Working together with a shared goal and a common purpose can make the impossible...possible

We'd like to wish you a very merry Christmas, a jolly Holiday Season and a prosperous New Year!
 

In This Issue
ACDS Notes
Safety Standards Update
Dear PDD Safety Standards Consultation Participants:
I am pleased to let you know that Municipal Affairs Minister Danielle Larivee has signed a Ministerial Order, effective December 30, 2016, to amend the Exemption Regulation under the Safety Codes Act to ensure that residences where adults with developmental disabilities live are not subject to care or treatment standards under the building and fire codes. The August 2015 STANDATA is withdrawn and is no longer in force or effect. This means that safety codes inspections will not occur in these homes unless there is a request, incident or complaint, as is the case with any other home in Alberta.
This decision supports the recommendation in the Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) Consultation Team final report that residences of adults with developmental disabilities should be treated no different than any other home when interpreting and applying safety codes.
Minister Larivee and I have posted a letter online with more information about this decision. I encourage you to read it and to please share this information with others in your community who may be interested.
Thank you for participating in the PDD safety consultation this past year. Your input will help ensure the continued safety and inclusion of Albertans with developmental disabilities in their communities.
Sincerely,
Irfan Sabir
Minister
ACDS Conference - Call for Participation
The ACDS Conference Planning Committee invites you to submit a proposal to present at our 31st Annual Spring Conference in Calgary April 24-26, 2017.
News, Links, and Events

Graham Thomson: Notley thinking about chopping up Human Services
Notley said she will take time over the holidays to examine "how we've organized the government, how it's worked" and whether the size of cabinet needs to be changed.
Edmonton Journal

Provincial politicians reflect on the fall session
"One of the things the disability community has been talking about for a very long time is changes to the Marriage Act," Renaud. "I think its leftovers from the eugenics days, but people with disabilities who wanted to marry had to get a letter from a physician saying that they could."
St. Albert Gazette

Calling all Albertans: Join the Human Services appeal panels 
Application deadline extended until January 15th.
Alberta.ca 
Social Enterprise

The mandate of URSA, which acquired the lands in 2009, remains: to create a retreat space where all individuals, regardless of ability, can experience the beauty of a relaxing and calming retreat space. URSA has welcomed individuals with developmental disabilities and their families with a retreat space specially designed to suit their needs.
The retreat is looking to rent out its space at affordable rates with special non-profit pricing to ensure we can continue to make this space available to our clients and all individuals in the community who require the accessibility the retreat centre is known for.



 A social enterprise operated by the Universal Rehabilitation Service Agency  

As part of ACDS' work to promote the sector, we're beginning to highlight the social enterprises operated by our members, and promoting their individual stories - starting with this issue of the Umbrella.

 
Latest discussion threads:

Backing up your organization's data
"In the past year an ACDS member has seen multiple ransomware attacks on their systems. A form of digital fraud that is increasingly being used against non-profits and government agencies as the groups behind these attacks seek out bigger paydays from their victims."

Software for non-profits
"Further to the discussion thread on solutions used by service providers for off-site data backups, is a question of how organizations are keeping their software costs affordable."

*December 2016 Update* - Safety and Building Code Amendments
"The August 2015 STANDATA is withdrawn and is no longer in force or effect. This means that safety codes inspections will not occur in these homes unless there is a request, incident or complaint, as is the case with any other home in Alberta."
The ACDS Umbrella is a publication of the
Alberta Council of Disability Services
160 3015-12 Street NE
Calgary, Alberta, T2E 7J2
Phone: 403-250-9495 * Fax: 403-291-9864
© 2016 Alberta Council of Disability Services
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The ACDS Umbrella or any of its content?
Send your comments or ideas to us at jamie@acds.ca
 

Permission to Reprint: Is there an article or news item in this or any other ACDS Umbrella newsletter that you would like to reprint in your own newsletter or other information circular? Please contact us at jamie@acds.ca , attention Communications and Marketing, and include the title of the article, the issue date (e.g., February 2016), and a brief summary of how the material will be used.

Disclaimer: The information provided in The ACDS Umbrella is for your information only and links are provided for your convenience. ACDS is not responsible for the content, change in content, accuracy, relevancy, copyright compliance, or legality of the material on external websites.