Learn more about your rights

Time for Change – Discussion Guide for Families
December 3, 2021 release – International Day of Persons with Disabilities

Respecting Rights releases a Discussion Guide for Families to accompany the recently released educational video Time for Change, created with direction from self-advocates. Respecting Rights is a project at ARCH Disability Law Centre, led by persons with disabilities.

The questions in the Time for Change – Discussion Guide for Families were developed with family members of persons labeled with an intellectual disability, working alongside self-advocates at Respecting Rights. Respecting Rights thanks to the family members for taking time to assist with this guide, and sharing their stories to help other families learn about the decision-making rights of persons labeled with intellectual disabilities.

The self-advocates in Time for Change want family members, staff in developmental services, government institutions, health care, and other settings to take time to reflect on people’s right to be treated equally.

Please share with families you know everywhere, and help share our message of rights. On this International Day of Persons with Disabilities, and every day.

To watch Time for Change, and view the Discussion Guide for Families, and the Discussion Guide for Developmental Services Staff already posted, scroll down below.

Time for Change: A Discussion Guide for Families

Videos, handouts and newsletters

VIDEOS

TIME FOR CHANGE – A new educational video by Respecting Rights

Time for Change is an educational video set to a score of triumphant music. Its creation was led by people labeled with intellectual disabilities at Respecting Rights, a legal rights education project at ARCH Disability Law Centre. Its aim is to raise awareness about the right to equality for persons with disabilities.

During the pandemic, Respecting Rights brought isolated people with disabilities together over Zoom to create a powerful message they want to share with the world. 23 self-advocates in total recorded what human rights mean to them. Krishan Jayatunge at Kroworks, a graphics company with a passion for art and social justice, edited the video. Juno-nominated musician and producer, Kevin Laliberté, created a memorable soundtrack to carry the video’s message of rights.

Respecting Rights did not stop at just creating Time for Change as a stand-alone video. Together on Zoom, the self-advocates in the video created sets of questions for people to reflect on after watching the video, calling them Time for Change: A Discussion Guide. These sets of questions are specifically created for different groups in the networks that support persons labeled with intellectual disabilities:

• Developmental Services Staff
• Health Care Workers
• Persons Labelled with Intellectual Disabilities
• Family Members of Persons labelled with Intellectual Disabilities

The Time for Change video is below.

Time for Change: A Discussion Guide for Staff can be downloaded below.

For further information on the TIME FOR CHANGE Discussion guides for Health Care, Self-Advocates and for Families, email Sue at [email protected]

HANDOUTS

Respecting Rights supports Institutionalization Survivors

March 19, 2019.

Respecting Rights participated in Flying to Freedom to commemorate 10 years since the closure of the last large government-run institutions for people labeled with an intellectual disability, and reflect on how we can commit to creating a fully inclusive society. The event was organized by institutional survivors and several organizations within the disability community, including People First of Ontario.

Respecting Rights spoke to The Journey from Institutionalization, and how they are addressing institutionalization and supporting people who have an intellectual disability to lead meaningful lives in the community.

Respecting Rights on Flying to Freedom:

To subscribe to Respecting Rights’ channel on YouTube, go to: https://bit.ly/2InNAiJ

My Voice, My Choice – Robert’s Story

Respecting Rights Members Speak Out Against Anti-Black & Anti-Indigenous Racism

Covid-19 Update – Passport Program

Decisions, with ARCH Lawyer Hina Ghaus

It’s My Money!

It’s My Relationship!

It’s My Health Care!

NEWSLETTERS

Respecting Rights: My Voice My Choice Newsletter #2

December 5, 2019.

Respecting Rights: My Voice My Choice Newsletter #1

October 10, 2019.

Pamphlets – My Voice, My Choice Workshops

These pamphlets introduce participants to My Voice, My Choice workshops and talk about the legal right to make decisions about your health and your money.

Paper – Self-Advocacy from the Ashes of the Institution (2017)

The Canadian Journal of Disability Studies published a paper co-authored by Respecting Rights members Peter Park and Sue Hutton. The paper features use of graphic data on the history of the institutions, and explores the oral stories of  Peter and another survivor of Canada’s institutions for persons labelled with intellectual disability.

Go to: Self-Advocacy from the Ashes of the Institution | Canadian Journal of Disability Studies