The Vision

The Vision

Question 1: 

What values are most important to us in our services, our supports and our community? What’s our dream for people with disabilities?

Full Lives

·         A society in which persons all across the ability spectrum are fully valued as citizens, as change agents and as contributors to society, and have access to the resources needed to realize their dreams.

·         Supported to achieve full potential and live full lives.

·         All people should have easy access to as much or as little support needed to live a full life.

·         Individuals are free and independent with supports that are needed

·         Adults with disabilities are able to live lives that are “valuable” and that they have the supports (staff, etc.) to live these lives

·         Live as independently as possible in your community!

·         Live the same as people without disabilities (i.e., meaningful work, meaningful social life, and meaningful accommodations) with safety and security

·         Good life – they have their own place, marry, drive a car, are employed. Independent, same as their older brother.

·         To be able to love whomever they choose to love without fear and discrimination.

·         Quality of life – 2

·         Quality of life for men and women we support

·         Good quality of life – meaningful and authentic, reasonable AISH.

·         To be able to afford a good quality of life.

·         Go on holidays.

·         Access to the good things of life is not determined by ability or funding.

·         Healing

·         More effort to find employment

·         Citizenship

·         Active role in government

·         Participation

·         Advocacy

·         Citizenship and universal design of physical environments and programmes—a non-segregated life.

·         Vision: We need to work ourselves out of a job—only way for individuals to live full lives.

·         Vision: Service providers not having ownership – self-preservation – systems/services to maintain operations.

·         Freedom from fear; no worries for the future.

·         Security

·         A liveable income that allows for full participation in community. 

   Uniqueness/Individuality Celebrated

·         Individuality

·         Value of each person as an individual.

·         Seen as unique but not labeled as different.

·         Remove IQ level and replace it with what can we do to help you out.

·         People receive support based on their needs, not just on IQ. Support based on functional assessment.

·         Respected in all their uniqueness.

·         Sense of pride

·         Celebration of diversity

Valued and Accepted

·         People valued as people, not defined by disability.

·         Accepting and celebrating people without judgement.

·         Elimination of prejudice and being judgmental.

·         Belong in community with friends in community.

·         Recognize the contribution each person makes to the community.

·         Individuals are valued as leaders and help raise families and communities.

·         Free to pursue one’s own goals unbound by expectations of growth and productivity.

·         People are accepted and valued in the community with opportunities to pursue what they want. They have a life that is meaningful to them.

·         Being supported and valued across the life span 24/7.

·         People with disabilities are members of the community.

·         Respect and Dignity

·         Respect

·         Dignity – 2

·         Respect, dignity and being accepted.

·         Focus on people – dignity and choice

·         Have meaningful employment

·         Equal employment opportunities

·         Equity of opportunity

·         Justice, not just equality

·         The community is created in a way that allows all people, regardless of differences, to participate in all aspects of society.

·         Acceptance of others with their challenges and gifts

·         Society should have high expectations of what a person can achieve (even if what they achieve looks different).

·         Awareness and education

·         What’s the role of the whole community?

·         Community that is compassionate toward people who are different.

·         Real acceptance in the community

·         Inclusion, acceptance, no barriers to participation

·         Inclusiveness

·         Inclusion

·         Full inclusion and acceptance

·         Disability services staff are valued by society

Community Connections

·         Broader community – everyone is looking after people with disabilities, starting with where they live in their neighbourhood. Natural supports.

·         Raising awareness with general public on how to support people with disabilities – natural supports and social inclusion.

·         The good life for people with disabilities is seen as the work and responsibility of all Calgarians.

·         Natural connections.

·         Circles of support (PLAN Calgary); community involvement in communities of interest

·         Community inclusion

·         Friends – connections to others who are like him/her, and places to meet those people/friends.

·         Have good friendships.

·         People have supporters, family and friends that are supportive.

·         Integration of individuals into the community to the greatest extent possible.

·         Community inclusion is different for everyone and person-directed.

·         Inclusion regardless of people’s disability or weakness or background.

·         Community inclusion – a society with knowledge and understanding

·         Lives in community

Health

·         Health/Wellness, such as programs for weight loss or exercise.

·         Health care needs met in a timely manner. No extensive wait lists.

·         Better access to the health system.

Choices

·         Greater/easier access to services. Services are determined based on personal consultation.

·         Ideas, opinions and choices of persons with disabilities are considered first.

·         Choices – have the same choices as everyone else.

·         People have hopes, dreams and expectations for themselves, not told it is one way.

·         Real choice based on each person’s values, interests and desires, not just what is available.

·         People with disabilities able to choose their own path in life.

·         People with disabilities empowered to make choices and decisions about the supports they need.

·         Living lives they choose with the supports available to reach their goals

·         Sensible service planning.

·         Opportunity to be spontaneous.

·         Freedom to choose who provides your support.

·         Choice of agency

·         Choice in services

·         People need to choose services they want and have services that support this choice.

·         Choice(s) – 2

·         Self-determination

·         Freedom to make decisions (self-determination)

·         Person-directed

Transportation

·         Mobility

·         Accessibility

·         Fully accessible community

·         To be able to travel anywhere in the world without hassle.

·         Transportation

·         Transportation very important!

Home

·         People can age in place.

·         The ability to choose NOT to be put away.

·         Freedom to choose where you live.

·         More choice in residential situations

·         Housing that is affordable and accessible in every way. The choice to live where you want all over the city.

·         To be able to choose and afford a safe and accessible home and community.

·         Safety – the right to a safe place and care.

Caregiver Support

·         It’s an art how to deal with situations. Values of empathy lead to independence.

·         Environment that helps independence as much as possible.

·         Sense of purpose.

·         Put Love and Service back into support.

·         Service focused on people, not “need” or “disability.”

·         Staff should be respectful and act like they like what they do (not just that they are there for a paycheque).

·         Authentic

·         Ask what “support” means [looks like] to the individual.

·         Care for individuals and their whole support system.

·         Lifetime care – no disruptions based on age

·         Service provision respects individual needs.

·         Agencies live their values.

·         Staff understand their role and responsibilities.

·         Better care.

·         Supports tailored to each individual, not the individual having to pick from a pre-determined “menu” of options.

·         Periodic assessment of programs to make sure they are still appropriate.

·         To understand a person, we need many approaches, not just one tool (SIS). Lives are too complex to be captured by one tool.

·         The ability to have the supports you need when you have a child, disabled family member or older person (e.g., parent) living with you.

·         Increased personal and technical supports in post-secondary institutions.

Staff Training/Qualifications

·         Staff should have background and qualifications to do this work. If they don’t understand, it leads to behaviours and prescribing more medication.

·         The field needs to be seen as a profession, not just a job. MRU closed its program and that makes it harder.

·         Education reduces ignorance and increases access.

·         More workers who are knowledgeable in working with both children and adults with disabilities.

·         Staff need skills plus support.

·         Disability study classes to be included in all programs in colleges and universities.

·         People with unique and challenging behaviour need to have the right supports.

Resources/Funding

Disability Service Workers

·         Create better work situations for staff. Happy staff = Happy clients.

·         Pay workers well with better benefits to help lower turnover.

·         More pay for support workers.

·         Fair wage for disability services staff.

·         Funding to ensure stability of staff/care workers.

·         Better resources - Human Resources, Education, Employment for families.

·         Higher level of funding for education of service providers to provide knowledgeable supports

·         Funding for education for providers

People with Disabilities

·         Everyone has fair access to what they need.

·         People should get the support that they need.

·         People should have supports needed.

·         Funding is NOT based on a textbook definition.

·         Sustainable, long term services and funding

·         Sustainability of programs/services so not dependent on varying economic circumstances.

·         Stability (constant roller coaster)

·         Funding available to meet needs and interests beyond the basics (community access).

·         AISH with an inflation adjustment mechanism.

·         Raise AISH every year.

·         Fairness

·         Availability of a full range of services and smooth transitions between services from children’s services to adult services and seniors.

·         Our province has adequate resources so people with disabilities are able to receive the supports they need and want.

·         Planning on how to stop the cuts.

·         People with disabilities receive the care and support they need.

·         Remove the silos. Resources follow the person, not trap them.

Responsive to Change

·         Flexibility in services (things change!).

·         Flexibility in support to meet the changes that occur over time.

·         Flexibility - 2

·         Quick PDD responsiveness to changing support needs.

·         Honest and thoughtful change.

·         People need choices. They need to be able to continue with services when they are working and change when it is needed.

Working Together

·         Partnerships

·         Trust

·         Honesty

·         Honesty between government and agencies.

·         Listening to each other

·         Respect – for all people, all ideas, skills, experience, process, input and results.

·         Asking people what they need and what works for them.

·         Inclusion of ideas

·         Working together and making life better.

·         Creative financing – working together with builders and owners.

·         Government is a partner with community. We work together to address complex issues.

·         Systems collaborate.

·         Collaborate between programs (e.g., education and social supports) for “wholistic” services

·         Collaboration not animosity between agencies and government.

·         Agencies that collaborate.

·         Collaboration of all to help individuals reach full potential.

·         Children’s services need to inform PDD of who will be turning 18 well ahead of time.

·         Transition supports for youth 18+

·         Across ages and places (lifespan)

·         Having a disability doesn’t stop or interrupt the flow of service delivery. Needs can be met with the same ease, without redirection.

·         Brokerage (resource centres)

·         Better connects between service providers and all stakeholders.

·         More client-directed focus in policy and training

·         Collective power with each other (not power over others)

·         Concerns can be shared without fear of “backlash.”

·         Willing to speak up and advocate. Better relationship between family and staff.

·         Better relationship with provincial government.

Outcomes

·         Equity of outcome

·         People need to have fun—it is not always about outcomes. This isn’t the army.

·         Embrace failures.

Communication

·         People falling through cracks because misdiagnosed initially, accident, wasn’t listened to, lack of communication and staff turnover led to missed job opportunities.

·         Using everyday language.

·         Value statements should use everyday language, not disability language.

·         No jargon.

·         Better communication between PDD and agencies.

·         Families have access to information they need.

·         Communication – no one should be constantly worried about supports.

·         Self-Advocacy Summit once a year – better communication among self-advocates across Alberta.

 

Government/Legislation

·         Canadians with Disabilities Act legislation like the Americans with Disabilities Act

·         Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

·         Common “Ministry of Disabilities”

·         One department for services across the service spectrum and across ages.

·         Democracy

·         Mandatory training in the field for politicians.