Self-Advocates Launch Advisory Committee for Community Living Huntsville

A woman and a man seated in front of a white backdrop with film lighting shining on them.

RhylieMay Pickering (left) and Coulter White, members of the Self-Advocate Advisory Committee for Community Living Huntsville, prepare to film a segment for an employee training video on respect, choice, and independence. (Photo by Community Living Huntsville)

A newly formed group of self-advocates is ready to shape the future with passion and purpose.

In early 2024, spurred by our commitments to Person-Directed Principles and Collaboration, our team proposed a Self-Advocate Advisory Committee that would:

  • Discuss topics important to its members
  • Tell us how we can improve our services, and
  • Let us know how we can help better our community

After an open invitation to people who access our services and a series of information sessions, the committee launched with 8 volunteer members.

“The committee acts as a voice for the people we support,” said our team member Rachel Boone, committee co-facilitator and a Direct Support Professional. “That is important. As disability rights advocates say, ‘Nothing About Us Without Us.’”

Boone said the committee shows people, families, and the community that our organization acts on its stated commitments and, just as importantly, gives its members a sense of pride as they work together with dedication, respect, and growing confidence.

Committee initiatives so far include:

  • Collaborating with our senior leadership on Direct Support Professional hiring best practices
  • Creating a video to help support workers understand the importance of respect, choice, and independence for the people they support
  • Preparing to present that video at the 2025 Speaking Up Conference in Port Elgin, then helping others with disabilities think about what they would say in their own videos
  • Providing input to help make our Strategic Plan a reality
  • Hosting committee fundraisers around town

Members are also connecting with other self-advocates across Ontario and Canada through speaking events and conferences, including the New Vision Advocates based in London, Ontario.

And the committee is just getting started: “The possibilities are limitless,” said Boone.

4 people, 2 standing and 2 sat in wheelchairs, pose for a group photo in a building with floor to ceiling windows behind them.

Committee members head into a presentation by self-advocate Nicole Flynn in Parry Sound. (Photo by Community Living Huntsville)

In Our Words

We asked members why they wanted to join the Self-Advocate Advisory Committee. Here’s what they had to say:

  • “The group needs diversity in age, mobility, and opinions. I am the only high school-aged member.”
  • “Because I love our community. I want to keep our community safe.”
  • “I would like to see things change in the Town of Huntsville, like more places that have accessible wheelchair ramps, and better education on the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, and disability law for kids, adults, and service dogs, while being with my friends and making new ones.”
  • “To get my voice heard.”
  • “I joined it in Sault Ste. Marie and I liked it, and I was doing People First. It teaches that you don’t have to be afraid of speaking up for yourself and you can be a part of making change.”
  • “Because I have been through a lot in the past 60 years. I know how to relate to others who are having the same problems as me, and I feel like I can help them out.”
  • “I wanted to help.”
  • “I like talking about different things and working in the group.”
  • “I’ve lived through being institutionalized and excluded, and now I want to speak up for community belonging and equal access for everyone.”

Voices into Action

We also asked members what they would like to accomplish through the committee. Here are some of the answers they shared:

  • Accessibility changes around town and bringing awareness of disability rights and accessibility needs
  • Accessible washrooms downtown
  • Raise funds for the committee so we can travel to learn new things and meet other self-advocates
  • I would like to get a crosswalk on Centre Street for the Hunters Bay Trail
  • Better accessibility in Huntsville – accessible buildings, transportation, and community events
  • More and better street lighting for accessibility and safety

Want to join the Community Living Huntsville Self-Advocate Advisory Committee? Reach out to Rachel.Boone@clhuntsville.ca or Amanda.Coysh@clhuntsville.ca.

Community Living Huntsville is a not-for-profit, registered charity that supports and advocates alongside more than 300 children and adults, and their families, to promote and advance meaningful choice and real inclusion for people with developmental disabilities, so people, families, and our community can thrive. Learn more at clhuntsville.ca and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.