[Sican] funding cuts for CAP

[Jim Harnden]

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Dear Paulo,

I was very disturbed to receive an email (see attached) from SICAN stating
that only 50 of the 95 or so sites would receive funding this year to assist
in delivering what is a needed service in our community. We offer disability
specific assistance at our centre to those requiring adaptive aids. To see
that the disabled community is not included as part of your criteria in the
decision making process for continued funding is not acceptable. We have in
fact been delivering a service for Industry Canada, Web Accessibility Office
(WEB4ALL Program) for some time now, with no renumeration. Money from the
CAP program has allowed us to offer adaptive programs along with individual
support for those that need it. We as well have been able to take advantage
of funding (through CAP) that has allowed us to hire youth in the community
to compliment our programs for the disabled community.To say now to the
community that these programs will no longer be available due to cut-backs
doesn't address the issues that the disabled community face when it comes to
the digital divide. As for using Stats Canada figures to address what
numbers are marginalized groups...look again. Cowichan Valley has the
largest population of disabled people per capita in all of BC.

Jim Harnden, Director
Disability Resource/Cowichan

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From: sican-admin@victoria.tc.ca on behalf of Gareth Shearman
[shearman@victoria.tc.ca]
Sent: Monday, May 17, 2004 2:26 PM
To: sican@victoria.tc.ca
Subject: [Sican] draft note to SICAN

subject: CAP 2004/05 update


The arrangements for CAP for this fiscal are now starting to become clear.

There has been approximately a 45% cut in the overall funding.

The actual percentage of that funding allotted to BC has risen slightly.

To deal with this, Industry Canada has decided that they will fund 
sites that best address digital divide issues.  They have identified 
several criteria that they are using to evaluate this, as follows:

Low Income
Low Education
Rural
Seniors
Aboriginal
Francophones

They are using Stats Can 2000 figures and basing their decisions on 
the percentage of the above groups in the various Census divisions.

What does this mean specifically for SICAN?  It means that 
approximately 50 of our 95 sites will be funded this year.

By the end of May we will have worked out with Industry Canada just 
which sites will be funded and which will not.  All sites will be 
contacted individually either by us or by Industry Canada.

As far as SICAN is concerned, the fact that your site will not 
receive Industry Canada funding this year does *not* mean that we 
will stop considering your site  part of SICAN.

Unless you specifically inform us that you do not wish to be part of 
our group we will continue to keep you informed and support you in 
any way we can.

Regards,
Gareth Shearman
_______________________________________________
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Sican@victoria.tc.ca
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