Media Release: John McGivney Children’s Centre Recognizes International Day of Persons with Disabilities

December 3, 2021

Windsor, ON – The John McGivney Children’s Centre (JMCC) is joining with people, organizations, agencies and governments around the world to recognize the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD), a United Nations day that is celebrated every year on the 3rd of December.

The annual observance was proclaimed in 1992 by a United Nations General Assembly resolution. It aims to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development, and to increase awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.

This year’s theme is ‘Leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-COVID-19 world.’

“At the John McGivney Children’s Centre, our children, youth and parents are very active in a number of areas across our organization,” said Jessica Sartori, CEO. “Our Family Advisory Committee, Youth Advisory Committee, our Family Engagement Consultant, as well as our Board of Directors each bring their ideas and the unique voices of our clients forward to help ensure our programs and services are always evolving in ways that put families first.”

The JMCC has been providing comprehensive, evidence-based care to thousands of children and youth with disabilities each year since 1972, and families have been eager to share their experiences to help one another, and to help further the efforts of JMCC. 

JMCC is launching a 12 Days of Stories initiative on December 3^rd which features stories from 12 families.

Mackenzie Walls is one of the parents participating in this year’s campaign. “The incredible staff at JMCC have become like family to us. I truly owe Dash’s therapists my life because I don’t know where he would be without them,” says Mackenzie. “Thank you so much for giving me the chance to participate in this, it means so much to me.”

“We are very grateful for each and every one of our clients and families who volunteer all year long for us,” adds Sartori. “Our 12 Days of Stories is another example of how they want to help bring awareness to JMCC and to the unique and complex needs that children with disabilities have. We couldn’t do what we do without them.”

To read 12 Days of Stories, click here.

Background
More than 100 million disabled persons are children. In Ontario, approximately 2.6 million people have a disability. This means roughly one in four Ontarians live with a disability and face various types of accessibility challenges in their every day life.
Source: https://www.ontario.ca/page/accessibility-ontarians-disabilities-act-annual-report-2019

What disability means
A disability is a condition or function judged to be significantly impaired relative to the usual standard of an individual of their group. The term is often used to refer to individual functioning, including physical impairment, sensory impairment, cognitive impairment, intellectual impairment, mental illness, and various types of chronic disease. This usage has been described by some disabled people as being associated with a medical model of disability.

Persons with disabilities, “the world’s largest minority”, have generally poorer health, lower education achievements, fewer economic opportunities and higher rates of poverty than people without disabilities. This is largely due to the lack of services available to them (like information and communications technology (ICT), justice or transportation) and the many obstacles they face in their everyday lives. These obstacles can take a variety of forms, including those relating to the physical environment, or those resulting from legislation or policy, or from societal attitudes or discrimination.

The day is about promoting the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities at every level of society and development, and to raise awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of political, social, economic, and cultural life. WHO joins the UN in observing this day each year, reinforcing the importance of securing the rights of people with disabilities, so they can participate fully, equally and effectively in society with others, and face no barriers in all aspects of their lives.
Source: https://www.un.org/en/observances/day-of-persons-with-disabilities/background 

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About the John McGivney Children’s Centre
The John McGivney Children’s Centre (JMCC) provides rehabilitation and support services to children and youth living in Windsor and Essex County.  JMCC supports more than 3,000 children and youth annually with physical, neurological and developmental needs. In addition to providing core rehabilitation services of physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech/language therapy, JMCC offers social work, therapeutic recreation and resource navigation services to families and a range of specialty clinics on-site. Depending on the need, services are offered in the Centre, in schools, virtually, and in the community.

Media Contact:

Cathy Mombourquette, Communications & Community Affairs Manager
cathy.mombourquette@jmccentre.ca
226-340-3003