As an organization, Abilities takes pride in our diverse workforce, which makes Black History Month an incredibly important part of celebrating diversity. It’s an excellent opportunity to reflect on how much progress has been made in creating a more equitable and inclusive society while also recognizing how far we still need to go in creating
September 30th is National Reconciliation Day in Canada. This is a day to reflect on the history and conditions of our indigenous brothers and sisters. It is also a day to recommit to the work of reconciliation. Reconciliation is about righting the wrongs of the past and creating a better future for all Canadians. The
Why do we picture symbols and schedules to support people with diverse abilities?
Today this skeleton key is a reminder of an era where locking people away was an accepted social policy. Thankfully, consistent advocacy has resulted in community inclusion being the accepted social policy. Inclusion is based on the belief that, when we include everyone in our community, we all benefit. People with developmental disabilities bring unique gifts and talents to the table, and when they are allowed to share them, everyone benefits. Through the continued advocacy of organizations and individuals, we can continue to move forward, unlock the power of inclusion, and create a world where everyone has access to the key that unlocks their full potential.
Diversity is one of the most important aspects of community service. It allows for different people from all walks of life and cultures to come together and share their experiences and knowledge. This can lead to a better understanding of different cultures in our community and within our organization.
Supporting individuals who have challenging behaviors means we frequently come across people engaging in activities that we don't want them to do. You frequently hear caregivers say things like, "stop doing that," "sit down," and so on. When I ask staff if there is a better way, they often give me a questioning look. Its
Recently, I had the opportunity to work with my staff to create a mission statement for our support workers. Although it had more to do with the philosophy of our team, I was reminded how important these statements are for providing direction and inspiration when we work at goal setting. Here is the example of
But remember! If you fail to plan then you are planning to fail.
Proactive Support Work At Abilities, we train and use the Seven Habits of Effective Support Work to provide a model for effective support work. The first habit of Highly Effective Support work is to Be A Proactive Support Worker. This habit teaches that support workers need to be responsible for their development and the
ShopAbilities, a Social Enterprise for People with Developmental Disabilities What is a social enterprise? Social enterprise businesses create a positive impact and make life better for those they work with. We started ShopAbilities in 2018 as a social enterprise business to support people with developmental disabilities to have a better life. ShopAbilities