Each month Vivian Garcia, long time Peer mentor and organizer of the Surrey City Centre SCI BC Peer Coffee Group puts together a newsletter about upcoming Surrey events, opportunities, and important information for people living with SCI—featured here in Vivian’s Corner.
This edition of Vivian’s Corner highlights:
- Theme: Accessibility at Surrey Central Library and other BC Libraries, as well as cooking with SCI resources and experiences.
- Presentation: Braden Huxtable of READ-Ability spoke about library services, online resources and apps available.
- View the handouts about library apps available from many libraries.
- InfoLine Corner: Medical Supply Coverage in BC
SCI BC Surrey City Centre Bean There Coffee Group
Next Meeting: Wednesday, June 5, 2019
Theme: Mindfulness
IN FULL NEWSLETTER:
Library Information:
- Interlinked Libraries in the Metro Vancouver area
- Surrey Online Library
- Surrey Library Services (top right drop down menu; explained in-depth in the full newsletter)
Interesting Articles:
- Understanding Research Evidence (SCIRE Community)
- Personalized Heath Care and AI Could Improve Your Life—at the Cost of Your Privacy (Newsweek)
Current Research Opportunities:
- Wrist-Worn Devices for Measuring Wheelchair Pushes (ICORD Study)
- Wheelchair Navigation (ICORD Study)
Cooking Resources and Experiences:
- In the Kitchen with Quadriplegia (SCI-Australia video)
- Cooking with Paralyzed Hands—Salmon Dinner (Brenda Besos video)
- Kitchen Gadgets to Make Cooking Easier (SCI Alberta video)
- Cooking with Cory (SCI Alberta video)
- 7 Easy Tips to Make Cooking More Accessible (SCI BC blog)
- Take Back The Kitchen (New Mobility article)
- Day in the Life: Kitchen Mobility (Magee Rehab Hospital video)
NEWSLETTER SNAPSHOT
Surrey Central Library’s READ-Ability Department
READ-Ability Services is here to help you access library materials.
They offer home delivery to eligible patrons, specialized collections for print disabilities, assistive technology, and a range of other services.
Make sure to read the full May newsletter for information on accessing a large number of Surrey Libraries’ online services!
Surrey Libraries also has a Community Services page, which highlights available programs and services for free or low cost throughout Surrey. These are available in categories like “food and meals,” “employment,” “housing,” “legal,” and many more!
Not located in Surrey? Check out our SCI BC Blog on standard Library Resources for People with Disabilities. You can also search here for the public library in your BC community!
INFOLINE CORNER
with Heather Lamb, MSW
An Overview of Medical Supplies Coverage
Coverage for medical supplies is patchwork.
People who are currently covered by a workplace policy (extended health) should check their plan and read the fine print to find out what happens at retirement. In the past, people were often covered until death but most plans now stop at 65 or 70 or within two years of retirement.
People who are on PWD (the BC government’s Persons with Disabilities program) can usually maintain their medical equipment and supplies coverage after PWD ends at 65, when people transition to regular CPP, OAS or GIS.
See details on PWD medical coverage here: Leaving Disability Benefits.
People on WorkSafe BC coverage should ask their case manager for details of coverage.
People who are on CPP disability usually do not have coverage at all, unless they qualify for the BC Medical Services Only program or the Life-Threatening Health Needs program.
People should consider talking to their MLA to advocate for coverage after 65. You can find your local MLA contact info here.
Call SCI BC’s InfoLine: 1-800-689-2477, toll-free: 9 am–5 pm, Monday–Friday. Or contact us via email at info@sci-bc.ca.
