ABOUT INCLUSION CANADA NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR

Past President Mr. Ray McIsaac Email: raymcisaac@inclusioncanadanl.ca Ray has served on the ICNL board of directors and committees for close to 40 years. For the past 20 plus years, he has served as President and Past-President. He has taken the lead position on important files including law reform, the right to decide, trusts, wills and estate planning, shared responsibility and serving on the supportive living and housing. Individuals with intellectual disabilities and families has been the motivation for this intensive work. Part of the family journey has been shared and supported by wife Kathy, who was President of the Bay St. George Association for many years and a member of the INCL board for a similar period. Son’s Shane and Mitchell have also been part of the larger inclusion effort at conferences and meetings. Haylee also is a fixture at ICNL board and conference meetings. This journey includes the lived experience of autism and of mental health issues which have been challenging but taken in stride happiness is what counts. Others who have shared this journey have been Flo Paul, Marg Pike, and Eugene Hickey as truth-tellers and holders of the vision. The measuring stick is the accomplishment positive change in the lives of individuals and families. In the 1980’s, supported employment and people returning home from institutions to the community set the standard for the entire world in terms of the achievements of persons with quite severe disabilities. The triumph of the human spirit in the face of horrible abuse faced in the institutions makes the people themselves the heroes of this story. Ray acknowledges the role of Dolores Flynn in shaping respectful, ethical, and practical basis to provide dignified supports to persons with challenging disabilities in the work force and in the community. People with disabilities and those with mental health issues do not experience equal protection under the law. Some laws do not reflect the equality rights provisions of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Through collaboration with community and government, the opportunity exists through law reform to secure legal capacity and full citizenship for all. This would enable all persons to use support and accommodation in decision-making affecting personal, financial, and medically based decisions. NL is the only jurisdiction in the world currently approaching law reform with an equal focus on community mobilization. The goal is to develop support to enable supported decision-making agreement capabilities and individual life planning, at the community level. The response of community-based agencies and organizations of persons with disabilities and seniors has been outstanding and could not be stronger. There is great anticipation for the acceptance of the IRIS Roadmap to Law Reform and its recommendations by the provincial government. The closure of institutions was an absolute success. Still, the lack of options, choices, and alternative for people to continue to live in the community with supports, if needed is threatened. People with disabilities will be moved from community to restrictive living arrangements, particularly nursing homes. This is currently happening. The work of this association must continue to expand recognition of equality rights. People need access to money to offset the true cost of disability and access to people for support networks. For most persons with (intellectual) disabilities, the commonly shared experience is one of poverty and isolation. Some serious progress has been made in policy reforms which must continue under income and disability related support systems. The Registered Disability Savings Program can be accessed at the family kitchen table (Deon Hancock). Wills, Estate Planning and Trusts can be used and ICNL has identified knowledgeable legal supports to ensure families can get qualify, affordable services. The other part of the equation involves people. Many individuals do not have people who are willing or able to provide the needed supports. Others may have the potential to develop support networks but there is no organizing force to help that happen. The need is to build a planning capability around individuals and families to help support planning for the future. This is why the work taking place at the community level to build community capacity is so important to the construction of supports to live in the community.