In Canada, Easter Seals is a group of

charitable organization A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definition of a ...

s which supports the development and advancement of people who are living with different types of disabilities. Founded in 1922 by a group of Rotary Clubs, it sought to emulate the success of the American Easter Seals program. Today, Easter Seals is set up as a federated structure led by Easter Seals Canada which represents the organization's national interests, and provincially-licensed member organizations in each of the ten provinces that directly provide a range of programs, and services locally. Across Canada, Easter Seals supports over 40,000 children, youth, adults and their families each year. The best-known and largest of Easter Seals services are the summer camp programs. There are 12 Easter Seals accessible camp facilities across Canada that are geared towards providing camp opportunities to over 4600 children with physical or mental disabilities, including

cerebral palsy Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Signs and symptoms vary among people and over time, but include poor coordination, stiff muscles, weak muscles, and tremors. There may be problems with sens ...

, autism, muscular dystrophy, and

spina bifida Spina bifida (Latin for 'split spine'; SB) is a birth defect in which there is incomplete closing of the spine and the membranes around the spinal cord during early development in pregnancy. There are three main types: spina bifida occulta, men ...

. Set-up and activities offered at the camps differ from location to location but in general, the camps provide participants with opportunities to participate in a range of activities such as:

sledge hockey Sledge hockey, also known as Sled hockey in American English, and Para ice hockey in international competition, is an adaptation of ice hockey for players who have a physical disability. The sport was invented in the early 1960s at a rehabilitat ...

, adaptive archery, basketball, rock climbing, accessible High Ropes, canoeing and rafting, swimming, arts and crafts, music and drama,

campfires A campfire is a fire at a campsite that provides light and warmth, and heat for cooking. It can also serve as a beacon, and an insect and predator deterrent. Established campgrounds often provide a stone or steel fire ring for safety. Campfires ...

, camping in a tent, and more. The camps welcome children, youth and adults, and families, and are provided at a heavily subsidized rate or at no cost to the families. In addition to the summer camps, Easter Seals also provides a range of other programs and services. These differ from province to province but include financial assistance for mobility equipment, assistive devices and technologies such as

adaptive Adaptation, in biology, is the process or trait by which organisms or population better match their environment Adaptation may also refer to: Arts * Adaptation (arts), a transfer of a work of art from one medium to another ** Film adaptation, a ...

computers and communication aids, and

wheelchair A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, used when walking is difficult or impossible due to illness, injury, problems related to old age, or disability. These can include spinal cord injuries ( paraplegia, hemiplegia, and quadriplegia), cerebr ...

-accessibility modifications to vehicles and homes; academic bursaries and scholarships; year-round adaptive sports and recreational programs; employment preparation and job training services; respite services and accommodations in urban centers for families travelling for medical treatment; and social enterprise services. The Easter Seals Drop Zone, a multi-city event, is one of the organization's key fundraisers.

National programs

Access 2 Card Program

The Access 2 Card Program is an initiative developed by Easter Seals in partnership with Cineplex Entertainment, and administered by Easter Seals. For a fee, persons who are living with permanent disabilities can obtain an Access 2 Card which then provides the cardholder with either a free or a discounted ticket for a support person that is accompanying them while the cardholder pays the regular admission price to the facility. The card is valid at Cineplex movie theatres across Canada and over 500 other entertainment, cultural and recreational venues such as museums, art galleries, zoos, historical sites, and aquariums. There were more than 200,000 users of the card in 2013. CNW
Easter Seals Canada Wins New Accessible Tourism Award
Canadian Newswire, November 14, 2014, retrieved July 22, 2016.

Disability Travel Card

The Disability Travel Card is a program of Easter Seals which operates in partnership with

Via Rail Via Rail Canada Inc. (), operating as Via Rail or Via, is a Canadian Crown corporation that is mandated to operate intercity passenger rail service in Canada. It receives an annual subsidy from Transport Canada to offset the cost of operating ...

and

Coach Canada Coach Canada is the Canadian affiliate of Coach USA. Charter services (rental of bus with driver) when originating in most areas in Ontario can travel to anywhere in North America. Megabus operations however are confined to the provinces of Queb ...

intended for people with disabilities who require assistance from support personnel while traveling. The card enables the cardholder – the person with permanent disability – to obtain a reduced ticket fare for the support person accompanying them at the time of travel, while the cardholder pays the regular ticket price.Disability Travel Card
, Easter Seals Canada.

Red Shirt Day of Action for Accessibility and Inclusion

Red Shirt Day is an initiative of Easter Seals Canada which was first observed in 2019 as part of the Government of Canada's National AccessAbility Week celebrations. The event echoes similar events like

Pink Shirt Day Anti-Bullying Day (or Pink Shirt Day) is an annual event, held in Canada and other parts of the world, where people wear a pink-coloured shirt to stand against bullying. The initiative was started in Canada, where it is held on the last Wednes ...

(anti-bullying) and

Orange Shirt Day The Truth and Reconciliation Day (french: Journée de la vérité et de la réconciliation), originally and still colloquially known as Orange Shirt Day (french: Jour du chandail orange), is a Canadian statutory holiday to recognize the legacy ...

(solidarity with Indigenous Peoples in Canada) in that it seeks to honour and value the contributions of Canadians of all abilities, particularly those who are living with disabilities, raise awareness among Canadians of all ages about challenges and barriers that continue to impact the lives of people who are living with disabilities and their families, and promote actions to create an accessible and inclusive society in Canada.

Awards

In 2014, Easter Seals Canada was awarded The Tourism Industry Associate of Ontario’s (TIAO) Award of Excellence for Accessible Tourism for its Access 2 Card and Disability Travel Card programs. Easter Seals is the first recipient of this award, which recognises efforts made to make tourism destinations available to all Canadians, regardless of abilities.

References

External links

* {{Official website, http://www.easterseals.ca/ Charities based in Canada Organizations established in 1922 Summer camps in Canada Summer camps for children with special needs Disability organizations based in Canada