Stories of Friendship
People who have a friend with an intellectual disability often speak of how how much they are learning through their friendship. They say that their friendship gives them a different perspective on life. Be open to being changed by your friendship; take time to reflect.
Doing things together is a good way to get to know someone who may not be able to converse as much as you can. Look for a connection that suits your strengths and abilities and interests. If you like to cook, you could offer to help a person with a disability to cook. If you are into exercise, you could offer to join a class with a person who has a disability or just go for a regular walk or run together
Johanne and Kim - Family and Friends
Johanne and Kim are sisters-in-law and also good friends. They speak about their friendship and things they like to do together. Johanne talks about how Kim has changed her view of life.
(French with English subtitles)
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An Engineer Becomes a Friend
Binny is an engineer, but he decided to volunteer in an organization for people who have intellectual disabilities. They suggested he might be a friend for a couple of people, but that he could also get to know the others in their home. He comes for dinner one evening a week. All the people in the house look forward to the evening when Binny comes, and they give him a warm welcome. After dinner, he and his friends go for a walk or a coffee, or they play a board game together. For Binny and for his friends, these visits are one of the high points of the week.
Cheri and her Golden Lab
Cheri had a beautiful Golden Lab dog. She began to visit a group home nearby where the members love animals. She took along her dog and soon a close bond formed between Gord, one of the men in the home, and the dog. Gord had grown up with a dog in his family home. He missed the dog he used to have and he loved Cheri’s dog. They would take the dog for walks together or just hang out in the living room where others could also enjoy the dog’s affection. In effect, these visit became informal “pet therapy” times for the house members.
Dan Discovers his Vocation
Dan had a Math degree. He was going to become a Math teacher when he came to spend some time in a L’Arche home as a volunteer. After becoming friends with Michael and others and helping them with their personal care, he decided he would like to become a nurse. Now, a few years later, Dan works in a busy emergency room in another city, but he and his wife stay in touch with Michael and other friends at L’Arche.
Peer Mentoring Leads to Understanding and a Career
In high school I took a peer mentoring course that strongly impacted my life. Through this simple but powerful program I developed friendships with wonderful peers whom I probably wouldn’t otherwise have had the opportunity to come to know. Some of my new friends were people who had been diagnosed with autism and various learning disabilities. As part of my duties in their classrooms I helped with the training for the high school Special Olympics. I also helped my peers one-on-one with their school work and I shared fun moments of play with them. The more I got to know these students the more I came to understand how separate their high school experience was from that of other students. I learned that they were sometimes called names, laughed at, often misunderstood and worst of all – ignored. Through this course I earned more than a credit. It brought me to my calling of working as an Educational Assistant alongside people with intellectual disabilities.
EA, ON
