LiveWorkPlay youth services offers a weekly community participation initiative for young people with intellectual disabilities who are in secondary school and who are between the ages of 13 and 21. The origins of the program date back to 1998.

Please note that our youth services are not for everyone, it is designed to develop skills, confidence, and networks of support for future transitions to life in the community, LiveWorkPlay (and its supports and services) are not a destination, they are intended to support individuals make their way as included citizens.

Friday nights for youth are all about getting out in the community after dark and having a good time with peers while learning how to manage the risks of the real world. It is about taking the bus, managing money, and navigating the streets, shopping malls, restaurants, and more!

In addition to supporting their sons and daughters, parents and guardians also have access to numerous opportunities for learning and fun at LiveWorkPlay. This includes the Annual Family Conference, Family Feast Nights, and the Parent Information Night.

In 2003 our youth community was for the first time divided into two separate age groups, 13-17 (A) and 17-21 (B) so that the members could have higher quality community experiences and spend more time interacting with age-appropriate peers. There are approximately ten members in each age grouping, supported by approximately two volunteers and one staff member. 

Youth members develop their own schedule of community experiences through a democratic process conducted at the beginning of each program season (fall, winter, spring). A typical year of youth activities (September through June) comprises 30 outings, most of which involve the use of public transit and off-site destinations. Planning sessions and some other indoor activities take place at LiveWorkPlay headquarters (the Heartwood House building). Please note that LiveWorkPlay does not provide transportation of any kind. It is the responsibility of participants to travel to and from the program with the support of family, using the bus, or by other means of their choosing.

While the two age groups usually organize and enjoy their own schedule of outings, from time to time their interests merge and they enjoy a joint outing.

Youth services volunteers have a difficult task - to support the members to enjoy themselves while at the same time staying in the background so that peer relationships can develop. It takes a team effort and a real commitment to the LiveWorkPlay philosophy, but from year to year, youth members and those who support them say that it works!

Our youth services do not operate in isolation, it is part of the greater LiveWorkPlay community, which means that Journeys members and their own family members have the opportunity to benefit from spending time with other individuals and their families. Some of these opportunities include annual events like Visioning Day, BBQ Blast-Off Pool Party, New Year's Eve On Top Party, Family Feast Nights (December, Spring), and the Engines of Success banquet in June.

Do you think our youth services are a great inititiave that meets an important need in the Ottawa community? If so, you are right! Do you think it is a program that is funded and supported by government? If so, you'd be wrong.

Our youth services currently do not receive one penny of funding support from any level of government. This isn't by choice - the program simply doesn't seem to fit with any government priority. Does it make sense to support youth with intellectual disabilities to gain needed skills and experience to develop as self-advocates before they face the challenges of adulthood? Of course it does!

There is some good news on the funding front. Starting in 2005-2006 our youth programs received $5000 of renewable funding support from the United Way Ottawa/Centraide. The cost of the program is more than twice this amount, but this support is nevertheless a significant development upon which LiveWorkPlay hopes to build as we work towards a more sustainable future for our youth services.

If you are a young person with an intellectual disability or a parent and you are thinking LiveWorkPlay youth services might meet your needs, please brace yourself for difficult news. We typically have only one or two openings each September, and those are usually for ages 13-15 only. Please check the registration link on the left for the latest updates.

Please note that LiveWorkPlay does not maintain a program waiting list. An Open House is held each year (usually in March - check the Open House web page in the events section for more information). At the Open House prospective youth members and their parents can learn more about the program and if appropriate, pick up an application for indicating their interest in Journeys. At the time of the Open House staff will provide additional information about vacancies or possible vacancies. Any vacancies that arise unexpectedly will be on the registration page.