Well I don't know about the readers out there but I have to say, finding funding is not and easy task. We recently tried to get funding for a wheelchair accessible van( an expense most provincial programs will not cover) and what a whoop-dee-do.
First off any charitable organization that would be potential help is a great place to start. Only problem is if you are in the middle income bracket good luck(unfortunately that is where the most people have debt and live paycheck to paycheck). The other problem is is that many of these organizations are "last resort" organizations meaning they would like you to try everyone else. This becomes a bit confusing as it is difficult to determine who to start with.
The next problem is most provincial programs only help with items that can be recylcled to someone else. A converted van is not such an item they say. So the frustration levels tend to go up and up.
After many months of searching and looking we came up empty. Local groups, provincial programs and charitable organizations proved to be quite a confusing task. It is hard enough dealing with the purpose for needing a converted van however add to it the extreme frustration of months of looking for help and what a task.
Don't get me wrong. All of these organizations are absolutely wonderful for everything they do but I really feel governments could do a lot more in helping people figure out where to turn. Especially in the middle income bracket. Follow the link to see a list of resources in Western Canada http://www.muscle.ca/fileadmin/Western/Services/Equipment_Funding_Manual-WC-Aug07-2009.pdf
And that's the take for today :)
Amazing to me that there isn't more funding available to middle income. The converted van is absolutely essential for the person using the wheelchair. The wheelchair and van should almost go hand in hand. I also wish there was more info available as to what types of vans, lifts etc are needed for vehicles.
ReplyDelete