A new Kootenay-wide non-profit organization will help provide families of people with disabilities with a support network.
Diverse Family Roots Society will address gaps in disability services in the Kootenays by running virtual meet-ups for families and parents of persons with disabilities to help foster connections, grow community, and increase access to resources.
“The pandemic really changed things for a lot of families,” said staff family navigator Ben Postmus. “It locked them into their homes and some have had difficulty getting out of that lock. We hope to take away a bit of that isolation.”
The non-profit is currently offering three different options for virtual meet-ups. The first helps fathers of disabled persons connect with one another and share their experiences. It runs on Sunday evenings at 6:30 p.m. Pacific Time. The second, is a support session for families, that takes place on Tuesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. The third option is a session on housing that assists families and parents in identifying places where their children can live safely. It runs on Thursdays at 6:30 p.m.
While guest-speakers will present at the sessions occasionally, Postmus said the main focus is on facilitating discussion between parents and families, and helping them connect.
The non-profit’s newly formed board has representation from persons with disabilities, parents of persons with disabilities, educators and community partners. Angie Palmer of Elkford is the chairwoman, Lisa Lehr of Invermere and Terri McLeod of Naskup are the directors, Lindsay Thompson from Castlegar is the treasurer, and Lisa Gates from Krestova is the secretary.
Postmus lives in Fruitvale, a community situated in the West Kootenays, just 15 kilometers east of Trail. It was here that he and his wife Deborah raised their 35-year-old daughter Kayleigh, who has a disability. Postmus said that it remains difficult for people with disabilities to be accepted in rural communities and to find access to certain services. He and Deborah are currently trying to find a suitable place where Kayleigh can live, but this has proved difficult.
“The more rural you get, the tougher housing is to find and families want other options other than a group home or a home-share environment,” he explained.
“For a lot of families, group homes are not an option. They want their sons and daughters to have a choice of where they live… Just because you have a disability doesn’t mean you should be told where you have to live,” he added.
Postmus said the non-profit’s virtual housing sessions were created to help address this issue. The discussions will help connect families with housing providers across the province to find out what options are out there and to hopefully garner support for housing projects that will accommodate people with disabilities.
