A new program is attempting to help people with disabilities connect to their communities and conduct self-advocacy by providing them with tablet devices.
The COVID-19 pandemic has isolated many people, but particularly so for those living with disabilities. In turn, this isolation impacts the physical, social, mental and emotional health and well-being of people living with disabilities, according to the federal government.
To help alleviate this isolation, Albertans Advocating for Change Together (AACT), a self-advocacy network of people with developmental disabilities and their allies, has started a program to provide free tablets (such as iPads) and training to people with disabilities in rural and Indigenous communities. The program is being funded by a grant from Calgary FCSS.
“We have been gravely concerned about the impact COVID-19 has had on the mental health of adults with developmental disabilities who have been isolated for months,” said Kathleen Biersdorff, an ally with AACT, in a press release. “Public health rules have stripped away choice for people whose choices were already limited by poverty and opportunity.”
The pandemic has shuttered many of the in-person supports for people with disabilities, explained Chelsea Pratchett, the program coordinator for central Alberta. “In some cases, agencies closed down entirely, and while some agencies are starting to reopen and have programs again, those programs are very limited in capacity,” she said. “What we’re hoping to do is to reach folks who are feeling isolated and disconnected and equip them with the tools and training they need.”
By providing opportunities for new digital connections, the project will remove barriers for participants, and will help connect them to the self-advocacy community so they can engage to give them a stronger voice in decisions affecting them, according to the news release.
AACT is hosting a series of online meetings this fall, including a mixture of town halls and learning opportunities. The first session, a discussion on self-advocacy, will be held on Nov. 2 from 1 to 2 p.m.
For details about the project, contact Pratchett at [email protected], 403-988-3654.
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