A partnership between Facile Perth and the Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board continues to remove barriers by helping students with disabilities plan for the future.
Now in its second year, the community connection brings several groups together to support student transition and pathway planning beyond high school.
Teachers and staff at the board do work towards that, but Facile Perth, a non-profit that assists people with disabilities and their families, offers a wealth of knowledge around planning and navigating what is available, said Tara Boreham, superintendent of education at the HPCDSB.
"We noticed in chats with parents that they are not aware of the resources (in the community), so this partnership has brought to light what is out there to support individuals, it's been awesome," Boreham told StratfordToday.
The focus is on independent facilitation and person-directed planning, Boreham said, but the family "wraps around the student", as well, so connecting families to services is vital in any future planning for the students.
Because the school board might not always know about outside services, she said, Facile Perth can bridge the gaps.
Mirjam Schut, lead independent facilitator with Facile Perth, said the organization has learned over the years that the transition to college, university or the working world looks different for people with disabilities.
"These students graduate to the couch, as we say. They get to an age and there are no specific programs for them, they lose the structure they had while at school."
Planning and facilitation is helpful in times of change, Schut said, including when someone is ready to leave the family home, get a job or volunteer, which can all happen around the time high school wraps up. A lot of built-up connections get lost, she said.
"It can be overwhelming for families," Schut said. "We make sure that people (through Facile Perth) are connected to ODSP and Developmental Services Ontario. We help with service navigation and make sure people are connected to the resources out there."
Boreham said Schut is knowledgeable in her field and has helped a number of students and their caregivers.
"It is a very complicated system and we can't expect schools to know all of it. We work in it everyday," Schut said.
The Catholic board applied for a grant through the Ministry of Education and the partnership ran during the last school year. They applied again this year and received more funding, enough to expand the project and hire an inclusion coach for students.
A teaching position, the opening has recently been posted.
That staffer will further the work of removing barriers for students and promoting inclusion at the board's two high schools - St. Michael Catholic Secondary School in Stratford and St. Anne's Catholic Secondary School in Clinton, and throughout the district. They will also work closely with special education staff to continue promoting inclusion and start a district-wide inclusion committee.
Boreham said the funding for the program is for one year, but they will apply again next year.
"They will work closely with special education staff as a team to go into schools for inclusion work and will also start a district wide inclusion committee."
Four students at each high school were helped through the program last year, but that should increase with additional funding, Boreham said.
"We want to up that number, that is the intent."
Schut said the ambition and goals of Facile Perth align with the teaching world.
"We look at what people enjoy doing. What their interests are. What their gifts are. What their passions are and we ask them to dream. It takes time to learn how to dream. And then we set goals."
Boreham said the partnership has been beneficial for all involved.
"One of the great blessings is it is spreading awareness to our staff about the importance of inclusion and providing a better idea of what pathways students can go on. Knowledge for our staff is important, so we are supporting students moving forward, not putting ceilings on them."
