The Deafblind Coalition of Ontario proudly presents the 3rd Annual Intervenor Symposium "The Spirit of Intervenors: The Quest Continues". The year's symposium will take place February 18 - 21, 2009 at Sheraton On-The-Falls in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
   
   More to come on this exciting event! Sincere appreciation to the Ministry of Community and Social Services for their generous support of this event.
 

   Intervenors are invited to submit an abstract on any interesting projects, good news stories, or innovations undertaken to share at this year's symposium in peer-to-peer presentations.
 
   All submissions are due by Tuesday, November 18, 2008. To download a copy of the the Call for Presentations please click here.
 
 

 
   Rotary Cheshire Homes is pleased to become a member of the Leonard Cheshire International (LCI) Global Alliance. The goal of this alliance is to bring together all of the Cheshire affiliates from around the world, providing them with an opportunity to participate in something much larger.
 
    Since Canada is such a big country, and most of Canada’s Cheshire agencies are in Ontario, an Ontario group has been formed and will be represented in the Global Alliance by the Ontario Council. Judi Fisher, a long time Cheshire advocate, is the Chair of the Ontario Council and will represent Ontario affiliates at all LCI world meetings.

   RCH looks forward to a global partnership with LCI as an Ontario member of the newly formed Global Alliance.
  

    

Leonard Cheshire Disability

Through international partnerships, Leonard Cheshire Disability works with affiliates in 52 countries, forming a Global Alliance.
  
Together Cheshire organizations run over 250 programs, providing support for everyday living and programs in education, livelihoods, health and rehabilitation.
   

   RCH is pleased to present the sixth edition of our in-house publication, The HOT Wire. This newsletter connects deaf-blind consumers living in the community, tenants at RCA, intervenors, volunteers and board members.

   The HOT Wire is available in print, Braille, by email and on our website to ensure access for all members of the community.
 
   To download the The HOT Wire, please go to our Resources section where editions of the publication are archived.

   Please take a few moments to read this excerpt from our most recent issue profiling RCA tenant Tom Entz.
 

Consumer Profile - Tom Entz      My name is Tom Entz. I was born in Magrath, Alberta on March 14, 1954. I lived on the New Elm Colony farm. The farm had lots of sheep in fields and down the hill there was a pig barn.      Up from the school there was a big old cow barn with milk cows. At the farm I worked in the large vegetable garden. The garden was dry so we put in a pump that would spin water into the garden.      When I was a very young boy I went to an old kindergarten school from 8am to 2:30pm. I remember the tables were very small and long and a young lady would bring the children food from a big kitchen. When I was 6 years old I went to German school and when I was 7 years old I went to an English school. From 1967 to 1971 I went to an oral school for deaf children in Portland Oregon.      In October 1974 my family moved to Ontario to a Community farm where I lived in a house with my mother, father and 6 brothers. We moved again to a different Community farm in 1980. On the farm I made fences every day for 11 years. Every winter I would work in the bush picking up posts and big post anchors for the fences. I worked very hard! In the winter the bush was very cold with lots of snow and wind. I quit fencing in 1986.      Soon after two ladies from the CNIB came to the farm and taught me and my brother Isaac every day.      I moved to Rotary Cheshire Apartments in 1992. I moved because my vision got worse and I couldn't see. I now work in the garden at CHKC that has many different vegetables.      To download the most recent and archived issues of The Hot Wire, click here.

Canadian Helen Keller Centre