Northern BC - Where Rivers Meet, Families Connect

In the early days of the fall, with beautiful views of the mountains covered in yellow and green trees, we had the fortune of gathering in Prince George with nearly 50 family members to learn and connect. People travelled from various Northern communities with a deep interest in finding knowledge and tools to support their loved ones with disabilities. In addition to knowledge, we found one another. We created connections to hold each other up so everyone stays determined to give their loved ones an inclusive and thriving life in their community.

There can be many unknowns and questions as you care for a family member with a disability. We believe in the strength of families’ leadership in their communities. Through the Family Leadership Series, we bring information to families that will help them at different steps of their journey. Most of all, we offer a space where people can find their peers and join forces to make the differences they want to see.

The event started with a wonderful panel of people with disabilities who shared what self-determination means to them and how they make choices in their lives. This is a right many of us take for granted. We know that many people with disabilities are not given the same opportunity to direct their lives. This panel served as the anchor to guide the rest of the gathering. Participants heard from speakers about topics like advocacy, person-centred planning tools to support their family member’s vision and autonomy, late-life planning, and Community Living B.C.’s services for adults with intellectual disabilities.

Families learned about creating a vision, centering their family members’ voices and understanding the different support systems available. We closed these two days with additional ways to support people to thrive in their community, such as advocating for inclusive housing, employment opportunities, community participation, and the importance of exercising the right to vote as the ultimate key to citizenship.

 

We asked participants: What did you learn from this event?

“That I am not alone. My concerns and struggles are very similar to many parents in the North. Although the lack of support, education and services aren’t seen as a positive thing, it does give me comfort in knowing I am not the only person struggling to get my child’s needs met.I plan to share the things I learned at Where Rivers Meet, Families Connect with other families and professionals in my community. I think Inclusion BC will now sit atop my list of places to reach out to when trying to remove barriers for people in community with support needs. ”

Parent

 

We thank families for their time, enthusiastic participation, and trust in sharing their stories. We hope they all feel inspired and empowered to persevere through the challenges by remembering that there is a village, and we show up for one another. We trust they will share the knowledge and be inspiring leaders in their communities.

Thank you to our members and partners for the team effort to make this series happen:

• AiMHi Prince George Association for Community Living
• Dawson Creek Society for Community Living
• Family Support Institute of BC
• Fort St. John Association for Community Living
• Quesnel Community Living Association
• Vela Canada
• Williams Lake Association for Community Living