A Return to Normal in 2022
If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that the last few years have been a challenge, to say the least. But with the tireless efforts of our incredible staff and community, we’ve kept each other safe and supported. To everyone who rose to the occasion and took care of your neighbour, your friend, your family, or your community: we are eternally grateful. There’s no group of people we would rather spend our difficult days with.
As 2022 opened up, things started to feel like normal again, not a new normal, just…normal. Here at DDA we got back to so many events and outings that our clients and staff love to do. And a huge thank you to our tireless residential and day program staff who keep our clients happy, healthy, and entertained!
Launched in 2022
DDA’s New Documentary: Doing the Impossible – The Story of the Developmental Disabilities Association
We’re incredibly proud of the work our videographer and documentarian David Ozier did on a story that is very important to us. It’s the story of how the DDA came to be, and the incredibly important role it played in advancing disability rights in Canada.
Encouraging Abilities Podcast
2022 also saw the launch of our podcast, hosted by our very own Evan Kelly. Episodes tackle various issues facing our community, and with the help of various experts, educators, and self-advocates, we hope to help spread awareness and understanding.
B.C. Human Rights Commissioner Kasari Govender discusses the Unwritten Rules campaign
Esther Thane’s music therapy practice, and its role in helping youth learn new ways to communicate
…and many more!
…and in order to make more videos and podcasts, we built a new studio at head office!
Accessibility Matters
DDA was instrumental in helping direct the City of Vancouver’s brand new Accessibility Strategy. DDA and many other groups and advocates took part in committee meetings to help develop phase one of the City’s new accessibility goals.
For more information on what it all means, go here.
$10-A-Day Childcare
In 2022, the provincial government, with the assistance of the federal government, began its commitment to $10-a-day childcare for B.C. families.
The Developmental Disabilities Association announced in late 2022 that three of its eight Child Development Centres became involved in the program on December 1st.
For now, only Creekside, Fraserview, and Riverside Child Development Centres will take part in the program as it gains momentum. The rest of our CDCs (5) will benefit from new fee reductions that were announced by the government earlier in 2022 and began on December 1st.
Currently, families pay in the range of $375 to $615 a month for full-time care, depending on the age group. In addition, those who qualify for the Affordable Child Care Benefit could see their fees reduced further, perhaps even to zero.
DDA looks forward to working closely with the provincial government as the $10-a-day program progresses to include all childcare centres and families.
Job Fairs!
Getting back to normal means getting back out in the public and local schools to promote how awesome it is to work at DDA! Now that the pandemic is somewhat behind us, we can actively take part in job fairs. Thankfully, it’s been busy getting our careers team out there. In 2022 we have done in-person job fairs with KPU Surrey, Langara, and UBC. We have also done 5 online job fairs with West Coast Job Fairs, UBC, SFU, and UVIC. A big thanks to all the DDA managers, such as Chloe, Espie, and Sonia from DDA Residential, who take part in drumming up interest in DDA.
If you are interested in a career with DDA, check out our current opportunities here.
