What are your rights as a disabled person?
It is that question that prompted two Cochranites to form a disability support group with the intention to educate and advocate for people with disabilities in the community.
“I think there is a real need in Cochrane to profile people with disabilities and we wanted to start an advocacy and informative group,” said Rob Halfyard, who will be coaching the group.
Working with community groups in Calgary and providing supports to adults with developmental challenges for the past three decades, Halfyard said he was inspired to start the group in Cochrane after witnessing a couple of incidents where people with disabilities were “silenced” in public.
“I thought if this is happening publicly, what is going on behind the scenes,” Halfyard asked.
“With this group we would coach them through standards throughout the province, teach people their rights and provide a (regular) recreational activity.”
While Cochrane Family & Community Support Services offers accessibility programs, there is no official support/education group for adults living with disabilities.
“After talking and listening to people in the community, this is a good place to start with people so they can be self advocates,” Halfyard said.
The face of the group will be self-described “living example” David Serani.
Serani, from Cochrane, was born “extremely premature” resulting in loss of vision in his right eye and mild learning disabilities.
“I live my own life. I am my own guardian … I am a living example,” Serani said.
“I think (this group) is needed. I think there are people out there that will benefit from it.”
Serani is currently an advocate for people with disabilities, hosting Accessible Airwaves on the University of Calgary’s radio station CJSW – a program dedicated to the education and exploration of life with a disability, giving a voice to the experiences of people with disabilities. Now Serani wants to help give back in his community.
“Some folks with disabilities are not their own guardians. Some folks, if they want to go on a trip to Saskatchewan, they need to ask,” Serani explained.
“I think this could be educational for some and a way to meet others.”
While the group has no official title yet and with the project still in its infancy, Halfyard said he wants to “gauge interest.”
“My goal for this particular group would be to get folks who maybe don’t know what is going on in and around Cochrane to know,” Serani said.
“I want to see more independent adults and maybe they have a story … I want to be that inspiration. Just because you are disabled doesn’t mean you are limited.”
For anyone interested in joining group for adults living with disabilities, contact Rob Halfyard at [email protected]
