kacl.ca

Tropic Thunder, a movies showing in Kenora Ontario August 22 2008 has caused controversy in the disability advocacy community in Canada and US over concerns of its portrayal of persons with intellectual disabilities. Groups objected to the repeated use of the word “retard” because of its negative connotations. Some advocates are urging people not to see the film, claiming it is demeaning to individuals with mental disabilities. For extensive coverage see http://www.patriciaebauer.com/.

The question has been asked why is this Association offended by the Governments employees referring to those served by the Kenora Association for Community Living as “Beds” or “spaces”.

KACL believes the use of such terms as “Beds” and “Spaces” and “Vacancies” reinforce dangerous stereotypes that those we serve are not “people” who have personhood and whose dreams, desires, and aspirations, must be given priority in terms of the supports they required and in terms of where and with whom they live. The aspirations of all persons with developmental disabilities to self-determination must be recognized.

We are concerned that the use of such terms and failure to respect the principle of personhood and to recognize and respect the uniqueness of our most vulnerable citizens and the ties to family, friends and community.  The ties that such persons have with family, friends and community must be respected. Because of such ties we recognize the importance of local support networks and in  particularly, natural support networks. Because of such ties, we are willing to adopt a shared responsibility for others.

We are concerned that referring to such persons by labels such as beds or spaces reinforces views of consumers as objects - that can be moved around the north by cartage - rather than subjects who have emotional attachments to family, friends and acquaintances, who should not be moved from their local communities except under most exceptional circumstances.

Respecting personhood and citizenship requires recognition that non-institutionalized systems of supports require different kinds of supports, specifically:

Staff are to be constantly looking for new non-handicapped Life sharers and to run groups from which new life sharers can be discovered, and new friendships and natural support networks created

Staff support to build up non-existing natural support networks a requirement for life sharing to survive (Factors such as family availability, community attitudes, family attitudes (e.g. degree of protectionism), personality and values of consumer are more relevant than deficiencies in consumers in determining the amount of support consumers require.

Establishment of community groups such as Fitness Friends, Art Partners, and Music Makers which provide “Two sides of the same coin” respite.  To the extent that an individual is active and engaged in the community, families (including non-handicapped) don’t require respite. To the extent that Life sharers have natural support networks, respite is available – whether paid or otherwise.

More skilled staff to train the non-handicapped Life sharers, families and friends how to access the community.

Consumers, served by KACL are people first and deserve respect. They should not be referred to as “retards”, “beds” or “spaces”.

A question has been raised as to why KACL hasn’t followerd the movement to change its name to Community Living Kenora in line with a number of other Associations across the province.  There hasn’t been any interest  expressed in this direction.  I beleive I can suggest a primary one.

The move to have associations change to Community Living followed by the local was done as part of a branding exercise as well as to make it easier for people to locate the name in a new town. The name change places an emphasis on the brand and not the local. On the other hand the provincial government has through its administration done every thing in the North West to ignore the local community suggesting that the community served is “North Western Ontario”.  This Association is not confused about what constitutes “community” and beleives it is local and concrete - Kenora.

 Government must recognize that the north is a diverse collection of communities, with different ethnic compositions and factors influencing their development and social organization.  Different communities pose different priorities of values as do service agencies and associations that serve them. Those that possess values favouring certain goals over others will more likely achieve such goals over others. Government desires for system building should not stand in the way of permitting communities to advance more quickly towards transformation.  

Progress has not happened at the same pace across the province or indeed even within the northern region. All communities and their populations across this wide sprawling area did not embrace trends in the same way. The North was ahead of the rest of the Province in terms of deinstitutionalization. Kenora was first of Northern Associations in its efforts at repatriating its citizens from North West Regional Center and in efforts at deinstitutionalization at a local level. The North consist of various communities, First Nations and Others.  Such communities are not uniform either in terms of economics, values, and attitudes toward inclusion, both within First Nations Communities and within other communities.

The Ministry should recognize such differing values and permit local association and agencies to reflect their individual change of pace, both for reasons of respecting democratic values and for reasons of efficiency. Where Associations are embracing the change, they should not be held back or penalized financially.  KACL did not move in the direction that it did because it was cheaper to do so, but because such directions promised greater flexibility to its citizens in a pluralistic society to enjoy the fruits of that society, to permit its consumers to possess self-determination and a higher quality of living and a meaningful and satisfying lifestyle according to its stated mission.

At its last Board meeting the Kenora Association for Community Living took a bold and forward planning step to better ensure a greter degree of equality of opportunity for those it serves in the future. Continuing pressures for services and lack of government funding have placed pressures on the Association to cut back on some of its non-funded programs and supplemental activities. While it may still have to do so, in the short run, the Association has set up a permanet endowment and will shortly ask the community to contribute in the long term hope of providing some additional non-government funding to be directed at its mission of assuring that persons with special needs have opprtunities for a meaningful and satisfying life and to interact as equals in their community. The logo for the Kenora Association for Community Living permanent endowment is a yellow infinity sign against a blue background. Blue represents the poverty and the marginalization faced by persons with disabilities. Yellow represents the vision of a better future. The infinity sigh represents the ongoing nature of the gift to a permanent endowment. A gift to a permanent endowment is a gift that keeps on giving and giving. For more information visit our website at http://www.kacl.ca/kaclcommunityfoundation.html