Blog

By Don Epp, SARC Facility Planner The Government of Canada has declared the last week in May (May 26 – June 1) as National AccessAbility Week. The goal is to promote accessibility and inclusion across our country through our communities. Accessibility and inclusion are important topics in the Disability Services sector and creating more accessible spaces […]

By Kari Boudreau, SARC Education & Training Assistant When Abilities Manitoba’s Board of Directors and their Executive Director, Margo Powell, chose to enroll in SARC’s ELEVATE program, they understood that they would be supplementing their current knowledge and gaining more awareness of their governance role. ELEVATE is a prgram that is specifically designed for nonprofit […]

By Lisa Malowany, Program Manager and Trainer Have you ever lifted something and then said, “Ouch that hurt!”?  If you have, it’s likely because you didn’t lift correctly.  If you think about how a toddler lifts something, they typically squat down, take hold of the item, and bring it in close before they stand up, […]

By Lisa Malowany, SARC Program Manager and Trainer January and February tend to be the coldest months of the year and can leave us feeling like we will never get out of the deepfreeze. Did you know this is a typical time for people to be feeling down and their mental health can suffer as a […]

By Don Epp, SARC Facility Planner Did You Know?: Group home, group living homes, and approved private service home operators are required to renew their licensing agreement with the Ministry of Social Services annually. These licensing agreements, as outlined in the Residential-services Facilities Regulations, requires a letter of approval from the local assistant to the Fire […]

By Don Epp, SARC Facility Planner There has been a lot of talk in the sector recently about fire safety, and here’s why: On January 1st, 2018 Saskatchewan adopted National Building Code (NBC) 2015 and National Fire Code (NFC) 2015 into law. The changes to fire safety and fire sprinklers requirements affect group homes throughout […]

By Nicole Linzmeyer, SARC Communications Officer In celebration of SARC’s 50th Anniversary, we are highlighting Members that are approaching client needs in unique ways. SARC Members have accomplished some amazing things for Saskatchewan communities over the last fifty years; looking ahead into the next fifty, we know there are many more achievements to be made! Last […]

By Leanne Zacharias, SARC HR Consultant We all have biases. Biases are conscious or unconscious tendencies, assumptions, and judgments that we have based on our experiences.  These are sometimes called prejudices.  In recruitment, biases can affect how the interviewers rate the candidates. Leaders need to be aware of biases to ensure they are avoiding discrimination […]

By Don Epp, SARC Facility Planner One of the most common inquiries I receive from Members is – how do I make our bathrooms more accessible? Often an accessible bathroom is a deciding factor whether a resident can be supported in a home or not. In this article, I will review some ideas that have […]

By Nicole Linzmeyer, SARC Communications Officer This summer, we headed out on our summer road trip to meet and capture the stories of this year’s SARC Awards recipients!  This was our first time filming for the new awards categories and it was exciting to be out in so many different Saskatchewan communities, with so many […]

By Nicole Linzmeyer, SARC Communications Officer In celebration of SARC’s 50th Anniversary, we are highlighting Member Agencies that are approaching client needs in unique ways. SARC Members have accomplished some amazing things for Saskatchewan communities over the last fifty years; looking ahead into the next fifty, we know there are many more achievements to be made! […]

By Leanne Zacharias, SARC HR Consultant Many factors influence an employee’s decision to start and continue employment at a specific organization.  One reason that employers often underestimate amidst talk of compensation, benefits, and vacation time, is training and development.  The effects of effective training and development has the potential to increase the recruitment and retention […]

By Sydney Smith, SARCAN Communications Officer SARC is celebrating 50 years throughout 2018, but did you know that SARCAN Recycling is also celebrating its 30th Anniversary throughout the month of July? We thought we would share a little bit about the SARCAN story and how it all began 30 years ago! SARCAN – the recycling division […]

By Ashley Topuschak, SARC HR Consultant Increasingly organizations are investing money in training and professional development for their employees. This has value for many reasons. Organizations need to ensure their employees are staying current and maintaining or developing skills that align with strategic directions and plans. Employees typically place a high value on access to training and development […]

By Don Epp, SARC Facility Planner Wheelchair ramp safety is an important concern for many organizations. The risk of slipping while traveling on a wheelchair ramp can be high if you have not taken any precautions. Rain in the summer and the buildup of snow and ice in the winter can make travelling on wheelchair […]

By Nicole Linzmeyer, SARC Communications Officer In celebration of SARC’s 50th Anniversary, we are highlighting Member Agencies that are approaching client needs in unique ways in order to serve them better. While SARC Members have accomplished some amazing things for Saskatchewan communities over the last fifty years, looking ahead into the next fifty, there are many […]

By Ashley Topuschak, SARC HR Consultant The spring season of career fairs is underway and it got me thinking – from among the assortment of employers typically at a career fair how do employers in the disability services sector set themselves apart? The quick answer?  Storytelling.  Among the booths and displays there are many that […]

By Nicole Linzmeyer, SARC Communications Officer Haley Ralko, a registered psychiatric nurse, began working at SAI over a year and a half ago as SAI recognized that they serve many individuals with dual diagnosis and thought that they could really benefit from this position. “Throughout the last ten years, the people that SAI serves has really […]

By: Nicole Linzmeyer  The Odd Job Squad through Eagles Nest Youth Ranch and Wesmor High School in Prince Albert helps youth gain valuable work experience that provides students with the necessary skills for future employment and growth after High School. Matt Grzesiak began working at Wesmor high school two years ago for an employment program […]

By Nicole Linzmeyer, SARC Communications Officer If you’ve tuned in to CTV, Rogers, or CBC, since October 1st you may have seen one of the commercials featuring either Farm Credit Canada (FCC) or SaskTel – two champion employers in the province. This year for Disability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM), we wanted to reach new audiences across […]