Tova: Welcome to Inclusion Revolution here on Eastlink TV. We are so glad you could join us this week. As you know, Inclusion Revolution is dedicated to the inclusion of persons with all types of disabilities in our community and as part of that mandate, we always like to find interesting and creative projects that are happening in our community and beyond that really exemplify the best practices and supports of persons with disabilities, especially in the area of including them in our community. After all, Inclusion Revolution is all about equalizing the playing field and as part of that, we are really excited to welcome Meredith Copp here today. Hi Meredith.
Meredith: Hi Tova.
Tova: And Meredith is joining us because her group, the For Youth Group, has developed not only a book – a children’s book, which we talked a little bit about last season, but has now evolved into a book, a game, and so much more. So we asked Meredith to come by and tell us all about the project, because we really believe it is a great example of best practices and support of persons with disabilities and support of educating our whole community. So, Meredith, tell me a little bit about where we’ve been since the book was originally published last year.
Meredith: Sure, the book, the Fountain of Harmony, was really well receipted in the community and the first copies we had printed were gone very quickly. So we have since reprinted and it has kind of taken on its own entity. The next group that came into the program decided that the book was so great that they wanted to build upon that tool, and they have developed the board game, which we have brought with us today. The board game incorporates all of the different characters from the book with trivia questions and action cards and it’s basically a fun, educational board game that youth, children can use to learn a little bit more about disability while having fun with it.
Tova: Right, now I know you’ve brought a book.
Meredith: I did.
Tova: If you don’t mind, just to remind everybody, I’m going to grab it from you. Thank you. What I really love, quite frankly, about this book is really the incredible illustrations, and if I may I am just going to maybe flip open to some of the characters, and I am also interested in the characters themselves, because I know that each character is actually based on one of the youth who developed and worked on this book. So if I may ask, and I’m going to try to flip to a page that kind of helps us do that, perhaps you can tell me a little bit about some of the characters. I know in the book, which I thought was really helpful, there is a little area where you actually get an information about each character, which I thought was really really helpful. Can you tell me, while I’m trying to find that, what is the target group for this book?
Meredith: The target is age 8 and up. Anybody, really, can enjoy the book. It is not specifically for any individuals, but incorporates all sorts of different aspects of children. For example, this fellow here is Alec the Bookworm, and he is living with Schizophrenia and he is really interested in books and loves being outside. And he starts the book on his journey to the Fountain of Harmony.
Tova: And then I see our little Alex the Bookworm then goes on to meet….
Meredith: Pearl, yup.
Tova: …what looks like to be a pink monkey…
Meredith: A pink monkey, yup.
Tova: …just checking.
Meredith: She has a hearing impairment and on that page you can see she has been bullied throughout her childhood.
Tova: So, these are some of the people in her community are bullying.
Meredith: Right, exactly.
Tova: So what I’m understanding is that each one of these characters lives with a disability as did the youth that experienced it …
Meredith: Absolutely.
Tova: …and their goal in writing the story was really to talk about the fact that they were bullied or made fun of for being different, where we embrace difference as being something wonderful and what makes the world go around. Sometimes people and kids don’t get that. So this is really about them finding or that Fountain of Harmony being the kind of – their place where they fit in and they don’t have to worry about it. And one of the things I thought was really interesting about the book quite frankly and really drew me was the fact that at the end, they don’t all just go back home and everybody lives happily ever after. But your youth group actually wrote it that they stayed at this Harmony – and I hope I’m not blowing the end – but I think that, you know, the point is the story itself and how beautiful it is – but the concept that they didn’t just run back and change the world but they found a peaceful place of acceptance and that was enough.
Meredith: And their acceptance came from within.
Tova: And that’s super important. So, can you also tell me a little about – I was really interested in the sloth because I have to tell you, why a sloth?
Meredith: The sloth has ADD and he sometimes has gummy worms that kind of speed him up. His mind doesn’t work as fast as his body.
Tova: Because that’s the opposite of a sloth.
Meredith: Right, exactly.
Tova: Their bodies are a little bit slower but that doesn’t mean that their minds are, where I guess that this young man feels the opposite.
Meredith: Exactly.
Tova: Takes a little longer to think about it, but he moves quickly which would be sort of the antithesis of – the opposite, excuse me, of a sloth. So, that’s kind of interesting. So these characters are going along and what’s really neat is at the end of the story as you mentioned, they have this opportunity to find acceptance from within. So then this next group comes along, because that’s really what we’re here to talk about today, and this next group decides we love the book, but we think that we can even take it to another place around both education and fun. Because isn’t that what this project was all about?
Meredith: Exactly. They wanted to outreach into the community to spread the word about special versus equal….
Tova: Can you tell me what you mean about that. I’m sorry, I know I say it all the time, but not everyone hears me.
Meredith: You do. Yes.
Tova: So what do you mean by equal versus special?
Meredith: Equal versus special meaning that, sorry….
Tova: That’s okay. I know what you’re coming from, you’re just trying to find the right example.
Meredith: Yes.
Tova: What about a person who uses a wheelchair, let’s use that as an example.
Meredith: So, it’s not special for the person with the wheelchair to get into the building by a ramp. It’s equal for them to be able to get into the same building using a ramp. So having the ramp isn’t a special thing. It’s an accommodation to make the playing field equal.
Tova: And you and I both know in the community as a whole across Canada, really, the message is that people presume accommodation – or in this case the ramp – would be considered special, whereas you and I would consider it equal because we should both be able to get into that building.
Meredith: Exactly.
Tova: So, that’s sort of where you’re coming from on equal versus special or equalizing the playing field.
Meredith: Exactly, and this group of youth really realizes that and wanted to make an impact in our community to make that known and to impact how our community feels about disability.
Tova: Now, before we show the game and talk a little bit about that and where it’s going, I want to ask you about the youth involved themselves.
Meredith: Yeah.
Tova: What has happened to them differently as a result of a project that is a little bit outside the usual, if you know what I mean. Can you talk to me about the youth themselves? I mean, yes, they put this extraordinary piece together and of course I’m sure there is a lot of pride with that.
Meredith: Absolutely.
Tova: Where do they go with that? Then what? You’ve done the book, you feel pride, you know, and then that group moves on and the next group might to do something. Tell me about the youth themselves and how they’ve been impacted in these projects, within this project.
Meredith: Their confidence has grown amazingly. As a result of the For Youth Program and working on these particular projects, having the publicity, having the community recognize that they’ve done such great work on this, has helped to build their confidence to help them move on to anything else that they are looking to do. For example, we have two people that were still – well, we are still in contact with most of them, but we are still working with a couple of them to bring the book and the game further. So one person doing the illustrations from the book will also be involved in, kind of as we take this further, and one of the folks that helped developed the game is still involved in what we are doing next.
Tova: Right, and so, really, what I’m hearing is that we get confidence for the kids themselves. Obviously, the pride of a product that is not only out there but really out there, because I know you have had a tremendous demand on the books themselves. How are you promoting the books, if you don’t mind me asking? Like, because before we move on to the game, where are we at with these books. Like if somebody really would like to know more about it or actually have a chance to purchase one if the care to. Can you, just before we move on to the game, can you tell me a little bit about how do you get the book and I’ll ask you how much – because I’m one of those people that always likes to know, and I’m sure our viewers would also like to know.
Meredith: Sure, the book is $14.95 plus HST, and is available through reachAbility, so anyone who is interested in finding out more information or in purchasing a book can contact me at reachAbility. So, it’s Meredith@reachability.org or the phone number is 429-5878.
Tova: Okay, so for anyone who is interested in finding out more about the book, they can email Meredith@reachability.org or they can call reachAbility at (902) 429-5878, which is in Halifax, and find out more about that. Now, before we take a short break, I want to ask you one more question and then we’ll come back and really roll the game out.
Meredith: Okay.
Tova: What’s going on with the book today? Okay, you talked about a printing and it going somewhere, has there been any other attempts to take it to another place, if you know what I mean?
Meredith: Absolutely. It’s been well receipted and we’ve taken it to the next level. We’ve been speaking with the Department of Education in Nova Scotia as well and they have approved the book to be used in the school system.
Tova: As a resource?
Meredith: As a resource, yes.
Tova: Right, so in fact, what you are telling me is that in Nova Scotia that any teacher who is interested in getting this book for their classroom, and we’ll talk more about the game and hopefully they’ll want both.
Meredith: Right.
Tova: The reality is that the Department of Education Nova Scotia is listing it or is in the process of listing it at the price mentioned $14.95 and that way for teachers and educators who are interested, it is now considered to be an approved ….
Meredith: Resource.
Tova: Resource, thank you. I’m not good with the language of that. So, I’d like to do is to ask you to give us just another minute, we’ll take a quick break here on Inclusion Revolution, and when we come back I’m very excited to hear about the next step in the evolution of the Fountain of Harmony which I understand to be a board game.
Meredith: It is.
Tova: Okay, we’ll be right back with Meredith Copp from reachAbility to talk more about the Fountain of Harmony. I hope you stick around.
[Music]
Tova: Welcome back to Inclusion Revolution here on Eastlink TV. We are so glad you are joining us today and we’re so glad you are joining us today, Meredith.
Meredith: Thank you.
Tova: To talk about the Fountain of Harmony, and not just the book which we’ve discussed before, but the new evolution. When we broke, we were promising to talk about the next step, the game. So, let’s move right into it if you would.
Meredith: Sure.
Tova: Meredith, I know that this is the box of the game.
Meredith: Right.
Tova: And I have to show it, because of course I thought you were bringing pizza.
Meredith: Right.
Tova: So, can you tell me first of all, why a pizza box, and then we’ll talk about the content.
Meredith: Sure. The pizza box really works for children. It totally attracts their attention because they do think it’s pizza.
Tova: Are they disappointed?
Meredith: No, no, they’re not. It also makes the game a little more fun. Because usually you wouldn’t get board games in a pizza box, right, so it has that flavor to it.
Tova: Okay. So, I had to get over the packaging because I really thought you were bringing me lunch. But I think it’s fantastic and if that’s something that appeals to people, and I know you’ve done a lot of trial with both the book and the game.
Meredith: We have, yes.
Tova: So, the responses, have they affected some of the decision-making you made, actually, in development of the game.
Meredith: Absolutely. We have spoken with the Department of Education, as I mentioned earlier, and as a result, we’ve decided to make some small minor adjustments with their recommendations to narrow down the questions and the trivia, and that sort of thing, in the box, in the board game, to sort of a lower developmental level, and save the harder questions for a higher developmental level for a different sort of game, possibly.
Tova: So, I think what I’m hearing from you, is there is now three products. It just keeps growing every time I talk to you Meredith.
Meredith: Exactly.
Tova: Because we talked about the book. We are now discussing the game, and now what I’m hearing from you is some of the more challenging questions within the game are going to be shifted into a high school level kind of project whereby you are going to develop a trivia game for high school.
Meredith: Right.
Tova: So, you’ve actually developed three products that you believe will be really helpful in the understanding and inclusion of persons with disabilities at that age, up as many ages as we go through the school system.
Meredith: Exactly.
Tova: Why is that so important?
Meredith: It is so important so that the children understand what’s in the book, first of all, and in the game. But as they grow they learn a little more and their developmental level gets higher as well and so it needs to be at that right stage and so we’ll learn a little bit more as we grow up and we’re more aware of our community and that aspect of life as we grow up.
Tova: So, really, this is basically a focused attempt to do disability awareness.
Meredith: Right.
Tova: And open up minds about bullying and why we bully and also acceptance and all of those many things that come along with not just disability alone, but all of those youthful themes that we all face and taking it to both the book, the game, and then to a higher level through the trivia game, and that was something you’ve been working with the Department of Education with.
Meredith: Right.
Tova: That’s extraordinary. I’m so excited. Can we open the game?
Meredith: We sure can.
Tova: Okay. So, I know that….
Meredith: I’ve already pulled out the board for you.
Tova: There you are. So, this board, I just think it’s so bright and so beautiful, I hope the camera can really capture it. Can you tell me a little about what happens in the game? I mean, I get, it looks sort of snake and laddery, but it’s not really, is it?
Meredith: No, it’s not.
Tova: So, can you just take us through some of the key points in the game that make it interesting, but also educational?
Meredith: Yup. So, everybody will start down in the beginning and the first square we come to is Alex Action.
Tova: Right. You have cards, I know.
Meredith: I do have cards. These ones are the Alex Action one.
Tova: …the Alex Action. So, for instance, if someone were to land on that and I’m just going to read one of your questions if you don’t mind, and then maybe you can tell me the answer.
Meredith: Okay, sure.
Tova: …or if I don’t know. But you or someone you know needs help. Can you choose to keep the card for future use to help another player when they land on a help space or to help yourself.
Meredith: Right.
Tova: Now tell me why that question? I think I kind of know, but I’d like to hear it from you.
Meredith: Yup. It’s encouraging people to ask for help when they need it. Whether it’s a person with a disability or without. Sometimes we’re hesitant to ask for help. So, we’ve built in help spaces on the board. So, they’re the red ones.
Tova: Right.
Meredith: And at each spot that there is a help space, there is an obstacle. So the first one is the boulders, then there is the tree that’s fallen over, and that sort of thing.
Tova: Right. And what I also like about the question is you can help someone else or help yourself. And there is an interesting opportunity there to create a concept around altruism, giving, the good feeling of giving – here, I’m going to help you, you’re going to help me.
Meredith: And they also benefit from helping others because they get to move forward as the other person moves forward.
Tova: So, there is actually reward to doing the right thing essentially built into the game.
Meredith: Exactly. Yeah.
Tova: I love that. So, we’ve got Alex Actions which are varying I know.
Meredith: Yeah.
Tova: And there is something called ….
Meredith: Triads Trivia.
Tova: Triads Trivia.
Meredith: Triad, we didn’t speak about earlier. He is a character that was born with three legs – a cheetah with three legs. That’s able to run faster than most of the cheetahs that he knows. And so….
Tova: So, his physical disability of course is not slowing him down and that’s really the message with our cheetah.
Meredith: Right. And so he’s giving us the trivia and as you answer the trivia questions, then you continue to move on. So the trivia is in a multiple choice sort of format.
Tova: And that’s these Triad’s Trivia. And I was kind of going through the cards on break, I hope you don’t mind.
Meredith: No, that’s okay.
Tova: Because I thought some of them were really interesting. And again, I am always interested in what the purpose is and also why these are important questions and what they’re of course leading to. For instance, mental health disability, which we both know is a highly misunderstood disability. The question here under Triad’s Trivia, is, what is a mental health disability? Is it a disability affecting people’s legs? A disability that makes people unable to hear? A disability that affects thoughts, feelings and actions? Or all of the above? And I’m going to make a wild guess and say it’s “C” – a disability that affects thoughts, feelings and actions.
Meredith: You are correct.
Tova: Well, I’m hoping so. I’m the expert
Meredith: (laughter)
Tova: But what I really want to ask you is, what does that get people talking about? Do you know what I mean? With that kind of answer is, getting beyond just the “C” I got it right, or the guessing, what dialogue can occur as a result of a question, especially around mental health which we all know is super misunderstood and often swept under the carpet due to the stigma?
Meredith: Right, it’s a topic for discussion through the game and the book. But it allows people to actually talk about it. It’s not that topic that’s swept under the rug anymore, and it’s in a language that children understand.
Tova: Right.
Meredith: It helps to break down those barriers that folks with mental health disabilities experience in society, and it’s starting at the ground level with younger children, to be able to talk about it. So, it’s not a scary topic.
Tova: Right. And this was my favourite that I got through to, because there’s a lot and quite frankly, I didn’t get through them all, but I really loved this because I think it spoke a lot to our treatment of each other. This question being – what do people with disabilities expect at their job? And I think this is so fascinating. Do they want to be treated with respect? Do they wanted to be treated as children? Do they prefer to be ignored? Or all of the above? And what’s fascinating to me is, obviously we want to say treated with respect. But what’s important here is, who wouldn’t? And isn’t it the case that so many of the things we think are different about persons with disabilities and persons who don’t identify as having a disability aren’t actually there at all, because everybody wants to be treated with respect.
Meredith: Exactly.
Tova: And I see that is one of the key messages. So the board is dynamic, it is really special. And if you wouldn’t mind reading, because I can’t no glasses. What happens at the end when you get to that fountain of harmony right in the middle?
Meredith: It says that acceptance comes from within. The fountain is a place of belonging and harmony for all.
Tova: And that’s really the message.
Meredith: Yeah.
Tova: That we all are in it together.
Meredith: Exactly.
Tova: And as a result, these are the kinds of tools that your program wants to provide to the mainstream education community as a result of seeing the success, because I know you’ve tried these games and books that you were telling me a lot about that. …
Meredith: Yeah.
Tova: ….that you’ve gotten already. So, I want to say, first of all, congratulations.
Meredith: Thank you.
Tova: I want to tell you I just think the board is beautiful, so good for you. Again, we have the Fountain of Harmony game. Boy oh boy, I’m telling you, I feel like I’m really hawking it today. We have the Fountain of Harmony book and you were mentioning about one other item that you’ve been asked to develop by the Department of Education and, again, that’s more of a high school….
Meredith: Junior high and high school.
Tova: And that would be more in the trivia question line.
Meredith: Exactly. It would be a little more detailed, little higher developmental level in the questioning and that sort of thing.
Tova: And I know you also mentioned it provides like teachers aid so there is more dialogue and providing them key messages. Because the teachers don’t always have the education either, and we certainly get that.
Meredith: Exactly. Yeah.
Tova: So, first of all, I want to say thank you Meredith for coming today. Before we take our break, I just wanted to also thank all of the youth involved in all of these programs, and maybe you can throw some first names out and thank them all for us.
Meredith: Sure. Gabrielle, Jenn, Stephanie, Tim. Those are the game folks.
Tova: Actually the core people.
Meredith: Yeah.
Tova: And thank you for that, and thank you to them. We’ll be right back after this break with a close out, our poll of the week, and of course our news of the week as well. We’ll be right back here on Inclusion Revolution.
[Music]
Tova: Welcome to Inclusion Revolution here on Eastlink TV. I’m your host, Tova Sherman, welcoming you back for our last segment of today. And before I let Meredith go, we had a little bit of dialogue on the break and I had a couple of more questions. So before we get to the promised poll and the news, I hope you don’t mind Meredith.
Meredith: That’s okay.
Tova: I wanted you to stay a little bit longer because there was a couple of things that you mentioned on the break that I thought were really really important to bring forward. First and foremost, how does someone get a book or a game? From what source? I know you were working with the Department of Ed, but I presume that’s only for teachers who have access to their resource list.
Meredith: Right.
Tova: How does anyone else get a hold of it?
Meredith: They can contact us at reachAbility.
Tova: I should turn the box around – keep going.
Meredith: Most of our games have been sold through the internet. Through people contacting us through email.
Tova: On the reachAbility.org website.
Meredith: Right, exactly. We are now looking to reprint it and have it, you know, bigger and better and they can get that copy as well through us at reachAbility – www.reachability.org.
Tova: Fantastic. Now, the last thing I really want to hear before I move on is, I want to get back to the kids. Where have they gone? You had a first group who – to put out the book. A second group that just completed the game, so I’m not sure if they’ve had a chance to move on, but if you could tell me a little bit about some of the results, because you are talking about confidence building and all of these wonderful things, but I guess I’m asking – okay, they’ve got the book, they’ve moved on. Has there been some surprising results as a result of that confidence building and the capacity to have published a book?
Meredith: Absolutely.
Tova: Do you see some differences, and if so, where are some of them today that really can give us an example of the success that can come from a very outside the box – excuse the pun outside the box – but an outside the box program?
Meredith: A lot of them are actually working now, which is fabulous to be able to tell you, to report.
Tova: Were they working before, I need to ask you that?
Meredith: No. The For Youth Program is an employability program that provides employability skills and life skills training, and so through the program, they have developed transferrable skills and confidence building, and all of that to now be able to go out and work. So, there is one working in a school, there is another one doing like a lunch program, there is another one with a full-time job. They’re everywhere, really. A couple of them are looking at going back to school. There is a lot going on for them now, now that they’ve completed.
Tova: And I know it’s tough to measure this, so I realize I’m pushing you on this point but I have to because I’m curious. Do you believe that the capacity to have done the program that they did – and I know it’s your program so of course, yay, but the book and the game, which was really their choice to design because they picked their own activity you were explaining.
Meredith: Right.
Tova: I guess I didn’t explain that onscreen, but it is my understanding that they pick an activity that they do together and that group picked the book because you had illustrators and people interested in writing.
Meredith: Exactly.
Tova: Do you believe, and can you, in any way, connect that kind of experience with the fact that they went on to jobs versus maybe other types of programming, where we provide them the skill set, the soft skills, the hard skills, you know, time management and all those things, but not necessarily that creative piece. Do you believe that there is a difference as a result, from your own experience.
Meredith: Absolutely. And they’re able to express their creativity now as well, in their workplace, which is fabulous.
Tova: And that’s important, right?
Meredith: Yeah.
Tova: Can you tell me why it’s so important to kind of have that creative expression in order to, not only feel good about yourself to be able to move on and interview and do all these things that are very challenging?
Meredith: Right. To flourish….
Tova: To flourish.
Meredith: To flourish as themselves.
Tova: And you’re seeing that as a direct result of these art style projects.
Meredith: Absolutely.
Tova: And I only ask that because you know, as you know, Inclusion Revolution really is about doing things differently to equalize the playing field for our community of persons with disabilities.
Meredith: Right.
Tova: So, I was fascinated by this because it is not something I’ve ever seen or heard about anywhere in Canada.
Meredith: Right.
Tova: And considering we don’t have a persons with disabilities act, I know it’s really really important that we have to do a lot of our own work to get our clients out into the community of mainstream business, and I guess that’s where I’m going with all this. Are these youth more capable to go into mainstream business jobs as a result of, not only the creativity, but obviously the confidence building and all of what I would call the transferrable skills that come from working, and can you tell us some of those transferable skills that really came out of this that maybe even surprised you?
Meredith: Sure. They’ve been able to move forward based on all sorts of different aspects, but some of the transferable skills would be communication, for example. Team building, conflict management. You know, those sorts of things that all of us do in our workplace but some people don’t really have the skills yet if they haven’t experienced it. So we build upon those sorts of things. But they also understand themselves a lot better though the program and are able to talk about it with their employers, for example, through disclosure and that type of discussion. So, they’re comfortable with themselves now and are able to express themselves comfortably.
Tova: So, they’re coming in not so comfortable in their skins.
Meredith: Exactly.
Tova: And not so aware of their own skills.
Meredith: Right.
Tova: One of the things that happens from this team effort and this project is that capacity to not only build skills but to then to apply them and be the person you can be.
Meredith: Exactly.
Tova: And isn’t that what everyone wants, whether they have a disability or not.
Meredith: Exactly. And that’s the purpose.
Tova: And that’s it. And you’re seeing that as a result of this very creative approach. And it must be quite exciting to reachAbility to be able to say that the Department of Education has acknowledged this work and, in fact, wants to carry it as you said, one of their …
Meredith: Resources.
Tova: Resources. Thank you, I don’t know the terminology. Well again, thank you Meredith. And before I let you go, I’m going to read our poll and a little bit of news today.
Meredith: Sure.
Tova: Because I think it relates to what we’ve been talking about a little bit. First of all, I wanted to share with you from the Associated Press some news. A new study has found that five times as many high school and college students are dealing with anxiety and other mental health issues as youth of the same age were who studied around the great depression era. Now, that was from the Associated Press, and you can, of course, come to our website Inclusionrevolution.com to get the rest of that news. And today’s poll, which we hope you’re going to come to the website as well and put your opinion on is: Do you think the reason there is higher levels of anxiety in today’s students is because of the external pressure that money equals success? Are we putting so much emphasis on that, is that one of the reasons we’re seeing these huge levels of anxiety in mental health among our students in high school and college age. For the rest of that information, and to see who voted how, again I invite you to go to Inclusionrevolution.com where we are always updating and looking for your information. Finally, I do want to say thank you Meredith Copp and to all of the For Youth participants who developed this material and have made it possible for persons with disabilities to really have a presence in the Department of Education and through their resources.
Meredith: Thank you Tova.
Tova: Thank you. I hope you are going to join us next week when we have more wonderful guests on Inclusion Revolution where we are trying to equalize the playing field one ability at a time. We look forward to seeing you soon, and have a great day.