BURNABY, British Columbia, July 26, 2010 – Persons with spinal cord injuries will benefit from a Rick Hansen Institute (RHI) (new window) grant of $75,000 towards the Neil Squire Society’s Computer Comfort program. Funding for this grant was provided to RHI by the Province of British Columbia in recognition of the 25th Anniversary of Rick Hansen’s Man In Motion World Tour.
Computer Comfort, one of the Neil Squire Society’s longest running programs, provides the perfect setting for adults with spinal cord injuries to access a wide range of advanced assistive technology hardware and software to help them overcome the physical barriers that prevent them from successfully working with a computer. Clients are individually assessed at the Society’s Burnaby Centre to determine the assistive technology most appropriate for their needs and are offered one-on-one computer tutoring at no cost in a supportive, client-centered environment; a refurbished donated computer for the home, if needed; and ongoing technical support.
“This support from the Rick Hansen Institute for our Computer Comfort program will allow us to reach out to a segment of the disabled community whose needs are not addressed with government or other programs and services,” said Gary Birch, Executive Director of the Neil Squire Society.
The Rick Hansen Institute has contributed $600,000 of 25th Anniversary funding to five local community service organizations, including the Neil Squire Society, as part of its commitment to minimize disability and maximize quality of life for people living with spinal cord injury.
For more information, please visit the Rick Hansen Institute website (new window).
About the Neil Squire Society
The Neil Squire Society is the only not-for-profit organization in Canada that for the past 25 years has used technology, knowledge and passion to empower Canadians with physical disabilities. The Society has developed innovative programs and services and some of the world’s leading edge assistive technology for people with physical disabilities. More than 20,000 people with disabilities in Canada have benefited from the work of the Society. With about fifty staff, the Neil Squire Society has offices and provides services to Canadian in Vancouver, Regina, Ottawa, Fredericton, and Moncton, as well as to many small communities across Canada via distance education.
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If you’d like more information about this topic, please contact Suzanne Cross by phone at 604-473-9363 or by e-mail at suzannec@neilsquire.ca.