Kindale offers a one-day workshop on Friday, Thinking in the Future Tense, for families interested in learning a practical approach to creating a future plan for a loved one with a disability.
The workshop, which is also of interest to agencies and other community members, is designed to walk participants through the steps necessary to begin securing a future plan. Topics include the Registered Disabilities Savings Plan and information on trusts, executors, guardians and the importance of planning a will. Participants will also learn about the Representation Agreement, the importance of a personal network to secure a future plan; recognizing that everyone has something to offer; exploration of different housing options and the varied supports required, as well as the technical and legal structures and financing of home ownership.
Guest speakers are Geoffrey W. White, a lawyer who heads one of the few legal firms in British Columbia to focus exclusively on estate, tax and charity law. He frequently works with families and people with disabilities; and Nancy Ford, the PLAN Institute director of learning and family development and has been involved in many programs in her 15 years with PLAN (Plan Lifetime Advocacy Network), an organization which assists families and their loved ones with disabilities.
The workshop is the start of the series, The Seven Steps to a Safe and Secure Future, which will answer the questions: who will be there in the future to provide security, companionship and love for a loved one with disabilities; how will that person continue to have the quality of life they experienced at home with their families; how will their interested be protected, their contributions recognized and their needs and choices honoured?
The Thinking in the Future Tense workshop, sponsored by The Law Foundation of British Columbia, takes place Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the People Place (3402-27 Ave., Vernon) The workshop is free, with light lunch and refreshments provided. The series continues Nov. 4, Nov. 18, Dec. 2, Jan. 6, Jan. 20, and Feb. 17 from 10 a.m. to noon at Seaton Centre in Vernon. Pre-registration is required. For more information, call Sherri at 1-250-546-3005 or email kindale@kindale.net.
