Community Living Ontario

July was an exciting time for a group of Ontario youth – not only because school was out, but because they participated in unique summer events through Community Living Ontario’s youth-driven inclusion strategy known as ‘Re:ACTION4INCLUSION’.

Re:Action4Inclusion, a key pillar of the broader Community Inclusion Initiative, is a youth engagement strategy designed to build leadership capacity among individuals who have a disability, their families, and to also build capacity for emerging youth leaders.

Through this strategy, young people are learning  – and raising awareness – about the importance of inclusion, not just as a “disability issue”, but rather as a social justice issue that impacts our entire society. Through, Re:Action4Inclusion, youth are challenging myths and stereotypes about disabilities, strategizing and working together to transform their schools, and ultimately their communities, into more inclusive environments where all people are valued.

This summer, a group of Re:Action4Inclusion delegates, traveled to Ryerson University for the  Toronto Summer Institute, an event hosted by Inclusion Press. For 25 years, this event has brought together an international group of people to learn from one another, exchange ideas, and motivate each other in the work they are doing to make their communities inclusive. This year’s event was the second time Re:Action4Inclusion youth were able to participate in the dynamic learning exchanges and inspiring dialogues facilitated at the institute.

The following is a personal reflection written by one of our summer students, Laura Donaldson, who is assisting with the project and attended the Toronto Summer Institute:

This past summer, I had the amazing opportunity to attend the Toronto Summer Institute along with six current and former members of the Re:Action4Inclusion initiative. The week was filled with many new ideas, possibilities, and dreams about inclusion.

Personally, I was stepping into this event with very little background on the developmental services sector, compared to many other attendees who have been in the field for years. To say the least, I was pretty intimidated at first by these amazing people, and all of the brilliant ideas showcased throughout the gathering.

As I began to network with the 170 people that attended, I was surprised to find that many people were actually interested in what I had to say. Being that we were the only youth in attendance, people were intrigued by our presence there.

During the ”speak easy” session, groups were given an allocated amount of time to present  on what they were doing in their communities. Suddenly, I realized how big of an opportunity and a voice we could have at this event. Youths’ voices are often overlooked in society today. The importance of allowing youth to raise their voices became a key focus and point of interest through our session. I was blown away by the amount of interest and passion attendees were showing in wanting to learn more about youth engagement strategies. My initial feelings of intimidation and shyness were quickly fading away in light of this incredible opportunity to share more about the work of Re:Action4Inclusion and how the voices and contribution of youth should be recognized within their communities.

One theme that spoke to me throughout the week was about not focusing on only those who have a disability, but to reflect on the community as a whole. I realized I had a disability-focused mind. I knew I wanted to make sure that everyone with disabilities was included, but at the institute, I learned that I needed to have a community-focused mind.

I remember reaching the last day and being so overwhelmed with ideas and knowledge, and feeling like I wasn’t ready to leave. I wanted more; I needed more and I know I can do more. 

As part of the Re:ACTION4INCLUSION series, the Community Inclusion Initiative hosts weekend leadership events and facilitates youth-led events in Ontario schools. This year we will continue to host regional events and are planning for our 4th Re:ACTION4INCLUSION weekend event in March 2nd- 4th 2012 at the YMCA in Orillia. To learn more about this event, contact Linda White at linda [at] communitylivingontario [dot] ca or call 1-800- 278-8025 ext 239

The work of Re:Action4Inclusion is made possible through funding by the Social Development Partnerships Program Disability Component (SDPP-D).