What professions are a part of your organization and what would you consider to be your greatest joy about doing the work you do?
The War Amps is a charitable organization funded by donations from the public to the Key Tag Service. We serve all amputees in Canada, including veterans and children, with financial assistance for artificial limbs and related costs, peer support and information, and advocacy for their rights and interests.
Our regional CHAMP seminars are major sources of joy as they give child amputees and their families an opportunity to learn and connect with other amputees, often for the first time. This year, we’re celebrating 50 years of CHAMP, which was created by the amputee veterans who founded The War Amps in 1975.
What led you to become involved with ISPO?
As an organization that has been providing unique support to amputees for more than a century, we recognize the importance of collaboration with others in the field. We appreciate being included as a Consumer Stakeholder in ISPO board meetings as it allows us to keep a pulse on the priorities of the profession. It also allows us to offer input based on what we see day-to-day in our work, ensuring the perspective of the amputee is at the table.
What impact do you think ISPO has had on persons accessing assistive devices and rehabilitation services?
The War Amps believes that ISPO provides an important forum for innovation to enhance the profession’s ability to improve the lives of amputees. Through ISPO, we gain valuable insight into the P&O profession and industry trends, both of which have a critical impact on our amputee membership and our advocacy work. By fostering information sharing, ISPO gives us a forum to actively work together to ensure the services we provide are rooted in an understanding of the profession and the current needs of amputees.
Are there any current professional projects that you are engaged in?
We continue our crusade for reform to improve prosthetic coverage across the country. This includes our advocacy surrounding the Assistive Devices Program Client Satisfaction Survey, which one of our members shared with us. We prepared a response addressing our several concerns, including the very nature of the questions and the funding implications for Ontario amputees. We also continue to work collaboratively with the Ontario Association of Prosthetics and Orthotics in our provincial advocacy work.
In Quebec, we continue to address provincial funding limitations with respect to the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ). A number of our members have found funding is severely lacking due to the outdated nature of their funding guidelines, resulting in difficulty accessing required prosthetic care. We continue to monitor this issue and will soon be engaging with RAMQ about reforming their guidelines.
Since the recent change in government, we are also continuing to monitor the implementation of the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) to determine our next steps ahead of the fall parliamentary session. Our position remains that the federal government must increase funding for the CDB and streamline the eligibility process to ensure that it fulfills its promise of supporting Canadians with disabilities made vulnerable by poverty.
Can you offer any advice to recent graduates and students in your chosen profession?
Due to the unique needs of the amputee population, we know the learning curve is steep for those starting out in the P&O field. We would encourage recent graduates and students to lean on the resources offered by ISPO to develop their skill set early in their education as well as throughout their careers, which will serve them well in developing the required skills for treating amputees.
The War Amps is here to support the development of such skills for P&O students and professionals through our Continuing Education Program, which can cover the cost of courses held in Canada or internationally, as well as transportation and accommodation costs.
What do you wish more people knew about your organization?
Our Continuing Education Program offers funding to all Canadian medical professionals and students who work with amputees. This program allows us to help ensure professionals can pursue continuing education courses, conferences and training sessions with respect to all aspects of care for those within the limb loss and limb difference community.
To apply, please visit waramps.ca and complete the application form, or contact us (1 877 622-2472; info@waramps.ca) for more information.
The International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics Canada 