Does your community centre cater to the whole community?
By Brittany Rogers
PUBLISHED DECEMBER 1, 2014
Funded by our tax dollars and operated by city workers, community centres aim to provide recreation, literacy and programming. Whether it be through their libraries, skating rinks, swimming pools, gyms or work rooms, the responsibility of a community centres is to serve all its patrons.
And while community centres are a great resources for most all who utilize it, a vital group is underrepresented when it comes to programming.
According to Cassie Guida, a volunteer coordinator for the YMCA in Markham, their location only offers individuals with special needs co-op opportunities. These co-op jobs are for higher functioning youths or adults and involves folding towels, scanning membership cards and cleaning the facility.
This particular YMCA location serves a city of 332,000 people, the fourth largest community in the GTA and yet there are no programs offered at the facility for individuals with special needs.
When asked if any YMCA locations offered special needs programming, Guida mentioned the YMCA Academy[1]. This academy is the first of its kind and is an alternative secondary school for teens with learning disabilities and difficulties. This facility has advanced technology, small class sizes and YMCA resources that make the high school experience much smoother for a student with a learning disability.
This school only caters to secondary school students and is only accessible to those who live in the downtown core.
The next location that I ventured into was the Angus Glen library, gym and ice rink. The community center borders two towns with multicultural and diverse populations.
However no programs are offered in the library, ice rink or gym that cater to those with special needs.
A front desk employee who wishes to remain nameless, explains that they do offer one alternative.
“While we don’t have any special need specific programs, those with disabilities are open to taking any and all classes offered at our location, and we’ll work our best to make sure they are accommodated with a specially trained one-to-one worker.”
While that is a great compromise the demand for more is urgent.
Joel Schriber, a personal support worker who utilizes the community center as a form of programming for his clients had mixed reviews on his experiences.
“When it comes to the staff, for sure they are always as accommodating as they can be. Especially if my client is having an episode and is in need of space. But when it comes to programming and the facility itself they could do a lot more.”
In the end individuals with special needs, like every other tax paying citizen, deserve the same consideration and representation as all other groups within the community.
[1] YMCA Academy is located in Toronto, ON. For more information call 416-928-0124 ext. 31400
To the left is a look at all the community centres in Ontario. As you can see, there are hundreds of centres in and around the GTA. Click around the map to find the name and contact information of the community centre closest to you. Be sure to give them a call to find out if they have programing that fits your needs.
MAP PROVIDED BY GOOGLE, CREATED BY BRITTANY ROGERS
While community centres are great resources for most all who utilize it, is a vital group being neglected and underrepresented?