Second Century Communities

What kind of community do you want to live in? Friendly, warm, inviting and safe? With neighbours you know and help – and whom you help in return?

Inclusion really is about creating a community where everyone belongs.

At the centre of the discussion is a desire to ensure options and opportunities for inclusion for all persons in community life. Self-advocates and families of persons with developmental disabilities are actively pursuing their dreams for independent living, and more.

Self-advocates are very forthright about what they want:

Jobs
Homes
Transportation
Friends and reciprocal relationships
Accessibility
Acceptance

In short, persons with developmental disabilities and their families want the same things as anyone else – no more, no less. Why is this so hard?

As with any social movement, the majority of the population first needs to acknowledge that a problem (or barrier) exists. That acknowledgement has been difficult. Until recently, the general population has had limited opportunity to get to know many persons with developmental disabilities and their gifts and contributions.

In 2005, Alberta will celebrate its centenary. Much of the year’s celebrations will involve reflecting on the past and dreaming of the future. It is important to envision Alberta in its second century where persons with developmental disabilities enjoy high quality of life. As well, it is appropriate to reflect on the service delivery models of the past and how and why they have evolved, and how they might continue to evolve.

The Second Century Communities initiative is simply acting as the catalyst for change, spurring on individuals, agencies, service providers, funders, administrators, government officials, and others to look differently at the way they do business. Broken down to its simplest form, Second Century Communities asks, ‘Is there a different way for us to support persons with developmental disabilities that promotes full inclusion in the community?’

It’s a simple question, with many complex answers.

Check out the following discussion papers on Second Century Communities:

Catalyst Newsletter:

The PDD Governance and Accountability Framework was accepted by the PDD Alberta Provincial Board at the May 12, 2005 Board Meeting. The next steps are for the Policy Development Committee to begin exploring implementation and operationalization of the Framework.

PDD Governance and Accountability Framework
- Backgrounder Information