Hi my name is Brittany Merry and I am from Grand Forks BC. My Self-advocate group got an idea about how to celebrate Disability Pride in our community.
Our idea was to create an event to show the community the talents and strengths of individuals with a disability and to take pride in what we can accomplish independently.
Our Group came up with lots of ideas toward the event like selling the talents of people with disabilities, like making key chains, necklaces and bracelets, baking, and to show talents like dance skills, singing songs, and defence skills of martial arts.
Our Group also discussed about getting a grant loan and permission to host the event and close the street in order to have tents, booths and a dance stage for the event. Everything got approved!
On September 1st 2017 the self-advocate group hosted the disability pride event. It opened with a dance mob of people of disabilities to the song “Anything” by Hedley.
People from Sunshine Valley Community Services supported persons of disabilities to share their talent with booths where they sold things like key chains, necklaces, bracelets and bookmarks. I made handmade knitted wash cloths.
A few local businesses like the service dogs, Blessings boutique, CCRR care, Credit Union, and Home Hardware put on an obstacle course to demonstrate and to show some difficulties of disability and what workers do daily for work.
There were free hotdogs and buns donated by Buy-Low foods and Overwaitea food donated free cake.
Jazzercise did a demo of some dance moves which is part of their business. Someone sang a few songs she knew with her support worker while someone else danced with support of their staff.
Later there was a drumming group form Sunshine Valley Community Services and a time for people to play drums together.
The instructor of kickboxing/martial arts did demos of self-defence and self advocates had a chance to participate.
The GEM THEATRE helped put on a movie called A SMILE AS BIG AS THE MOON with subtitles for the hearing impaired.
It was a movie the self-advocate group picked because it’s based on a true story.
John Corbett plays a special Education Teacher who gets his class and goes on their inspiring journey through U.S Space Camp.
It was a great day and we felt proud showing the community our abilities and talents.
