In this issue:

Casino NightPage 7

Brain BasicsPage 9

2010 Annual ReportCentre Insert

Helmets on KidsStarting on page 20

Celebrating TheLife of MaryCatherine Anne

Page 24

In every issue:

Executive Director’sReport

Page 2

Peer SupportMentoring Program

Page 6

Ask A LawyerPage 12

Upcoming EventsPage 32

The Brain Injury Association of London and Region acknowledges the generosity of Legate & Associates as sponsors of this publication.

The MonarchSeptember 2010

The Monarch

See our Special Section on

Advocacy

starting on Page 26

President: Mary Carter

Vice President: Doug Bryce

Treasurer: Gary Phelps

Secretary: Larry Norton

Directors:Angie Blazkowski

Talaal BondJamie Fairles Linda Mabee

Nancy McAulyYvonne Pollard

Joanne Ruediger

Executive Director: Donna Thomson

Program Assistant:Becky LeCouteur

The Monarch is published by the Brain Injury Associationof London and Region. Opinions expressed are those ofthe authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion ofthe Board of Directors. Submissions to the Monarch arewelcome at any time, but should consist of no more than325 words. When you send in an article from apaper/magazine, please include the date and name ofpublication. Please include a cover letter with your nameand telephone number. Published letters can be anony-mous, but the editors must verify the information andobtain permission to reprint the letters, as well as have acontact for questions and responses. Advertising rates areavailable on request. The publication of an adver-tisement does not imply support of the advertiser bythe Association. All submissions must be received bythe first Wednesday of the month prior to publication, atthe office located at: 560 Wellington Street, Lower Level,London, ON, N6A 3R4

Phone: (519) 642-4539

Fax: (519) 642-4124

E-Mail:info@braininjurylondon.on.ca

Editors: Editorial Committee

Layout & Design: Cindy Evans, Advance Imaging

Copyright 2010 All rights Reserved

Brain Injury Association of London and Region

Serving London, Middlesex, Huron, Perth, Oxford and Elgin560 Wellington Street, Lower Level, London, ON N6A 3R4

Phone: 519 642-4539 Fax: 519 642-4124 Toll Free: 1-888-642-4539Email: info@braininjurylondon.on.ca Website: www.braininjurylondon.on.ca

Registered Charitable: 139093736RR0001

Canada Post Publications Mail

Agreement Number 40790545

Return undeliverable

Canadian addresses to :

560 Wellington Street,Lower Level

London, ON N6A 3R4

The Monarch Page 1

Board of Directors

& Staff

Membership Renewals are now due!

Dual Memberships now available

with Ontario Brain Injury Association and the Brain Injury Association

of London and Region.

See OBIA.BIALR Dual Membership

Application Inside

Reminder:

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For the majority of people whose lives have been

touched by brain injury it is a truly daunting and con-

fusing situation. Many people don’t know what

questions to ask, or whom to ask, or what services

are needed, or where to seek such services.

As stated in the Association’s mission statement,

we provide advocacy on behalf of those affected by

giving them the tools and experience to take greater

control over their own lives, whether it is guiding

them in the right direction for services, assisting with

sorting out funding or housing issues, we can help.

One of our tools is the Directory of Services that

lists all service providers and other helpful resources

located in the 5 counties we serve.

There are many changes that I’m happy to

announce. Firstly, Lerner’s Personal Injury Lawyers

has agreed to sponsor the popular Monarch Junior

publication that debuted at this year’s 13th Annual

Brain Injury Conference in June.

Secondly, September it seems is a month of

change as OBIA says goodbye to John Kumpf after

12 years of excellent leadership as Executive

Director, we wish Ruth Wilcock all the best as his

replacement.

Likewise, we are saddened to say goodbye to

long time board members, Sari Shatil, Lisa Fraser,

Elizabeth Skirving, and Robin Tugender, we will

miss them and their individual contributions to our

organization.

We are excited to welcome Nancy McAuley,

Larry Norton, Mary Hansen, and Lorrinda Mabee to

our board of directors. Their fresh new perspectives

will be an asset in the strategic planning of the

Association.

After taking a break for the summer, the support

groups resume meeting this month and as always,

we continue to look for innovative ways to meet the

support needs of those living with ABI.

I am excited to announce that we have formed

two important alliances with Dale Brain Injury

Services. The Perth Social Leisure Group will be

offered through our Association with the facilitator of

that group being contracted through Dale.

We have also formed a partnership for Dale par-

ticipants and their family members to access our ser-

vices to assist them with Self Advocacy.

I’m also extremely pleased to announce that our

application to Imagine Canada’s Ethical Code

Program has been approved, which, as a registered

charity accountability and transparency to our stake-

holders is our most important asset.

Several events are planned for the coming

months including Camp Dawn, September 16-19;

the Brain Injury Golf Classic co-hosted with

H.A.B.I.T.; Brain Basics Course; and the 4th Annual

M.D.M. Reporting Casino Night with special guest

Eric Lindros!

In addition, check our website frequently as we

will be revising several features and also offering

educational webinars to the public. Because advo-

cacy is such an important tool to utilize when one

has a brain injury, I hope you find this issue helpful

and it provides some useful tips on self advocacy.

Donna Thomson

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT

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Peer Support Mentoring Program for People Living with ABI

By Jamie FairlesPeer Support Coordinator

I like to think that all survivors of brain injury areadvocates for brain injury after having had to dealwith the rollercoaster of emotions, behaviours, andthoughts themselves. The Peer Support MentoringProgram matches a person new to brain injury withsomeone who has had experience with brain injuryand supports them throughout the journey that theyonce travelled. This is sort of being an advocatebecause the mentor is acting like an advocate to the

partner using his or her own experiences as learningtools to guide the partner through his or her own jour-ney. If All goes well, There will be London's thirdmentor training on October 2 for 8 new mentors.

If you feel your own experience with brain injurycould be of benefit to somebody, or you are in needof support yourself, please don't hesitate to give theoffice a call and inquire about the program.

If you feel you can provide comfort and support to others who may befacing similar challenges, or if you are looking for support and comfortyourself, please don’t hesitate to call the office for more information on howyou can take advantage of this truly remarkable program.

Phone: 519 642-4539 Toll Free: 1-888-642-4539

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The Ontario Brain Injury Association&

Brain Injury Association of London & Region

You Can Now Belong to Both Associations for One Low Fee!!

Program Highlights

Membership in both the Ontario Brain Injury Association (OBIA) and the Brain Injury Association ofLondon and Region (BIALR). Individual members shall be entitled to one vote at both BIALR andOBIA’s Annual General Meeting. Family members shall be entitled to no more than two at both BIALR and OBIA’s Annual General Meeting.

Membership in Community Support Network/Reseau De Soutien Communautaire (CSN/RSC) is avail-able to individuals and families who support the aims and objectives of participating community associ-ations and OBIA. Corporations, associations, partnerships, or other types of organizations are wel-come to support participating community associations and OBIA by listing or advertising in the onlineABI Directory of Services, but may not hold CSN/RSC membership.

Members will receive a one-year subscription to OBIA Review and The Monarch newsletter.

Members may participate in the Peer Support Mentoring Program for People Living with ABI.

Members will have free access to OBIA’s resource library and be eligible for a $25.00 discount on mostof OBIA’s training programs.

All membership fees are equally divided between OBIA and BIALR

OBIA & BIALR Dual Membership Application Form

Name:

Address 1

Address 2

City: Postal Code

Home Phone:

Work Phone:

Email:

Yes! I wish to purchase a Dual Membership and I understand that I will hold membership to both Ontario Brain InjuryAssociation and the Brain Injury Association of London & Region.

Annual Membership Fees:

Individual $30 Family $50 Subsidized $5

Please make cheque payable to Ontario Brain Injury Association or pay using:

Visa MasterCard American Express

Card Number: Expiry /

Ontario Brain Injury AssociationPO Box 2338

St. Catharines, ON L2R 7R9

obia@obia.on.caRegistered as a Canadian Charitable Organization, Registration #10779

7904RR0001

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An important message to our supporters

The Brain Injury Association of London & Region places a high value on our relationship with you, ourdonors. Without your support we would not be able to achieve our mission to provide support, education,advocacy and raise public awareness of brain injury. We thank you for your commitment to us.

We believe that transparency and accountability are essential to our success. With this in mind, we haverecently joined Imagine Canada's Ethical Code Program.

The Ethical Fundraising and Financial Accountability Code lays out a set of standards for charitable orga-nizations to manage and report their financial affairs responsibly. By adhering to these standards, we arecomplying with generally accepted practices for soliciting and managing donor dollars. This is importantbecause you, our supporters, are entitled to transparency and the greatest impact possible for your invest-ment in us.

If you have any questions about our adherence to the Ethical Code, please feel free to contact DonnaThomson at 519 642-4539 or to request a copy of our financial statements. You can also download theEthical Code itself by going to www.imaginecanada.ca.

The MonarchPage 12

Making claims for insurance benefits after youhave been injured can be a trying experience. Thisis particularly so where your auto insurer questionsyour entitlement to receive income replacementbenefits, or requests that you attend a medicalexamination to determine if proposed rehabilitationis “reasonable and necessary”. Similarly, your dis-ability insurer may take a long time to decide if youare “totally disabled,” and ask for a lot of medical evi-dence of your disability. After filling out numerousforms, providing medical records and undergoingmultiple medical examinations requested by theinsurer, you start to wonder if your insurer is harass-ing you.

Although the seemingly endless requests by the

insurer may feel like harassment, the proper ques-tion to ask is whether the insurer is acting in goodfaith. Your insurer owes a duty of utmost good faithand fair dealing when handling your claim. That dutyrequires the insurer to assess your claim with rea-sonable promptness, to pay benefits in a timelymanner, to fairly assess the merits of your claim, andin so doing, to interpret the insurance policy in a rea-sonable manner. The insurer should not treat youas an adversary. Having said that, the insurer doeshave the right to fully assess and even scrutinizeyour claim. That means the insurer is entitled to lookat relevant medical records and ask you to undergoreasonable medical assessments. This is how theinsurer protects itself from fraudulent claims.

Ask a LawyerJoni Dobson

Is My Insurer Harassing Me?

The Monarch Page 13

The insurer has repeatedly delayed payment of benefits or has often been late to respond to treatment plans;

The insurer has made many requests for medical examinations in a short period of time when there has been no evidence of a change or expected change in your condition;

You have been requested to undergo medical examinations by assessors who have no specialization or little experience treating your particular injury or impairment; or

The insurer has denied benefits without complying with its own obligations under the policy.

Remember that the insurer must have the properinformation to handle your claim. Sometimes, multi-ple requests for assessments arise because theinsurer does not have the information needed todetermine what benefits it must pay. You, yourlawyer, or your treatment providers should ensurethe insurer has up to date medical information, infor-mation about your employment or income (if thebenefit you are claiming is related to income

replacement), and information about your ability tocomplete your activities of daily living. If you haveprovided necessary information, but suspect yourinsurer is not adjusting your claim in good faith, youmay need to speak to a lawyer to determine the bestway to address your concerns. The best rule ofthumb is this: if it feels like harassment, it’s time toask some questions.

How, then, do you know when the insurer hascrossed the line between fully assessing and scruti-nizing your claim for benefits, and failing to act in

good faith? The cumulative conduct of the insurer isimportant to consider.

Some indicators are as follows:

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Thursday, September 23, 2010

Greenhills Golf Club, London Ontario

Breakfast & Registration 9:00 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.

10:30 a.m. Tee Time

The 9th Annual

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Ayden McRae,

St. Charles Catholic School, Glencoe, ONGrade 4 Poster Contest Winning EntryLondon District Catholic SchoolBoard

Cora MacKenzie Gardener

Pierre Elliiott Trudeau French ImmersionPublic School, St. Thomas, ON

Grade 4 Poster Contest Winning EntryThames Valley District School Board

Poster and Essay

Contest Winners(see winning essay on facing page)

The Monarch Page 21

Bike Helmets For your head, not your handlebars

By: Donna LoweBlenheim District Public School

It's that little, plastic bowl that your mom isalways yelling at us to put on, it's our bike helmet.We wouldn't ride in a car without the seatbelt so whydo we ride our bikes without our helmet? Well that'sa question that's not too easily answered but it's aproblem that can be solved. In order to convincekids to buckle up that bike helmet we need showthem the dangers and ultimately make the costs ofnot wearing it outweigh the reasons not to. Besides,the fact that it's against the law, a bike helmet is thebest protection against injury in an accident. Tosolve this biking blunder, helmets need to becomeaccepted and "cool" in the eyes of the users. Believeit or not, the law regarding bike helmets is a greyarea for many kids. Children need to be educated onthe rules and regulations of bike helmets in Ontario.Children eighteen and under are required by law towear a bicycle helmet, with a seventy five dollar finefor non-compliance. Getting this information out tokids will carve the message in stone and let themknow it is not a topic to be taken lightly.

It's key that we advertise and inform children ofthe enormity of the risks that arise when biking with-out a helmet. Roughly three quarters of all bikingfatalities are due to head related injuries, but manykids just assume it won't happen to them, "It's alwaysgoing to be someone else." If we have people, pos-sibly police officers discussing these laws and statis-tics with students in school it can give children theopportunity to make informed decisions about theirbike helmets. "Knowledge is power", so it's crucialthat we provide bikers with the information that theyneed.

Lastly and most importantly, we need to makebike helmets an accepted part of communities. More

often than not kids simply aren't wearing their hel-mets because it's not cool. If bike rallies and funevents based on bike safety were held in communi-ties at parks or libraries, the percentage of peoplewearing bike helmets would increase because thesubject has been openly discussed. Having bikingcompetitions and other community events wherekids of all ages can come to learn about bike safety,as well as enjoying themselves, will show kids thathelmets are cool and that it is okay to wear a helmet.It's time to take the issue of bike helmets to thestreets.

Whether it's talking to kids in schools or takingthe information to the streets, it will all be beneficial.Buckled helmets can become a common practice incommunities across Ontario as soon as we bring theissue to the forefront in the lives of kids. Rallies andschool visits will help to deliver the information to theaudience. Accepted bike helmets are just a pedalaway for kids in Ontario.

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A very special thank you to the pupils at Wortley Road Public School

for their fundraising efforts on behalf of Helmets on Kids.

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9th Annual Helmets on KidsCampaign was a great success.

This year’s event was held at Blessed SacramentSchool on June 17, 2010.

Thank you to all the sponsors listed on the facingpage.  We could not do it without them, and we are

very grateful for their support.

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On July 28, 2010 Mary CatherineAnn (Director of CornerstoneClubhouse) passed away after a lengthybattle with a brain tumour. Mary was apassionate and caring advocate for theClubhouse. Under her leadership,Cornerstone Clubhouse became thefirst and only brain injury Clubhouse inthe world to receive two consecutiveaccreditations with The InternationalCentre for Clubhouse Development(ICCD). In recent years, Mary was suc-cessful in founding The InternationalBrain Injury Clubhouses Alliance(IBICA). She was also a founding mem-ber of the Southwestern Ontario BrainInjury Network (SWOBIN).

The Members and Facilitators ofCornerstone Clubhouse will miss Mary very much.She was a person who knew how to enjoy life to thefullest. Member Andrew Tankus summarized her lossthis way: “If Mary were here she would say, ‘enoughof this, it’s time to move on to the next item on the listof things to do’, just as shewould say at our meetings.”That about says it all; Mary wasa mover and a shaker, a not-so-secret chocolate lover, and aperson who believed in chal-lenging others to be the bestthey can be. Her compassionand caring for both Membersand colleagues is evident inNorm Shepherd’s words: “Marywas always on the go and hada very pleasant personalitymost days. There were timesthough, when she could betough when she had to be.When a job had to be done,Mary could see to it that it wascompleted on time. I rememberher smiling face while taking ajoke or even being the butt of ajoke. Pretty good for a boss!She loved to go out on tripswith the group and often timesshe was the life of the party.She loved to laugh and eventhough toward the end when

she was becoming more ill,she still had room to laugh. Itis the sign of a true leader! Iknow that because of herupbeat personality and goodideas. I will never forget her.”

Those of us who workedwith Mary over the years cantestify to her tenacity in theface of adversity and to herability to laugh at herself, (butnever others). She was aunique and talented individual.Although she worked on hercomputer every day, she heldno love for new technology andwe were always able to have agood laugh over this fact. Her

passion and vitality lives on in the people whose livesshe touched.

Cornerstone Clubhouse will be holding a cele-bration of Mary’s life at the Clubhouse on September22, 2010 3-6 p.m.

Celebrating the Life of Mary Catherine AnnDeb Wilson-MacLeod, Facilitator, Cornerstone Clubhouse

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The MonarchPage 26

Often someone with a brain injury has no out-ward signs of injury, and may have trouble convinc-ing others that they do have a disability.

"My insurance company says I am betterand don't need any more rehabilitation."

"Mom and dad say it's all in my head, thatI'm making all this up."

"The boss thinks I look fine and should beable to handle the huge workloads again."

Brain injury is often called the invisible disabilitybecause a person may outwardly appear to be unaf-fected, particularly if the cause was a brain tumour,near drowning or drugs. Even when the injury iscaused by trauma such as a motor vehicle accident,the scars may heal so well that the person appearsto be fully recovered.

Unfortunately even a so-called 'mild' brain injurycan leave a person facing deficits in memory, con-centration, motivation, fatigue, stress, and reducedself-awareness. People who acquire a brain injury

often find that family; employers and friends havetrouble accepting there can still be problems whenthere is no physical evidence.

Family members often have the most troubleunderstanding the invisible nature of acquired braininjury. With effort, the effects of a mild to moderatebrain injury can often be hidden or compensated forso that most people will not detect any problems. Butfamilies get to see beyond the 'public face' due to theamount of time they spend together.

After the brain injury the family is frequently con-fronted with a 'new' personality - a family memberwho may be negative, unmotivated, unable to carrytasks through to completion, constantly forgettingthings, unable to take others' needs into account andprone to depression or angry outbursts.

Before the brain injury, the person usually hadsome degree of control over these areas and howthey chose to act and speak. Now they have lostthese abilities and may only regain some controlthrough compensatory strategies, if at all.

HOW TO CONVINCE OTHERSHow do you convince skeptical family or friends

that you do have a brain injury? Trying to discuss the

When They Don't Believe You Have a Brain Injury - Fact Sheet

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issue is often difficult. Family members are oftenresentful if they have been coping with some of themore unpleasant sides of a brain injury, such asanger or self centredness. Discussions can breakdown into recriminations and the brain injury can beseen as a weak excuse for inappropriate behaviour.

Families often come to an understanding ofacquired brain injury through simply reading about it.Previously their ideas may have been based on whatthey had seen in movies-a person is knocked brieflyunconscious, forgets who they are, their memory isrestored by another bump to the head, and then theyare fine again.

There is a wealth of medical research and infor-mation showing that even in cases where peoplewere not unconscious; they may face lifelong diffi-culties with short-term memory, emotional instabilityand a wide range of other effects - a far cry from theinstant recovery portrayed by Hollywood.

ONGOING PHYSICAL ISSUES Unfortunately, individuals with a brain injury are

often left with much more than life-long cognitiveeffects such as susceptibility to stress, inability towork, memory problems and extreme fatigue.Traumatic Brain Injury often leaves lasting effects interms of musculoskeletal problems, migraines, audi-tory and visual disabilities or neuroendocrine disor-ders. Insurance companies and generic rehabilita-tion services are often unaware ofthe frequently ongoing nature ofdeficits from traumatic brain injuryand that a 'return to normal health'does not occur in the majority ofcases. In some cases individualsneed to take legal action to obtainthe rehabilitation and support thattheir insurance guarantees.

There is a public perceptionthat legal compensation payoutsare often very large; but suchmulti-million dollar awards takeinto account that the person willneed cognitive and physical thera-py or support for the rest of theirlives.

WHAT ABOUT THE ULTIMATESCEPTICS?

Some people may refuse tobelieve a brain injury exists unlessthere is firm medical proof.Usually a moderate to severebrain injury leaves scarring thatwill clearly show on MRI or CAT

scans. The brain does have a limited ability to healitself; and in milder cases, a scan conducted years oreven months after the injury may no longer show evi-dence, although the cognitive deficits remain.

There is also Diffuse Brain Injury, where the dam-age occurs at a microscopic level throughout thebrain, and will not show on scans despite the hugeimpact it can have.

In these latter cases a neuropsychologicalassessment is used to identify a brain injury, itseffects and the strategies needed for rehabilitation.Testing includes a variety of different methods forevaluating areas such as attention span, memory,language, new learning, spatial perception, problemsolving, social judgment, motor abilities and sensoryawareness.

These tests can be quite expensive. Universitiesoffering programs in neuropsychology often provideevaluations at low cost or on a sliding scale as partof their student training.

It is no wonder that brain injury survivors get dis-couraged when others won't accept that they havethis disability, and the survivors have to face criticisminstead of support.

Copyright Brain Injury Association of Queensland, Inc.Australia 2007. Reprinted by kind permission of the BrainInjury Association of Queensland, Australia. www.biaq.com/au

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Back to School With a Brain InjuryAdvocating for Your Child

John KumpfOne of the greatest challenges for parents of a

child with a Brain Injury is successfully reintegratinghim or her into the school system. In my 12 years atthe Ontario Brain Injury Association I have beeninvolved with dozens of advocacy cases in which par-ents have sought help to get the school to understandand meet the needs of their children. From all of thesecases and based on my 38 years as an Educator, Ihave arrived at some conclusions that I think may beuseful to Parents and to Educators.

1. Educators cannot accommodate the specialneeds of a child living with the effects of a brain injuryif they are not told about the brain injury. In my 38year teaching career, I knew of 8 students who had abrain injury. Only 2 were voluntarily identified. Theother 6 were identified after a crisis when the parentcasually said something like, "Oh, he's been like thatever since he was hit by the bus when he was 8." Theschool cannot accommodate for needs if those needsare not identified.

2. Volunteering that your child has a brain injuryand identifying his or her needs, unfortunately, doesnot guarantee that the needs will be addressed. Itwill be a rare Teacher, indeed, who has had anytraining in the needs of students with a brain injury.In a study done in 2001, none of the Faculties ofEducation in the Province addressed the needs ofstudents with brain injury in their Pre-ServiceProgram for Teachers. We have made someinroads since, but there is a long way to go; soexpect that you will have to educate the educatorsabout your child's injury and his/her special needs.

3. Approach the school staff in a manner that ismost likely to result in them looking to you as a val-ued resource rather that a demanding pain in theneck. Let them know that your child will presentsome challenges in terms of learning and/orbehaviours and you would like to help them to knowwhat is likely to work and what definitely won't work.Putting these tips in writing and keeping a copy is agood idea. Ask for regular feedback on the student'sperformance and offer to meet if things are not goingwell. Above all, keep your cool.

4. At special planning sessions such asIndividual Planning Review Committee, comeequipped with recent reports from doctors, psychol-ogists and therapists. Highlight any recommenda-tions relevant to school programming. For example,

if a report shows that your child suffers from cogni-tive fatigue and requires an afternoon break, point itout.

5. Be firm in your requests that recommendedstrategies be followed. If there is resistance, requestthat a superintendent and/or school psychologistattend a meeting. Don't bet that they will have any-more understanding of ABI than the classroomTeacher. If they don't then it is time to get some helpand your local Brain Injury Association or the OntarioBrain Injury Association is there to assist.

6. Expect to have to go through the sameprocedure next September or anytime your childchanges teachers, moves to a new school or at asemester change.

Advocacy is required when barriers prevent the“client” from speaking for themselves.

Sometimes it is necessary to look for others tojoin in the advocacy process. There are local BrainInjury Associations, the Ontario Brain InjuryAssociation (OBIA) and even other professionals outthere that can help you get over or even go aroundthe barriers. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, you arenot alone.

Here are some tools we have used tohelp in the advocacy process.

Gather Information: This sounds like a simplething, but it is more than just having medical docu-mentation (reports, hospital records and assess-ments). Having a timeline of what hashappened from the onset will be helpful ifthere is a need to recall dates and times.Be sure to utilize the various HealthCare, Education, Privacy and SubstituteDecision Makers Acts. These variousacts can be tremendously useful to anyadvocacy case since services andproviders are bound by these variouspieces of legislation. All these Acts canbe found on the internet. .

Choose Your Contacts: Make a list ofall the people you may need to contact inorder of priority. Ask others for help ifyou are not sure who to contact or whocan help with your issue.

Obtain Written Consent: as set outby the Personal Health InformationProtection Act (PHIPA), you must havesigned consent to request information onsomeone’s behalf. The consent formsfrom PHIPA can be found on-line. Foreach person, professional or service youare contacting, you must have the writ-ten consent forms completed. Whenmaking those contacts, share with themat the beginning of the conversation thatyou have obtained signed consent fromthe ‘client’. Typically, the person, pro-fessional or service will then ask you tofax over the signed consent before con-tinuing the conversation.

Establish rapport with the profession-als and or service providers you needhelp from: This is not always easy toaccomplish, especially if the relationshipwith them has already broken down ordeteriorated. This may be the time to

ask another person or professional to mediate onyour behalf. It maybe more helpful to have an out-sider (with permission) to make these contacts.Someone who is not involved in the issue may beable to dig deeper into the issue and work with youand the professional or service provider to come upwith a workable solution for all involved.

When at an impasse, be prepared to take it to thenext level: Make sure you have worked out a planof action so you are aware of what the next stepsare. You have to climb the ladder of seniority one

step at a time, you cannot just jump to the topwrung from the bottom one. This may mean thatyou ask to speak to a Manager, Supervisor, orDirector. In other cases this may mean filing anappeal, contacting the Ombudsman, moving up to a

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Advocacy ToolkitCarla Thoms

Dianne RadunskySupport Services Department, Ontario Brain Injury Association (OBIA)

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higher Court. Getting the media involved should onlybe considered as a last resort and the timing of thisis crucial. Another good contact is your localMember of Parliament (MPP) or the appropriateMember of Provincial Parliament (MP). They may beable to help guide you in your advocacy case or evenhelp to bring the issue forward to Parliament.

Tools that be used when advocating.Phone calls: Be sure you keep track of who you

have contacted and when. That way if you need tofollow up with someone or provide more informationto them to have a record of your conversations.

Letter writing: Occasionally professionals mayask that your requests be put in writing, be sure tokeep copies of letters for your file. Also ask otherprofessionals to write letters of support. Again thiscan be helpful when building an advocacy caseespecially if you need to take the issue to a higherauthority.

Meetings/Case Conferences: Don’t go alone tomeetings or case conferences. Take someone withyou who can take notes or even just to hear the infor-mation that is being presented. Sometimes we don’talways catch all that is being said. Bring your ques-tions with you. This might take some preparation butit is worth it when you forget important question that

you are seeking answers to. Lastly, ask that some-one takes meeting minutes and to circulate the min-utes to all who have participated. This is importantespecially if there are items that needed to be follow-up on.

Hearings or Tribunals: Again, take someone ora professional to any hearings or tribunals. In somesituations, it may require the expertise of legalcouncil. What does it take to advocate?

Time: This is a big factor when advocating.Understand that it may be a long process, from gath-ering information to making contacts, getting con-sent, establishing rapport and going up the ladder.This is where it is helpful to have an advocating teamso that various members can be assigned tasks soto not overburden the client or family member. It isalso important remember that third party insurers(i.e. Auto Insurance Companies, WSIB etc.) havelegislated time periods within their guidelines forresponding to treatment plans.

Intuition: Not a science, but an art, some of it isgut instinct, however build your advocacy case ondocumented facts.

Perseverance: If at first you don’t succeed atgoing it alone, ask for help.

Above all else …“never use a cannon when apea shooter will do!”

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While attending the first MAT (Moving AheadTogether) conference in 2003, which was organizedby Cornerstone Clubhouse and held at King'sCollege, here in London, I met the chairperson ofLondon's Accessibility Advisory Committee andspent some time talking with him. He introduced meto the ODA (Ontarians with Disabilities Act), invitedme to attend a conference about the ODA which wasalso held at King's College, told me about theLondon Accessibility Advisory Committee and sug-gested that I put in an application to become a mem-ber of this committee.

This was perfect, as I needed to learn moreabout disability issues since I was labeled by boththe Federal and Provincial governments in 2002 asbrain injured and unemployable as a result of beingdiagnosed with Epilepsy in 2001. Now, as a votingmember of the City of London's AccessibilityAdvisory Committee," What is an AccessibilityAdvisory Committee (ACCAC) and what does it do?is a question I am asked frequently..

In December 2001, the Ontario Legislaturepassed the Ontarians with Disabilities Act (ODA2001) into law. The purpose of the Act is "To improveopportunities for persons with disabilities and to pro-vide for their involvement in the identification,removal and prevention of barriers to their full partic-ipation in the life of the province of Ontario".

The term "barriers" includes: physical, informa-tional, communications-related, attitudinal, techno-logical, policies and practices. Each and everymunicipality with a population of 10,000 people ormore shall have an Accessibility AdvisoryCommittee. In existence since 2002, the mandate ofthe London ACCAC is to advise and assist CityCouncil on all matters pertaining to the inclusion ofall persons with disabilities in the services providedby the City of London.

There is a proverb that says, "Charity begins athome", which means, a person's first obligationshould be to help the members of his own familybefore he can begin thinking of talking about helpingothers. Because, unfortunately, society has chosennot to do this and to ignore the needs and rights ofthose us with disabilities, I sit on this committee. Thisis even more apparent when it comes to those withthe invisible disability known as 'Brain Injury'. We areoften ignored and forgotten, misunderstood andtreated disrespectfully.

I have been very fortunate throughout my life andespecially since my brain injury, to have peoplearound me that care about me and my wellbeing. Iand others that feel the way I do about these issues,sit on committees just like this one around theprovince with the hope and intention of creating atruly inclusive society for all.

Accessibility in The CitySubmitted by Andrew Tankus, Member of Cornerstone Clubhouse

Personal Rehabilitation Counselling Services Inc.

E. “Ike” Lindenburger Helena WoodM. Div., M.S.W., C.C.R.C., C.Ht. M.S.W., (R.S.W.)

Psychosocial Rehabilitation Cognitive/Behavioural TherapyIndividual, Couples and Family Therapy Capacity AssessmentIndependent Medical Assessment HypnotherapyCatastrophic Injuries Pain ManagementStress and Anger Management Fear of Driving and PTSDGrief and Loss, Bereavement Relationship Management

Appointments at office or in clients’ home

Mailing Address Counselling Office900 Adelaide St. South P.O. Box 37088 190 Wortley RoadLondon, ON N6E 3T3 London, ON (Lower Level)

Phone: Ike: 519-645-7393 Fax: 519-645-6195 Helena: 519-280-5196Email: (Ike) elindenburger@yahoo.ca Email: (Helena)

helena.wood@sympatico.ca

Supporting people to gain healthy functioning

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Upcoming Conferences and Events

What: Camp DawnWhen: September 16-19, 2010Where: Camp Trillium Rainbow LakeContact: www.campdawn.ca

What: Camp Dawn Annual General MeetingWhen: September 18, 2010Where: Camp Trillium, Rainbow Lake

What: London Brain Injury Charity Golf ClassicWhen: September 23, 2010 Where: Greenhills Golf Club, London, OntarioContact: habit@rogers.com

What: Brain BasicsWhen: October 5, 6, 2010Where: Victory Legion, 311 Oakland Ave, LondonContact: OBIA 1-800-263-5404 OR BIA London519 642-4539

What: Brain Injury Association of Niagara presents: A Hero's Journey: Trauma, Transitionsand ThrivingWhen: October 21, 2010Where: Americana Conference Resort and Spa,Niagara Falls, OntarioContact: Brain Injury Association of NiagaraPhone: 905-984-5058Email: bianstaf@niagara.comWeb: www.niagara.com/bian

What: Mindworks presents Cognitive

Rehabilitation: The Quadraphonic Approach

When: October 21-22, 2010

Where: Peterborough, Ontario

Contact: MindWorks

Phone: 705-741-3412

Email: admin@mindworksgroup.ca

Web: www.mindworksgroup.ca

What: Ontario Brain Injury Association

Certificate Course: Children and Youth with

Acquired Brain Injury - Level 1

When: November 5-6, 2010

Where: Quality Inn and Convention Centre,

St. Catharines, Ontario

Contact: Ruth Wilcock or Debbie Spaulding

Phone: 1-800-263-5404

Email: obia@obia.on.ca

Web: www.obia.on.ca

What: Toronto ABI Network Conference 2010:

Challenging the Challenges

When: November 8-9, 2010

Where: Hilton Toronto, Toronto, Ontario

Contact: Robert Jessop, Toronto ABI Network

Phone: 416-597-3422 ext. 3726

Email: jessop.robert@toron-

torehab.on.ca

Web: www.abinetwork.ca/con-

ference2010

What: M.D.M. Reporting

Services will be holding their

3rd Annual Charity Dinner &

Casino Night in support of the

Brain Injury Association of

London & Region

When: November 20, 2010

Watch: www.braininjury

london.on.ca for further details

For a great reference of upcoming Brain Injury conferences around the world, mark this website as a favourite!

http://www.northeastcenter,com/brain_injury_conference_event.htm#top

Brain Injury Association of London & Region560 Wellington Street, Lower Level London, ON N6A 3R4