BRITISH COLUMBIA

ASSOCIATION OF PEOPLE

WHO STUTTER

 

Speaking out for people who stutter

BCAPS

1989 – Don Hermansen begins to visualize the concept of a provincial association of people who stutter after attending the ISTAR clinic in Edmonton. He sees the therapeutic value of people who stutter getting together to help themselves and gain strength from one another.

April 1990 - Les Anderson begins a letter writing campaign to the BC government asking for financial assistance for those who stutter so they access available but expensive treatment programs.

May 1991 – Don Hermansen begins to publish a newsletter for the Vancouver Self Help Group for people who stutter (The Slow Talkers Club). This newsletter eventually becomes the official newsletter of BCAPS, the “BC Blockbuster”.

August 1991 – At a national conference for people who stutter in Banff Alberta, a small group of individuals from BC gather outside the conference hall to discuss getting a provincial organization started in BC. Present are Don Hermansen of Port Moody, Les Anderson of Fort Nelson, Ben Neufeld of Kelowna, Ron Hamilton of Kamloops, Allen Chapman of Victoria, Fay-Marley Clarke of New Westminster and Matthew Saunders of Delta. This group begins to exchange letters.

October 1991 –  Representatives from the Vancouver Self Help group films the second and last of  ½ hour television shows on stuttering for the Rogers Community Channel.

April 1992 – Les Anderson receives word from the Ministry of Health that they will undertake a study of therapy programs for people who stutter. Del Hutcheson from the Ministry begins to interview focus groups of people who stutter throughout BC and advises Les Anderson on how to lobby the government.

November 1992 – The first of many province wide teleconferences of people who stutter, sponsored by the Ministry of Health, occurs.

November 1992 – At a therapy refresher weekend put on by Sandi Bojm at University of British Columbia, Jane Sellwood of Victoria, Don Hermansen of Port Moody, David Burton of Victoria, Matthew Saunders of Delta, Tony Intas of Vancouver, Les Anderson of Fort Nelson and others begin to investigate the legal process to establish a non profit society.

March 1993 – BCAPS receives its Certificate of Incorporation as a non profit Society from the BC Government.

August 1993 – BCAPS becomes a Registered Charity with Revenue Canada and begins to issue tax receipts for donations and begins to apply to foundations, trusts and philanthropic organizations for funding.

September 1993- BCAPS holds its first official Board meeting in Williams Lake. The first BCAPS Board consists of Jane Sellwood of Victoria (President), Les Anderson of Fort Nelson (Vice President), Don Hermansen of Port Moody (Secretary)  Tony Intas of Vancouver (Treasurer), David Burton of Victoria (Public Relations), and Linda Kovach (Fundraising). The first BCAPS brochure is drafted.

October 1993 – Jane Sellwood, David Burton  and Tony Intas prepare and send a brief to the Ministry of Health on the need for intensive fluency programs in British Columbia.

March 1994 – Fred Gingell, Liberal MLA and person who stutters,  reads a Private Member’s Statement entitled “The Plight of the Stammerer” in the third session of the 35th BC Parliament on behalf of BCAPS..

May 1994 – BCAPS holds its first Annual General Meeting and weekend therapy refresher in Kamloops.

March 1995 – The Ministry of Health announces its first annual grant to the Provincial Voice Care Resource Program to assist up to 15 adults who stutter with the cost of intensive fluency therapy.

April 1996 – BCAPS gets its first Casino Night from the BC Gaming Commission as a means to raise money.

January 1997 – BCAPS establishes its province wide toll free number 1-888-301-BCAP

May 1997 – BCAPS gets its first grant from the Vancouver Sun Children’s Fund to assist children who stutter in financial need to obtain therapy.

November 1997 – BCAPS has its first ever information booth at the 40TH Anniversary conference of the British Columbia Association of  Speech Language Pathologists and Audiologists (BCASLPA)

August 1997 – Vancouver hosts a national conference for people who stutter.

May 1998 – BCAPS launches its first  web site www.haserv.com/bcaps

June 1999 – BCAPS provides a submission to the Ministry for Children and Families on its review of services for special needs children.

July 1999 – Fred Gingell, inspiration, mentor, advisor, friend and kindred spirit passes away. BCAPS begins discussions with the Gingell family over a plaque or other suitable tribute in a park that is planned in his memory.

September 1999 – As part of the “Our Millennium” project, BCAPS creates a list of speech language pathologists in British Columbia who can offer service in a language other than English. It is recognized by “Our Millennium” as one of the outstanding gifts to the community.

December 1999 – Jack Markin of Castlegar, one of the founding members of BCAPS, passes away. Mr. Markin was a long time member of the famous Kootenay Men’s Choir and a faithful supporter of the ISTAR clinic in Edmonton.

July 2000 – At the request of BCAPS, the Ministry of Health renames its annual grant to the Provincial Voice Care Resource Program to the “Fred Gingell Memorial Stuttering Treatment Support Program”.

July 2001 – BCAPS holds its first annual free summer fun camp for children who stutter and their families at the Silver Lake Forestry Centre near Peachland. BCAPS begins to receive inquiries from all over the world about the camp’s goals, objectives and format, so that similar camps can be established elsewhere.

September 2001 – BCAPS creates a plaque in honour and tribute to the late Fred Gingell and places it in a park in Tsawassen that bears his name.

May 2002 – BCAPS establishes a free lending library of stuttering related literature and video materials.

July 2002 – The annual weekend refresher in Kamloops is facilitated by Shelli Wright, one of the original members of the Kamloops self help group, now a Speech Language Pathologist.

July 2002 – BCAPS elects Mia Austinson as President, a person who stutters and the mother of a daughter who stutters.

November 2002 – BCAPS President Mia Austinson receives a service award from the British Columbia Association of Speech Language Pathologists and Audiologists (BCASLPA) for her work to increase public awareness about stuttering in British Columbia.

July 2003 – BCAPS holds its first Public Speaking Contest. The winner is Linda Kovach from Prince George. The Judges are Katie Austinson, Anne Greenwood, SLP Shannon Muir, Andrew Schulp and “Uncle Tony” Vaupshas.

February 2004 – Thanks to our web page, Information Resource Library and Jack Beeksma, BCAPS begins a relationship with Mr. Joseph Lukong of Cameroon Africa and encourages him in his efforts to help people who stutter in that part of the world.

May 2005 – Anthony Intas receives the Consumer Advocacy award from the Canadian Association of Speech Language Pathologists and Audiologists for his work on behalf of individuals with communication disorders.

August 2005 – Shelli Wright is elected President of the Canadian Association for People Who Stutter.

October 2005 – Anthony Intas receives the Distinguished Service Award from the British Columbia Association of Speech Language Pathologists and Audiologists for his work with that Association over the years and the people they help.

September 2006 – BCAPS receives a share of the profits from a Lidcome Early Childhood Stuttering Therapy workshop at which 50 Speech Language Pathologists from British Columbia and elsewhere are trained.

October 2006 – BCAPS distributes its Teacher Education Program, at no cost, for the benefit of all public school teachers in British Columbia, to deal with the issues of a child who stutters in the classroom

February 2007 – Thanks to the efforts of Walter Rowney of Kelowna, TELUS modifies its automated customer service system to accommodate people who stutter and others who are communicatively impaired.

May 2007 – BCAPS makes available its “"Starting, Running and Maintaining a Self-Help Group" manual, written by Les Anderson.

October 2007 – BCAPS is a finalist in the Donner Canadian Foundation Awards for Excellence in the Delivery of Services for People with Disabilities.

January 2009 – Taylor Attrill becomes the first Youth Advisor to the BCAPS Board of Directors