Nothing About Us Without Us
The LD-ACE Project is designed to spread awareness about Learning Disabilities and help empower the Learning Disabilities Community. The LD-ACE project is funded by the Department of Children, Seniors and Social Development under the Capacity Grant Program. Along with the Disability Policy Office (DPO), we have designed this program to: Create a positive image of disability; Include people with disabilities in decision-making; Strengthen disability-related supports; Increase the delivery of services with dignity, fairness and support.
The guiding philosophy of this project is ‘Nothing About Us Without Us.’ LDANL engaged people with Learning Disabilities from across the province to create presentations based on their lived experiences and trained them to be the facilitators of these presentations. The presentations are intended for spreading LD awareness, creating a positive image of disability (LD in particular), empowering the LD population for self-advocacy, and guiding them towards appropriate interventions.
About LD-ACE presentations:
Every person with LD has their own unique experience. LD can affect every aspect of a person’s life, but how they impact a person can vary across different situations and stages of life. LD-ACE presentations shed light on the nuances of these experiences, raise awareness about the diversity within the LD community and challenge common stereotypes about LD.
The LD-ACE team has developed two categories of presentations: awareness presentations and empowerment presentations. Within each category, presentations are targeted to specific audiences. We have created awareness presentations for the general public, K-12 educators, post-secondary educators, and employers. We have also developed empowerment presentations for children with LD, adults with LD, and parents/guardians of children with LD.
- All LD-ACE presentations are FREE
- Presentations are an hour and a half (90 minutes) long
- To request a presentation, follow the link at the top or bottom of this webpage
EMPOWERMENT PRESENTATIONS:
We have created three categories of Empowerment presentations: for children with LD; parents of kids with LD and adults with LD
Children with LD: When children who identify as having LD come together, they can gain a deeper understanding of their community, become powerful self-advocates and recognize their strengths. Through sharing their lived experiences, our LD-ACE team can create a place of safety and support. This presentation is developmentally appropriate and tailored to the age group participating.
Adults with LD: Many adults who have or suspect they have LD have lived with struggle, defeat, shame and often mental health issues for much of their lives. When they come together with others who have had shared experiences and hear from others who have walked similar paths, they can gain self-awareness and become better self-advocates. Building a sense of community is particularly emphasized during this presentation.
Parents of Kids with LD: When parents and guardians gain a deeper understanding of life with an LD they can become powerful advocates for their children. By sharing their experiences at different ages, our LD-ACE team can help parents create a path of self-empowerment for their children.
AWARENESS PRESENTATIONS:
We have created four categories of Awareness presentations: for K-12 teachers/educators, postsecondary teachers/educators, employers and the general public or anyone who is interested in knowing more about LDs
K-12 Teachers/Educators: This presentation is appropriate for teachers, school administrators, guidance counsellors, educational psychologists, speech-language pathologists, student assistants, and other school personnel that work with students. This presentation is not your typical “Classroom Strategies” type of presentation. This allows educators to sit back and see the world through the eyes of the students they work with. These presentations cover various topics, including personal experiences with accommodations, classroom strategies, technology, strengths and challenges.
Post Secondary Teachers/Educators: This presentation is appropriate for teachers, professors, administrators, tutors, and anyone who works with post-secondary students or adult learners. During this presentation, people with LD will share their experiences and offer some suggestions for accommodations, classroom strategies, and technology in adult learning settings.
Employers: Employees with learning disabilities often have unique skills and strengths that they can bring to the workplace. Despite their strengths and skills, people with LD are often underemployed and underpaid. This presentation explores workplace challenges, strengths, accommodations, technology, communication, and more. With proper awareness, acceptance, and accommodations, people with learning disabilities can succeed in a variety of workplace environments. When employers create genuinely inclusive workplaces, everyone wins.
General Public: How is your awareness of LD? Through this presentation, you will learn about how LD can impact all areas of a person’s life – school, relationships, employment, and mental health. This General Awareness presentation also explores various topics, including personal experiences with accommodations, assistive technology, strengths and challenges.
These FREE one-and-a-half-hour-long presentations are offered virtually to small groups across the province. To book an LD-ACE presentation, please complete the registration form linked below.
Please contact us at [email protected] if you have any questions.
MEET OUR LD-ACE PRESENTERS
