The Voyage Together   |   Schedule   |   Workshops   |   Presenters   |   Acknowledgements

Lorraine Aitken is the Provincial Advisor for Supported Child Development Programs (SCDP). She advises and supports agencies, families and communities in the delivery of services, and provides advice to government regarding services and policy. Lorraine has worked for twenty years in the field of inclusive childcare for children with extra support needs.

Bev Andersen is the parent of two children, one of whom is an adult with a disability. Bev is the program coordinator at Transition Youth Employment Services (TYES) in Victoria. Her contribution to the success at TYES has been to identify individual needs and provide suitable accommodations to ensure successful outcomes and participant satisfaction.

Elizabeth Anthony lives in Victoria and has three children; she challenged service systems to obtain support for her son. Her professions have been as an early childhood educator, daycare director, residence manager and currently is an Operations Officer for the Provincial Emergency Program. She is also a Resource Parent for the Family Support Institute.

Sean Atherton is a twenty-one year old student who is enrolled in the Electrical Pre-Apprentice Program at Okanagan College. Sean resides in Vernon, BC with his Mom, sister and his grandparents. Sean is a strong advocate for his sister Leah, and is a Microboard Member for the All About Leah Society.

Linette Baker is a Program Manager with the Victoria Association for Community Living and is responsible for services such as employment, independent living, parent support and advocacy. With the diversity and innovation of their association she will share both traditional supports and newer, creative models.

Susan Blockberger is the Augmentative Communication Consultant for the Richmond School District. She provides liaison between SET-BC and the school district and chairs Richmond's SET screening committee.

Ellen Candlish is a parent of two daughters with disabilities. She is co-founder of the Family Support Institute and has traveled throughout BC to meet with families and facilitate workshops on a variety of topics. Ellen has spent the last twenty-five years advocating on behalf of her children and supporting others in their quest for recognition as contributing members of society.

Ann Carr states, "necessity is the mother of all inventions"; as a mother of an avid basketball player she started a basketball program for youth with developmental challenges. Ann's son Shane ran out of options to play basketball in his early teens in high school. A dream became a reality for Shane as a program for eight young males turned into a league of its own with four programs and fifty players.

Kathy Champion is a Director of Instruction with the Richmond School District. She has experience as a classroom and special education teacher. Kathy has been a proponent of inclusive education practices throughout the province and has taught university courses in special education. She credits Jackie, her sister who has Down Syndrome as being one of her best teachers, along with the students she has taught.

Hugo Chan has been a Vancouverite for over thirty years. He is currently an Information Officer at the Autism Community Training Society, supporting families of children with autism. Hugo is involved with many support groups in the community to provide information and resources pertaining to disability issues.

Angela Clancy has been inspired by growing up with her brother, Alan, who requires ongoing supports throughout his life due to disability challenges. Angela is the Executive Director of the Family Support Institute; her education and life experience have led her to form a strong value system that is based on equal rights and community inclusion for all people.

Charmaine Co is a sixteen-year-old student who currently attends J.N. Burnett Secondary in Richmond. She is in grade eleven and uses the PAC Mate and laptop to complete her assignments. She sings and plays the piano during her leisure time.

Pam Collins is the proud parent of two sons, one of whom has autism and is an active volunteer wih community initiatives supporting individuals with special needs.  She is Behaviour Consultant with the Delta Association for Child Development and a recognized educational speaker for families and teaching staff of exceptional children.  She is the co-founder of the Richmond Autism Interagency Committee and a Co-Facilitator for the Richmond Autism Parent Support Group.

Joe Emanuels is a SFU Graduate whose brother Chuck became his inspiration to provide supports to people with unique needs and challenging behaviours. Joe offers exceptionally candid thoughts on life as Chuck's sibling and from the perspective of providing supports to others. Joe is employed by the Langley Association for Community Living, and supports a young man in Langley.

Lori Emanuels is employed as a Facilitator with Vela Microboard Association of BC. Lori has had the privilege of meeting many families throughout BC. Lori is the mother of two young men, her son Chuck is a collector of ties and hot wheels; too many too hazard a guess. Chuck's unique and complex needs are supported successfully through the Langley Association for Community Living and his Microboard.

Paula Grant is the Director of Policy, Community Living BC.  She has been involved with community living programs and services for adults with developmental disabilities for over 20 years and has played a primary role in creating community-based supports.  Paula has a masters in social work and is married with one daughter.  She enjoys reading, kayaking, hiking and travel.

Margaret Hanke has been working with preschool age children for ten years. For the past four years she has worked as a Consultant with the Richmond Supported Child Development Program supporting families and their children with special needs.

Kathleen Hodges is a student at the University of Victoria and eventually hopes to pursue a career in Business. Kathleen was a coordinator of "Let’s Play", a program that provides children with an opportunity to socialize with senior students.

Chris Horrocks is currently a learning support teacher with the Surrey School District. He is also an instructor at Douglas College in the Faculty of Child, Family and Community Support. He has taught in elementary and secondary schools, as an itinerant inclusion support teacher and as a transition planner from secondary school. He is Vice Chair of the Whole Schooling Consortium and a member of the Inclusive Education Committee of the BC Association for Community Living.

Nancy Hoyano has been teaching in public schools and colleges for over twenty-five years. Most of her teaching career has been in secondary schools as a Resource Teacher supporting students who were included in regular classrooms. She is currently on the board of the BC Association for Community Living and is the chair of their Inclusive Education Committee.

Ella Huang is the Executive Director of the Richmond Disability Resource Centre, a program of the Richmond Committee on Disability. The Centre provides specialized information and networking services pertaining to disability and accessibility issues. She believes in self-determination for people with disabilities to control their own lives by making informed decisions, nurturing peer support, and establishing strong support networks.

Cheryl Hughes is a professional Certified Coach and independent consultant with many years of experience in supporting people who live with a disability and their families. Cheryl engages in processes that assist people to dream, to bring their dreams into reality, and to discover and engage their potential. Cheryl works with organizations in BC that support social change and initiatives that stimulate caring, connection and restoration within our communities.

Tamara Hurtado is the parent of ten-year-old twin daughters, one of whom has Down Syndrome. Her dream is when her daughters finish school that their peers will presume they both have the same expectations and options to pursue a university or college education. She is the Executive Director of STEPS Forward Inclusive Post-Secondary Education Society. They support the inclusion of adults with intellectual disabilities in colleges and universities in BC and currently have students at UBC, UVIC and Emily Carr Institute.

Scott Jensen began working with children part-time while attending UBC. He has been the Out-of-School-Care Supervisor at South Arm Community Association for four years and since 2004 has been the Youth Development Worker where he has developed innovative youth activities over the last several years.

Barbara Karmazyn is an expressive arts educator and drum circle facilitator. She promotes healthy life style practices through creativity and self-expression to people of all ages and abilities through rhythm, song, dance, art and storymaking.  

Joshua Koenig-Ottmann is a grade ten student at London Secondary. He is interested in photography and has included many of Richmond's natural settings in his current photographic work.

Kelly Koyanagi is the mother of three boys, ages thirteen, eight and four. Two of her children have special needs. She has worked for the past eight years as an Administrative Assistant in an Independent School.

Tamara Kulusic has experience supporting her son and working in partnership with the school district to support his exceptional learning and communication needs. She is currently the Family Support and Inclusive Education Coordinator with the BC Association for Community Living.

Katy Kwong came to Canada in 1993 and is a mother of two daughters. Her younger daughter was diagnosed with a learning disability in Kindergarten; since then she began the journey of building a more accessible world for her with a focus on family education. Katy is one of the founding members and currently is the Vice Chair of the Chinese Support Group Committee.

Norm Kunc is a well known disability rights advocate, and thinks of himself as a storyteller, continuing the long held tradition of using humour and narrative to initiate self-reflection and social change. Born with cerebral palsy, Norman attended a segregated school for children with physical disabilities, and attended a regular high school. He has completed a Bachelor's degree in Humanities and a Master of Science degree in Family Therapy. When Norm is not working he enjoys sailing, writing, and tinkering on his website.

Wendy Langridge is a parent of three grown children. Her youngest son, who is twenty-three years old, is very active in his community and has Down Syndrome. She is a Program Manager with Community Integration Support Services (CISS). She is also a Resource Parent and has been a board member with the Family Support Institute. She presents various workshops and supports families in her community, and through a parent group at CISS.

David Lee obtained his Master's degree in Social Work and started his career in social services as a Child Protection Worker in Vancouver for fifteen years; then he joined the Richmond Office of the Ministry for Children and Families. He proudly celebrated his thirty-second year of service in July 2006. David will be sharing with the group some personal experiences about assisting families with children with disabilities.

Shirley Leung was a very active role model in her community before she came to Canada in 1992. She was active with the Hong Kong Special Needs Parents' Group and Autism Parents Society. Her twenty-six year old son has developed independent living skills and has developed stable emotional and behavioural coping methods. Shirley is a founding member and currently the Treasurer of the Chinese Support Group Committee.

Peter Li, B.A., B.S.W. M. Div., LL.B., is a lawyer who has been heavily involved in community services. His involvement has included legal presentations on radio and television shows, and writing legal articles. He has also been invited by various organizations and School Boards to speak at legal seminars and has been serving as an honorary speaker in the law classes held by the People's Law School for over ten years.

John Lord is a researcher, family member, and community leader from Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario. He has published widely on issues such as innovations with community support, person-directed planning, and individualized funding. He has been a regular visitor to BC over the years; he did research into the closure of the Tranquille Institution and has recently been involved with the development of Community Living BC.

Joe Lucyshyn, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of British Columbia whose area of specialty is behavior disorders. He has an international reputation as a passionate advocate for a collaborative, family-centred approach to conducting functional assessments and designing Positive Behaviour Support plans for children with autism and other developmental disabilities.

Herbert Lui has been a Committee Chair of the Disability Resource Centre Chinese Support Group. Herbert is a man of vision and very proactive in the planning of a better life for children with disabilities. His drive towards a better future for his son with special ability motivates him to take an active role in community.

Dennis Luk is the Chairman of the Chinese Support Group Committee of the Richmond Disability Resource Centre. He arrived in Canada from Hong Kong in 2001 and has a sixteen-year old son with Asperger Syndrome. Dennis contributes many volunteer hours as a Tennis Coach and guitarist.

Vicki Lundine is a District Career Facilitator with the Campbell River School District. Vicki has close to thirty years working with students with a variety of special needs. For the past ten years Vicki has been focused on providing all students with the essential skills necessary for their transition to post-secondary or directly into the world of work. Included in this process is connecting with community partners for a valuable work experience.

Carrie McLellan is the Coordinator of the Richmond Supported Child Development Program (SCDP). She has been part of SCDP for ten years and has supported people with disabilities for more than fifteen years. Carrie has taught various workshops throughout the lower mainland and recently co-developed resources and facilitator training for "Inclusion in School Age Child Care"; a training kit for school age child care providers.

Melanie Marcotte attended high school in White Rock. After graduation she attended Emily Carr College through the Steps Forward Program and also has a part time job through the same program. Melanie is also a board member of Vela Microboard Association.

Colette Massie is a Regional Coordinator with SET-BC and is an Assistive Technology Consultant. She is a speech language pathologist who has worked with assistive technology since 1993. Colette has worked on a variety of SET-BC projects over the years, most recently "Building Assistive Technology Communities". She has also presented at national and international conferences.

Pat Mirenda, Ph.D, is a Professor in the Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology and Special Education at the University of British Columbia (UBC). She teaches courses on autism, augmentative communication, positive behaviour support, and inclusive education.

Shelley Nessman has worked in the Community Living field for twenty-eight years. She is passionate about empowering and encouraging people to dream and make their dreams come true. She encourages everyone to discover and develop their talents and then share them with the world!

Margaret Newbury Jones, B.Ed., Spec. Ed. Dip., has been working with people with disabilities since her childhood and has taught special education in the public school system for fourteen years. She now operates SHADE Consulting Ltd. (formerly MNJ Consulting), offering social skills, life skills and sexuality education for people with unique learning needs and the people who support them.

Allan O'Meara started one of Canada's first laughter groups in 2001. He trained in India with the founder of Laughter Yoga Dr. Kataria. He has been helping people find their inner joy for over five years.

Kendall Oliver is attending a local university and hopes to pursue a career in Nursing. Kendall was a coordinator of "Let’s Play", a program that provides children with an opportunity to socialize with senior students.

Linda Perry is the Executive Director of Vela Microboard Association and has assisted with the development of nearly four hundred microboards throughout BC. She has worked for and with people with physical and developmental challenges for over thirty years. She is the mother and grandmother of two wonderful gals with special needs and considers them to be her greatest teachers.

Roari Richardson has been employed by the Richmond Society for Community Living for ten years. He is the Coordinator of the Youth Connection Program, a recreation program for children. He is also the Supervisor of the Transitions Program for young adults. He promotes the development of life skills, community inclusion and empowerment and advocacy with the individuals attending the programs.

Terry Robertson is Mom to Bree-Anna who is twenty years old. Terry became involved in improving services through the Child Development Centre, then with local and regional committees and the school district. Joining FSI many years ago expanded her view on the provincial issues and she continues to be involved in many disability activities around BC.

Lynn Rolko and her husband Oskar spent twenty-five amazing years supporting their daughter Nicole to achieve her own goals as a full participant in her local community.  She is currently a Board Member of Community Living BC and has been a long time advocate for individuals with developmental disabilities, families, caregivers and service providers.

Claudette Sandecki is the director of Arbour Consulting and has been providing behaviour consultation to families of individuals with special needs for fourteen years. She approaches her practice in a grounded belief that all people deserve care, respect, community connection and the opportunity to develop the competence that is so vital to a healthy sense of self-worth.

Geraldine Schwartz, Ph.D., is a psychologist, teacher and Principal of the Vancouver Learning Centre. She builds rehabilitation and recovery programs around the capability of each learner based on neuropsychological and educational assessments.

Master Sirota has been involved in various capacities of martial arts since childhood and competed in national-level championships. He offers martial arts and self-defense programs at The Alchymy, and frequently provides instruction to schools, corporations, and various others groups and conferences. Master Sirota has developed a program for people with special needs to help them develop their personal attributes.

Sleight of Hand - Carolyn McTaggart founded the choir over ten years ago. They are from Nelson, BC and are a choir with a difference - Sleight of Hand sings in sign language, creating music for your eyes. The group is comprised of youth with special needs and their friends. Singing in sign is an easy way to learn some sign language and explore nonverbal communication in an enjoyable atmosphere while making friends.

Masumi Smith is the sister of Naomi Siu and a former member of the Naomi's microboard. Masumi is completing her final year in the Integrated Engineering Programme at UBC and works for her father's engineering business. Last summer, Masumi married and was delighted to have Naomi as a bridesmaid at the wedding. Masumi plans to have children soon and knows that Naomi will be an integral part of their lives.

Mathew Smith is the brother-in-law of Naomi Siu and president of the We Support Naomi Siu Society (Naomi's microboard). After finishing a BSc in physics at York University in England, Mathew came to UBC where he is completing his PhD in nuclear physics and works as a teaching assistant for the Department of Physics. While living in the UK, Mathew supported people with disabilities in many of his father's care homes.

Tim Stainton, Ph.D., is the father of four children; his son has received extra supports in his early childhood years and is embarking on the journey with the public school system as he enters Kindergarten. Tim is a Professor of Social Work at UBC and has extensive experience supporting adults with disabilities in his former role as a service broker with the Community Living Society and with the Director of Policy and Planning for the Ontario Association of Community Living.

Bridget Strand is a teacher in the Academic and Social Development Program for college age students at the Down Syndrome Research Foundation. She has been a teacher and instructor for over sixteen years. She has developed several educational programs and has written curriculum. Most of her teaching experience has been with adults and children with special needs, as well as at-risk youth and young adults.

Beryl Swan is the parent of two children, one with a disability. Beryl is the employment coordinator at Transition Youth Employment Services (TYES) in Victoria and has extensive experience as a job developer. Her ability to work with employers in the community and to match participants with work placements has created paid employment positions for many individuals.

Leon Tam is a grade twelve student at London Secondary in Richmond and he has an interest in photography. Leon travelled to China with his family in the spring and captured beautiful images of the people and places he saw.

John Tsang has a twelve years old son with autism. The goal of John and his wife, who came to Canada from Hong Kong, is to help their son to be an inclusive independent member of our community. John is involved with a Vancouver Chinese Autism Parent Group, is a member of the Inclusive Education Committee of BC Association for Community Living, and is a director with Autism Community Training.

Robert Wells is the father of two daughters with disabilities. He is an instructor for the First Nations Family Support Worker Program at Camosun College in Victoria and has Master's degrees in Counseling and Curriculum Development and Administration. Robert has been a special education teacher and has volunteered with the BC Association for Community Living and the Family Support Institute supporting families.

Randy Wilson and his wife live in Coquitlam with their three adult children. Two of their children have microboards that manage their support needs. Randy is President of Vela Microboard Association and has long history with the Family Support Institute. Randy developed one of the first "dad's groups" many years ago. His belief in the commonality of issues amongst families has kept him active throughout the years.

Emma Van der Klift has assisted families, agencies, and school districts to support people with varying abilities to live meaningful and enjoyable lives within their communities. Emma has worked for a non-profit organization in a variety of capacities including supported employment, residential options, as a program director and later as a labour relations director. Emma has received training in Conflict Resolution and Mediation. Emma believes that literature, art, dance, story, and self-disclosure are central in creating communities that welcome and value the diversity of individuals.

Caroline Zimich is a recent graduate of London Secondary and is now attending the Transition Program. Caroline's photography work includes experiments with texture and colour. Her passion for photography was the catalyst for a wheelchair accessible work station being established in London Secondary's darkroom.