Disabled newcomers have place to get help

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Winnipeg Free Press, Monday Novenmber 24, 2008
Reproduced with permission.

Laylumah Muhammad immigrated to Canada from a country where people with disabilities face extreme intolerance, so you can imagine her joy to discover the Society for Manitobans with Disabilities.

The Afghanistan native is one of many new Winnipeggers taking advantage of SMD's ethno-cultural program, a United Way-funded initiative that helps immigrants with physical and mental disabilities learn about the services available to them and how to access them.

"Afghanistan is a very difficult country to live in. In Winnipeg, no problem. Canada is good," she said through an interpreter.

Julie Strutt, supervisor of the program, said her eight staff members help between 150 to 200 people annually with "visible and invisible disabilities." She said one of their challenges is educating people that having a disability doesn't mean they will be ignored by society or the state.

"A lot of people with disabilities from other countries don't necessarily feel they have a right to access services or that services are available to them. It can also be difficult for them to navigate the hundreds of social services that are out there," she said.

Strutt said her objective is to help people meet their personal goals and have a high quality of life. That means aiding them in their search for wheelchair-accessible housing, using Handi-Transit, or setting up referrals, sourcing assessments and rehabilitation services so they can pursue their employment goals.

Strutt said the program is able to make the education process even easier by providing services in the native tongues of new immigrants. Current high-needs languages include Mandarin, Vietnamese, Serbo-Croatian and Dari, an Afghan language.

Muhammad, who came to Canada in search of a new life with her son and daughter three years ago, has mobility issues after she broke her hip a few weeks before going into labour a decade ago in Afghanistan. A doctor inserted two pins in her hip but it caused her considerable pain and she was not able to stand for extended periods or walk long distances. Since coming to Canada, she has had hip-replacement surgery and while she still uses a walker, she feels considerably better.

Because of the ongoing war in Afghanistan -- her husband was killed by the Taliban -- she said there are no services to help people with disabilities.

"Without knowing the language and culture (in Winnipeg), the people are very nice and the services are good to help with my disability," she said.

Last year, the local chapter of the United Way provided about $1 million to SMD to fund its ethno-cultural and other programs.