Strength-Based Parenting Initiative (SPIN): Organizations and Individuals Representing a WideRange of Disabilities Coming Together to Achieve a Common Goal: Breaking Down Barriers Facing Parents with Disabilities

SPIN is holding two focus groups for Parents and Prospective Parents with Disabilities to find out:

  • What YOUR needs are;
  • Where the gaps in service lie; and
  • Which needs are not being met by current services

Thursday September 16, 2010 Saturday September 25, 2010

10:00 am to 12:00 pm 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm

CNIB - 1929 Bayview Avenue OR Anne Johnston Health Station
(Bayview & Kilgour) 2398 Yonge Street
(Yonge & Montgomery)

Register Early, Space is Limited

To register, contact Carling Barry at 416-599-2458 ext 270, by email at , or by TTY at 416-599-5077 by September 9, 2010.

Participants will be required to sign a Confidentiality Waiver.

***If you are unable to join us in person, Citizens With Disabilities Ontario (CWD-O) is assisting with the online discussions for the collaborative parenting initiative.You can access the online CWD-O Conference Rooms at Forfurther information, contact Pat Seed at r call 807-473-0909.***

Light refreshments/Attendant Services will be provided. No childcare will be providedas we are providing Webinar Access. Other accommodations may be provided upon request by September 9, 2010.

Strength-Based Parenting Initiative (SPIN): Organizations and Individuals Representing a Wide Range of Disabilities Coming Together to Achieve a Common Goal: Breaking Down barriers Facing Parents with Disabilities

The ‘Strength-Based Parenting Initiative (SPIN), was developed out of a growing need for support for parents and prospective parents with a wide variety of disabilities.

In February 2010, the Ethno Racial People with Disabilities Coalition of Ontario (ERDCO) held a Parents With a Disability Symposium, funded by the Law Society Foundation and co-sponsored by ARCH (A Legal Resource for People with Disabilities). Because of that initiative,the next day, CILT hosted a round table discussion with staff from Through the Looking Glass and community members, the purpose of which was to hear and see in detail what Through the Looking Glass (TLG) is currently doing for parents in the U.S. TLG is an American organizationthat assists parentswith disabilities in finding adaptive ways to care for their children.As a result,parents are at less risk of losing their children. Many service providers participated in this round table discussion, including: ARCH, Community Living, ERDCO, Birchmount Bluffs, Canadian Paraplegic Association and the Anne Johnston Health Station.

This roundtable discussion centered around the gaps that currently exist for parents with disabilities in Toronto, and possibleways to overcome them.One idea that came out of that discussion was to enlist other agencies to work together to assist parents with disabilities.

In May 2010, the Centre for Independent Living in Toronto (CILT) hosted a conference, ‘Spring Forward Through Empowerment: disABILITY Doesn’t Have To Be a Barrier to Good Parenting’, the purpose of which was to educate and work together with service providers in the family, parenting and child service sectors on issues facing parents with disabilities, while debunking societal myths and stereotypes associated with parenting with a disability.

SPIN emerged from a strong interest of those present at the roundtable discussions and the May conference, as well as a number of community agencies in coming together to achieve a common goal: to break down ALL barriers facing parents with disabilities through a community, proactive cross-disability approach. Advocacy plays a critical role in this initiative by working not only with service providers but parents as well, ensuring that parents with disabilities are aware of their rights as parents and finding out from them where gaps in service lie, which needs are not being met by current services, and doing everything that we can to make parenting with a disability a positive experience for all.

This event is a collaboration among the following: Anne Johnston Health Station, Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), Canadian Paraplegic Association (CPA), Centre for Independent Living Toronto (CILT), Ethno-Racial Coalition for People with Disabilities in Ontario (ERDCO), G. Hope Enterprises, Native Family and Child Services of Toronto and Individual Consumers With Disabilities