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“Citius. altius, fortius” the latin motto of the modern Olympics is often translated, “Swifter, higher, stronger”. Possibly a more accurate translation of the motto for most modern day Olympians would be “Swiftest, Highest, Strongest”.

The ancient Olympics which began close to 3000 years ago in Greece were held in honor of Zeus, the father of the gods. Only citizens of Greek city-states could participate, athletes competed in the nude; (women were excluded) and winners received only an olive wreath. The Roman emperor Theodosius, a Christian, banned all festivals that honored Olympic gods in 394 AD and were not revived until in 1887, when they were organized as a way of promoting peace, friendship, and healthy sporting competition among the youth of the world. Women were allowed in four years later.

Perfection has the notion of being complete. Finished! The Perfect Score. You can’t get better. Next door to perfection is being first or better than any one else: “Going For Gold”. “Owning the Podium”, “Being Number One”. Then next door to being better than any one else is the notion of getting near number one spot: Pursuing Excellence, Being the Best that you can be. They all kind of have their appeal.

Surely such goals are loftier then simply “Getting better”, “Being Good” or “Having a meaningful and satisfactory life” let alone merely achieving peace, friendship or healthy sporting competition. Perfect, Best, Better, Good, and Satisfactory seems to be the natural order of desirability and those who disagree “Just simply can’t compete”. And yet KACL’s motto remains “A meaningful and satisfactory life for all”.

Learners will have the choice and the means to communicate for themselves.

Through a practice of continuous research and reflection, literacy consultants will strengthen their potential to support learners and their community along a continuum of expanding communication strategies.

The entire community will have opportunity, knowledge and the means to communicate diversely among its citizens, with or without spoken language.

For thousands of years all over the world people have sung to express joy, celebration and grief, to accompany work and devotion and to aid in healing. Singing is part of life and a way of binding communities together.

-Sian Penlington (founder of Sing Alive)

In the Key of Community is a community-based, mixed-ability singing program organized through the Kenora Association for Community Living. Singing sessions take place once a month and all adults are welcome to participate.

Philosophy

Arts experiences should not be limited to those with exceptional talents – the arts are an avenue of expression, discovery and enjoyment for all people.    

At In the Key of Community we are creating a supportive and fun environment where people can come together to discover and develop their voices and build community around the shared experience of singing together. 

No music training or experience is necessary and there are no performance expectations, no auditions and no judgment. We maintain that everyone is born to sing.

What you will find when you come to a session

In the singing circle you will find vocalists of mixed-abilities co-creating the music of the moment. We sing varied styles of contemporary and traditional music from around the world and music of our own spontaneous creation. We usually sing a cappella, but sometimes we sing with music tracks or other accompaniment, and rhythm instruments are available to add to the music. On occasion, we welcome community guest vocalists to share their thoughts and sing with us.

The atmosphere is casual and relaxed. While there is no charge for this activity, donations of any amount are appreciated.

Come and have a fun musical experience!

For more information, please contact Lisa at the Community Arts Hub

Phone: 467-5223 or email: lisa.gatevilla@kacl.ca and see our webpage at www.kacl.ca/key.html

In the foreword to Nancy Eiesland’s Disabled God: Toward a lIberatory Theology of Disability, Rebecca Chopp indicates that,

Eiesland identifies her work as a liberation theology. Like other liberation theologies, her works focuses on the voices of persons with disabilities, on opressive structures and beleifs, and on fashioning new images and practices…

KACL also has been active in searching for new images aand practices which enhance the spirituality of persons with disabilies.

Such programs as Art Partners, Rise to the Rthymn, Key of Community, Fitness Friends and Community Wellness, in addition to targeting other dimensions such as physical, emotional, and social focus in on increasing opportunities for spiritual growth.

All such programs increase opportunities for persons with disabilities to explore what is meaningful to them, to detmine conceptions of beauty, to conside what values should be espoused and which might be downplayed or equalized, to consider friendships and contribuions that might be made to building better communities.

Living with a disability is difficult, but as Eiesland suggests, acknowledging this difficulty is not a defeat but a accomplishmet in learming to live a life that is not disabled.

Life is a mixture of blessing and pain.  But emphasing only the suffering, the difficulties and limitations experienced by some, we fail also to see the incredible joy , meaning and love that can be experienced, felt and returned by the same people in their ordinary lives.

Challenging segregationist beliefs and practices, challenging defeatist myths and attitudes and oppressive discrimination must continue but in creating opportunities for persons labeled with disabilities to share common interests such as art, physical exercise and music with persons not so labeled permit individuals to enjoy their interests together for the benefit of all.

In the magazine, Opening up the Possibilities, a publication of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, David A. Walden, Secretary-General, Canadian Commission for UNESCO reminds us to celebrate International Adult Learners’ Week in Canada from  March 1 to 7, 2010.  UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. 

International Adult Learners’ Week was officially launched September 8^th, 2000 by UNESCO as an opportunity for learners to have a chance to express their views, describe their challenges and document their success stories.  IALW was promoted by the Canadian Commission for UNESCO and has been celebrated in Canada since 2002. 

UNESCO believes in the following;

·        Inclusive education is fundamental to the achievement of human, social and economic development. 

·        Equipping all individuals to develop their potential contributes significantly to encouraging them to live in harmony and with dignity.

·        There can be no exclusion arising from age, gender, ethnicity, migrant status, language, religion, disability, rurality, sexual identity or orientation, poverty, displacement or imprisonment. 

·        Combating the cumulative effects of multiple disadvantages is of particular importance. 

·        Measures should be taken to enhance motivation and access for all.

Jacques Delors gave a thought provoking reminder during his opening remarks to UNESCO’s Sixth International Conference on Adult Learning (CONFINTEA VI) in Belem, Brazil, in December 2009.  “It is essential not only to learn how to know and learn how to do, but also to learn how to be and how to live together.”

The Adult Literacy Centre at the Kenora Association for Community Living provides educational opportunities for adults with intellectual Disabilities that expand the traditional view of literacy beyond acquiring numeracy and reading skills. Community consultants work with each learner individually in a variety of community settings.  Learning is self directed and reflects each learner’s chosen goals and is supported through access to the latest Information and Communication Technologies ( ICT ).

The Roeher Institute considers being literate as having status, respect, and accommodation from others:

·        To have skills in communication (verbal, written, sign, gestural or other language;

·        To have access to the information and technologies that make self-determined participation in the communication processes of one’ communities and broader society

So let’s celebrate adult learners across Canada and the joy of learning throughout life; remember how powerful learning can be.

Sue Hissa, KACL Literacy Consultant