Inspiring stories of Albertans with disabilities thriving in their communities are landing on coffee tables across the Foothills.
Foothills SNAPS (Special Needs Association for Parents and Siblings) completed a 96-page coffee table book, In Pursuit of the Ordinary: A Journey to an Inclusive Alberta, featuring stories of people who either overcame their disabilities or led the way to create an inclusive society. The book was launched at A River Ran Through It Café in High River, April 21.
High River resident and former CTV broadcaster Darrel Janz, who wrote some of the profiles, said it was a labour of love.
“I went from being interested to being excited about the whole project,” he said. “What excited me was telling the story of inclusion and having several people that I recommended included like Ross Watson, a blind mountain climber adventurer. Meeting this eclectic group of people was a thrill for me.”
Among those who shared their story was Okotokian Kathy Thornhill. Her son, Austin, was diagnosed with autism, epilepsy and generalized anxiety disorder.
“This is an opportunity to share our stories and show how we can all belong,” she said. “It made me feel a lot more connected to other people throughout the province even though I only knew them through the book.”
Thornhill, who always believed her son could achieve more than she was told he was capable of, believes the book is suitable for people of all abilities.
“This has got to be one of the most inspiring things I’ve ever read,” she said. “It gives different perspectives on what people can achieve.”
Also featured is Orvella Small, her husband Fraser and their daughter Sheena, a High River businesswoman who has Williams syndrome, a rare progressive developmental disorder.
Sheena’s condition inspired Orvella to spearhead Foothills SNAPS, of which she is the executive director, and to publish the book.
“Sheena is why I do what I do,” she said.
Determined to give Sheena the same opportunities as her older brothers, Small and Fraser supported their daughter’s pursuits.
“She always said, ‘I want to graduate just like my brothers,’” Small recalls. “She walked across the stage and got her diploma like everyone else.”
In Grade 8, Sheena began drafting a business plan. At 18, she opened Sheena’s Sweets & Such in High River.
“That’s what brings me here is my daughter and her determination to be the best that she can be and no different than anybody else,” she said.
The book became possible through a $25,000 Canada 150 grant, which offered five criteria for applicants. Among them was the theme of inclusion, which matches the mandate of the 20-year-old non-profit Foothills SNAPS.
Small put requests out to various Alberta agencies looking for people to feature. She received 21 nominations as far away as St. Paul.
The book was completed in six months.
“I don’t know the words to express how amazing it is that we can accomplish this in such a short period of time and capture the essence everyone shared with us and be able to put it into a book that everyone welcomes and accepts,” she said. “What a legacy for our 20 years of serving the Foothills to be able to have the book come out.”
Contributing to the publication was Calgarian Allan Rosales, who conducted most of the interviews and took the photographs.
“I found the stories of resilience and courage inspiring,” he said. “It’s not only to inspire families with children with disabilities, anybody can pick up this book and enjoy it.”
A story that especially touched Rosales was that of the Desjardins family of St. Paul, whose son Daniel was born with Down syndrome.
“Medical doctors said to them, ‘You should put your son in an institution and forget you have a son,’” he said. “It was a bit overwhelming just the injustice that was happening to people at the time and that there’s still so much that needs to be done.”
Rosales said more people should know how hard families work to ensure their children are part of their community.
“I’m now more aware of what’s gone on over the last 30, 40 years, the amount of advocacy that happens, how we’ve shifted as a society to be more inclusive and how important that is,” he said. “It was a fantastic project and I’m honoured to be a part of it.”
Janz, whose CTV segment, Inspired, features unsung heroes, said being involved with the book was a real education.
“We’ve made great progress, but we have a long way to go to be a totally inclusive society,” he said. “One person who really pointed that out to me was Ross Watson. He said, ‘What I see is we made life a lot better for the disabled, but we have not fully included them.’”
In Pursuit of the Ordinary costs $40 and is available at Foothills SNAPS.
