Jack
and Pam Collins
Witnessing
his daughter Pam's 32 years of passionate living gave Jack Collins
a far-reaching appreciation of the contributions people with disabilities
can make and the importance of personal relationships in creating
change.
"Pam
taught us a lot," says Jack. "Because of Pam we learned about people
with disabilities and our whole attitude towards them changed." Remembering
his daughter, he explains, "The trait about Pam which really stood
her in good stead was her perseverance, her obstinacy, her strength
to keep fighting for things. She was willing to see things through
and, in many cases, she pushed us."
Letting
Pam explore the world and her place in it was a learning experience
for the whole family. Jack recalls his feelings when Pam moved out
and "she was suddenly three blocks away," he says. "That was pretty
traumatic for me. That's pretty independent."
While
Jack worked closely with Pam on issues in her life that required advocacy,
Pam's network provided an important source of personal feedback and
friendship for her. It is these relationships, says Jack, and the
many small things like Sunday dinners, bowling games and Friday night
outings, that add up to a fuller and richer life. The relationships
provide a safety net and they also make the unexpected possible; like
the walkathon Pam organized with a friend, bringing in hundreds of
dollars for a local charity.
Quality
of life, Jack says, is a combination of many factors, but key among
them is the need to be recognized and allowed to participate. "I think
society has to realize people with disabilities are capable of making
a contribution and would like to contribute," he says. "I think it's
important that we allow people with disabilities to do that."
Taking
a hands-on approach to the future, Jack has a wish list of policy
changes that includes facilitating a wider range of employment options
and reducing the red tape that ties up funding. "I would like to see
municipalities and provincial and federal governments live up to some
of their rhetoric and employ people with disabilities," he says, "and
I really would like to see individualized funding for people with
disabilities."
"People
with disabilities are much more visible than they were even 20 years
ago and I would like to see more acceptance of people with disabilities
as responsible citizens who can contribute," says Jack.
"The
contributions of people can be very different," he says. When people
are given a chance to form relationships, explore their own interests
and contribute to the larger world around them, Jack says, they are
able to stand up with confidence and skills that you would have never
expected.
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