Creating an inclusive community

Apart from her travelling daydreams, she keeps busy with synchronized swimming and is a camp counsellor each summer. She enjoys being a counselor so much, she’s thinking about a career in helping people. “In the future I would like to be a paramedic,” says the shy, blonde-haired, blue-eyed teen. This fall she’ll be taking two health care aide courses to work towards that goal.

Kali pretty much has the same wants and needs as any teen but as an individual with an intellectual disability, sometimes has to work just a little bit harder to achieve them. With a supportive network of friends, family and an organization called Community Living Winnipeg (CLW), Kali’s well on track to accomplishing her goals.

Community Living Winnipeg is a 50-year-old branch of a national organization that aims to raise the status of people with intellectual disabilities and their families. “Our overall goal is having people be included in all aspects of the community,” says Janet Forbes, executive director of CLW. Their main role, she says, is as a resource for individuals and families.

The organization helps people plan for life events such as finding employment or moving into their own place, but they are also an advocacy resource, helping families and individuals know what rights they have. Families new to dealing with these issues can find a world of help through CLW.

Families new to CLW get to tap into a wealth of experience and education.

“The best kind of support we can give them is helping them connect with other families,” says Forbes. Today’s parents are following in the footsteps of parents and families who forged the way in creating independence and options for people with intellectual disabilities. Forbes says they’ve seen a wide range of parents at CLW. When the organization first started, a lot of elderly parents would have middle-aged children still living at home. “That letting go is a hard thing. It’s scary for families,” says Forbes. She explains the strong attachment between parents and their kids, and the worry that no one will care for their child as much as they do.

“Some of them, though, have been real trailblazers,” she adds. Most direct-service provider agencies in the city were started by families, because of the lack of services available to them. These agencies now help provide essentials like housing and day programs. While parents are often amazing supports and advocates, sometimes teens like Kali—like any teen—need a little time away from the family. This is where programs like Among Friends come in.

The CLW program (which is kind of an umbrella agency to a bunch of programs offered to youth aged 13 to 22) helps teens develop independence and also provides a fun, social environment. “Parents are not allowed to most of our events,” says Lisa Waldner, the program’s coordinator. This gives the teens a chance to just hang out with kids their own age. Kali is currently immersed in her favourite part of Among Friends, the Summer of Fun program, which has each teen participating in a week of fun. “They help design their own week,” says Waldner.

One Among Friends workshop is called “Ask” where teens learn about asking for help when they are out on their own. “We learn who to ask for help and what to ask for,” says Kali. Ask was her first program at CLW.

Another workshop is in leadership, where they learn to plan and set up realistic goals. Other workshops are more leisure-oriented, centered around art classes or going to the theatre. “We try to expose our youth to new things," says waldner. The more things they do, the more choice they have in the future,” says Waldner. "If the teens can gain experience in an activity through the program," she explains, "it’s more likely they’ll participate in that activity in the broader community.

Another big part of the Among Friends program is Circle of Friends. Circle of Friends is implemented in the kids’ schools and gets students involved in befriending and being a support for someone with an intellectual disability. “That way they can ask a friend for help, and don’t always have to ask a teacher,” says Waldner. “It’s been very successful."

Forbes says the program also has benefits for the other students involved. “They really learn what it means to be excluded or denied rights and the unfairness of that.” Students who participate in the Circle of Friends program often become advocates for their friend. Among Friends also has people from the community, such as local artists, working with teens through special workshops. This element echoes the point of creating an inclusive community.

Lisa, Kali and Janet check out CLW's fundraising art cards. The cards, featuring artwork from program participants, are available by calling
786-1414.

If families erun into problems accessing services for their child, CLW will often step in to help resolve the issue. Forbes uses swimming lessons as an example. If a child is denied swimming lessons, it could be because the lesson providers didn’t know the child could be assisted with a support worker, or be provided adaptive equipment. Another example of CLW trying to bridge gaps is their “demonstration projects” which are a kind of pilot program. One that’s currently running in the building is the Open Access Resource Library, which aims to make equipment  (such as communication devices) more easily available for loan to families.

CLW is also involved in several committees and organizations within the community such as The Children’s Coaltion, which has been involved in advocating for policy changes on behalf of children with intellectual disabilities. They’ve also been part of advisory committees assembled by the government. “We help determine what the issues are where there are gaps in service,” says Forbes.

One area CLW would like to expand is in social activities for individuals who are older than the Among Friends participants and still living at home. “The demand for that has grown,” saysForbes.

CLW mainly operates on funding from the United Way, which Forbes says covers all the basic costs, like staff. Additional funding comes from The Winnipeg Foundation (they’ve established an endowment fund and also receive grants), the annual Vipond Golf Classic at St. Charles Country Club, individual and corporate donations and fundraisers the organization puts on, such as their annual fashion show which happens this fall.

In the long run, Forbes says the dream is to create a family resource centre, allowing for more access to information and resources for families and individuals. For now, she says they’ll happily continue to run their programs and expand as much as funding and volunteering allows.

CLW plays a valuable role in the community providing an amazing support for individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families. It’s been integral in supporting individuals like Kali in their quest to become independent and achieve their goals •

Photography by Grajewski Fotograph Inc.