Celebrating abilities on International Day of Persons with Disabilities and every day

December 2, 2022

Windsor, ON – Marked annually on December 3, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities aims to promote the rights and well-being of individuals with disabilities in society. The John McGivney Children’s Centre (JMCC) supports over 3,000 children and youth with disabilities and their families annually in Windsor-Essex and is committed to enriching their lives and celebrating their abilities every day.

A new way JMCC is doing this, as well as promoting disability awareness in the community, is through their TikTok channel @JMCCentre (https://www.tiktok.com/@jmccentre). Earlier this fall, JMCC became the first children’s treatment centre in Ontario to join TikTok. The initiative was spearheaded by JMCC’s Youth Advisory Council (YAC) a dynamic group of clients and recent alumni aged 14 to 30. To date, JMCCs TikTok videos have garnered over ten thousand views.

Twenty-year old Faith Turner is a member of the JMCC YAC. She is an avid reader of autobiographies, a lover of creative writing and a huge WWE wrestling fan. She also happens to have a disability.

“My hope for the JMCC TikTok account is to let people know that having a disability does not define you,” said Faith Turner. “We can use this TikTok, and our other social media channels, to provide more information and education on living with a disability, interacting with someone with a disability, celebrating all abilities and so much more. Being a part of this is such an empowering experience for me.”

Youth volunteers, together with JMCC staff, share videos that promote disability awareness, offer helpful tips and tricks to make everyday life easier, including ways to stay motivated, be more independent and more. The videos are posted on TikTok and shared on other JMCC social media channels.

YAC member Arta Giles is a 17-year-old high school senior who loves horseback riding, crafting and playing baseball. She has a simple message that she hopes the JMCC TikTok conveys, especially for International Day for Persons with Disabilities.
 
“Focus on your ability, not your disability! I want people to know that it’s ok to feel discouraged if you have a disability, but the important part is allowing yourself to realize that you can do anything you set your mind to, even if that means you might have to do it a little bit differently,” said Arta Giles.

Arta and Faith both say that JMCC is like a home away from home for them. They are proud to be members of the YAC and happy to have the opportunity to volunteer with JMCC, a place they believe gave them the confidence to be who they are today.

“Being a young person with a disability can be very isolating, and the COVID-19 pandemic only increased that isolation,” said Jessica Sartori, JMCC CEO. “One of the main goals of our YAC was to work directly with our youth clients and young adult alumni to develop new ways to empower and engage this generation. The important messages of awareness, acceptance and motivation they are sharing on TikTok are inspiring to many, including myself.”

To develop content for our channel and generate ideas, JMCC has held TikTok filming nights at the Centre for YAC members and other youth volunteers, providing an opportunity for young adults who may have similar lived experience to come together, be creative and have some fun as well.

“At JMCC, we aim to be a centre of hope support and inspiration,” said Sartori. “On International Day of Persons with Disabilities, and every day, we are committed to working together toward a future of empowerment, participation and opportunity.”

About the John McGivney Children’s Centre: JMCC provides family-centred therapy and support services to more than 3,000 children and youth annually in Windsor and Essex County. Depending on the need, services are offered in our Centre, virtually, in schools, and in our community. Our staff work together with families to assist children and youth with mobility, communication & participation in everyday activities. www.jmccentre.ca 

Media Contact:
Danielle Friest, Manager, Communications,
John McGivney Children’s Centre 
E: danielle.friest@jmccentre.ca