Welcome to the CanAssist web site.
Our Mission
CanAssist is dedicated to developing technology, devices and services that will improve the quality of life of those with special needs.
Welcome to the CanAssist website!
Recent News
April 2, 2008: Thank you Great Canadian Gaming Corporation!
We are pleased to announce that the Great Canadian Gaming Corporation (GCGC) has donated $1 million to CanAssist.
In each of the next five years, CanAssist will be receiving $200,000 from the GCGC, providing CanAssist with the funds to respond to more requests for devices, continue its ongoing research program, and expand its operations to provide training opportunities for people with special needs. “I am pleased to help ensure the continued progress and expansion of this vital work,” says Ross McLeod, chief executive officer of GCGC. “On behalf of Great Canadian Casinos, we know that our commitment, together with the energy and imagination of UVic students, will continue to enhance the lives of citizens challenged by disabilities.”
The Great Canadian Gaming Corporation is a multi-jurisdictional gaming and entertainment operator with facilities in British Columbia, Ontario, Nova Scotia and Washington State.
For more information about the GCGC donation, please refer to the UVic media release.
March 31, 2008: Garth Homer Resource Fair
CanAssist would like to thank Community Living Victoria, Integra Support Services, Garth Homer Society and Community Living BC for inviting us to participate in their annual Resource Fair.
Held at the Garth Homer Society, this information fair was an opportunity for families, individuals and service providers to learn about the supports and services available to transitioning youth and adults who live with developmental disabilities.
March 3, 2008: "We Care Day" on March 8th
"We Care Day" will be the last event celebrating the partnership between Safeway(Fort and Foul Bay Rd) and CanAssist.
The second event, "Charity Checkout" Day, was a huge success due to the enthusiasm and hardwork of CanAssist volunteers and Safeway staff. We would like to thank Honourable Ida Chong for stopping by our event and supporting us in our fundraising efforts. We would also like to thank local radio station, 100.3 The Q, for publicizing the event and providing their famous "Q" Boombox.
On March 8th, Safeway staff will be selling "We Care" Coupon books where 100% of the proceeds will be going towards CanAssist. The coupon books are $3 each and contain over $100 worth of savings including a valuable "spend $30, receive $3 off" coupon--making the coupon book practically free! "We Care" coupon books will be sold from March 1st to March 31st so, if you can not join us on the 8th, there will be another opportunity to purchase your coupon book!
The CanAssist team and its volunteers will be on location that day, chatting with customers, showcasing its devices and assisting the Safeway staff in their fundraising efforts. There will be a special live performance by local Victoria band, DejaVu, and the JACKmobile from 103.1 JACK FM will also be dropping by to support us with delicious samples of Serious Coffee.
"We Care Day"
Date: March 8, 2008
Time: 10 AM to 3 PM
Location: Safeway on Fort and Foul Bay Road
February 20, 2008: Engineering High School Tour
Held at the Engineering Lobby Wing at UVic, students, counsellors, teachers and parents from secondary schools on Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, and the Lower Mainland were invited for a guided tour of the Faculty of Engineering.
CanAssist was one of many booths engaging students with interactive displays and providing information on how to volunteer and be involved. CanAssist would like to thank the Faculty of Engineering for allowing us to participate in this wonderful event. For more information on how to attend an Engineering High School Tour, please click here http://www.engr.uvic.ca/events/tours.php
February 5, 2008: "Charity Checkout Day" on February 16th
CanAssist and Safeway(on Fort and Foul Bay Rd.) would like to invite everyone to "Charity Checkout Day" on Feburary 16th. "Charity Checkout Day" is the second event that will be celebrating the partnership between the two organizations. The first event, "Miles Bring Smiles" Day, was a huge success due to the enthusiasm of our volunteers, the hardworking staff of Safeway and the generosity of customers.
On February 16th, customers will be asked to round up their bill for CanAssist and in return, they will receive valuable coupons for Eat Right products.
The CanAssist team and its volunteers will be on location that day, chatting with customers, showcasing its devices and assisting the Safeway staff in their fundraising efforts. Thunder, the UVic Vikes mascot, will be making a special guest appearance with Vikes field hockey star Katie Collison. We encourage everyone to come down and join us in the festivities!
"Charity Checkout Day"
Date: February 16, 2008
Time: 10 AM to 3 PM
Location: Safeway on Fort and Foul Bay Road
January 28, 2008: Volunteer Networking Fair
This past Sunday, CanAssist attended the Volunteer Networking Fair hosted by UVic's Student Leadership Program.
Held at the David Strong Building, students had the opportunity to meet with various community organizations and gather information on how to volunteer and become involved with them. CanAssist was delighted to be involved with such an exciting event and would like to thank the UVic Student Leadership program for inviting us.
January 14, 2008: "Miles Bring Smiles" Day on January 26th
CanAssist is proud to announce that Safeway(Fort and Foul Bay Road) has chosen CanAssist as its organization to support this year for their annual We Care Program. For the next three months, CanAssist will be working with Safeway (Fort and Foul Bay) to build awareness and to fundraise for CanAssist programs. On January 26th, Miles Bring Smiles Day will be one of three events that will celebrate the partnership between the two organizations. On that day, when a customer donates $2 to CanAssist they will receive 5 Air Miles Points on their card. Normally, it is 1 Air Mile point for every $20 spent in the store. On the 26th, the CanAssist team will also be at the Fort and Foul Bay Safeway showcasing its devices, chatting with customers and supporting the Safeway staff in their fundraising efforts. We encourage everyone to come down and join us for this special event!
"Miles Bring Smiles" Day
Date: January 26, 2008
Time: 10 AM to 3 PM
Location: Safeway on Fort and Foul Bay Road
January 8, 2008: Dean's Lunchtime Lecture Series
CanAssist research associate, Rob Prinz, will be speaking at the 2008 Dean's Lunchtime Lecture Series on Friday, January 25th. His topic for the series will be "Assisted Mobility: An Application of Wearable Technology" where he will be discussing about his current research project, powered orthoses.
The Dean's Lunchtime Lecture series is a popular event and is presented in partnership with the Greater Victoria Public Library and is sponsored by the faculties of Education, Fine Arts, Graduate Studies, Humanities, Law, Science, Social Sciences, and the Division of Continuing Studies. Admission is free but due to the popularity of the lecture series, it is recommended that
you register for a seat. To register, please call 472-4747 with the course code.
Lecture: Assisted Mobility-An Application of Wearable Technology
Date: January 25, 2008
Time: Noon to 1:15 PM
Location: UVic, Clearihue Building, Room A127
Speaker: Rob Prinz
Course Code: ASDS279 2008S E01
December 14, 2007: Just for Kicks Christmas Party 2007
This past Sunday, after an exciting game of team soccer, Just for Kicks held its annual Christmas party at the upper lobby of the UVic McKinnon gym. To the delight of the children, Santa Claus made a surprise visit and presented each child with a special gift bag filled with toys and treats. Drinks and delicious goodies (courtesy of Fort and Foul Bay Safeway) were also available for the kids to enjoy. Overall, it was a great ending to the Just for Kicks season, filled with smiles and laughter.
CanAssist would like to thank Safeway(Fort and Foul Bay) for providing the drinks and delicious treats and the staff at the UVic McKinnon gym for assisting with the setup. Also, Just for Kicks would like to give a huge thank you to all the volunteers that come out each Sunday to play with the kids. Without your participation, Just for Kicks would not be what it is today.
December 7, 2007: UN International Day of Disabled Persons Celebration and Awards
Access UVic, a constituency organization of disabled students, hosted a delightful awards ceremony at the University Club in honour of the UN International Day of Disabled Persons. Awards were presented to individuals and organizations that have done a great amount of work in building an inclusive and accessible campus and community. CanAssist would like to congratulate all the award recipients for their great work and to thank Access UVic for inviting us to an amazing event.
November 14, 2007: Island Tech 2007
CanAssist would like to thank VIATeC for inviting us to their exciting Island Tech showcase. Island Tech 2007 is a one-day exposition of more than 80 technology firms and research agencies, celebrating the world-class innovation, research, and technology generated on Vancouver Island. Held at the Victoria Conference Centre, CanAssist was invited to display its technology and devices in the Innovation Showcase area.
October 16, 2007: Thank You Soccerworld
CanAssist would like to thank Soccerworld for donating a new set of soccer balls to the Just for Kicks Soccer Program. The young athletes were excited to begin their drills on Sunday afternoon in the McKinnon Gym after receiving the fresh new balls. There are no registration fees for the program and therefore, community support is invaluable. Soccerworld is a sports equipment store with a large selection of footwear, apparel and equipment for soccer, field hockey and rugby. Thank you Soccerworld!
September 24, 2007: Disabilities Resource Fair
CanAssist would like to thank the Victoria Society for Children with Autism for inviting us to their Disabilities Resource Fair. Held at the Queen Alexandra Hospital, organizations from all over Victoria gathered to provide support and information to families of individuals with autism and related conditions.
We would like to thank Michael Peters (above) for joining the CanAssist display. This high school
student has developed a device that will allow wheelchair users to exercise their legs and maintain a healthy blood flow in their lower body. Michael is currently looking for participants to test the feasibility of his device. If you are interested in his study, please contact us at info@canassist.ca for more information.
August 21, 2007: IDC Invention Competition 2007
We would like to congratulate CanAssist team members, Phil Zeman (left) and Sunny Mahajan, for receiving first prize at the Innovation and Development Corporation (IDC) Invention Competition. More than a hundred participants from all over the island joined the competition. Phil and Sunny won first prize in the software category for the improvement to the diagnosis of brain disorders based on EEG data. They were also nominated for the "People's Choice" Award. Congratulations Phil and Sunny!
July 16, 2007: Ministers' Funding Announcement
UVATT is excited to announce that the Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance and the Ministry of Children and Family Development have awarded UVATT with a grant to support its activities and programs. Four ministers-Hon. Claude Richmond, Hon. Tom Christensen, Hon. Murray Coell, and Hon. Ida Chong-announced this grant at a special event held at the University Club. We would like to thank the Provincial government for recognizing us as an important service to the community and for supporting our programs. We would also like to thank all our supporters who came and joined us in the celebration.
June 30, 2007: Mobile Floor Sitter
UVATT researcher, Ryan Truant, recently delivered a Mobile Floor Sitter to a little girl with familial peripheral neuropathy. This condition affects the little girl's upper body movement and requires her to use a ventilator to breathe. Until recently, she has been sitting on the fold-down foot pedals of a wheelchair and using her legs to push herself around. This was not an effective way...
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April 20, 2007: Thank You Ronald McDonald House Charities
Everyone at UVATT would like to thank Ronald McDonald House Charities for generously donating to our organization. Since 1982, Ronald McDonald House Charities has been helping children with serious illnesses or disabilities lead happier and healthier lives. Thank you Ronald McDonald House Charities for recognizing us as an important service to the community!
April 5, 2007: MECH 350 Final Design Presentations
Every year, students from Dr. Afzal Suleman's mechanical engineering (MEC350) class designs mechanical devices to assist people with disabilities as their final projects.
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March 22, 2007: Work Experience Student from Oak Bay
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UVATT has taken on several work experience students from various high schools over the years. This year, Ben Groom...
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January 10, 2007: MBA Students Present UVATT Market Opportunities
When it comes to a business problem, who better to ask than the bright MBA students at the University of Victoria!
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January 1, 2007: Director Nigel Livingston appointed to B.C. Minister's Council
We are delighted to announce that UVATT director, Nigel Livingston, has been appointed to the Minister's Council on Employment for Persons with Disabilities. The Minister's Council was established as a partnership between government, business, education, community-based organizations and persons with disabilities. The aim of this council is to increase the employment, employability and independence of persons with disabilities.
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT
Job Opportunity- Administrative Assistant
Download Job Description
CanAssist is currently seeking a full-time administrative assistant. This position will provide administrative and clerical support to the team and perform front-line reception services. This job is suitable for someone who would like to be part of a dynamic and fast growing team while making a difference in the life of people with special needs. Please download the PDF document above for a full job description.
WE ARE NO LONGER TAKING APPLICATIONS FOR THIS POSITION. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO APPLIED.
Just for Kicks Soccer Program
Just for Kicks is an exciting soccer program designed to give children with specials needs a chance to play soccer, make new friends, play on a team and-most importantly-have some fun!
Games are played on Sunday afternoons from September through March at the UVic McKinnon Gym. There are
no registration fees and children from all ages are encouraged to join. We provide soccer jerseys for everyone and at the end of the program, each child receives a medallion or trophy.
The success of our program is largely due to our dedicated and enthusiastic soccer buddies who play alongside our young athletes. Each volunteer is paired with a different child to help ensure that he/she is having
fun and participating. We are always looking for more volunteers so come join us now! (no soccer experience necessary)
If you are interested in becoming a soccer buddy or if you know of a child who would love to participate, please email Graham or Carmen Duncan at just4kicks@canassist.ca
or call 250-598-9382.
Volunteer Spotlight
Norma Haskett
Norma Haskett is a seamstress who spends her spare time sewing items for UVATT. Born in England, Norma has been sewing since she was five years old. Read Norma's story...
Bill Hook
Bill Hook works on projects that require expertise in electronics. As a communications engineer, he has solved numerous similar problems over his 35 year career. Read Bill's story...
More volunteer stories...