May is Community Living Month, a time to recognize and celebrate the contributions made by people living with developmental disabilities and to raise awareness around the issues that impact their lives and opportunities. #CLMonth2024 #AuthenticInclusion
Community Living is something most of us do as part of our daily lives, without thinking about it. We live in communities, our children go to local schools and we can work at real jobs for real money and to help out in the community as productive citizens.
But, for many people living with a developmental disability, community living is a dream, something they have not yet had a chance to do. As children, they may go to special classes at schools far away from other children; as adults they are, for the most part, kept out of the workforce. At all ages, many people with intellectual challenges face physical and social barriers that keep them from being a part of the world around them.
For decades, Community Living associations across Canada have worked to bring people and their communities together:
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- We support people as they develop their ability to live, learn, work and take part in all aspects of living in the community; and
- We help the community be able to welcome and support people who have not always had the same chance as the rest of us to take part in community life in meaningful, productive ways.
The support that we provide is important for many people living with a developmental disability and their families. Others simply need changes in other people’s attitudes so that they can make their way in the community. Helping people to give of themselves and to take part in the community makes good economic sense and results in communities that are vibrant and strong. It is also the right thing to do.
Our name, Community Living Trent Highlands, makes sense. Rather than name ourselves after the labels that are used to categorize and therefore separate people from their dreams, we take a different approach – declaring in our name the vision of the people we help and the goals that we strive to achieve . We believe that this is a vision and goal that you would share for your community.
Adapted from Community Living Ontario.
