February 2019 Highlights
Chris’ Corner
Daytona 500 for Monster Energy
Daytona 500 is FAST approaching this coming weekend from a long winter breaks form November to February. The drivers, pit, and the crew chief and getting ready for a big race day this weekend. Some drivers are retired and some are new which is called a “Rookie” for 5 new drivers that entered the race. There are 40 drivers and cars. the cars are now Toyota, Chevrolet and Ford. Every race tracks has a different pace cars when the caution flag pops out to slow the drivers down and go into pits.
I hope everyone has a favorite driver in NASCAR.
Submitted by Chris Del Rosario
Art Program at Mowat
Participants enjoyed experimenting with paper mache as part of the art classes being lead by local artist Jenny Coats. Participants in the class have done painting, paper mache, planting, and chalk art as part of the 6 week program. The final session will be held next Friday March 22nd. Thank you to Jenny Coats for helping facilitate these sessions.
Art Program at Mowat
Participants enjoyed experimenting with paper mache as part of the art classes being lead by local artist Jenny Coats. Participants in the class have done painting, paper mache, planting, and chalk art as part of the 6 week program. The final session will be held next Friday March 22nd. Thank you to Jenny Coats for helping facilitate these sessions.
The Power of Words and Labels
It’s no secret that language and how words are used are significant in describing events, situations, and circumstances. Throughout history, different words have been used to label people who have an intellectual or developmental disability. Individuals, clients, and consumers are some of the words used by organizations to refer to people who receive their services and supports.
For David Hill and other members of London’s New Vision Advocates, they would rather have people be referred to as people. David, who’s also a board member for Community Living Ontario, recently discussed the use of words with his fellow directors at a recent meeting. He also talked about the work that the New Vision Advocates had done to ensure that everyone is more mindful of the words they use.
About 10 years ago, two members of the group were invited to speak at an evening workshop in Hamilton, which included presentations from support staff and other professionals. Many used the word individuals to refer to people who have an intellectual or developmental disability. According to David, not once did they use the word to talk about support staff or someone who worked for an organization.
“While listening to the other presenters, it became painfully obvious that whenever the word individual was used,” said Hill, “they were referring to people with developmental disabilities not as individual people but to define a group of people. This struck a chord with one member in particular, who didn’t like how it was used.”
On the ride the home, they talked about the importance of developing a presentation to prevent the word individual from being used as a label. From there, The Power of Words and Labels took shape. As part of their presentation, members talk about the power of words and how people who receive support have been identified over the years. The members try to reinforce the fact that everyone is a person, regardless of their abilities, and that the word people should be used if identification is required.
David also thinks the word individuals is a label and very rarely does a person hear the word in general conversation. Like the two members who attended the workshop in Hamilton, he has also counted how often the word has been used during presentations.
“I was listening for every time they said the word, individual. I remember one conference, it was almost 100 times for whatever session I was in,” said Hill, who stressed that the word is sometimes appropriate, but not so when it’s used to identify a distinct group of people.
“The funny thing is that during the presentations [from] other sessions that I hear, I don’t hear it from people with lived experiences. I hear it mostly from other presenters of those conferences.”
“I can’t speak for everyone with a developmental disability, but I would rather have my name used. But if it can’t, I think that ‘I help support that person who has a developmental disability’ is way better than ‘I support that individual who has a developmental disability.’”
David remembered co-emceeing a health and wellbeing conference in Toronto last year. It was geared to doctors and nurses. The emcees took the opportunity to share a part of their presentation with the delegates.
“We talked about the power of words and labels, and the use of the word individual as it is used when talking about people with a disability.”
He said their message hit the mark because it was clear that later on the presenters were making an effort to use the words people or persons rather than an individual.
“When they came up to us at the end of the conference, they told us that we were better than some of the sessions, and they didn’t realize how the word individual could be used in a negative way.”
The New Vision Advocates’ presentation is shared with students in the Disability Support Workers program at Fanshawe College twice a year. It has also been presented at conferences hosted by Community Living Ontario and the Ontario Association on Developmental Disabilities.
Members of the group will be at King’s College on March 5th to speak with students from the Developmental Studies program. People interested in learning more about New Vision Advocates can visit their website at the link below.
Ron Laroche, Community Living Ontario
https://www.cll.on.ca/new-vision-advocates/
