Spinal Cord Injury Ask an Expert: Financial Options Through the Life Span

In this Ask an Expert session, Learn about your financial options for living well throughout the lifespan with SCI or other disabilities. SCI BC’s Heather Lamb and Barry Arana will help you make cents of your financial obligations, share strategies to stay financially secure and point you toward resources that can help. You’ll pick up practical tips, have a chance to ask questions and gain confidence in planning for your future. Heather and Barry will start with a short presentation before answering questions from our members. About Heather Lamb: Heather has years of work experience in the disability field and also volunteers for a number of initiatives promoting accessibility. Heather earned her Masters in Social Work from UNBC in Prince George and has worked for SCI BC for more than 12 years. As SCI BC’s InfoLine Services Lead, Heather handles InfoLine calls from clients who may need assistance over the long term, or who are dealing with multiple issues related to their disability. She works with families and individuals who are new to spinal cord injury, as well as individuals who were injured many years ago. Heather has been visually impaired since birth and is passionate about addressing ableism in society and pursuing social justice for people with disabilities. About Barry Arana: Barry is a C5/C6 incomplete tetraplegic, 12 years post-injury. He is a research coaching coordinator for the University of Toronto and a Peer Health Coach. Since his injury, he has had to learn how to advocate for himself for his home support needs like scheduling his approved daily hours that suit his needs and life and choosing his home support workers. He has some travel experience and years of lived experience with accessing different provincial and federal disability benefits. Barry says that knowing what your rights are and learning how to advocate for yourself is key to your quality of life! 0:00- Intro 0:04-Introduction of Heather Lamb and Barry Arana 1:32- Start of presentation 42:49- Q&A ABOUT US Spinal Cord Injury BC (SCI BC) is a non-profit organization that works to help people with spinal cord injuries and their families adjust, adapt, and thrive after life-changing injury or disease, through peer support and information resources. We operate in British Columbia, Canada. This session is part of our online peer support program which features social, fitness, educational, and entertaining sessions provided for people with SCI and similar disabilities. For more information, contact [email protected] or 1-800-689-2477 and check out our events calendar to get involved!: www.sci-bc.ca/events SOCIAL Facebook: / sci_bc Instagram: / sci_bc