Spinal Cord Injury Canada (SCI Canada) has completed its first year of operation within the three-year funding agreement from Employment and Social Development Canada. The first-year grant report has been submitted.
The Board previously approved a three-year business plan and budget to March 31, 2022.
A significant milestone was achieved this year with the approval of SCI Canada’s three-year strategic plan in October 2019. The three priority areas were determined as peer support, fundraising and support for the implementation of the Accessible Canada Act.
During the year, SCI Canada played a significant role by leading the Federal Accessibility Legislation Alliance, a collaboration of over 100 organizations in the disability community. Through this project, improvements were made to early drafts of the Accessible Canada Act that became law on June 21, 2019.
The Board met as planned to provide excellent governance for the organization.
The Executive Directors Council met as planned and provided stellar operations oversight.
In March 2020, our Federation responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by holding weekly EDC meetings to share strategies for helping members stay safe and healthy, and to share strategies to generate revenue for Corporate Members required to maintain services. Representatives from related organizations in New Brunswick and Quebec actively participated in these meetings.
The SCI Canada Executive Director was appointed to Minister Qualtrough’s COVID-19 Disability Advisory Panel in March 2020 and continues to be an active member.
SCI Canada secured two important contracts with the Government of Canada: the first to write a plain language version of the Accessible Canada Act and the second to form an advisory panel for a Government of Canada department to assist with a travel program. These contracts together are valued at $70,000. SCI Canada continues to position itself to increase government contracts related to implementing the Accessible Canada Act using our Include-Me.Ca communications platform that has over 5,600 people participating.
The Executive Director sits on three Government of Canada advisory groups thereby generating about $5,000 annually for SCI Canada.
SCI Canada ended the year with a deficit close to $10,000 which, although not ideal, is much lower than an earlier forecast.
The audit has been completed with no complications.