LiveWorkPlay For People With Intellectual Disabilities Making A Buzz In The Ottawa Area Since 1995 "SUCCESS THROUGH COMMUNITY" LiveWorkPlay Celebrates International Day of Disabled Persons December 3, 2005 LiveWorkPlay is pleased to announce its participation in this annual observance, which aims to: Promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. Increase awareness of gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life. VOICES! "WHAT SELF-ADVOCACY MEANS TO ME" Click on the pictures for links to videos This year's theme - Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Action in Development - focuses on the interdependence between human rights, development and disability. It focuses on taking action and the involvement of persons with disabilities in the development process. Persons with disabilities remain largely marginalized in many ways, including the following: Disproportionately poorer Disproportionately unemployed Higher rates of mortality Exclusion from civil and political processes Voicelessness in matters that affect them and their society For the last few decades, slow and uneven progress has been made to address these issues within a human rights framework. Continuing action at all levels of society is needed to ensure that persons with disabilities enjoy full and equal participation. Efforts need to address among other things: environmental and social barriers policy barriers legal barriers misdirected or non-existent services access to employment access to education support for healthy living The theme of this year's International Day is chosen in the light of The International Convention on the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities that is currently being negotiated. People with intellectual disabilities involved with LiveWorkPlay are participating in the International Day of Disabled Persons by helping to celebrate the organization's new focus on supporting self-advocacy as a prime directive. More than 30 people with intellectual disabilities recorded short video clips where they finished the sentence "Self-advocacy means to me..." with a thought of their own choosing. A selection of the video clips has been made public on the LWP website. CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEOS! Also on December 2, more than 40 individuals with intellectual disabilities will be supported by LiveWorkPlay staff and volunteers to enjoy a night out on the town in the Ottawa community. Some will be taking in a hockey game and others will be pursuing artistic interests at a local ceramic cafe. The original selection of activities was decided by people with intellectual disabilities, and each individual makes their own decision as to which of the activities they will attend. A night on the town with peers may seem a commonplace event, but social inclusion remains an elusive goal for many people with intellectual disabilities. The experience of abuse, neglect, and isolation in the lives of people with intellectual disabilities is the rule, not the exception, so even as we celebrate the tremendous progress of recent decades, much work remains. Would you like to be a part of the solution? Contact LiveWorkPlay CEO Keenan Wellar and find out how you can help. LINKS: See the LiveWorkPlay press release (printable) Visit the 2004 International Day website Read the BILL OF RIGHTS created in 2004 BACK TO TO THE HOME PAGE 153 Chapel Street, Suite 300 | Ottawa, Ontario | K1N 1H5 | 613-235-9550 info@liveworkplay.ca | www.liveworkplay.ca Charitable Registration 89622 2775 RR 0001