign.ca

Fax: (905) 953-9588

• ADAPT-ABLE DESIGN GROUP INC

75 Dufflaw Road Suite 203 Toronto, ON  M6A 2W4 

T: (416) 781-3335

F: (416) 785-7527

Email: Info@adaptabledesign.com

Website: http://www.adaptabledesign.com

For information on financial assistance, please check the following websites:

Ontario March of Dimes:

http://www.marchofdimes.ca/dimes/

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation:

http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/search/search_001.cfm

There are many companies that provide home moification services. Please see our Housing section of the SCI-Way Resources.

We most certainly do! In fact, we have lots of linkages within the disability community to lots of other great disability organizations. We link with the Independent Living Centres on a national, provincial and local level. Our expertise is in the area of spinal cord injury and our services reflect this fact. 

• Paraplegia is the loss of sensation and movement in legs and in part or all of the trunk, usually resulting from an injury to the spinal cord below the neck.
• Quadriplegia is paralysis of all four limbs (from the neck down) resulting from injury to the neck.  Fractures or compression of the vertebrae, which cause permanent damage to the spinal cord may lead to loss of sensation, movement, pain management, bladder and bowel control, as well as affecting sexual function.
• A spinal cord injury can happen to anyone at any time.
• There are 350 - 400 new spinal cord injuries every year in Ontario (approximately one every day) and current estimates indicate that there are approximately 12,000 Ontarians living with spinal cord injury
• Spinal cord injury is one of the most traumatic events to occur in an individual’s life.
• Spinal cord injury affects family, friends, employers, community and the health care system.
• People can and do make a positive adjustment to life with a spinal cord injury given the right supports at the right time.
• The highest incidence of injury is to individuals in the age range of 20-29 and to also, those over 70 years of age. 
• The cost of spinal cord injury to the Canadian health care system can be between $1.25 million and $25 million over an individual’s lifetime depending on severity of injury
• On average, it takes 2 to 3 years to attain sufficient independence following spinal cord injury.
• Intensive psycho-social support is a critical component to rehabilitation from the onset of injury, through acute hospitalization, rehabilitation hospitalization and transition to community living
• 43.2% of spinal cord injuries are sustained by unintentional falls
• 27% of spinal cord injuries are the result of medical conditions or sports injuries
• 42.8% of spinal cord injuries are from motor vehicle accidents
• 8 - to - 10% of our population has a mobility impairment
• In Ontario, approximately 600,000 people, or 7% of the population, live with a paralysis or permanent mobility impairment
• The unemployment rate for people with SCI is 62%
• Last year, CPA Ontario helped 74 people return to work
• Problems related to pain, mobility and agility affected the largest number of adults. Nearly 3 million adults aged 15 and over, or 11% of this age group, reported one of these limitations.(PALS 2006)
• Disabilities related to mobility were present in less than 2% of people between the ages of 15 and 24, but affected about 44% of individuals aged 75 and over. (PALS 2006)
• Ontario reported a disability rate (15.5%) slightly higher than the national rate. (PALS 2006)
• It is estimated that 90% of what we know about spinal cord injury has been discovered in the last 20 years.
• Males represent 68.4% of all spinal cord injuries. Woman represent 31.6%