What We Do
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Overview
AACL is committed to supporting children and adults with developmental disabilities and their families. AACL advocates for: families to receive the supports they need to enable their sons and daughters with developmental disabilities to have a good life; children and adults to have to access to a quality inclusive education; and adults with developmental disabilities to have access to the supports they need to live, work and participate in community life.
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Advocacy
Advocacy staff are available province wide to assist families and adults with developmental disabilities. Through our toll-free phone number, email and website we try to make it as easy as possible for families to reach us, no matter where they live in Alberta. AACL Advocates address issues ranging from inclusive education to community living and family support to employment. When families or individuals are in crisis, they know they can count on AACL to be there for them.
Inclusive Education
AACL advocates for quality inclusive education where children with developmental disabilities are welcomed into regular classrooms in their neighbourhood schools. In the inclusive classrooom children with special needs, their peers and their teachers receive the support they need to be successful. Curriculum and instruction are individually adapted. An inclusive school ensures children with disabilities participate in all school activities.
AACL works with teachers, schools and school districts to develop quality inclusive education from pre-school to high school. During the year AACL offers workshops on inclusive education for school personnel and parents that are typically led by internationally acclaimed authorities on inclusive education. We provide consultation to schools and teachers and have a vast array of inclusive education resources for the regular classroom teacher.
AACL believes that parents should be able to freely choose an inclusive education for their child. If families encounter poor quality inclusive education or resistance, AACL will provide advocacy resources for as long as it takes to ensure a successful outcome. We have close to a 100% success rate.
Summer Institute on Inclusive Education
AACL, in partnership with Community Rehabilitation & Disability Studies, Faculty of Education, University of Calgary offers an annual Summer Institute on inclusive education. Courses can be taken for credit, undergraduate or graduate or non-credit. AACL also provides bursaries to help with travel costs. For more information on the Summer Institute click here.
Inclusive Post-Secondary Education
For more than 20 years AACL has played an instrumental role in the development of inclusive post-secondary educational opportunities. Today Alberta offers more inclusive post-secondary options for adults with developmental disabilities than anywhere else in the world. There are opportunities for inclusion at the University of Alberta, University of Calgary, Grant MacEwan Community College, Lethbridge Community College, Red Deer College and Olds College. This year will mark the beginning of inclusion at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, the first technical institute to offer inclusive education. As well St. Mary's College will be the first private college in Alberta to includes students with developmental disabilities. We are currently working with Mt. Royal College and Grande Prairie Regional College and anticipate these two colleges will offer inclusive post-secondary education early in 2005. Discussions are underway with a number of other colleges.
AACL sponsors an Inclusive Post-Secondary Education Network which represents all of the inclusive post-secondary education initiatives in Alberta. Through the network we offer ongoing staff development activities and retreats for parents, students and staff. We were successful in applying for a Community Research Grant, Persons with Developmental Disabilities Provincial Board, to research the inclusive education experiences of students, families and post-secondary institutions across all the existing initiatives.
- Click here to download the Story of Inclusive Post Secondary Education in Alberta
- Click here to read about advocacy initiatives for Inclusive Post Secondary Education
From Protection to Inclusion
Supporting families and children with disabilities who are at risk if entering the child protection system or who are in child protection- Click here to read about From Protection to Inclusion advocacy initiatives
Family Support for Children with Disabilities Act (FSCD)
- Click here to read about FSCD advocacy initiatives
Persons with Developmental Disabilities Provincial and Community Boards (PDD)
- Click here to read about PDD advocacy initiatives
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Working in Partnership
AACL works in partnership with many government departments, schools, employers, services and community organizations to improve the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities. We continually monitor regional and provincial issues, ensuring the needs and concerns of children and adults with developmental disabilities and their families are considered and addressed.
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Leadership Series
AACL hosts an annual Leadership Series for families. The series has gained national and international recognition and you can read and hear what families have to say about their experience by clicking on this link - Leadership Series. Families find the series to be a powerful source of renewal in their commitment to creating an inclusive life for their sons and daughters. Each year approximately 25 - 30 parents, at times including individuals with developmental disabilities some of whom are parents as well, are invited to participate in the leadership series. The series consists of 5 weekends from the fall to the spring with each weekend covering a different theme. The series is facilitated by Bruce Uditsky, AACL's Executive Director and a parent and Dr. Anne Hughson, an associate professor from Community Rehabilitation & Disability Studies, University of Calgary. As well, many of the weekend sessions included internationally renowned guess speakers. AACL, with the support of Persons with Developmental Disabilities Provincial and Community Boards, Alberta Community Development and Alberta Children's Services is able to cover all the costs including child care. If you would like to learn more about the leadership series and possibly apply to attend, please click here - Leadership Series. We have recently released tentative dates for our 10th Annual Leadership Series and we are looking for suitable candidates (families or individuals) committed to inclusion to to attend the series. Please follow the link- Leadership Series for more information on the 10th Annual Leadership Series and how to get involved.
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Leadership Retreat
We are inviting all of the previous Leadership participants and their families to join us for the 2008 Leadership Retreat weekend in Canmore, AB on October 3-5. If you are interested in attending the Retreat or would like more information please click here.Family Conference
AACL holds an annual Family Conference, usually in March. This conference is attend by hundreds of families and individuals with developmental disabilities from across Alberta. It is truly a family event where entire families are welcome. The Conference provides free child care, and supports for teenagers and adults. It has proven to be a very powerful and exciting opportunity for families to connect to each other, to learn about new initiatives and to be sustained in their advocacy efforts. Grants are available to assist families and adults with developmental disabilities to attend the Conference. Persons with Developmental Disabilities Provincial and Community Boards, Alberta Community Development and Alberta Children's services provide funding assistance to support the conference and to enable families and individuals to attend.
You can click here for more information on the Family Conference.
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Family Voices - Regional Family Advocacy Networks
Alberta is divided into six geographical regions - Northwest, Northeast, Edmonton, Central, Calgary and South. AACL has developed a network of families, known as Family Voices, in each region of the province to advocate regionally on behalf of children and adults with developmental disabilities. These Family Voices networks are working with school districts to improve inclusive education, with child and family services authorities to improve supports to families and with Persons with Developmental Disabilities Community Boards to improve supports to adults with developmental disabilities. Each network is supported by an AACL Family Voices Advocate. Financial support to develop these networks is provided Social Development Canada, Persons with Developmental Disabilities Community and Provincial Boards and Alberta Children's Services.
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Articles by Michael J. Kendrick, PhD
Click here to read articles pertaining to Michael J. Kendrick's workshop held April 6, 2005 in Red Deer.
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Rotary Employment Partnership
This partnership with Alberta Rotary Districts, Clubs and Rotarians creates valued employment opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities. Rotary Employment Partnerships are now in place in Edmonton, Lloydminister, Calgary, Medicine Hat and Red Deer. A new partnership will be developed shortly in Grande Prairie and discussions are underway in other parts of the province that do not yet have a Rotary Employment Partnership. Through this partnership Rotarians seek and create employment opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities. Mentorship is provided by AACL and ongoing community supports, where needed is provided by community agencies. The Partnership will be featured in the Rotarian, the magazine of Rotary International which goes out to over a million members worldwide. Partners include Rotary Districts 5360 & 5370, Provincial Persons with Developmental Disabilities Provincial and Community Boards (Edmonton and Central), Developmental Disabilities Resource Centre of Calgary, REDI Enterprises, Medicine Hat.
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Community Awareness Month
October 2004
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October is Community Living Awareness Month, an opportunity for Albertans, communities and organizations to celebrate the inclusion of people with developmental disabilities in community life. Community Living Awareness Month encourages Albertans to reflect on ways they can assist people with developmental disabilities to participate as fully as possible in their communities. It can include everything from extending a hand of friendship to your neighbour with a disability to offering an employment opportunity. Click here to download the Community Living Awareness Month poster in pdf format.
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Resources
Reg Peters Library
The Reg Peters Library provides up-to-date information on subjects related to people with developmental disabilities, their families, friends, teachers, employers, service providers, advocates, support workers and others who support them.
Click here for more information about the Reg Peters Library.
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AISH – our thoughts
Click to view our thoughts regarding AISH:
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Stories about what we do
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Story #1Sherill tells how she got a job through the On-Campus program. view video clip |
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Story #2A news-clip of two sisters reunited after 50 years of being institutionalized. view video clip |
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Story #3A mother tells her story about her son in Junior High School. view video clip |
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Story #4A news-clip about AACL's fight to get a new lung for Terry Urquhart. view video clip |
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Story #5A news-clip about Panama baby Jose Moran, brought to Edmonton to save his life. view video clip |
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Story #6Jodi tells her story of the love she has for her brother. view video clip |
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Story #7Community living makes inclusive education possible. view video clip |
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Story #8We all deserve the opportunity to contribute. view video clip |
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