Advocacy: VDRC Guide for Print

The ACPD is a Victoria based Not-for-Profit Society committed to advocating for the empowerment, social inclusion, and economic equity for People with Disabilities. Everyone is welcome.

ACPD offers advocacy for the following:

Applications:

• Canadian Pension Plan CPP & CPP-D
• Persons with Disability (PWD) applications
• Old Age Security (OAS) & Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS)
• BC Housing & VIHA Home Support

Advocates can assist with:

• Step-by-step advocacy for Appeals, Reconsiderations, and Tribunals
• Fighting early CPP Benefits
• Attend meetings, court hearings, and Tribunals in a supportive capacity
• Obtain wheelchairs and other assistive devices
• Education, information and referrals
• Complaints to the BC Ombudsperson
• Human Rights Complaints

Location:
948 View Street
Victoria

The BC Ombudsperson helps make sure people are treated fairly by public services in British Columbia. That includes services like government-run housing programs, income assistance, public hospitals, and government ministries.

Services offered include:

• Listening, assessing and responding to enquiries and complaints from the public
• Educating citizens and public organizations about how to be fair in the delivery of services
• Conducting thorough, impartial and independent investigations
• Resolving complaints and recommending improvements to policies, procedures and practices
• Reporting publicly to bring attention to issues that impact the public

Location:
2nd Floor – 947 Fort St.
Victoria

The DLC provides a Summary Advice and Referral Service which is a free, confidential legal service, directly to people with disabilities from across BC, on certain disability-related areas of law.

Services offered include: The DLC provides a Summary Advice and Referral Service on areas of law, including:

• Accessibility laws
• Discrimination/Human Rights
• Access to Services
• Accommodation in the workplace
• Post-secondary education
• Transportation
• Decision-making rights
• Removing committeeship
• Public Guardian and Trustee
• Long-term disability insurance

The FSI is a provincial not for profit society committed to supporting families who have a family member with a disability. FSI’s supports and services are FREE to any family.

FSI mentors families to advocate for themselves. FSI will:

• Help families build relationships with government/organizations/allies/services providers
• Work with families and community partners to problem solve together
• Sit with families as their voices are being heard
• Help families to understand and move through systems (navigation)
• Help families to understand their rights and the rights of their family members
• Help families understand policy/resources to inform their own advocacy
• Advise government and decision makers of trends/issues families are facing

Location:
227 6th Street
New Westminster, BC

The Law Centre, a service of the University of Victoria Faculty of Law, provides advice, assistance and representation to clients who cannot afford a lawyer.

Free legal representation for those persons who qualify for legal assistance. Examples of cases dealt with at The Law Centre include:

• Criminal matters
• Divorce, support and other family law matters
• Human rights complaints
• Civil disputes
• Hearings before administrative Tribunals dealing with matters such as:
  • employment insurance
  • welfare
  • landlord and tenant disputes
  • Canada Pension Plan

Location:
#225 – 850 Burdett Avenue
Victoria

Parents Legal Centres (PLCs) help parents with child protection matters in the community.

Services offered include:

• If a social worker from the ministry or a delegated Aboriginal agency contacts you or visits your home, you may be under investigation. You have the right to free legal advice.
• The PLC lawyer and advocate can help you address the social worker’s concerns about your children’s safety (child protection) early on. Together they can help you find solutions that work for you and your family.
• You may be eligible for PLC services if:
  • you qualify financially, and
  • you are a parent, guardian, or a person standing in the place of a parent.
• Victoria location covers child protection cases from both Victoria and Colwood courts.

Location:
#200 – 818 Broughton St
Victoria

The Red Cedar Advocacy Centre provides free and pay-what-you-can legal services for low-income community members, seniors, youth, Indigenous peoples, people of colour, and people from other equity-seeking groups.

Services offered include:

Legal Support Services

• Human Rights
• Housing / RTA
• Worker Rights
• Environmental Stewardship
• Indigenous Rights

Community Programs

• Neighbours Helping Neighbours
• Renter’s Rights Workshops (TBC)

Support people in getting their needs met after they have been harmed, and support offenders in taking responsibility for their actions and making positive changes in their lives.

Services offered include:

• Restorative Justice Dialogue (RJD)
• Community Accountability Dialogue (CAD)
• Peacemaking Circles
• Victim Healing Circles

Location:
1929 Lee Ave
Victoria

Volunteer advocates supporting older adults 55 and up living in Victoria, Saanich, Oak Bay, Esquimalt, and View Royal.

Advocates have a wide range of professional backgrounds to help ensure a wide range of support is available to seniors. Seniors’ Entitlement Services also provides services in collaboration with the Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society (VIRCS).

Services Offered Include: 

• Problem-solving, using collaborative approaches
• System navigation (financial, housing, health care, legal, transportation)
• Assistance with applications, forms, and correspondence (e.g., housing applications, government benefit applications and forms, legal documents, landlord-tenant correspondence)
• Hands-on support in dealing with government officials, landlords, bankers, doctors, neighbours, etc.
• Information and referral services
• Addressing elder abuse and unexpected hardships

The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul seeks, in a spirit of justice and charity, to support those in need through a variety of programs that are committed to addressing the root causes that contribute to poverty in our communities.

Services offered include:

• Whether you need help applying for government services, or need assistance with personal situations, the Social Concern Office can help guide you and provide referrals to other helpful services when necessary.
• Appointments are handled on a first-come-first-serve basis. Please bring all relevant materials and documents to each meeting.

Location:
833 Yates Street
Victoria

TRAC is a non-profit organization that provides free legal education, representation, and advocacy on residential tenancy matters.

Services provided include: TRAC’s Housing Law Clinic Lawyer can provide free legal advice and/or representation for the following types of cases:

• You would like a Supreme Court Judge to review your Residential Tenancy Branch decision for a serious error or unfairness;
• You need help enforcing a Residential Tenancy Branch monetary order through Small Claims Court; or
• Your housing situation falls outside of the Residential Tenancy Act (e.g. co-operative housing) and you need legal assistance.

Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB) Dispute Resolution:

TRAC’s Legal Advocate can provide free legal representation at RTB dispute resolution for the following types of cases:

• You and other tenants in your building are being affected by the same tenancy issue(s) and would like to file for dispute resolution as a group;
• You are an individual tenant experiencing a tenancy issue that TRAC considers serious, common, or systemic;

Tenant Infoline:

• TRAC’s Tenant Infoline provides tenants across BC with free legal information and referral services.

TAPS provides free, face-to-face advocacy (including legal assistance with a lawyer in some cases) for people with issues regarding matters such as income assistance, disability benefits, employment standards, and tenancy.

Services offered include:

• Helps clients obtain social services they are entitled to, including:
  • disability benefits, such as Person with Disability status and the Disability Tax Credit
  • access to Nutritional Supplements
  • basic dental and pharmaceutical care
• Represents service-users at Income Assistance Panels
• Landlord-tenant disputes: negotiation and legal advocacy on behalf of tenants
• Information about the BC Residential Tenancy Act and other important laws governing housing rights
• Advocacy representation services in hearings before the BC Employment Standards Tribunal
• Communicate with employers on behalf of employees during disputes

Location:
828 View Street
Victoria

VIHRC is a community-based, non-profit agency that helps individuals and organizations uphold and promote human rights.

VIHRC advocates provide guidance and assistance in submitting applications to the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal.

Services offered include:

• Communicating with police, government, organizations, corporations, or other individuals regarding clients’ human rights.
• Assisting individuals to access information regarding their human rights.
• Supporting and assisting in filing human rights complaints with the BC Human Rights Tribunal and the Canadian Human Rights Commission.

Location:
#418 – 620 View St
Victoria

At REES, they use a co-operative, recovery-based approach to help reduce isolation from community, friends and family that is often a result of mental illness and addictions. REES often works with families and professionals too.

Services offered include:

• Assistance and advocacy navigating income assistance, disability claims, and more

Location:
465 Swift Street
Victoria