Loading...
Clinton News Record, 2015-12-16, Page 7Wednesday, December 16, 2015 • News Record 7 Community Living South Huron in jeaopardy Lynda Hillman-Rapley Postmedia Network Not realizing the repercus- sions from their actions, the province's plan to eliminate provincially funded workshops where people with intellectual disabilities function on a daily basis, could backfire. The province plans on dos- ing what they call "sheltered workshops; stating that thou- sands of Ontarians with intel- lectual delays are working for pennies a day. Some think their actions are painting all work- shops orkshops with the same brush, and an old brush at that. Community Living Ontario is anon -profit, provincial associa- tion started in 1953, which advocates for people who have an intellectual disability to be fully included in all aspects of community life. Community Living Ontario and the local Community Living associations are also part of the Canadian Association for Community Living. They belong to a world- wide advocacy network called Inclusion International. The Adult Resource Centre (ARC) inDashwoodwas organ- ized in 1968. Before that, chil- dren and youth of all ages attended Huron Hope School at J.A.D McCurdy in Huron Park In the 1980s, Bruce Shaw, who is currently the Executive Director of Community Living South Huron was the principal at South Huron District High School. He saw the need to move the age-appropriate chil- dren from Huron Hope to the high school with the hope of including them into the lives of students who, for the large measure, had negative, stereo- typical images of those with developmental challenges. "I did not delay when I realized the province was moving in this direction," he told the Lake- shore Advance adding that recently the Agency spent a large portion of a private grant to partner with SHDHS to develop strategies for introduc- ing 18-20year-old students with intellectual challenges to the working world and independ- ent living. "The point is; adds Shaw "We have a history of always supporting inclusion and integration of our people into the community. Now we are being attacked for not being inclusive enough:' Some critics say what hap- pens in these places, known as "sheltered workshops," amounts to slave labour. Oth- ers, families whose adult children work there, call them a blessing. Shaw explained the demise of Community Living Resource Centres was imminent after an investigation by a Toronto newspaper reached the Minis- ter of Community and Social Services who immediately announced that there would be no new admissions to the work- shops orkshops followed up by plans to close them forever. The concem from the province is that the funded workshops employ people with intellectual disabil- ities to do menial tasks for pen- nies a day and are still not "inclusive': Shaw says that ARC began when parents advocated for a facility where their adult chil- dren could go for education, recreation and work as well as socializing with other develop- mentally challenged adults because, they feared, they would not likely be included in society and become part of the community. In 1987 programs began at ARC, but 10 years later, the Min- istry announced that all shelters would be closed by March 31st,1998, for Dashwood at least, but parents, the Board and the community rallied, and the province backed off. The Adult Resource Centre located in Dashwood operates Monday- Friday8:30 am to 4:30 pm, offering a wide variety of vocational, recreational, leisure and educational programs to adults with a developmental disability. The ARC program works in partnership with the Community Resource Program to ensure each client experi- ences a wide range of activities. intonnewsre ors .co This Agency also offers contract jobs for their clients. The clients can and do handle many differ- ent jobs at very competitive rates. Jobs such as envelope stuffing, mass mail outs, pro- duction re -work, labeling, pack- aging, ackaging, light assembly are just some of the contracts that the clients can do and have done. Their food services program bakes decorative cakes for that special occasion or prepares a lunch for your next get togethez This week, December 18th, the kitchen staff will be preparing lunch for the entire community at $5 a meal. Their Dashwood Wood Products is a certified manufac- turer of wood pallets and crates operating on a Monday- Friday basis. Most of their production is completed by people with a developmental disability. Their clients operate air powered nail Thank you to all of my customers, for your continuing support over the years! Merry Christmas & Happy New Year 17 Victoria Street, Clinton -. . (519)482-8222 guns, saws and other industrial machines. The shop prides itself on an extremely high safety standard as well as a quality product Clients receive $2 an hour for their work Shaw says clients are limited in their skills in that, for instance, they are not able to work produc- tively for eight hours a day as might be expected in a typical factory. All clients receive pensions to live on, and many are fortunate enough to live in group homes. The activities offered atCommu- nity Living include recreation, sport, education and countless social events which cost the client $2.50 per day. Some come to Dashwood daily, some less often. Govemment funding pays for the 7.5 full time staff at ARC. The Agency is responsible for their own bu sing whi le the province as the province no longer pays for the purchase of any buses, vans and any vehicle used by the Agency. "We keep people busy 8.5 hours a day. If the building gets closed, as the province is plan- ning, what will the clients do?" The province has nothing in place for the clients if there is no facility. Shaw suggests, without ARC, practically all the clients will need someone to supporteach of them to some extent. "Perhaps mom and dad are working all day. To bring in outside support will coat a small fortune over the year' he says adding, 'And then there is the respite for the car- egiver aspect, thatwillbe gone or replaced again at a financial cost:' He explains the spot supportthat maybe offered will surely not be enough. "The Ministry and the agencies have a lot more plan- ningto do' "Closing Community Living resource centres is a knee jerk reaction" says Shaw, "Without being melodramatic, many of our people will become home- bound or "tossed out onto the streets': No alternative is being offered at the moment. He lik- ened this situation to the dos- ing of mental health facilities, an issue that has backfired in this province and the rethinking of that decision. He says "We are a community organization dedicated to providing support to people with intellectual chal- lenges though education, advo- cacy and innovation. Last point: we stress options and choices; don't ask us to putlim- its on our support" The ban of admitting new cli- ents is immediate; the closing of the facilitywill take time, but the initial date for complete closure was five years; some have already closed their doors. All afusatmeter ra Scum wouldlike to thank our enstomersforr a gi and &wour warmest z s Ara Meier Christmas d Iiirry_speroas New Team