Five years ago Community Living Thunder Bay and the City of Thunder Bay formed a partnership to integrate people with disabilities into mainstream cultural and recreational activities; today the program serves more than 75 people each week.
"When we started this it was just an idea, a concept and to think of where we are today," said Coun. Rebecca Johnson. "That’s significant."
The partnership between the two organizations created the Inclusion Services programs which helps people with disabilities join everyday activities like swimming, bowling, tennis and cooking at city-run recreation facilities without segregating them.
The program also aims to help people become comfortable around people with disabilities and learn to accept them as people first, said Community Living executive director Ken Pickard.
"It’s about learning to do new things, overcoming fears, building social capital, developing friendships," he said. "It’s not the same reality for people with varying types of abilities."
Pickard said to a larger extent, people mostly hang out with people similar to themselves and often don’t venture into mainstream society; part of Community Living’s goals is to help people achieve full citizenship in all aspects.
Inclusion Services began as a pilot program in 2005 and Pickard said it has blossomed into a successful program involving agencies across the city and he believes Thunder Bay walks the talk when it comes to their accessibility philosophy.
"We’re delighted to be partners with them and we have great expectations for the program to continue to grow," he said, adding he’d like to see the program obtain more resources in the future so they can reach more people.
While attending city recreation activities herself, Johnson said she sees clients of the Inclusion Services program and it confirms the partnership is needed.
"I think it’s important for the city to reach out and look at partnerships in the city," she said. "We as a city – corporate – cannot do things alone anymore. We have to look at partnerships."
