The Kenora Association for Community Living
The goal of KACL is to ensure that all people with special needs have the opportunity to live a meaningful and satisfying lifestyle and interact as an equal in their community by providing continuing opportunities for personal growth through education, training, support, advocacy and an informed public.
Vision: A Meaningful and Satisfying Life for All.
If you have a question for which you would like an answer please submit to email central@kacl.ca
What does the KACL motto "A meaningful and satisfying life for All" mean.
"A meaningful and satisfying life for All" is the motto or the vision of KACL. This is what will have been achieved if KACL were ever able to 100% realize its mission. The Association provides supports, services and education to the end that not only persons with special needs will have a meaningful and satisfying lifestyle, but in doing so so will other members of their family, their employers and the community at large. This is what is meant as a win win attitude. Everyone will be better off.
Too often some members of the public beleive that in order that the disabled to get recognition for their lawful entitlemnt, others must loose. The Kenora Association for Community Living beleives that persons with special needs will never achieve meaningful and satisfying lifestyles, in the absence of those around them achieving the same.
Question: Why did the Association change its name to Kenora Association for Community Living and where did this new name come from?
Answer: The Association changed its name in 1987 at the request of the self-advocate group People First. The name is believed originally to have been inspired by the work of Jean Vanier who believed that all should and could live in a loving caring community.
Question: I have been told by a staff person that it is improper to call a client of KACL 'mentally retarded'. I have heard others refer to such clients as 'Developmentally handicapped', 'mentally ill', 'people with special needs' and 'persons with intellectual handicaps'. I don't want to be rude. What should I call clients of the Association.
Answer: The term mental retardation is a respectful medical term used by the medical community to refer to a medical condition.
The American Psychiatric Association "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th Edition (DSM-IV-TR)
indicates
The essential feature of Mental Retardation is significant subaverage general intelligence functioning (Criterion A)
that is accompannied by significant limiation in adaptive functioning in a least two of the following skills area:
communication, self-care, home living, social/interpersonal skills, use of community resources, self-direction,
functional academic skills, work, leisure, health and safety (Criterion B). The onset must occur before age
18 years (Criterion C). Some of the clients of KACL might have the diagnosis of mental retardation
Other clients of KACL have other diagnosis referred to in this Diagnostic manual and are collectively referred by the medical community as having a mental disorder or as being mentally ill. Some of such indiviudals do not have the general sub-average intelligence which is characteristic of individual who have the medical diagnosis "mental retardation"
The term "mentally retarded" was once a term used as an adjective to describe a person who had the medical diagnosis 'mental retardation'. The term is regarded by many persons who have the designation as derogatory and hurtful
The term "Consumer" to describe persons with developmentally handicapped was requested by members of People First. The term "Survivor" was subsequently requested by other clients who previously bore the label "Psychiatric disabled". Another term requested include "those we serve". The Board of the Association determined that where ever possible no "labelling term" should be used. However, if a label must be employed, respect dictates that one uses the term chosen by the class of persons to whom it refers.
The word 'inclusion' seems to have replced the word 'integrated' as in 'integrated classes'. What is the difference between integrated and inclusion?
The word intergrated was first used in the community living movement to refer to the movement towards having segregated schools closed and integrated in regular public schools. This was the first step towards inclusion. Inclusion is more than integration. Not only do students attend the same school but they are also included in the sam activites as others and are made to feel welcomed and that they belong.
What is pay equity?
Pay equity is a legislated scheme for increasing salaries for females relative to males. KACL provides services in a field where the ration of females to males is heavily weighted in favour of females. In the early 1990's legislation was passed which required us to pay equity increases of 1% of the last years pay roll to all classifications that have not yet reached pay equity levels. Pay equity rates were determined by a one-time forced comparison with the local hospital. Our rates were decidedly low and it will take several years to reach pay equity rates for many categories of workers. Many Association have not made these minimum required payments because of funding shortages and are not facing court orders.
What is a Developmental Services Worker II (DSWII)
This diploma is considered the minimum required college diploma for persons working with persons with special needs. Kenora does not have a pool of such qualified applicants and must under fill. Other diplomas such as Early Childhood Education, Social Worker Diplomas are considered near equivalents and are considered equivalent where available.
What is MSWFP
MSWFP is an acronyms which stands for Making Services Work for People. It is a paper published by the Provincial government. It has become vary unpopular with families due to the manner in which it has been implemented. The implementation has appeared to suggest government is more interested in cutting costs and centralizing services in large central agencies than in serving people with special needs.
What is CLO and What is its Relationship to KACL
CLO stands for the provicial affiliated association called Community Living Ontario. This provincial association is an advocate group for persons with special needs. More information may be found at website http://www.communitylivingontario.ca/
What is OASIS
OASIS stands for Ontario Association's Supporting Individuals with Special Needs. This organization provides a central provincial support agency for member organization. More information may be found at website http://www.dhagencies.on.ca/
What is the Difference between People First and the Self-Advocacy Council
The People First is an organization representing persons labelled mentally handicap. There are many separate organizations some of which are affiliated and some are not. Self-advocates is a term used by OACL to describe people with developmental disabilities who speak for themselves. In 1995 OACL approved a by-law to their organization creating a council of self-advocates to discuss and make suggestions for action by OACL's Board on policies that affect self-advocates. For further information read the information on each found in your Orientation Manual or vist the web site from which the material was drawn (see Board Manual Table of Contents)