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4211 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M2P 1N6, Canada
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1-877-244-9686 (Ontario only)
Join us in supporting independence, inclusion, choice and full integration of all persons with cerebral palsy, within the province of Ontario.
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Support, information, and referrals to individuals with cerebral palsy
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OUR COMMITMENT
Support and Assist Individuals with
cerebral palsy
At OFCP, we are dedicated to providing support and assistance to individuals living with cerebral palsy. Through our comprehensive programs and initiatives, we strive to enhance the lives of those affected by this condition. Our commitment to advocacy, education, and community engagement empowers individuals with cerebral palsy to reach their full potential.
What's New at OFCP
By Matt Samuelson
•
20 Apr, 2024
Access to Justice Project: ARCH Disability Law Centre is leading a research project to better understand the experiences that people with disabilities have while using federal programs, courts, and tribunals in Canada. We want to understand barriers that make it more difficult to use federal programs, courts and tribunals. We also want to understand what makes federal programs, courts and tribunals more inclusive and accessible for people with disabilities. The results from this research will be included in a report that ARCH is writing for Accessibility Standards Canada. In the future, this report might be used to help inform new federal accessibility standards. For more details about the project and to access the survey, visit here: https://archdisabilitylaw.ca/access-to-justice-survey/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=REMINDER%20-%20Complete%20Access%20to%20Justice%20Survey%20%20RAPPEL%20-%20Complter%20lenqute%20sur%20laccs%20%20la%20justice&utm_content=REMINDER%20-%20Complete%20Access%20to%20Justice%20Survey%20%20RAPPEL%20-%20Complter%20lenqute%20sur%20laccs%20%20la%20justice+CID_21138729ba1aa85754130d30a7af70c9&utm_source=Campaign%20Monitor&utm_term=Details%20about%20the%20Project
By Matt Samuelson
•
14 Mar, 2024
Informed, Educated & Empowered: What Do We Know About Cerebral Palsy and Where Our Knowledge Should Lead Us From Awareness To Action Jess Silver Both the delivery and receipt of medical diagnosis is overwhelming and daunting. For both the medical professional or clinician and/ or practitioner, as well as the individual and their support system, it’s most important to understand that being informed and having a broad scope of the definition of a condition and ways to manage it, is most central. What is known about Cerebral Palsy is that it is considered to be the most common neurological condition that babies are born with, but it can also occur later in the early stages of childhood development. It most commonly occurs because of a lack of oxygen and blood supply to the cerebral cortex, and it is non-progressive in the way of degeneration, meaning that it is not a disease or disorder that one would succumb to. According to the Journal of Pediatrics of India and an article entitled “Cerebral Palsy- definition, classification, etiology and early diagnosis”, the condition may present itself in many clinic spectra”, and a lot of the time the cause isn’t easily identifiable. It is also known that there are varying types, such as spastic diplegia, dyskinetic, athetoid and hemiplegic. Due to the fact that there are varying types and the truth that every individual is unique and has different characteristics in addition to the way that the level of impairment has impacted them, it is to be understood that across lifespan one individual’s management will also be different from another. What most of society learns to understand about a condition that is commonly a physical disability like CP is through an experience with an individual who lives with it, or what is published through research to the mainstream, but this knowledge base could often be generalized and informed by preconceived notions. Currently our society is one that should be prompted to move from awareness to action—action that perceives a physical challenge as limiting in varying ways, but not as defining of an individual and their characteristics as a person and what they contribute to society moving forward. It is important for the understandings of management to move from a measure of comfort and solely providing assistive equipment to support the individual to by contrast an attitude that considers the individual’s own desires for their highest quality of life along with their support networks, and one where they [the individual] are empowered to contribute new perspectives to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) where others don’t solely check boxes stating that they know of an experience like that of an individual with CP, unless that awareness is developed through interaction with them. Prior decades in clinical research most predominantly in North America asserted interventions of orthopedics (bracing), physiotherapy, occupational therapy, spasticity management medications and surgery to be the ones most actively considered in CP management, however now it is time to shift the educational and awareness paradigm to be more non-linear one, where many unique approaches to clinical, whole-person and whole health are prioritized and where considerations of the impact of activities such as recreation, adaptive fitness and sport are more deeply understood and applied to harnessing strategies and perspectives for CP management. This March 25 th on National CP Awareness Day, lets lead from true informed awareness to create change.
By Matt Samuelson
•
26 Feb, 2024
Participate in Research! Youth and Clinicians - Expanding digital access and employment readiness through a personalizable access technology: SwitchApp Are you a 16 to 30 year old who uses access technologies to communicate or an OT or SLP who supports youth with complex communication needs? You might be interested in participating in this study at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. Please see our webpages for more information! Youth Webpage: https://research.hollandbloorview.ca/evaluating-personalizable-access-technology-switchapp-youth Clinicians Webpage: https://research.hollandbloorview.ca/evaluating-personalizable-access-technology-switchapp-clinicians What is SwitchApp? SwitchApp is an access technology that users and caregivers can set up easily at home. It recognizes the user’s words, sounds and facial movements, and uses them to control a computer or tablet. SwitchApp evolves so it can continue to recognize these cues if the user’s speech and movements change over time! What is this study? In this study, we would like your help testing the performance of a new version of SwitchApp. We are interested in how well SwitchApp works, how easy it is to use, and how much people like to use it. This information will help us improve the access technology for many different users. Who can participate? Youth between 16 and 30 years old who: - have a motor impairment preventing you from using standard technology interfaces (e.g. mouse, keyboard, touchscreen), - currently use an access technology (e.g., a switch or joystick) to communicate and/or write in an independent, functional, and regular manner (at least 3 times a week), - can consistently control facial movements and/or produce a few keywords or sounds, - have a caregiver, family member, or friend who will also participate. AND Clinicians who: - are certified occupational therapists or speech language pathologists, - have at least 1 year of experience supporting the youth described above, - have at least 1 year of experience supporting access technologies and high-tech augmented and alternative communication and/or writing aids. What’s involved? For Youth: 1. Three visits to Holland Bloorview to personalize and test how SwitchApp works. You will use it to complete employment-related tasks (e.g., opening programs on a computer, typing a short text) (1-2 hours), 2. A follow-up interview to talk about your feedback and opinions of SwitchApp (45 mins). For Clinicians: 1. One visit to Holland Bloorview to fill two questionnaires, and test SwitchApp by setting up and personalizing it (1.5-2 hours), 2. A follow-up interview to talk about your feedback and opinions of SwitchApp (45 mins). Contact us! If you think this might be interesting to you or someone you know, or if you have any questions, please feel free to contact our research team: Fanny Hotzé PRISM Lab, Bloorview Research Institute fhotze@hollandbloorview.ca 416-425-6220 ext. 6459
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Our Community
Great organization that does their best to help people including my kid with resources for cerebral palsy.
Karen S.
We appreciate the work you are doing to try and support this family that is new to Canada. I am sure your support will make all the difference to the family as they settle into their new lives and become better acquainted with the services available in Ontario.
Christina T.
My son has received funding from the funding program for many years and we are very grateful for the assistance. A special thank you goes out to Cathy and Biswatie for their hard work
and dedication.
Marc G.
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