Thinking About Housing Options?

This is a curated collection of resources – videos, books, articles that may be helpful on your journey to create desirable housing choices for people who have been systemically excluded from reasonable choices. Hint – start now – don’t wait. This takes time and effort.

My Life, My Choice – a series of video stories about remarkable home choices in Windsor, Ontario

My Life, My Choice profiles the lives of seven adults who live full lives in the community with the supports generated by Independent funding and facilitation. These remarkable stories are all possible through the work of Windsor Essex Brokerage for Personal Supports in the Windsor, Ontario region. While not enough people have access to such flexible supports, these stories reveal the possibility we aspire to for everyone. The full DVD is available on line from Inclusion Press. (www.inclusion.com)

Photo: Richard Ruston – past president of People First of Ontario and People First of Canada (d. Feb. 21, 2021)

My Life My Choice – streaming from Inclusion Press

Neil Monehan’s Story

This video features Neil and his family – as they face the challenge of Neil ‘living independently’. See the fears, the challenges and the delights…

Peter Zichi’s Story

An inspirational story of a full life in the community – Windsor, Ontario. With flexible funding and the support of independent planning, Peter is free to follow his own heart and create the life he chooses My Life My Choice is a DVD with seven remarkable stories –

Issac’s Story

This story is about Issac. His mother tells a powerful story about their struggle – their decision to live – and the engaging life they both now live.

Melissa’s Story

This story is about Melissa – and the challenge of finding a role in the community and a place to live. A Job in a pet store – and a creative housing invention in a new suite/new house with her brother and sister in law – unimagined solutions that work!

Lisa Friesen – My Story

This story is about Lisa Friesen..A systems response to Lisa’s life would have been an institution. Not for the Friesens. See a full life emerge that honours Lisa’s capacity to enjoy life – and recruit networks with her engaging smile. Not easy – but worth it!!

Dave Oulette’s Story

This story is about Dave Oulette – businessman, home owner, citizen… Dave’s family would barely imagine him living on his own – but Dave insisted. He directs his business, interviews his support workers, is a man about town. The 100% alternative was a nursing home. Not with the Oulettes

Amanda Porter’s Story

TThis story is about Amanda Porter and her family. Amanda lives in an ‘attached apartment’ to her family home. It was an ‘invented’ solution to complex support issues that has improved (and protected) Ananda to live full and engaging life. My Life, My Choice is a DVD with stories of 7 adults who live as participating citizens in their community with support – because they have complex disability issues. The stories were recorded in Windsor, Ontario. Windsor Essex Brokerage for Personal Supports (WEBPS) provides the support framework for their individuals and their families to live full lives.

Independent Facilitation…

Michelle Friesen & Marlyn Shervill talk about the meaning and capacity of Independent Facilitation; how it works; who it is for. Decades of deep experience reveal deep wisdom. Marlyn is the Director of Windsor Essex Brockerage for Personal Supports – which has been the infrastructure to create a wide range of remarkable tailored support systems. Michelle is Lisa’s mother – but also leads Windsor Essex Family Network which mobilizes and supports families locally – and in province wide policy work.

The Remarkable Story of Darwin Ness…

Inclusion Press has hosted a series of Zoom Seminars we called Ideas that Matter. An important story was the remarkable work and home life of Darwin Ness (who just passed at 90 and cue to Covid retired from his government job at age 89). Watch two videos that explore the story.

This is an amazing resource based on actual experiences redesigning hundreds of people’s homes so they actually work for people. This is a great starting point since there are hundreds of ‘simple’ cost effective ideas that could transform the future of you and your family.

Some other resources to consider

Making Homes that Work

Members of Each Other – ebook ($25)
Members of Each other (Paper)
Remembering the Soul of our Work (free e-book)
Living Your Own life (free from Neighbours)
Celebrating the Ordinary – ebook ($20)
Celebrating the Ordinary – paper
What Matters? print
What Matters? e-book

Are there any particular stories in PATHfinders?