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From the CEO: Congratulations to People First of Ontario
This past Wednesday morning at the successful “Awakening the Power of Community” conference hosted by People First of Ontario, the Board President, Richard Ruston, announced that he and his team had just secured over $418,000.00 in funding from the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services.
This new funding will be used over the next 18 months and will allow the organization to do work around “Organizational Readiness”, including governance training, administrative assistance, face-to-face Board meetings and web site improvements.
We at Community Living Ontario are so happy to see this latest success for the People First movement. It’s the result of a lot of hard work and collaboration by many people.
We’re also pleased to see the ministry’s recognition of the value of a strong self-advocacy movement in Ontario and look forward to their continued discussions with People First, towards ongoing sustainability.
On behalf of the Board of Directors and our staff, we look forward to continuing our work together with People First of Ontario, towards making Ontario a province of opportunity and inclusion for all.
Sincerely,
Chris Beesley
Chief Executive Officer
Chef de la Direction
Community Living Ontario
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March 4th: Spread the Word to End the Word Campaign
In North Eastern Ontario in the shortest days of winter when the wind chill factor is -41°C there has been an extraordinary growth of awareness about citizenship and inclusion.
Kayla Marwick and Dan Lavigne, both citizens of Temiskaming Shores, along with friends and acquaintances have introduced the International Campaign “Spread the Word to End the Word” in this area.
This Campaign, supported by Best Buddies and the Special Olympics Committee National, is to raise awareness about use of the “R” word, “retard(ed)”.
For many citizens the use of this word is a form of bullying and harassment.
If we are truly to be an inclusionary caring community and country this word is not needed in our language.
The City of Temiskaming Shores and the Towns of Latchford, Coleman and Cobalt, have all officially designated March 4, 2015 as the day of awareness of this Campaign and people from Councils in these areas are increasing their knowledge of this issue. As well, area politicians at the Provincial and Federal levels, recognizing this is a non-partisan issue, are also raising awareness of this Campaign amongst their colleagues of all parties.
Further, on March 4, 2015, Timiskaming District Secondary School will have students and citizens manning booths both within the school and in the surrounding community to encourage people to become educated about this important language issue and to take “The Pledge”.
In caring inclusionary communities all citizens should have the opportunity to be recognized for their contribution. Use of labels does not achieve this.
We do need attitudes and behaviours that inspire authentic inclusionary possibilities for everyone.
Visit the r-word.org for more information on this annual campaign.
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Down Syndrome International invites everyone across the world to wear LOTS OF SOCKS on 21 March 2015 to raise awareness on World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD). Put on your brightest colourful socks, knee-highs, long socks, printed socks or wear 3 socks for 3 chromosomes. Join us in wearing something that people will be curious about so you can start a conversation about World Down Syndrome Day!
World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) is observed on 21 March. On this day, people with Down syndrome and those who live and work with them throughout the world organise and participate in activities and events to raise public awareness and create a single global voice for advocating for the rights, inclusion and well being of people with Down syndrome.
The date for WDSD being the 21st day of the 3rd month, was selected to signify the uniqueness of the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome which causes Down syndrome.
WDSD was first observed in 2006 in many countries around the world and Down Syndrome Association Singapore launched and hosted the WDSD website from 2006-2010, on behalf of Down Syndrome International, for global activities to be recorded.
Find out more about WDSD 2015 here.
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Many companies are discovering the business advantages of hiring people with physical and mental disabilities. Often, these employers have found that disabled employees have unique abilities and tend to work harder to prove themselves. Turnover rates and absenteeism are also often lower. And as the population ages, and the portion of people with various disabilities grows, more inclusive hiring practices can help companies develop better goods and services for the market. There’s also a deep untapped pool of talent. A 2013 study for Employment and Social Development Canada found that there were 795,000 working-age Canadians who are not working but whose disability doesn’t prevent them from doing so. Almost half of these people had postsecondary education, the study found.
The hiring has broadened and now includes people with mental health issues.
Take 17-year old Rebecca Whiteway for example.
For the past year, Ms. Whiteway - who has an eating disorder along with depression and anxiety - has worked at a Tim Hortons in Toronto, managing cash and taking orders from people in the drive-through from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.
“In terms of stability and just being able to function in general, this job has really pulled me out of my shell. It’s done more for me than I think any psychiatrist or doctor or any medication could ever have done,” Ms. Whiteway said. “Working there, nobody judges me, everybody’s very understanding ... it’s just accepting and the only thing they want you to do is just do a good job.”
Her employer, Mark Wafer, has seen big benefits from hiring disabled people. He owns six Tim Hortons locations in the Toronto area and has hired more than 100 people with disabilities in the past two decades. These employees range from those with panic disorders to people who are deaf, blind, autistic or have Down syndrome. “There’s not a disability I haven’t hired and there’s not a position in my business that has not had somebody with a disability working in it,” he said.
Mr. Wafer began hiring people with disabilities because it seemed like the right thing to do – he has a hearing impairment and he understood the barriers to gaining employment. He soon realized he was hiring great workers. By the 1990s, he could see a clear business case for employing people with disabilities. “I didn’t consciously think, ‘Hey, I can make more money with this.’ I just realized that if I hire someone with a disability, they seem to work harder. It seemed to me it was a better fit,” he said.
-TAVIA GRANT
Read the full article here.
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Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures The Conference on Effective Outcomes Management and Measurement
Do you want to:
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Peek into the future of non-profit sustainability?
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Learn how to prepare for outcomes-based practice and accountability?
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Share and discuss best practices with industry and sector leaders?
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Develop, implement, and sustain an ongoing, comprehensive program of quality improvement for your organization?
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Report to your stakeholders on the facilitation and achievement of individual and program outcomes?
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Build a culture of quality throughout all agency operations?
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Utilize technology for the purposes of quality and outcomes measurement?
Then register now! (Capacity is 150)
Who Should Attend?
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CEO’s/Executive Directors
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Managers Responsible for Quality Assurance, Strategic and Operational Planning
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Board Members
Register here!
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School Board Fumbles Response to Washroom Sex Assault of Disabled Girl
A London, Ont., jury has found a school board failed in its response to the sexual assault of a female student with a developmental disability in a high school washroom five years ago.
The jury's December decision, recently upheld by a judge, found London's Thames Valley District School Board, which oversees the high school where the assault took place, fell short after the 2009 incident. They awarded the family $156,000 for damages suffered.
The civil case focused on how a school ought to respond to a sexual assault.
"The feeling I got from the school is they wanted to sweep it under the carpet," the woman's mother told the Toronto Star in an interview.
It also brought up several issues around how schools should be supervising and protecting students, particularly when vulnerable groups are involved. The male student in the case is diagnosed with a disability that typically involves misreading social cues and the female functions at a level of a young child. They were in a class for students with special needs.
The jury did not find fault on the school board's behalf before the incident.
What follows is an account taken from court transcripts and exhibits, as well as interviews with the Star. Because of a court-ordered ban on publishing information that would identify the students involved, as well as this newspaper's policy of not identifying sexual assault victims without their consent, the Star is not naming the high school or the developmental disabilities of the students. The female student will be called Ashley, her mother Donna and the male student Andrew.
Read the full article here.
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Employers in Charlottetown attended an event promoting hiring workers with intellectual disabilities Tuesday night.
Ready, Willing and Able is a national initiative that recently launched in Charlottetown. The event was an information session about the support the program can provide to employers.
"We will, let's say, hold the employers hand all the way through," said Andrea MacNeill of Ready, Willing and Able.
MacNeill said people with intellectual disabilities or autism spectrum disorder can work as well as anybody, but they may need more training.
Some employers at the event did not need convincing. The DP Murphy group has been hiring people with intellectual disabilities for years.
"Really they're the best people to have," said Mike Stargartt, district manager for Wendy's PEI.
"Their enthusiasm, the morale they bring they bring to your store, no absenteeism, they're the perfect employee."
Read the full article here.
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