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Cowichan Independent Living offers plethora of programs

Cowichan Valley Citizen - 6/5/2018

By Jean Scholefield

Independent Living Canada envisions an inclusive and accessible society where people with disabilities are valued equally and participate fully. June 5 is our Independent Living Across Canada Day, where we highlight our abilities rather than our disabilities.

On June 5 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. join Cowichan Independent Living at our office on First Street in Duncan for a fun-filled afternoon including a free barbecue, ice cream and a walk/wheel about to promote a new perspective on disabilities.

Cowichan Independent Living is a non-profit Resource Centre founded in 1990. We have been serving the Cowichan Valley by providing support and services to persons with disabilities and will assist anyone who self-discloses they have a disability. We are located at #103-121 First St. in Duncan. We mainly operate on grants from the government and volunteers. Without them we would not be able to serve the community like we currently do.

Our medical equipment division of CIL plays an important role in the delivery of healthcare. This program provides consumers with quality medical aids and equipment that is needed to improve their health and well-being and at the same time give them a feeling of being independent. We offer items such as walkers, wheelchairs, scooters, crutches, canes, hospital beds and toilet seat risers. All of our medical equipment is on a three month loan by donation basis.

For this program to succeed in helping those accessing our services, we require donations from the community. As a registered charity, Cowichan Independent Living can offer you a registered tax receipt for 80 per cent of the assessed value of the item(s) being donated.

Independent Living administers parking permits for people with disabilities. Established in 1985, the disabled parking permit program allows people with disabilities to legally park in designated zones throughout British Columbia.

Our adaptive recreation division has a lot to offer in the way of disabled sailing, trail riders and recreational volunteering opportunities. The mission of Adaptive Recreation Cowichan is to provide quality indoor/outdoor sports and therapeutic recreation programs that positively impact the lives of people with physical, cognitive, emotional, or mental health disabilities.

We have some fabulous staff on hand to help out in any situation you present us with. Some of the other services provided include CPPD and PWD (1st and 3rd part); OAS and GIS (as well as other forms) help by appointment; SDPR Third-Party Administrator and computer and phone access is always available; Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings we have employees available to offer assistance with the online social assistance application process if you are having trouble navigating the system.

There are also self-advocacy mentoring services offered such as tenancy, homelessness, local resources, tax preparations, medical loans, peer guidance and support groups.

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