{{unreferenced, date=December 2012
March of Dimes Canada (MODC), officially the Rehabilitation Foundation for Disabled Persons, Canada is a registered national charity established in 2005 by
Ontario March of Dimes
{{Unreferenced, date=October 2011
Ontario March of Dimes (in French La Marche des Dix Sous de l'Ontario; officially Rehabilitation Foundation for the Disabled) is a charitable organization which provides programs and services to people of all ages ...
. MODC aims to provide
community-based rehabilitation
The aim of community-based rehabilitation (CBR) is to help people with disabilities, by establishing community-based medical integration, equalization of opportunities, and Physical therapy (Physiotherapy) rehabilitation programs for disabled peopl ...
services and resources across the country to people with physical disabilities.
March of Dimes in Canada has no affiliation with the American organization. Like its American counterpart, it began in 1951 with the Marching Mothers fundraising campaign to eradicate
polio
Poliomyelitis, commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 70% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe s ...
.
After vaccination programs effectively eliminated the threat of the disease, mandates changed to offering programs and services for people of all ages with physical
disabilities
Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, se ...
, particularly in Ontario.
For many years various provincial organizations operated under the name March of Dimes as members of the Easter Seals March of Dimes National Council.
In 2005, however,
Ontario March of Dimes
{{Unreferenced, date=October 2011
Ontario March of Dimes (in French La Marche des Dix Sous de l'Ontario; officially Rehabilitation Foundation for the Disabled) is a charitable organization which provides programs and services to people of all ages ...
acquired the exclusive right to use 'March of Dimes' in Canada, and now operates March of Dimes Canada as a national subsidiary. It no longer has any affiliation with
Easter Seals (Canada)
In Canada, Easter Seals is a group of charitable organizations 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 succe ...
.
March of Dimes Canada continues to work with polio survivors through Polio Canada, a national support network for people suffering from
post-polio syndrome
Post-polio syndrome (PPS, poliomyelitis sequelae) is a group of latent symptoms of poliomyelitis (polio), occurring at about a 25–40% rate (latest data greater than 80%). These symptoms are caused by the damaging effects of the viral infection ...
, or the late effects of polio.
It is also attempting to establish
Conductive Education
Conductive Education (CE) is an educational system, based on the work of Hungarian Professor András Pető, that has been specifically developed for children and adults who have motor disorders of neurological origin such as cerebral palsy.
CE is ...
programs across the country, which Ontario March of Dimes imported to Canada from Europe in the 1990s.