Membership

Join or Renew Membership

Join among thousands and become part of the Canadian Association of the Deaf-Association des Sourds du Canada (CAD-ASC), the oldest national consumer organization of, by and for Deaf individuals in Canada. As not-for-profit organization, the CAD-ASC welcomes everyone who supports its mission and objectives. Your membership makes it possible for the CAD-ASC to promote and protect the rights, needs and concerns of Deaf people in Canada through advocacy efforts for having its interests represented at national level.

The CAD-ASC has three memberships: National Individual Membership, Provincial Affiliates and Organizational Affiliates

National Individual Membership

• Regular- $25/yr

Provincial/Territorial and Organizational Affiliates

• Provincial- $300/yr
• Organizational- $75/yr
  See a list of Affiliates in good-standing with CAD-ASC below.

Benefits of Membership

• Receive documented verification of membership through email.
• Receive regular updates and announcements.
• Shall be entitled to certain privileges during Annual General Meetings, whether in-person or virtual (online). (Type of privilege is dependent on membership type. Look at the policy for more information)
• 15% percent discount on all CAD-ASC publications and merchandise.
• 15% discount for events such as conferences, workshops, training, town-hall meetings, and others.
• May be invited to join committees, task forces, and/ or strategic teams.
• May request the full AGM package of reports for the one year previous to membership.
• May request the Minutes of AGMs up to three years before joining.
• And more!

Membership Forms

• Become a Member
• Become an Affiliate: Contact the CAD-ASC office at info@cad-asc.ca for the Provincial Affiliates and Organizational Affiliates Form

Membership Policies

Individual Membership Policy

This membership policy contains important information for any individual interested in becoming a member or a current member. The policy outlines the applicable fees, benefits, eligibility criteria, procedures and forms.

Membership Dues

The membership dues (fees) shall be determined by the CAD-ASC Board of Directors. Members shall be notified in writing or via electronic means of the membership dues (Individual Members: $25/year). All memberships begin with the fiscal year (April 1st) and run to the end of the same fiscal year (March 31st). If a member fails to renew its membership 45 days before the Annual General Meeting, it shall automatically cease to be a member of CAD-ASC.

Eligibility Criteria

• All membership must be accompanied by payment in full of the appropriate membership fee.
• All members must support CAD-ASC’s mission and vision that represents and advocates for Sign language rights, human rights, and equality of accessibility for Deaf, Deaf-Blind, and Hard of Hearing Canadians who use Sign languages.
• All individual members must have legal status in Canada at the time of their application. Individuals must be at least 18 years of age, and legally able to sign contracts in the same calendar year as they apply for membership.

CAD-ASC is a civil society organization that supports the principles and practices of inclusion, diversity, and equality. In any category of membership, any member may be refused membership and/or have their current membership revoked if it is determined that they have violated these principles and practices in any situation, whether private or public.

As stated in CAD-ASC bylaws, Section II, Membership; 6, Membership Classification: “The membership of the Corporation shall consist of such Provincial/Territorial Members, Organizational Members, and Individual Members whose application for admission to the membership has been received and approved in its sole discretion by the Board of Directors of the Corporation in each fiscal year.”

Procedures

1. Individual membership will be generally granted upon satisfactory completion of membership forms and agreements.
2. The CAD-ASC office acts as a screening body to ensure applications meet membership requirements, including eligibility criteria.
3. As per Section 6 of the bylaws, the CAD-ASC Board of Directors has sole discretion to approve and review all memberships. Any membership may be suspended until the next AGM or until a special meeting of the Board. All decisions are final and may not be appealed. Any applicant who has been rejected for current-year membership may apply again in the following year. Any member may withdraw at any time without receiving a refund.
4. The membership payments are NOT refundable.

Approved: February 2021
Note: This policy will be automated changed to accommodate to any change in the bylaws.

Affiliate Membership Policy

This membership policy contains important information for any organization interested in becoming a member or a current member. The policy outlines the membership categories, applicable fees, benefits, eligibility criteria, procedures, and forms.

Categories of Membership

As per the bylaws, there are two categories of organization membership:

• Provincial/Territorial Members – must be provincial Deaf associations; except when there is no provincial association, there can be up to two local Deaf associations (see the bylaws for further information).
• Organizational Members – national, regional, or local Deaf associations.

Membership Dues

The membership dues (fees) shall be determined by the CAD-ASC Board of Directors. Members shall be notified in writing or via electronic means of the membership dues.

• Provincial/Territorial Members: $300/year
• Organizational Members: $75/year

All memberships begin with the fiscal year (April 1st) and run to the end of the same fiscal year (March 31st). If a member fails to renew its membership 45 days before the Annual General Meeting, it shall automatically cease to be a member of CAD-ASC.

Membership fees are not refundable.

Membership Benefits

Provincial/Territorial Members can send up to two representatives, and Organization Members can send one representative to the CAD-ASC AGM. Each affiliate will have voting privileges as described in the CAD-ASC bylaws, including the opportunity to submit motions and propose amendments to the bylaws, subject to CAD-ASC rules and timelines.

• Receive regular updates and announcements.
• Receive annual reports, minutes, and other documents before the Annual General Meeting.
• 15% percent discount on all CAD-ASC publications and merchandise.
• 15% discount for events such as conferences, workshops, training, town-hall meetings, and other activities for up to two members of the organization’s Board of Directors (i.e., not members of its general membership).
• May be invited to join committees, task forces, and/or strategic teams (limit one representative to each committee).

Eligibility Criteria

• All membership applications must be accompanied by payment in full of the appropriate membership fee.
• All members must support CAD-ASC’s mission and vision that represents and advocates for Sign language rights, human rights, and equality of accessibility for Deaf, Deaf-Blind, and Hard of Hearing Canadians who use Sign languages.
• Organization Members must be based in Canada. Organizations in other countries are not eligible to affiliate with CAD-ASC.

CAD-ASC is a civil society organization that supports the principles and practices of inclusion, diversity, and equality. In any category of membership, any member may be refused membership and/or have their current membership revoked if it is determined that they have violated these principles and practices in any situation, whether private or public.

As stated in CAD-ASC bylaws, Section II, Membership; 6., Membership Classification: “The membership of the Corporation shall consist of such Provincial/Territorial Members, Organizational Members, and Individual Members whose application for admission to the membership has been received and approved in its sole discretion by the Board of Directors of the Corporation in each fiscal year.”

Procedures

1. All applications are to be submitted to the CAD-ASC office. Applications must use the official membership form.
2. The CAD-ASC office acts as a screening body to ensure that applications meet membership requirements, including eligibility criteria, the completed written form, and payment in full of the appropriate fee.
3. The CAD-ASC office presents the screened applications to the full Board of Directors on at least a monthly basis. The office will attach a recommendation for acceptance or rejection to each application.
4. The Board of Directors shall review and vote upon all applications as presented by the office. All decisions are final and may not be appealed. Any applicant who has been rejected for current-year membership may apply again in the following year.

Approved: February 2021
Note: This policy will be automatically changed to accommodate any change in the bylaws.