THE CHICKADEE AND THE DOVE

One day, a chickadee meets a dove.
The chickadee asks the dove:
- "How much does a snowflake weigh?"
- "Nothing, nothing other than nothing" said the dove.
The chickadee then tells him this story:
“I was on a fir branch when it started to snow. Not a storm; no, just like a dream, gently, without violence. Since I had nothing better to do, I started counting the flakes that fell on the branch where I was standing. 3,751,962 fell. When the 3,751,963 fell on the branch, nothing but nothing, as you said, the branch broke."
With that, the chickadee flew away. The dove thought for a moment and finally said to herself: "Maybe only one person is missing for everything to change and the world to live in peace?"

HISTORY OF HANDICAP-VIE-DIGNITÉ

Gisèle Allard (1960-2009), resident of the Saint-Charles-Borromée Hospital, representative of the collective action / class action of HVD

In 1991, Hélène Rumak and Johanne Ravenda decided to cofound La Fondation Lise T., which changed its name to Handicap-Vie-Dignité (HVD) in 1996. In order to honour the memory and life of Lise, their protégée, their mission is to work towards improving the quality of life of people with severe disabilities to ensure that their needs are met and their rights respected.

Their approach is inspired by the thinking of Bernard Kouchner, founder of Doctors Without Borders, an organization that addresses the "collective and individual duty of advocacy" towards the suffering of our society’s most vulnerable. Here are a few vulnerability factors:

severe physical, intellectual or psychological limitations
reliance on others to meet their basic daily needs
inability to be understood by the various workers
isolation from the community

Through their volunteer involvement, Hélène and Johanne developed expertise in the area of abuse, especially towards the most vulnerable individuals living in a long-term care environment.

They provide education and play a pioneering role with collaborators and researchers interested in this issue. Handicap-Vie-Dignité promotes proper treatment of these vulnerable individuals through public statements, conferences, training workshops, and articles, with the hope of contributing to improving the quality of life of these individuals.

A FEW HVD ACCOMPLISHMENTS

1995

HVD organized its first national HVD seminar: Let’s break the silence... Uncovering institutional abuse, in conjunction with the Montreal Consortium on Human Rights Advocacy Training, under the auspices of McGill University’s School of Social Work.

1996

HVD published the proceedings of this very seminar with the support of York University’s Roeher Institute in Toronto.

1997

HVD produced a bilingual training and awareness video dealing with the issue of abuse and neglect of vulnerable individuals who are institutionalized:Advocacy – The Art of Speaking out.

1997

HVD asked the Court to study their claim for a class action suit on behalf of the residents of the Saint-Charles-Borromée hospital for the poor quality of care and services provided, citing in particular the mistreatment allegedly perpetrated against the residents of this long-term care facility.

1998

HVD was authorized by the court to launch this class action suit on behalf of the residents. It was the first time since the introduction of the Class Action Proceedings Act that such a proceeding was authorized against a public long-term care institution for systemic mistreatment of residents.

2006

HVD requested and eventually received permission to amend the dates of the period in question in order to add new victims to the list of plaintiffs.

2009

Death of HVD cofounder, Hélène Rumak.

2010

In a declaration at the Quebec National Assembly, Mr. Bernard Drainville, Deputy for the Marie-Victorin Constituency, commended the life and the work of Madame Hélène Rumak and expressed his gratitude in the following comment:

“Mr. President, on September 30th, 2009, Mrs. Hélène Rumak, co-founder of the organization, Handicap-Vie-Dignité, passed away. Few people know about Mrs. Rumak's immense contribution to Quebec society. All through her life, Mrs. Rumak invested herself in order to give a voice to the most vulnerable people among us…she fought to ensure that handicapped people and institutionalized seniors be treated respectfully and with dignity… She described life as a reality that goes beyond the physical body. Whatever their handicap or their disease, everybody had the same value, everyone had a right to the same dignity...” (Extract from the Quebec National Assembly (Journal des débats), May 6, 2010)

2013

Fourteen years after launching the class action suit, HVD negotiated an out-of-court settlement on behalf of the residents of the Saint-Charles-Borromée hospital who were victims of abuse between the years 1995 and 2006. It was a historic settlement in the amount of $8.5 million, creating a precedent that would make public institutions "accountable".

HÉLÈNE RUMAK FUND

FOR THE PURPOSE OF TRAINING RESIDENTS REGARDING THEIR RIGHTS IN LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES (public)

Hélène Rumak (1947-2009)
“We will have taken a great step when the most vulnerable elderly people are treated as human beings.”
( ref.: Noel, André. “CHSLD: des conditions de vie scandaleuses”, La Presse. le 20 octobre 2003, p. A3)

ABOUT THE HÉLÈNE RUMAK FUND
FOR THE PURPOSE OF TRAINING RESIDENTS REGARDING THEIR RIGHTS IN LONG TERM CARE SETTINGS

This Fund was named in honour of the late Hélène Rumak, President and Co-Founder of Handicap-Vie-Dignité, who passed away on September 30, 2009.

It is a restorative measure, in the amount of $250,000, as part of a class action settlement agreement signed on April 15, 2013 between Handicap-Vie-Dignité and the Saint-Charles-Borromée Hospital.

The Fund is managed by Handicap-Vie-Dignité, who shall report on a yearly basis on their activities to Ménard Martin, prosecutors.

HANDICAP-VIE-DIGNITÉ GOALS AND MISSION SUMMARY

HVD must work to improve the quality of life of persons with severe disabilities
HVD must ensure that their needs are better understood.
HVD must ensure that their rights are respected.

SUMMARY OF THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE HÉLÈNE RUMAK FUND

The amount attributed to this Fund must serve all the users of the public CHSLD in the Quebec Health System.

As noted in the goals of Handicap-Vie-Dignité, this Fund must serve to provide training and to plan activities regarding the rights of and the advocacy for the users.

It must ensure that information and training be given to residents, their representatives, their families and volunteers on the rights of residents and the means to assert them.

The Board of Directors of Handicap-Vie-Dignité are responsible to choose the activities and services offered, according to:

the goals and the mission of Handicap-Vie-Dignité
the needs of residents, their representatives, their families and volunteers.

Information and training activities on rights and the exercise of rights must be accessible to all public CHSLD users and not only to the residents of the Centre d’hébergement Paul-Émile-Léger (formerly recognized as the Hôpital Saint-Charles-Borromée and the Centre d’hébergement du Centre-Ville-Montréal.)

SUMMARY OF HVD’S OBLIGATIONS

HVD must ensure that the use of this Fund respects their goals and their mission.
HVD must ensure that the use of this Fund respects obligations towards residents, their representatives, their families and volunteers.
HVD must present an Annual Report of the management of the Fund to the Prosecutors Ménard Martin, lawyers acting in the appeal.
HVD must present to the Court an Annual Report of the use and the management of the Fund, as of August 31st, 2019.

REALIZED PROJECT

Let's imagine our Agora

of the CHSLD Paul-Émile Léger

NOVEMBER 9, 2021

The CHSLD Paul-Émile-Léger approached the organization Handicap-Vie-Dignité (HVD) to obtain a contribution from the Gisèle Allard Fund in the "Imaginons notre Agora" project, a flagship project for the residents and staff of the site. which generated widespread mobilization of all stakeholders.

The renovation of the agora has created a friendly, welcoming and tailor-made space to meet the needs of residents. The multiplicity of its components has allowed the creation of an attractive place where residents come to draw, from morning to evening, a source of social and sensory stimulation.

A thank you plaque was displayed at the entrance to the Agora in recognition of the donation made by the Gisele Allard Fund.

CONSULT THE FINAL PROJECT REPORT
(French version)

HANDICAP-VIE-DIGNITÉ
BOARD OF DIRECTORS - 2021-2022

Daphne Nahmiash, President
Beginning of mandate: July 01, 2020

Linda Furlini, vice-president
Beginning of mandate: June 30, 2021

Nicole Jaouich, secretary
Beginning of mandate: July 05, 2017

Dolores Di Re, treasurer
Beginning of mandate: November 01, 2020

Mimonde Théagène, administrator
Beginning of mandate: October 29, 2020

Daniel Pilote, administrator
Beginning of mandate: November 26, 2020

Luisa Matheus, administrator
Beginning of mandate: September 30, 2021

Philippe Suys, administrator
Beginning of mandate: June 06, 2022

Francine Desjarlais, administrator
Beginning of mandate: October 27, 2022

VOLUNTEERS

Michel Allard

Diana Marandola

Hélène Durand

Michel Gervais

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

CERTIFICAT

Making a Difference Pandemic 2020-2021
Presented to Daphne Nasmiash

AWARD

Women of Worth - Canadian Edition
Presented to Daphne Nasmiash

AWARD

Seniors With Swag

Presented to Daphne Nasmiash

CONTACT US

First and Last name:
Email:
Message:

ADDRESS

1173 Saint-Marc Street
Montreal, Quebec H3H 2E4

PHONE NUMBER

438-979-7901

E-MAIL

info@handicapviedignite.ca

Together...
promoting
quality of life
for residents