A
Focus on Contribution
and Citizenship
"I
love having a network, lots of things to do,
lots of things to talk about. I love it."
Person
at the Centre
What
This Element Means
Over the past
three decades, people with disabilities have made enormous strides
in securing their rights. Unfortunately these strides have not resulted
in people with disabilities being seen as citizens. This is because
rights represent only part of the citizenship equation. Rights and
responsibilities equal citizenship. To be viewed as full citizens,
people with disabilities must be recognized as contributors to society.
PLAN's approach
to developing networks and supporting families is asset based. It
focuses on what people can do and finds ways for them to contribute.
Relationships are integral to making contributions and PLAN's work
in creating personal networks is based on identifying the contribution
each person can make to others. Little attention is paid to what a
person cannot do or the labels they carry. PLAN's stories, workshops
and printed materials all emphasize the unique contributions that
people at the centre are making.
In order to assess
how PLAN is focussing on contribution and citizenship, the social
audit considered how PLAN is recognizing people for their contributions.
The
Findings
100% (21 of 21)
of people at the centre report their network makes them feel good
about themselves
86% of families see PLAN as effective at communicating about their
relative from an asset base
100% of facilitators see PLAN as effective at communicating from an
asset base.
Analysis
This is an area
of strength for PLAN. A review of PLAN's files reveals very little
about the individual's challenges and a great deal about what makes
the individual unique. PLAN's stories repeatedly emphasize the gifts
people with disabilities have to offer society. PLAN's international
work with Philia (www.philia.ca)
is based entirely around this element.
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