Community Living Ontario

Awareness of rights heightened in time for new school year
Wednesday September 1, 2010 -- Lisa Bailey

With the school year about to begin, a series of workshops is helping parents reaffirm their vision of — and their children’s right to — a fully inclusive and meaningful education.

Held as part of Community Living Ontario’s Community Inclusion Initiative, the Back to School and Students Rights’ series also aims to inspire greater academic possibilities for students who have a disability.

Community Living Ontario director of community development Kimberley Gavan says the workshops are timed to help parents position their children for a successful learning year because an individualized education plan (IEP) for a student who has a disability must be developed in the first 30 days of school.

Education advocate Marilyn Dolmage, who has co-ordinated Ontario Coalition for Inclusive Education projects and is knowledgeable on research, provincial policies and effective education practices, discusses what can be done to protect students’ rights and how to navigate the school system.

Participants engage in practical exercises, and resources and tools are provided, including such pertinent information as the Human Rights Act, Education Act, and Ministry of Education website.

“She gave us all kinds of important and relevant information we need to have if we want to advocate for inclusive education,” says Sal Amenta, co-chair of Community Living Ontario’s education committee.

He attended the first workshop, held Aug. 30 in Toronto, and says the discussion on the right to inclusive and meaningful education and its advocacy is “the sort of thing that parents, families and advocates need to hear,” as they may be struggling in isolation.

Both he and Gavan, who also attended the first workshop, cited the invaluable networking they saw occur amongst families.

Among the 40 participants were parents, as well as advocates, service providers and educators.

Some of them came from as far away as London, Campbellford and Belleville.

“What’s really wonderful about these events is you’re watching families come together, sharing and learning from one another, and agreeing to accompany each other to meetings throughout the year, which really gives you hope,” Gavan says.

“Families feel less alone, they feel like they have an ally. They have a partner in it,” she says.

Feedback from the first workshop’s evaluations was very positive, citing the wealth of good information and self-awareness of the importance of being educated on the issue. At least one parent requested the workshops come to another area of the province.

Amenta suggests an Internet chat room might be in order “where parents and families could ask questions and share their experiences, impressions, trials and tribulations in dealing with different committees and people so they could share and learn from one another.”

The second Back to School and Students Rights workshop took place Aug. 31 in Thunder Bay. A third session, due to demand, has been scheduled for Sept. 16 in Toronto.

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