COD-NL finds new home

A group that helps people with disabilities in the province found a new office after speculation that they were going to have to  close permanently.

Kelly White, the executive director of the Coalition of Persons with Disabilities Newfoundland and Labrador, said the group received a number of offers for available office space.

"Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador had a spare office they were not using, and they called us up and they offered it to us, as did some other organizations," White said.

"But we went with Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador because it was on a bus route, it was on the GoBus route, as well, and it was within the city limits."

She said the group was offering them more than just a low rent office.

"It means that we have time again to look for new investments in disabilities and to go forward," White said.

However, White said the organization is still facing pending financial issues.

"We're not permanently out of the woods yet," she said. "We're going to receive another funding cut April 1, 2014 from the federal government again, but we're hoping within the year that we can find some corporate sponsors … that want to work with us to advance the inclusion of persons with disabilities."

White said the work the organization needs to do helping disabled people in the province is nowhere near completed.

"We have so much work to do, and there's so many things from advanced health care directives down to blue zone parking, to inclusive education, to employment, housing — many things we need to work on," she said.

"And we can only keep going with proper resources, so Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador has given us that opportunity."

The new office for COD-NL is located at 460 Torbay Road in St. John's.