One of the struggles for people with disabilities is finding what services are available for their needs. The Disability Resource Awareness Fair was about showing what is out there in the community for people with disabilities to live better lives.
Claire Poole, Employment Services Supervisor at Partners in Employment under the Saskatchewan Abilities Council, one of the event organizers, says they wanted to celebrate International Day of Persons with Disabilities, aimed at children in the school divisions and the community at large.
“We are really looking at a wide cross section of organizations to support a wide array of abilities and disabilities. We’re looking at individuals who have cognitive and intellectual disabilities, we have individuals who have physical disabilities or seniors as well.”
The goal is to get people aware of what is available in Yorkton, and Poole says that the event is one that needed to happen, something that was immediately apparent in the first of two sessions during the day, directed at students Good Spirit School Division and Christ the Teacher Catholic School Division, with which the Abilities Council has a partnership.
“It’s crucial for it to happen, and I think it was demonstrated in the morning, when we had children come with the school personnel with them. A lot of the personnel are not aware of what the children can access when they have disabilities. We are on a steep learning curve, we need people at a young age to get individuals with disabilities connected, so that when they transfer out of school into adulthood they already have those services in place.”
Supports were a big part of the fair, but it was also focused on fun, with groups like Special Olympics highlighting their programming and Assessippi Ski Hill showing how they can support people with disabilities learning how to ski. Special Olympics took the afternoon to have a demonstration of different sports for the students in the region.
The fair was also an opportunity to look at gaps in services currently provided in the region, and see where improvements need to be made. Poole uses the example of autism resources.
“Right now, in our region there is a lack of resources for autism. So we wanted to bring [Autism Resource Centre] here and have the community be able to have access to them.”
The goal is to show resources available to the community, but also to have community feedback as well, because that’s the most effective way of determining what resources are needed.
“Identifying gaps is huge as well... The more that we can bring that to the community that we have these gaps, through these events, we can promote to agencies like ARC that we need to develop services in rural areas.”
It was not only about showing the resources that are available, but also the difference they make in people’s lives. Melanie Hitchens, keynote speaker at the event, spoke about the difference supports have made in her life. Born with a bilateral hearing impairment, Hitchens is now working to become a nurse. She says it’s important that people know how supports can help them get out in the community and achieve their goals for their career.
“I know I’ve used those supports for schooling, and it’s really amazing how technology is evolving.”
She says that it’s great to see supports that are available and the options people have, but she also says that it’s also a matter of attitude combined with those supports that have helped her succeed.
“Strive for the sky, reach for your goals and succeed in them. Use the 90-10 rule, ninety per cent positive and ten per cent negative. Focus on the positive.”
