Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I want to highlight the Yellowknife Association for Community Living, commonly known as YACL. They are a non-profit, non-government organization that supports NWT residents, families, children, youth and adults with intellectual disabilities. The goal of the association is to ensure inclusion for their members in community life and also to provide them with an opportunity to contribute to the community. In the 30-plus years since YACL was started, they’ve met that goal time and time again.
The association provides seven different services and programs for persons with disabilities. The Family Project provides support to families who have family members with a disability. YACL serves people with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder through two projects, Living and Learning with FASD and the FASD Peer Support Project.
They also have an Outreach Research Centre in conjunction with Aurora College, which offers literacy instruction aimed at individuals with low literacy levels. Members here are well acquainted with the association’s Respite Program, a highly valued program which assists families living with a child with a disability, by providing relief to the parents. YACL also runs a Supported Living Services Program. It provides support to clients so that they can live independently in their own homes.
Then there’s the Skills Training and Community Inclusion Program which provides employment for YACL clients through the summer cafe -- if you haven’t had lunch there, you’re missing out on a
good thing -- and through the provision of business services to local companies.
Last but not least, the association runs an Employability Program. This program works to find training and job opportunities in the community for YACL clients and to promote disability awareness in our local workforce. Once a YACL client is placed for a job, the program also supports the employer through that transition.
Through the efforts of this valued and respected organization, persons with disabilities are accepted into our Yellowknife community and they also contribute to the community in many ways. I have to say that our lives are all the richer for it.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
