By Rianne Barnes, Special to The Voice
Parents of children with intellectual disabilities now have a way of accessing information, support and advice all in one place.
Community Living Chatham-Kent has partnered with Community Living Ontario, the Ministry of Community and Social Services, and Partners for Planning, and has joined the Partners for Planning Resource Network.
The recently launched network is a free interactive online resource that provides families with immediate access to information and advice, on a range of topics, all in one place which can be found on the Community Living Chatham-Kent website at www.clc-k.ca.
Jim Douglas, manager of community relations and development at Community Living, said the resource is all about convenience, allowing a person to easily access information from the comfort of one’s own home, on their own time.
“In this age, it just makes sense to have a resource like this,” he said.
Douglas added the parents and caregivers of children with disabilities often have to find the information they need on their own, through their own research. However, when taking care of someone else, the time needed to do this is not always available.
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Douglas explained that this resource will cut down on the amount of time spent on research by making crucial and necessary information easy to find and immediately available.
The resource has a focus on “planning for the future,” with key planning tools and strategies incorporated into the site’s content. The many different features of the network include: live webcasts, access to documentaries, interactive video-based learning modules, an “ask-an-expert” section, and an online directory of lawyers, financial planners, facilitators and accountants who specialize in disability issues.
The tools found in the online resource network can be used to develop long-term and short-term plans regarding everything from housing options to legal and financial plans.
According to Douglas, this network “provides additional resources for helping to support a loved one, plan for future and current needs, and give the best level of support for that loved one.”
The resource is not only for parents.
“Teachers and educators can also benefit,” Douglas said. “It’s a great resource for people interested in learning more about intellectual disabilities.”
The Partners for Planning Resource Network has been recently launched on the Community Living Chatham-Kent website. Partners for Planning and Community Living Chatham Kent are currently looking for feedback on the information provided through the resource network and have a “Partners for Planning Quality Survey” located at the top of the Community Column on the www.clc-.ca home page.
