We have had the privilege of working with many remarkable colleagues who share life long passions to build a world that welcomes the talents and capacities of every person into participation in community life. We have created collections (libraries) of some of the key articles, videos and resources created individually and collaboratively. Most of these are ‘free downloads”, and many are treasured resources that reflect decades of work and development. These are indeed a good start on a curated research archive as seen through by some of the key creators and actors in cultural struggle to introduce and nurture basic concept like ‘inclusion’ and ‘person-centered’ work.
Featured Change Makers include:
John O’Brien & Connie Lyle O’Brien
John O’Brien and his wife and partner Connie Lyle O’Brien have been in the forefront of thinking and creating precedent setting innovations that helped to created full lives for people with disability labels the world over. In addition to developing many of the planning systems used internationally, training thousands of facilitators and human service workers, they have also been writers with enormous insight and sensitivity. Below are some of their books that Inclusion Press has been privileged to publish.
Marsha Forest
Marsha Forest was a relentless life long advocate for Inclusion. Originally from NYC, she was trained as a teacher of the deaf – including sitting on their hands to prevent using sign language. True to form, Marsha rejected that approach and spent her life teaching and supporting families to explore any and all forms of communication. While teaching at York University, she met Judith Snow and Jack Pearpoint (who she married). The result was the Circle of Friends, and then the MAPS process and later PATH – conversational approaches to reveal and nurture the gifts and capacities in every person – no exceptions
Judith Snow
Judith Snow A remarkable leader, philosopher, teacher, artist, creator. Without Judith’s pioneering leadership, we would not have the Joshua Committee, the Circle of Friends and more. She was the first person to battle for Independent funding for a person living with complex disabilities – altho’ Judith didn’t believe in disability – just Giftedness and Capacity…
Beth Mount
Beth Mount is a creative genius with a focus on inventing, teaching and delivering full life options for people with developmental disabilities, their families and the partners who support them on diverse paths to social inclusion and self direction. Beth’s tapestries are a remarkable triumph to art and resilience built with the wisdom and partnership of people once excluded.
Gary Bunch
Gary Bunch was captured by the challenge of inclusion. At York University he met Marsha Forest and a relentless partnership of advocacy of inclusion began. Gary taught, crafted materials and books. Always looking for ‘another way’ he created PlayFair Teams – to create education and supports for all students in regular classrooms. His leadership has been international. He has been a resource in many countries,. He was also the founding Chair of the Marsha Forest Centre and is currently Chair Emeritus.
John McKnight
John McKnight co-founded the ABCD Institute—Asset Based Community Development—an institute, books and world leadership. His remarkable thought leadership had a very special connection to the Toronto Summer Institutes. John, one of the founding faculty members, was relentlessly consistent in making space in his calendar to lead a module every year for over 30 years. That is commitment and friendship.
Jack Pearpoint
Jack Pearpoint is an independent Canadian Publisher and catalyst for Inclusion, Diversity, Teamwork, and change! He directed Frontier College for 16 years, then founded Inclusion Press and the Marsha Forest Centre. He is a writer and advocate who has worked his whole career learning from and supporting people on the edge.
Lynda Kahn
Lynda Kahn is a co-director of Inclusion Press International, Toronto, where she works with individuals, families, organizations, and governments interested in positive change. Together with her partner and husband, Jack Pearpoint, she facilitates conversations, plans sessions, and offers training workshops.
Tom Kohler
Tom Kohler recently retired from 40 years of connecting citizens of Savannah, Georgia, to one another. As Co-ordinator and Executive Director of Chatham-Savannah Citizen Advocacy, Tom introduced people who had an established place in the community to people with disabilities who have found themselves placed on the margins of community life. Together, these people have explored how their relationship can change their lives and impact the life of their community. Tom’s articulate wisdom is captured in these video clips and in the Waddie Welcome story – which reveals the giftedness of a man who could have been discarded and became one of Savannah’s leading citizens. Tom’s skills are available – and this wisdom is revealed in these books and videos.
In Five Ways to Go into the World, Tom synthesizes how to choose your people..,,
Al Etmanski
Al Etmanski is a community organizer, social entrepreneur, and author. He’s been a parent activist in the disability world since his daughter Liz was born. He led the closure of institutions and segregated schools in British Columbia, and founded Canada’s first Family Support Institute. In 1989 he co-founded Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network (PLAN) with his wife Vickie Cammack. While at PLAN he lobbied into existence the world’s first Disability Savings Plan.
Al is a global Ashoka fellow and a member of John McKnight’s Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) network. He has received many awards for his activism including the Order of Canada and the Big Picture award from his peers in the disability movement.
De’Amon Harges
DeAmon Harges is the original “Roving Listener” as a neighbor in Indianapolis, IN. His role is to listen and discover the gifts, passions and dreams of citizens in his community, and to find ways to utilize them in order to build community, economy, and mutual “delight.” DeAmon builds on what is already present and in place in the neighborhood, using those formally undiscovered assets to connect and empower rather than working only from the community’s needs and deficits.
Neighbours Inc. Patti Scott & David Hasbury
Patti Scott and David Hasbury are partners and co-conspirators to create support networks that build communities with friendships and secure community engagement for everyone. Patti created a ‘leading edge’ organization called Neighbours Inc, and then Neighbours International to bring that vision to reality. In addition, they travel extensively – locally and internationally, sharing their vision, their learnings and skills. And currently their latest venture is creating remarkable videos that feature the learnings and reflections of some folks they work with…
Heather Simmons – Values of Inclusion
Heather Simmons is a life long advocate for people with disabilities – people on the margins. She is also a brilliant author, presenter and thinker. With a lovely Scottish brogue, she is relentless in challenging us to dig deep, think harder.. be better. Hear her and pause – what can I do now to do better – to be better. Her roots in this work are life long, and incorporate a depth of experience internationally – starting in UK, then Australia, and now back home in Scotland.
Lea Pearman – WAIS – Australia – remarkable Videos
Lea Pearman is the Co-Chief Executive Director of WAiS – Western Australia’s Individualized Services which provides remarkable individualized supports over vast rural regions of Western Australia. Lea and team have also created many remarkable videos that feature concise stories by and about people who use services – from their points of view. One set is on employment choices; a second is one LIVES we LEAD options and stories. Both are remarkable resources.
They are STARTING BUSINESSES in Australia too – Real Jobs
Peter Leidy – Inclusion Songster
Peter Leidy has been learning from people with disabilities since 1983. Peter is a consultant, facilitator, listener, learner, improviser, and speaker who focuses on personalized supports and community membership for people with disabilities. He also writes and sings songs about human serviceland and those who find themselves connected to it. He writes a blog called “Just Curious”.
MPAMBO: Mulembe Mutinzi Cuusansi- Uganda
Wangoola Wandoola Ndawula
Wangoola Wangoola Ndawula: An honorific title earned by a remarkable quiet and relentless leader who is on a mission to rebuild the language, culture and spirit of his people in Uganda – by building a post colonial self sustaining nation that is creating the future we all want. We are a privileged small group of friends assisting this remarkable grass roots network of Ugandan citizens to create the future they want – and are making. We invite you to join us. Listen to the wisdom of people who have been on their land for 6000 years.
Carol Blessing
Carol Blessing has over 30 years of experience in the disability services field as an expert in person-centered practices and planning has earned her international recognition. She is the author and director of the landmark Citizen-Centered Leadership intensive course of study and international community of practice (www.cclds.org). Currently, Ms. Blessing serves on the faculty of the Cornell University Yang-Tan Institute in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations where she has spent the past 20 years directing state-wide cross-system level impact and change initiatives focused on person-directed integrated community-based outcomes for people with disabilities.
Jessica Bolduc – 4R’s Youth Movement
Aanii boozhoo! My name is Jessica, and I am Anishinaabe-French from the Batchewana First Nation. I am privileged to be the Executive Director of the 4Rs Youth Movement, working alongside leaders who are creating capacities for Indigenous and non-Indigenous young people to come together to cultivate understanding and action in support of a type of reconciliation that is relevant to young people.
Hanns Meissner
Hanns Meissner is the former Chief Executive at the Arc of Rensselaer County in New York State, and presently is an Independent Organizational Consultant He is the author of Creating Blue Space and Expanding Blue Space.
Erwin Wieringa – the Netherlands
Erwin Wieringa – the catalyst for inclusion in the Netherlands – and throughout Europe since 1991. A talented colleague, friend, author, playwright & cyclist.
Simon Duffy – Citizen Network creator
Simon Duffy – 2009 – founder of the Centre for Welfare Reform – an independent think tank committed to equality and social justice.
2016, co-founder of the Citizen Network which is a growing global cooperative and social movement to advance citizenship for all.
2017 – co-founder – UBI Lab Sheffield
An Instigator in the global movement for a basic income for all.
Dave Wetherow – Star Raft creator
Dave Wetherow – a Life long advocate for full inclusion who currently is sharing ‘Star Rafts’ with the world – one his many accomplishments. Dave also created the first Microboards in Winnipeg, Manitoba
Justin Page C.M. – U-Can Dictionary; Read Your Mind
Justin Page C.M. (Order of Canada) – is an inveterate inventor/creator. After working with the HELP Program finding jobs, he learned to read and write and then co-created Beat the Street , which mobilized the talents of street people to assist street people. For this, he was awarded the Order of Canada. His commitment to literacy has continued, and resulted in conceptual breakthroughs like the U-CAN Dictionary (beginning with one, then two, then three letter words). Continuing, he realized the power of voice recognition – and using voice to text to enable literacy for all. Then he colour coded the text – revealing our moods even before we do.. This ‘Read Your Mind‘ book is assisting isolated seniors to community across literacy barriers, and depressed youth to reduce the risk of suicide. The journey of discovery continues.
Scottish Human Services: Heather Anderson & Pete Richie
Heather Anderson is leader & and innovator. Together with Pete Richie (husband), she lethe movement for Inclusion in Scotland co-founding Scottish Human Services – which offered brilliant training and resources for over a decade. Heather is now one of the ‘retired’ EU Members of European Parliament from Scotland. https://www.facebook.com/heatherander… And the tv interviews are all here: https://www.facebook.com/pg/heatheran…
Pete Richie is an innovator. He saw Inclusion as an issue years ago, and co-founded Scottish Human Services – which offered brilliant training and resources for over a decade. With the same drive, he is now the Executive Director of Nourish Scotland – working for change from the bottom-up with grassroots groups. As well as working at Nourish, Pete runs Whitmuir Organics with his partner Heather Anderson. [email protected]
UNESCO Co-Chairs Community Based Research: Dr. Budd Hall & Dr. Rajesh Tandon
Dr. Rajesh Tandon and Dr. Budd Hall have been change makers all their lives. Rajesh has been organizing in Indian villages (and around the world) for decades. He founded PRIA – and now with Budd, has created a global self financing training network for participatory research.
Budd’s international life featured two decades as the Secretary General of the International Council for Adult Education – which took him to most every country and network on the planet. He has used his university appointments to leverage funds, networks and training for people around the planet – and at home with Indigenous peoples. They are Change Makers extraordinaire.
Beth Gallagher & Kirk Hinkleman
Beth Gallagher is the founder, owner and CEO of Life Works. Life Works was founded in 2004. Specializeing in designing and delivering personalized supports, Beth co-authored the book Intentional Teaming. with Kirk, and more recently co-created the Liberty Plan.
Kirk Hinkleman is the Director of Life Works. Having worked in the human services field since 1998, Kirk has a wide range of experience working with people with unique and challenging support needs. with Beth he co-authored Intentional Teaming. with Kirk, and more recently co-created the Liberty Plan.
Jack Yates
Jack has been for over forty years a teacher of workers who serve people with intellectual disabilities, and has been for over forty years a conductor of several hundred person-centred planning sessions. His principal teacher (and principle teacher) has been Wolf Wolfensberger, and Jack is one of the little band of teachers of the multi-day workshops which Wolf’s Training Institute at Syracuse University still offers. Jack’s main smaller-scale topics of teaching in recent years include the history of eugenics, moral issues in human services, and the importance of friendships between people with and without disabilities.
Angela Novak Amado
Angela has been a foundation of research at the University of Minnesota’s Institute on Community Integration. A leader in this work for decades, her hour long story recalls and reviews key ideas and strategies for change. Angela has researched, taught and consulted with organizations and families on supporting friendship. Friends: Connecting people with disabilities and community members summarizes some of what she has learned in this practical manual.
Lou Brown
Lou Brown was a remarkable educator, advocate, rule breaker. He shattered both practical and social barriers of practice – and beliefs. He set out the change the culture and was a catalyst in the movement for people with disability labels to be fully included. One of his most in-famous comments was “The unintended consequences of PRE”. Lives of disability were hugely relegated to ‘preparation’ for lives they were completely excluded from. Lou eliminated ‘pre’ from many vocabularies. Enjoy these powerful clips of one of the inclusion pioneers – who preceded the word inclusion….
Ed Roberts
Ed Roberts – a pioneering member of the disability-rights movement who served as executive director of TheCIL from 1974 to 1976 and later founded the World Institute on Disability.
Gerv Leyden
Gerv Leyden was a brilliant educational psychologist (and soccer player) who against all odds became a university professor. His commitment to inclusion and to ‘trouble youth’ was as powerful as his relentless lobbying to change education policies in England to support inclusion.
Shafik Asante
Shafik Asante was a remarkable African American civil rights organizer. He was part of our Inclusion Team at Summer Institutes in both McGill and Toronto.
Herb Lovett
Herbert Lovett, Ph.D. of Boston, a revered leader, scholar, teacher, and advocate for people with disabilities and their families. Herb believed in and was a brilliant practitioner of Positive Approaches for People with Difficult Behaviour – and thus saved untold lives from endless anguish. Herbert Lovett, Ph.D. of Boston, a revered leader, scholar, teacher, and advocate for people with disabilities and their families. Herb believed in and was a brilliant practitioner of Positive Approaches for People with Difficult Behaviour – and thus saved untold lives from endless anguish.
John Daniel O’Leary
John Daniel O’Leary was a life-long advocate for literacy throughout his 25 year career as an educator and as President of Frontier College. He joined Frontier College as a teacher in a prison literacy program in 1976. Over the decades, John successfully established literacy coalitions outside the educational field, with labour, business, non-profit and non-government organizations. In 1991, he was appointed President of Frontier College. Mr. O’Leary was also the co-founder of several national advocacy groups for literacy including the Gzowski Invitational Golf Tournaments, ABC Canada, and the Business Task Force on Literacy, most recently an advocate for the Anishnawbe Health Foundation. Donations may be sent to Anishnawbe Health Foundation John D. O’Leary Memorial Fund which has been set up to honour John’s legacy, https:// supportanishnawbe.ca/ johnoleary/
Patrick Worth
It is with deep regret that we inform you that Pat Worth, one of the founding fathers of People First, and a past President of People First in Ontario, passed on unexpectedly on Nov. 11.2004. He was an author and speaker of renown having moved audiences in many countries around the globe. Pat was the President of Worth Consulting.
Pat Worth was a Board Member of the Marsha Forest Centre.
