The graphic, plain language human rights handbook Your Life, Your Rights, which was created right here in Estevan, is almost ready for distribution.
This new resource, a collaboration between Estevan Diversified Services (EDS), its clients, and Estevan Comprehensive School’s (ECS) senior arts class, aims to make human rights clear to people of all abilities and reading levels.
“It’s a clear language human rights book, in a graphic form so people can see what you’re talking about,” said Connie Wahlmeier, resource centre supervisor for EDS and project manager for the book.
“You can use the pictures with your clients, or participants, and they can see what you’re talking about, then they can read if they can read, or you can also explain if they cannot read or see.”
The information in Your Life, Your Rights was gleaned from the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code and the United Nations Human Rights website, then simplified using one and two syllable words by an editorial board, which included Wahlmeier and ECS art teacher Wade Kotelo.
The board brought in a clear language workshop by the Saskatchewan Literacy Network to make sure it was on the right track and to get a better understanding of just what the term clear language means.
After this part of the process, the simplified version was brought for consultation to clients at EDS who have varying degrees of intellectual disabilities to make sure the intended audience could understand it.
“Our clients were involved heavily, word by word; they went over it so they could understand, in clear language,” Wahlmeier said.
Two of them who are mentioned in the book by name, Larry (Orser) and Sharon (Steffenson), they had the great idea of how to talk to their other friends, other peers, so they’d say, ‘No Connie, that won’t work, those wordings.’
“So I’d go back to the editorial board and say this is what they’re saying, what do you think? It was a collaboration all around.”
Though there’s no concrete date of when the handbook will be distributed to the public, Wahlmeire assures it’ll happen just as soon as she can get it out there.
She said she’d be going to Canada Post to see about mail distribution and looking at library boards for help in handing them out to regional libraries.
It’s the intention of everyone who collaborated on the project to have Your Life, Your Rights on the shelves of every school library in Saskatchewan as well.
“In fact we’ve gotten emails from other provinces, we’re pretty excited about this. It’s going to be fantastic. We just presented to the Saskatchewan Legislature Librarian, Melissa Bennett, so she just put it in her library; it was requested,” added Wahlmeier.
“They said they don’t think there’s been any other students to have a book presented into that library. So it’s there, it’ll be archived forever.”
The book will also be available to read for free on the Saskatchewan Association of Rehabilitation Centres (SARC) website in an EPUB format.
This new resource tool isn’t just for those with intellectual disabilities either, as Walmeire points out, she’s been getting email inquiries from organizations who help newcomers to Canada, those who teach English as a second language and the MS Society.
Kotelo said his art students worked on the graphics for the book over the span of two years, putting in countless hours of their own time to get it finished.
His class got involved after a phone call from Wahlmeier asking if he and his students would like to participate, and to him it sounded like a great project from an educational perspective, he said, one that could teach his students how to give back to the community and become better citizens, so he jumped on board.
“I had a talented bunch of kids and they were ready; it took longer than everybody expected, it was a much bigger project as it unfolded, but they were super diligent and the remaining handful - we had nine at the beginning but some graduated and moved away – but these guys stuck it through,” he said.
The students involved were Isabelle Beahm, Tia Dayman, Amber Madnien, Amy Quinn, King Jay Ar Lontoc, Rezoona Khin, Abbie Brokenshire, Saige Monteyne and Brenden Easton, none of whom receive any extra credit for the project, but instead did it out of passion for the project.
Kotelo and his students saw the value of the book, how vital it was, and that’s what he said fuelled their collective motivation to see it to the end.
It took an estimated total of 1,000 hours to get the art done, with the class holding 100 or so meetings, staying late after school and coming in on Sundays to work on the visuals.
“I’m very proud of them and as much as it’s an accolade for them, I feel very proud of this myself and I think it’s a feather in my cap,” said Kotelo.
“You’re not going to find a bigger booster of the arts than me, and I’m so thrilled it’s going to be useful and have a purpose. Not just be a wall hanging.”
Another big motivator for the art class was the trip it took to the EDS facility to meet the clients and participants who were consulted for the book.
Kotelo said watching them at work, going through their daily routines and getting to meet them was a touching experience and also a bit of an eye opener for the students.
“To actually take the time and go and see what happens in the real world with these folks, I think that was a part of it,” he said.
In the end it was a great back and forth process for his students, especially ones considering a career in the arts, he said, because the project gave them a good glimpse at the artist-client relationship.
This included submitting ideas, having changes come back, then having to adapt to those changes, which he said taught them how to be flexible and accommodate people, who in the future, could be the ones potentially paying their bills.
As for Wahlmeier, she said the whole experience has given her clients a sense of empowerment that’s shot their self-esteem through the roof.
The book has sparked an interest in their own human rights, and with a bit time, could do the same for similar folks across the province - and if the book gains the traction collaborators are hoping for, across the country.
