CHARGE Syndrome Canada
Newsletter
Spring 2007
Vol. 1 No.14 © copywrite
INDEPENDANCE!
DISABILITIES PARTNERSHIP
PAST EDITION OF THE NEWSLETTER
DISABILITIES PARTNERSHIP: CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS OF SOCIETY
In June, CHARGE Syndrome Canada partnered with The Community Education Service of the Family and Community Resource Center for an open forum, co-sponsored by the child & youth southern Alberta Health Network and Alberta Children's Hospital. The forum was intended for youth, families and profesionals with an interest in sensory impairments to explore vocational options, entrepreneurship, job placements and volunteer opportunities for youth with sensory impairments. It was hoped that the forum would draw expertise from individuals under a wide range of sensory impairments in order to find common themes, and perhaps network for future planning.
Participants were asked to provide a brief introduction and description of their representative service. Common concerns facing youth with sensory impairments in Alberta were outlined by the group. Resources and services that are currently available were discussed, and the group briefly touched on some future initiatives.
Although the final report has not yet been released, the general feeling from the forum is that services in Alberta for those who have sensory impairment are greatly underfunded. One of the key themes brought out during the forum was that individuals who have sensory loss are in great need of services and provisions. Medicine Hat College Intervenor program was presently under revision. It was expressed that there was still a need for hands-on expertise for working with individuals who have sensory loss and a need for hands-on training for students in the college program.
Generally the discussion kept getting drawn back to a general theme of Intervention for all people who are deafblind in the Province. The need to prepare youth for transition to adulthood was not an imediate issue to the participants, because other essential needs of service were so great.
As not all individuals who have CHARGE syndrome are considered deafblind, the use of "facilitation" or an individual who is acts as a "facilitator" is another concept that forum participants felt was needed. Intervention nor Facilitation stop when school is finished, but rather service needs are "lifelong". There are variations in the degree of support needed, but the need to obtain information because of sensory loss always remains.
Finally a discussion also focussed on "Interpretors" and the need for people trained in communicating with using sign langauge, and understanding that this is different from both Intervention and Facilitation. There was some discussion regarding how Interpretors could be trained to meet the varied needs of populations of those with sensory loss, and work as Intervenors or Facilitators depending on the client's needs.
Contact info@chargesyndrome.ca if you would like copies once the full report becomes available. Reported by Ann Gloyn
newsletter submissions welcome - please send to info@chargesyndrome.ca