Inclusion fair builds connections

From sharing Kahnawake’s work on accessibility to regaling guests with their new mascot, the Connecting Horizons team was out in full force for the Pathways to Inclusion Resource Fair in Montreal last week.

“I think it’s extremely valuable for us to be making these connections, because if we stay inside our own little pod, we don’t grow,” said Iris Phillips, advocacy program coordinator at Connecting Horizons. “We’re thinking with that mindset, that if we expand ourselves, we’re going to expand our resources, our networking, our connections, and eventually we’re going to be picking up newer ideas that we can bring back to the community.”

The event was hosted by the Sylvan Adams YM-YWHA Community Centre, and the Connecting Horizons team set up a booth at the event, with Phillips also giving an address to attendees about the work the organization does as an advocacy group in Kahnawake.

“I left them with a parting word that accessibility starts with you being a gardener, you plant the seeds of accessibility to your friends, family, coworkers, and they bring those seeds home and they become gardeners and teach others,” Phillips said. “I said that if you do see something you should say something, and if it’s not accessible, it’s not acceptable.”

The team was able to meet with other leaders in the accessibility field, gathering contacts to bring back to Kahnawake.

“When we get information, we can pass it on to Kahnawà:ke Shakotiia’takéhnhas Community Services (KSCS) workers or any other organizations that might fit. We got a lot of resources in terms of OT (occupational therapy), speech therapy, and art therapy,” Phillips said.

“It’s awesome because we don’t just get ideas from inside the community, we don’t recycle our ideas, we also get them from the outside and use those resources.”

The team also brought along Connecting Horizons’ newest member: mascot Fidget Rótewe, a giant husky. The mascot outfit was worn by a Connecting Horizons volunteer, and he made waves at the fair.

“He brings a little more comfort and excitement to some of the things we do, and he had a great reception, he was an instant hit,” Phillips said. “It wasn’t just for our neurodiverse people and people with special needs, it was also parents, and everyone, they wanted to shake hands and give high-fives, and he just connected people.”

Fidget will be making more appearances at Connecting Horizons events in the future, with the goal of bringing people together and making participants comfortable, especially at events, where people can often feel overwhelmed by large crowds and noise.

“He just brings so much joy, and interest, and excitement,” Phillips said. “Immediately, everyone was just watching him, and he was just the centre of the room. He’s going to be playing a big part in our future activities.”

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