Go Bridget Snyden who facilitates families create a circle of support around a family member with a disability! Watch her interview (filmed by egl during the Individualised Funding conference in Hamilton, June 2012) on her website: www.paradigminitiative.co.nz/stories-from-nz
Bridget shares her experience as a professional in the disability field and the mother of a young man whom she helped successfully plan and live the life he wants for himself. Bridget explains how the initial family vision was implemented via a circle of support initially established to support the dream they held for their son. As her son grew up, however, the process was handed over to her son who now leads his own circle of support. What was important to Alex was that his circle of support would be made up from his age group - and this indeed helps integrating him amongst his peers. The meaning of parenthood changes as our children mature of course, but Bridget emphasises that it is now that you need to ask yourself "Is life good enough for my son/daughter"? Because as governments change policies and implementation of even the best ideas take time, there are a host of things that can be done without waiting to enhance our quality of life at all levels. She remarks "we must not feel hostages to government plans" - we can act right now!
This interview is part of our research programme The Meaning of (Good) Life for people with disabilities. Some of the other interviews in this research project are posted here.
