By: Carol West This Halloween marked the 16th Annual Edenvale Self Advocacy Retreat. The 2 day leadership retreat brought together new and old friends from across the province to celebrate and advocate as members of BC’s Self Advocacy movement. Here is what Carol West from Prince George had to say: This was my first […]
I grew up in Salmon Arm BC. I lived with my Dad for most of my life. When I lived with him I went to school and would go on jobs with him. I sometimes struggled with school due to my disability, but I still managed to graduate. My Dad got sick and I took […]
I was adopted at the age of four and a half from Abbotsford BC. I started to live with my new family, but some of my extended family thought I was not worth keeping because of my disability and my behaviour problems. My parents did not listen to them because they loved me. We then […]
Why we need Self-Advocate run Social Clubs We need social clubs because it makes us be independent and have fun so therefore we don’t rely on support workers all the time and we can save CLBC money. We don’t need as much support if we are independent with others. We want to run programs […]
I have been on my own before over the years on and off. I lived with my mother on my own for one year as well. I took over the role as caregiver for my mother as I loved her very much. It was a lot to do on my own and very challenging because of […]
I want to write this story about youth who are turning 19 and feel there is no hope when they have Diversabilities. I have Diversabilities and I have been lucky to find help when I needed it. People with mental health issues and disabilities, have a dual diagnosis and find it harder than most. My […]
My friend Meredith and I planned a speed dating/friending event which took place in September. I have done a speed dating event before but some years ago. We wanted to be careful on choosing the wording we used for the event as we didn’t want anyone to feel pressure so by using the word “friending” […]
I envision a world where people with developmental disabilities and a mental illness have access to social clubs to connect and belong with each other. These clubs are inclusive. There is no stigma from the community towards people who have a developmental disabilities and a mental illness. There is new funding to start social clubs […]
Hello. My name is Earl Gregson. I am a self advocate from Victoria, BC. I feel people with diverse abilities have the right to say yes to wanting a job. They will feel important if they have a job, just like everyone else. I used to work in sheltered workshops. These closed down and I’ve […]
There is a lot of stigma around mental illness because we don’t understand it, we fear it. Knowledge increases understanding which in turn will lessen the stigma. Statistics shows 1 in 5 people will suffer from a mental health problem in their lifetime and yet most people never talk about it. People lose jobs, and […]
