COMMUNITY INCLUSION MONTH: Where we’ve been

Hey everyone, we’ve been posting a series as part of Community Inclusion Month. We explored a bit last week about how we can participate in community while we all focus on keeping each other safe and healthy, using tools like technology and online communities.

We also talked about how everyone has a right to be included in their community – and, that this is part of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).

So, why are we talking about it again this week?

We are looking at where we’ve been so that we can see how much progress we’ve made.

Progress on the road to community inclusion — like the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities — can take a long, long, long time. That UN Convention we were talking about? That only happened 15 years ago, in 2006. It’s important to remember what things were like for people with disabilities at the start of the disability rights movement.

If you’re interested in hearing more about what it was like to fight for the rights of people with disabilities, you can check out this video featuring Judith Heumann (a disability rights activist from the US). YouTube is a great resource to find other people with disabilities sharing their stories and experiences.

When we see people and organizations (like CLBC) promoting community inclusion, human rights, and the rights of people with disabilities, we are seeing how far we’ve come thanks to the work of self-advocates all over the world (like Judith) — and we celebrate their achievements as part of Community Inclusion Month!

2021 Virtual Inclusion BC Summit!

Hey everyone, this year’s Inclusion BC Summit is happening on THURSDAY (OCT 14) from 1-4 pm online! Check out the information below and at this webpage from Inclusion BC, and click here if you want to attend:

The virtual summit is a celebration of Community Inclusion Month. Through presentations and interactive break-out sessions, come explore how to build awareness, inspire action, and advance rights as a federation dedicated to the full inclusion of all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in all aspects of life.

World Mental Health Day

Hey everyone, October 10th is World Mental Health Day. The World Health Organization (WHO) is highlighting how our experience with the COVID-19 pandemic has raised our awareness of mental health challenges.

Most importantly, the WHO wants to raise awareness about a mental health challenge that impacts about 5% of adults worldwide: depression. Below you can find PDF factsheets about depression, and about living with someone with depression. The WHO has video testimonials on their website about mental health and support, check them out here. They also have an entire page for mental health resources for the public, check that out here.

COMMUNITY INCLUSION MONTH: Let’s celebrate!

Hey everyone, we posted last week to kick off Community Inclusion Month. This week, we are exploring community inclusion through how we participate. COMMUNITY is one of the 7 keys to citizenship listed in Inclusion BC’s video. Everyone has a right to be included in their community. It’s part of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), check it out here.

Given that we are still battling the COVID-19 pandemic, we can consider how we want to participate in community while still keeping ourselves and others safe and healthy — such as getting outside into local parks (like the upcoming Spooktacular Pumpkin Walk coming up in Kelowna), or participating in an online community, like on the Inclusion BC Facebook page, through an event listed in the Family Support Institute’s Calendar for Connection (like the upcoming Halloween Howl), or alongside your favorite interests and hobbies (like on Pinterest) — or, in the comments section here, too!

Want to hear more about online communities? Let us know in the comments!

Fire Prevention Week!

Hey everyone, it’s Fire Prevention Week! The National Fire Protection Association theme this year is LEARN THE SOUNDS OF FIRE SAFETY, and they have a great resource that helps explain the sounds you may hear coming from your smoke and/or carbon monoxide alarm. You can download it below. There is also a Frequently Asked Questions page here.

There’s also this page with helpful ideas for those who may need a different kind of alarm.

The City of Kelowna has a great fire prevention webpage full of information and resources, as well as a helpful videos from the Kelowna Fire Department that explain smoke and carbon monoxide alarm requirements and maintenance, and kitchen fire safety. Check those out below!

It’s COMMUNITY INCLUSION MONTH!

Hey everyone, October is COMMUNITY INCLUSION MONTH – so let’s celebrate inclusion in our communities!

All month long, we will be posting ways to celebrate inclusion, ways to build inclusion, and ways to explore the meaning of inclusion.

To get started, here are some places you can check out all month long for community inclusion month information, events, and posts:

Sleep and Sleep Disorders – Virtual Lectures

Hey everyone, between October 28 and October 30 the Canadian Sleep Society is presenting free online public lectures about sleep disorders (including insomnia, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and hypersomnia). Check out more information about sessions here, or click here for registration information. Thanks to our Home Share team (Mike and Lindsay) for passing along this information!

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