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What we do
Enable
We enable faith-based community support for and collaboration with Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AIDDs).
Empower
We raise awareness for the need to empower people with disabilities to enable them to experience full church community participation and contribution while maintaining their integrity.
Engage
We engage more individuals with disabilities through our comprehensive and person-centered approach. We create platforms that allow people affected by disabilities to be able to make their own choices, influence local decision-making processes, control the services they receive, and ultimately become contributing members of the society.
Our Stories
Advocacy and Awareness
Disabled individuals and advocacy groups play a crucial role in raising awareness about accessibility and inclusion issues. Their efforts lead to positive changes in policies, infrastructure, and societal attitudes. People with disabilities have a lot to contribute to our society. When Barrister Ayodele Adekanmbi was asked how disability population can be supported to achieve their dreams.
He said “it is difficult for us to live a meaningful life because people see us differently…I have visual impairment which is congenital in nature with a lot of experience from childhood till date. People with disabilities across the globe especially those from the continent of Africa are seen as being “cursed.”
There are barriers that need to be dealt with; people’s attitudes, architecture, and perceptions about who we are. All of these need to change, and Disability Empowerment Foundation (DEF) is at the frontline of creating awareness about how people with disabilities need to be seen, heard, respected, and supported. Also, collaborative efforts need to be made by the family, the church, the society, and the government. Our family should be more supportive. Church should involve us in decision making. The government should create an enabling environment and enacts laws that will promote disability issues to make environment conducive for persons with disabilities.”
– Barrister Ayodele Adekanmbi
Overcoming Adversity
Disabled individuals often face unique challenges, which can lead to remarkable feats of resilience, determination, and innovation. Their stories serve as a source of inspiration for us all. Shannon Roberston is one of the DEF Board members.
This child’s medical journey has required a great deal of support from Shannon and the rest of the family. Four brain surgeries and 35 radiation sessions have resulted in the need for physical and cognitive rehabilitation, and in the course of supporting this child’s healing and recovery, Shannon has also become involved with the Edmonton Stollery Children’s Hospital in the area of Patient and Family Centered Care.
She has been a patient and family representative in a number of capacities, including making sure that policy and procedure documents are appropriately accessible and inclusive, as well as ensuring that patient and family needs were considered in the redesign of operating theatre and intensive care spaces.
Shannon declares, “through Disability Empowerment Foundation (DEF), God is drawing to Himself from all over the world, to the work and to the vision, people with the mind for His work: to crack open, and to break down walls (some strongholds) that exist prejudicially against people with disabilities. Sometimes those strongholds exist in the world, we are not surprised; but unfortunately, some of these strongholds and limitations are within our faith communities. DEF is bringing people all over the world to see how we can work together to tear down these barriers and work on God’s vision for all His children.”
- Mrs Shannon Robertson
Capacity Building, Diversity and Representation
Including people with disabilities in all aspects of society ensures a more accurate representation of the population as a whole. Their experiences and perspectives enrich discussions, problem-solving, and creativity.
“Alberta has the third largest population of African Caribbean black Community in all of Canada and it is growing, and individuals and families living with disabilities within this minority group are faced with greater challenges.... One of the important things Disability Empowerment Foundation is advocating for is building stronger government support for persons living with disabilities.”
- MLA David Shepherd, Edmonton, Canada
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