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(singing) I... am... everyday people.
Hello I'm Jennifer Walsh the CEO of COMAAT
this video will cover how I could help Regional Center clients in meeting their
Their individual program plan
(IPP) goals.
COMAAT provides consultation and training on living a fulfilling life
regardless of disability for the clients of the Regional Center and their families
realizing the gifts of all individuals maximizes inclusion and brings people
together. COMAAT can present to families on subjects from how to advocate in the
community for their family member to how to have the equal expectations for them
as they would for anyone else
first I'm going to begin talking about what COMAAT actually does,
and its philosophy
COMAAT was created on the concept that everybody contributes to the community
no matter the type of participation in society
I founded COMAAT: Changing One Mind at a Time
in 2010 to provide our community with consulting services for
disability awareness and accessibility solutions
When I came up with the concept of COMAAT the majority of the work was and
still is, helping people find their own voice
in all environments
and facilitating inclusion in the community
I am vendorized by the GGRC under the individual and family training
category
COMAAT believes through this vendorization we can give the clients of the
Regional Center an opportunity to remember that a disability is only
one of many characteristics that describes a person
COMAAT designs one on one or group trainings
everything COMAAT participates in will builid to a
universal inclusion environment
provide personalized trainings
adapted for unique needs
based on the COMAAT inclusion strategies
Inclusion is the essence of COMAAT. Next I'm going to talk about our inclusion
strategies. These are approaches that will positively impact families and
individuals with disabilities in the community no matter what the goals are
in one's plan.
The COMAAT strategies could be applied to accomplish those goals
All of these different strategies can work in different environments and
populations
COMAAT tries to be the bridge between the disability community and mainstream
society
I have experience working in both environments
promoting inclusion
personally and professionally and I hope that my work with the GGRC will
open more doors into the general community to bridge the inclusion gap
Now let's look at the COMAAT inclusion strategies and how they can be applied to
typical IPP goals
Here they are.
The first inclusion strategy is equal expectations and overcoming challenges
This strategy will teach a family or individual with a disability how to find
a way through any challenge or obstacle and gain heightened expectations for life
The outcome will be having the tools to develop and learn how to match
challenges to available resources
Yes, life is sometimes challenging but if it was not challenging it would be boring
I believe the challenge of life comes from creating your own dreams and not
settling with how other people see you and going by their expectations
This strategy could be related to someone's goal to participate in the
community
Equal expectations overcome limitations.
A part of living with a disability is finding strength in diversity which is
our next strategy. All individuals are unique and families will realize that
qualities are not good or bad
but just a part of being human
Taking control of self perceptions will influence other people's perceptions
This strategy can help new parents or somebody who is in transition either
from school to adult life for a from a family environment to an independent
living environment
After finding your strength you will be more aware of our next strategy
Natural Supports
Discovering how to maximize natural supports put specific abilities into
benefical positions by matching abilities to potential in everyday life
the goal of completing daily living task will not be such a task when this
strategy is applied. Natural supports make the most of the abilities we have and
helps us reach our full potential
Next we recognize our universal commonalities
The commonalities of eating,
sleeping
breathing and going to the bathroom,
are all a part of being a member of the human race
Finding commonalities begins at home and expands into the community so it will be
more apparent what everyone's commonalities are rather than their
differences
This objective is the cinderblock that makes the foundation of the inclusion
bridge
The realization of universal commonalities in the general society
will reinforce this foundation
This strategy is essential to community participation
and independent living goals
Once we realize our commonalities
we must also acknowledge our differences
especially in how we learn
Learning styles. We all need to remember that each individual is unique
being aware of different learning styles will foster inclusion and growth
the implementation of learning styles begins at home and leads to having
expectations of being included in the community
For any individual who has an education goal
this strategy will foster the preferred learning mode
unique to each person
When they discover the most comfortable learning style they can advocate for
themselves when going to school
As we master are learning styles we will open the floodgates of our hidden talents
Good thing we have that bridge!
Finding and exploring new hidden talents of people with disabilities
as individuals and as a family
will cultivate insight into a successful adult life by offering
different ways to draw on unrealized talents that individuals have
By using this strategy
the family members with a disability will learn self advocacy skills that would
promote self-worth and empowerment
and expand employment opportunities
an important goal for all individuals
Our new found hidden talents will encourage us to participate in the
general community
which is our next strategy
Full Access
Family members have the best vantage point of recognizing their loved one's
barriers and needs by observing them in different situations
Full access is knowing what you need and asking for it,
before demanding accommodation. The family members or the person with a
disability
needs to learn to examine the situation from all angles to find the successful
answer
every advocacy experience will build on the last one in order to fill the family's
self advocacy toolbox. This strategy would be beneficial when participating
in any type of client centered meeting
also,
it would help families and the client to have the confidence to ask for
accommodation in the community when necessary
Another service that COMAAT provides is reader friendly text modifications
The revision of printed materials forms
brochures
advertisements and informational packets
to be more user-friendly for all readers
through the use of illustrations of concepts and plain language like this
example
knowing that we have a right to full access doesn't give us the privilege to be
overbearing
Taking a holistic approach will create a win-win situation for everyone
Assumptions based on any single behavior do not necessarily represent the true
character of a person
Taking into account that all individuals have unique backgrounds that play a role
in interactions,
we learned to look at the whole person without focusing on the diagnosis. This
approach will impact all aspects of life especially in developing relationships
and dealing with health needs
If you have any questions about how I could help you or a specific client
or if you or someone you know want to make use of my reader friendly text
service
you could email
COMAATconsulting@aol.com
Take a moment and look around the web site
COMAAT.biz - The website also has recommendations from my past work.
Thank you for your time. Join with me on my journey to paving the new road to
inclusion.
(singing) I... am... everyday people.