10 Years of the AlbertaSelf-Advocacy Movement in the Making…1999-2009

Report from the Self-Advocacy Summit Group

The self-advocacy movement

‘We need to build bonds or connections between us.’

-Self-advocate at Summit Planning Session in Calgary, February 7, 2002

Just a few outcomes of self-advocacy in Alberta…

6,000 Calgarians living on a low income each month can afford to take the bus.

Citizens of Red Deer can cross a busy road safely.

People with low English literacy can read reports, rules and rights in plain language.

Thousands of dollars are raised each year for causes like breast cancer, disaster relief, food banks and Big Sisters & Brothers

Disability Culture is more than bowling; it is art, film making, story telling and pride parades.

How did it happen? It’s a group thing!

It started with People First The first People First group in

Alberta started in 1978 in Edmonton

People First is an international movement of people who have been labeled

People First groups are all over; Canada has a national group, provincial groups and local groups

Members have fun together, organize and interact in the community, discuss challenges and how to resolve them, work to close institutions, stand up for their rights and go for their dreams

Barb was the President of People First in Bonneville and has sat on many boards

She sits on the Self-Advocacy Federation (SAF) Steering Committee in Edmonton where she is involved in films and presentations; Her art is on the SAF business cards

Barb is a writer, artist, singer and stand-up comic

She owns her own cleaning business and lives on her own

Barb Oseemeemow

Profile

Leadership Today opened eyes

Derrick is an active public speaker educating the community about his disability

He writes letters to government and is a great leader, networker, canvasser, mentor and role model, and member of the Self-Advocacy Federation

Derrick meets everyone as a parking attendant at his church

He has found work at Boston Pizza, Rocky Bar Ranch and doing Quality of Life surveys

Between 1998 and 2009 Leadership Today taught ~60 Leadership Training (LT)

courses to more than 1000 people ~25 Train-the-Trainer courses to

more than 200 LT graduates ~15 Inclusive Board workshops to

community board members ~12 Supporting Self-Advocacy and

12 Partners in Advocacy workshops to support workers and supervisors

Piloted a new workshop on How Government Works

Self-Advocates co-taught all the workshops, Leadership Training and public presentations

Leadership Today made graduates think about their place in the world

Profile

Derrick Seabrook

PDD Regions support self-advocacy

CAAN started in February 2002 for self-advocates across the region to share experiences and increase their skills and self-confidence

Members have grown into confident self-advocates, know rights and responsibilities, mentor the next generation by sharing experiences and helping others learn by having the freedom to make mistakes

Members put on workshops andannual retreats

Central Alberta Advocacy Network

Bernadine is the2009 CAAN Self-Advocate of the Year

She inspires peers by speaking about how to be all-star self-advocates by mastering self-confidence, communication and learning, and shares her successes and stories of overcoming challenges

Bernadine made the decision to move out by herself

Bernadine Hansen

Profile

Groups take time to organize

SRSAN began in 2001 and is a regional network of self-advocates and allies. SRSAN’s mission is “We teach people with disabilities to advocate on behalf of themselves and others. We are a united voice, which promotes equality, opportunities, and inclusion for us by educating the community about our dreams and what we can achieve.”

SRSAN has 96 paid members, 5 regional meetings per year, a yearly conference of self-advocates from all over the region, gives out the Clarence Marsh Memorial Award to a self-advocate and has a quarter newsletter called “The Ripple.”

In 2008, SRSAN held their first retreat and four committees were developed:1. Membership Committee – increase membership, expand the website, build a

membership directory2. Developing Workshops Committee – develop a workshop for staff on the

importance of self-advocacy and how to support it, which will be taught by self-advocates.

3. Teaching Community Committee – developed a PowerPoint presentation and an “I am a Citizen” DVD

4. Social Events Committee – Fundraising barbecues, community displays, Citizen Walk About

On June 5th, 2009, SRSAN held its first Walk and Roll for Self-Advocacy and a second awareness walk called “A Citizen Walk About” in June 2010.

South Region Self-Advocacy Network (SRSAN)

CORE Masters CORE Masters members talk to

government, speak out for and learn about rights and decision making

Self-advocacy has empowered members to find jobs, be more independent, eliminate harassment and increase safety

DYNAMI Three individuals from the

Taber Needs Society went to a SRSAN meeting and were inspired to form their own group

In April 2006, the first newsletter was put in with everyone’s pay

Dynami is Greek for strength; strength to help, to be heard, and to make a difference; Dynami members meet, volunteer and raise funds

Groups lead to more groupsRegional self-advocacy groups support and spark interest in developing local self-advocacy groups. SRSAN inspired these South Region groups.

Groups get the word out

Since 2006 the SAF has created 4 videos: A Proud Moment in Time; Proud of Who We Are; See the Real Me; How to Talk

Members attend rallies and Pride Parades, host a SAF Summit, and present to service provider staff about self-advocacy and how to be an ideal staff person

The SAF sponsored a Masters Candidate’s action research in 2008-09, called Belonging: The Lived Experiences of People With Disabilities

SAF raises public awareness about the danger of institutional settings

Self-Advocacy Federation (SAF)

Daisy helps people solve problems and inspires people to take action

She sits on the SKILLS board, SPA group, and was on the Gateway board

Daisy is on the SAF Steering Committee, is involved in films and presentations and emcees events

She is a great networker, canvasser, listener, mentor, speaker & role model

She volunteers for events and the Edmonton Schizophrenia Society

Daisy supervises students at Tastes of Edmonton

Daisy Stacey

Profile

Groups make life better for othersCentral Alberta Self Advocates (CASA) Self-advocates from Red Deer and the surrounding area

came together in 2002 to make a difference in their communities.

They sat on the board of Safe Communities Central Alberta. They hosted several Community Living Awareness

Celebrations having the Mayor proclaim the Month. They put pedestrian safety posters in all elementary and

middle schools in Red Deer. They partner with the City of Red Deer to have ads on the

city transit buses, bus benches and bus shelters. They developed a Be Safe Be Seen project and gave away

hundreds of reflective items and gave many presentations to help keep all the community safe.

They developed and continue to manage the CASA Plain Language Society.

Groups make life better for othersDisability Action Hall Hall members presented to the

City of Calgary about the need for a low income transit pass

The Hall joined a community group to take action to help everyone who needed it

“It is a poverty issue, not just a disability issue”

Michener POWER Council

Members gave a petition to the Mayor at City Hall about a needed crosswalk.

Members orient new staff and say how we want to be supported and what we expect from great staff.

POWER Council is included in decisions made at Michener Services.

CARS Cougars for Self-Advocacy Members report monthly to the City of Red

Deer Community Advisory Committee on Inclusion and Accessibility around services, roadways and facilities

Groups make it plain for everyone

The group grew out of a PDD-funded project called ‘Broadening Your Horizons’

Self-Advocates took Leadership Today training and asked for more ways to practise their self-advocacy skills

They connect, network and teach others about self-advocacy, and teach staff the best ways to support self-advocates

They developed the My Life workbook in 2002-03 as a plain language CET standards tool

Horizons Hurricanes

CASA Plain Language Society

Self-advocates translate the agendas, minutes, board reports and business plans from PDD board and have worked with these organizations: Volunteer Red Deer Central Alberta Immigrant

Women's Association The City of Red Deer Michener Services ArtSparks CiRS PDD EPSS

Groups promote disability pride

Being proud takes practice.

It is important to have safe places to be proud of our disability.

Self-advocacy group meetings are a safe place to be ourselves.

• Marjorie is proud to be a skilled public speaker and speech writer

• She was President of the Whitecourt Community Council for 2 years and won the 2001 Merit Award, Communicator of the Year

• Marjorie sits on various boards, including a recent term as an Edmonton PDD Board intern

• She took Leadership Today training and was a training facilitator there

• Marjorie helped plan the first Self-Advocacy Summit in 2004

• She has been involved in SAF films and city projects

Marjorie Thompson

Profile

Self-advocacy empowers individualsSonya King

Ron Cofer

Sonya is involved in developing criteria for Disability Day awards in 2010

Sonya believes in recycling and is active collecting all over the community

She found her own job at the local paper and a flower shop

Sonya raised $1770 for the Big Brothers/Big Sisters Bowling tournament and had her picture in the local paper

Ron is co-chair of his Community Council and a board member of the public library

He promotes self-advocacy in the community and is an incredible fundraiser.

Ron is helping develop criteria for the 2010 Disability Day awards

Self-Advocacy helped Ron feel empowered to live on his own, so he found a townhouse

He found his own paid work at Subway and at a flower shop

Groups thrive with support…

Northwest Advocates in Action helped Northwest PDD with Spring Celebration Night and took turns going to Board meetings

The group wrote a bill of rights and shared it on their website and at meetings

Northwest Advocates in Action

And often die without it.

Pro-Stars Pro-Stars entered the

Canada Day Parade and chose “everyone belongs” as their theme

They started a Toastmasters club and made the words in plain language

Groups can change the world if they… Are well funded Are supported by multiple and

paid people Are connected to other groups Meet on a regular basis Have a plan to stay organized Record their history Are a safe place to share Listen to diverse voices Have fun and food

HOW DO WE SHARE WHAT WE LEARN?Planning the Self-Advocacy Summits for 2004, 2006 and 2009

? Group

Regional Group

Regional Group

Regional Group

Regional GroupRegional

GroupRegional

Group

How did the Summit start?

2010 -

2012 Provin

cial Networking to carry out plan

2009 Summit

Action plan

2006 Summit the

issues

First Summit

2004 meeti

ng each other

2003-4

Building the

network

2002 1st

Provincial

Meeting

1999 Dream to create a

provincial group

Timeline of the Self-Advocacy Summit Group… 10 years in the making

70 attendees at six regional

meetings around the province

3 Provincial committees to plan

conferences

Videos to inform local

groups about the movement Affordable

Housing actions

Building the voice…“You have worked for four years to make the dream of a Self-Advocacy Summit come true. Now it’s time to talk about the things that matter to you, learn from the examples set by others and come up with solutions that will make your community the best place to live.”

Gene Zwozdesky, Minister of Alberta Community Development, September 2004.

Doug Edey from the NW and the late Patrick Worth from People 1st Canada at the 2004 Self-Advocacy Summit.

Summits welcomed diverse voices

Roland Jensen (centre) with supporters Mickey Greiner of CSPD and Tony McMahon of Michener Services

U.S. self-advocate Tia Nelis from Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered was emcee for the 2004 and 2006 Self-Advocacy Summits.

Tia talked about how newsletters and forming a provincial group will help us be organized and build disability pride.

A Provincial Self-Advocacy Group

At the 2009 Summit, Leadership Today graduate and board member Melody Scout reported what participants said a provincial self-advocacy group should look like.

The Future…Albertans Advocating for Change Together (AACT)

We are a united Alberta network that learns about issues and advocates passionately for positive change in society.

A recent study showed there are over fifty self-advocacy groups in Alberta.

We want our provincial network to reconnect with the local groups at regional conferences to build and share our plan and steps to improve quality of life for all Albertans

We would like financial support to help share the plan with local groups

We want to create a website and database to help decision makers connect to our network

Our vision is a better world in which everyone is accepted.

We respect the many voices and groups’ views and want to be able to meet in the same room to work towards our common provincial goals

AACT

Northeast

Northwest

EdmontonCentral

Calgary

South