Vancouver Foundation

1 9 4 3 - 2 0 1 8 | V A N C O U V E R F O U N D A T I O N . C A | 5 Bob Wong Wheelchair users looking for affordable and accessible housing face daunting challenges in Metro Vancouver. Many are in unsuitable homes, unable to use basic amenities for bathing or cooking; others face homelessness. After years of exploring underlying challenges, Disability Alliance BC (DABC) is leading a partner- ship to test systemic changes that help wheelchair users, housing, and service providers close this gap. The Right Fit Pilot Project (RFPP) is seeking to streamline approvals, incentives, consistent accessibility standards, and a centralized accessible housing registry. Supported by a $223,538 grant from Vancouver Foundation, the three-year pilot is also testing a case management model to help wheelchair users navigate complex pathways to securing the right mix of subsidized housing and independent living supports to fit their needs. "We're confident that we'll know what's needed to help people who use wheelchairs find appropriate housing," says Jane Dyson, DABC Executive Director. As Indigenous people move back to Vancouver's Chinatown neighbourhood, it's becoming increasingly clear that although the two cultures share many commonalities, formal opportunities to bond and share their experiences are long overdue. To foster the relationship between the people of Indigenous and Chinese heritage, the Ray-Cam Co-Operative Centre recently adopted a Thanksgiving event. Organized by Lorelei Hawkins, Community Elder who is of Cherokee, Shuswap – Okanagan descent, and with a $500 Neighbourhood Small Grant from Vancouver Foundation, the event saw indigenous elders and youth along with Chinese Canadian seniors learn about one another's culture through drum making, bead crafting, and sharing folklore and songs. Ray-Cam facilitator Bob Wong notes that local seniors – many of whom are in their 80s and 90s – were very much the driving force behind the project and, guided by Hawkins, the activities (which were staged to commemorate the Lunar New Year) amounted to much more than fun and entertainment. "It became clear that the Chinese and the Indigenous communities are an extended family, just like cousins," he says. Hawkins, who hopes that more events will be staged, adds, "Discovering the many traditional values we share makes us stronger as a community. And together, we seniors and elders can pass on our wisdom to the younger generation so that it isn't just lost in time." THE RIGHT FIT PILOT PROJECT Share Songs and Culture FACILITATING WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE HOUSING FROM DISABILITY ALLIANCE BC

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