Holiday Stories at the DDRC

Posted on By Communications Team

The year feels like it’s just flown by, and we can’t believe it’s almost 2016! We know that December is a special month for many people, and for many different reasons. We believe that it is important to recognize diversity, and to help everyone celebrate in their own way. Here are a few of the holiday memories and traditions that some of our employees shared with us:

Shruthi R.“The holiday that holds a special memory for me is Diwali (Deepawali, or ‘Festival of Lights’). In India, this is celebrated in the grandest way possible with lights and firecrackers symbolising the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil, and hope over despair. At our home, we wear new clothes and our whole family used to meet up at my grandparents’ place to burst crackers. In the evening, we light our entire house with deepa (lamps and candles), and then have a family feast! We did this every year for a very, very long time!”
– Shruthi R., Client Service Coordinator

Angelica M.“Something that we really celebrate is Reyes (Día De Los Reyes), and that happens on January 6th. It’s a Spanish tradition where they celebrate the coming of the three wise men. Children tend to get gifts for that as opposed to Christmas.”
– Angelica M., Client Service Coordinator

 

Hebert T.“One tradition my parents started doing with us when we were little was a hide and seek activity. After or before opening the presents, my parents would have us search the house for five or six pieces of paper that contained clues for where to find the next clue and some money. So, after searching the house for these clues, we would be that much richer! Today, all of us are grown up, so we return the favour and hide clues with money around the house for others to seek out and find. I like to write my clues in ‘Yoda language,’ and it’s quite interesting to see people decipher them.”
– Hebert T., Quality Assurance Analyst

“[My cousin and I] went to Norway to spend Christmas Caitlin M.
with some friends of hers. They have this tradition there where on December 23, they eat rice pudding, and one person gets a blanched almond in their pudding. Whoever finds the almond wins a marzipan pig. It’s very specific. I didn’t win, but it was still fun.”
– Caitlin M., Senior Communications and Development Coordinator

Congratulations to the everyone belongs™ Toastmasters Club

Posted on By Communications Team
Crysta Trask holds a certificate presented by area and district directors from Toastmasters.
Crysta Trask holds a certificate presented by area and district directors from Toastmasters.

Last week, the everyone belongs™ Toastmasters club members were visited by the area and district directors from Toastmasters International. The visit was made to provide congratulations to the club for their ongoing successes and the welcoming atmosphere that they foster.

Toastmasters, for those who are unfamiliar, is an international organization that allows people the opportunity to master the art of public speaking. For DDRC clients, this is a chance to speak out and be heard in a supportive environment.

The club is overseen by Crysta Trask, the DDRC’s Creative Coordinator. She believes that the success of the club represents the growing skills and confidence of its members.

“They go outside of their comfort zone each week to grow and develop skills that they can use in their day-to-day lives,” Trask said. “They represent everything that DDRC is supposed to be about: inclusion, perseverance, dedication, advocacy, and everyone belonging.”

Since the beginning of the year, 12 club members have earned their “Competent Communicator” designation. In order to earn this designation, members must prepare and deliver 10 speeches.

Part of the Toastmasters program is the International Competent Communicator Manual. To ensure the success of club members, Trask created a modified version of the document using plain language. The visiting directors were impressed with this idea, and hope to adopt it for other groups where members are individuals with disabilities or are learning English as a second language.

During the weekly meeting, Table Topics were introduced through the creative method of “Table Topic Jenga,” where members carefully picked a block from the tower with a question printed on it to start a conversation.

“I was just trying to think outside of the box and create a fun new way to present and practice our Table Topic skills,” Trask said. “It can be a challenge to come up with new Table Topic questions on a weekly basis.”

The directors were again impressed with the idea, and plan to share it with other Toastmasters clubs.

For Trask, the highlight of the weekly meetings is watching the progress of the clients involved.

“Seeing the pride and excitement when someone successfully completes a speech is always fantastic.”

For more information about the everyone belongs™ Toastmasters club, please see our article from April.

DEAM Comes to an End (But the Conversation Doesn’t Have to!)

Posted on By Communications Team
The CEFN logo.
The CEFN logo.

Disability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM) wrapped up on October 31st, but we think it’s important to keep the conversation about inclusive employment practices going all year. This is one of the reasons we’re proud to be a member of the Calgary Employment First Network (CEFN). The CEFN is a collective of local, publicly-funded organizations which serve as community partners to local employers and assist with inclusive recruitment, on-boarding, and other diversity-related employment needs.

Charmaine Wong, the DDRC’s Manager of Employment Services, is a member of the DEAM steering committee.

“We hope to bring awareness into the community; to [help people] understand the work that we do and the importance of having a diversified workforce,” Wong said.

This awareness is what the DDRC strives to raise each day. Kim McCullough, Director of Organizational Effectiveness, has seen the impact of inclusive employment practices and believes that it is important to the identities of both individuals and organizations alike.

Mayor Nenshi addresses the crowd while Tom Jackson listens.
Mayor Nenshi addresses the crowd while Tom Jackson listens.

“When an individual feels they can be themselves at work, it contributes to a positive workplace culture, and a more engaged workforce. This generates a constructive retention strategy,” McCullough said. “By enriching the lives of individuals, we make our communities stronger and we enrich the lives of all stakeholders.”

Planning for DEAM started back in May, when the steering committee would meet twice a month to prepare everything for October. This included organizing promotions and advertisement, event planning, and building relationships with a wide array of community partners.

Among the events was the DEAM Kick-off Event (featuring guests of honour such as Mayor Naheed Nenshi and singer Tom Jackson), and the creation of the DEAMcanvas.

Wong is pleased with how the events turned out, and said she feels that the best success was connecting with employers to create new employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

Preparation for DEAM 2016 is scheduled to start in January.

The 20th Annual Inclusion Awards!

Posted on By Communications Team

On September 24th, the DDRC celebrated the 20th annual Inclusion Awards! The event was a huge success with approximately 400 people in attendance. Throughout the evening, we recognized 13 deserving individuals with awards for their outstanding contributions to making Calgary a city where everyone belongs™.

The theme for 2015 was the 1920s, and everyone “put on the ritz” by donning some of the fun costumes at our photo booth. If you had a shot taken at the photo booth, you can e-mail us for information on how to download your free picture.

We would like to provide a heartfelt thanks to:

We appreciate each and every one of you. The Inclusion Awards couldn’t have happened without all of your support!

It’s never too early to save the date – mark your calendars for the 21st annual Inclusion Awards on September 22nd, 2016. We’ll see everyone there!

Election Awareness at the DDRC

Posted on By Communications Team
A red maple leaf with text reading: "Did you know? The 2015 election marks the 42nd federal election in Canada. The first election was held in 1867, the year that Canada became a country. On October 19, VOTE."
One of the facts in our “Did You Know?” campaign. These are posted around the DDRC office.

It’s been a year of elections for Calgarians, and the DDRC has been working to keep the conversation going about the importance of voting. With the federal election coming up on October 19th, we want to make sure our clients and staff members have the resources and information they need to cast their ballots.

Did you know that Canada is one of only four countries in the world that allows people with developmental disabilities to vote? It’s true. In 1993, Canada removed restrictions for individuals with developmental disabilities. Italy, Ireland, and Sweden are the only other countries with the same rules as us. This is one of the many reasons that we feel it’s so important to get our clients out on election day to make their voices heard.

We will be hosting a “Vote Pop-Up” for staff and clients on October 5th to help first-time voters or those who haven’t cast a ballot for awhile learn what to expect when they get to a real polling station on election day. We’ll go over what forms of ID they’ll have to bring with them, what accessibility options will be available, how to properly mark and cast a ballot, and more. Employees will have a chance to learn how to properly support someone while they vote. We’ll also take this opportunity to confirm whether or not individuals are registered to vote, and help them register if they still need to.

The DDRC has created an election guide for staff members and a plain-language workbook for clients to learn about what we’re voting for in this election, what the main parties are, and provide answers to some frequently asked questions. Interested in learning more yourself? You can access a copy of the guide and workbook to save and go over at home.

In the latest issue of Connection, we asked people around the office what they would do if they were the Prime Minister. If you haven’t had a chance to pick up a copy, take a look here.

 

The 3rd Annual everyone belongs™ Movie in the Park!

Posted on By Communications Team

Join us on Friday, September 18th for the 3rd annual everyone belongs™ Movie in the Park!

This FREE event is open to everyone; grab your friends, your kids, your neighbour, and enjoy a movie under the stars.

Where: The Rutland Park Community Centre (we’ll be set up behind the skate shack)
Movie: Despicable Me 2
When: Friday, September 18 at 7:45 p.m.
Cost: Free!

Outdoor Movie 2015

This is an outdoor event. Please dress accordingly.