...with Disability (Ep. 96)

We will all encounter disability in our lives, either ourselves or someone we know and love. What is our responsibility when that happens? What role should the greater community play to provide care and support? What about government, public policy, and spending? What's changing when it comes to disability and how we care for those who truly need it, and why is this important?

Ben has an enlightening conversation with Helen Ries, an Ottawa-based advocate with a powerful story of her and her brother Paul.

About the Guest

Helen is a strategic thinker and analyst with expertise in stakeholder engagement, planning and program evaluation. Helen uses research to explore issues, develop practices and make changes in a way that is systematic and evidence-based.

Helen has a special interest in working with people, groups and organizations who are helping to improve the well-being of under-represented, excluded or vulnerable populations.

Helen has been in the non-profit and public sector since 2003 creating and evaluating programs, establishing performance measures, creating plans and strategy, analyzing and revising policy, and supporting people and organizations to build their capacity and effectiveness for better outcomes.

Learn more about Helen and follow her on Twitter (@helenries).

Mentioned in this Episode

• Episode 46 of this podcast, featuring Canadian senator Kim Pate about the prison and justice system
• The Ottawa Adult Autism Initiative
• "What I Never Knew About My Mother", a blog post by Helen
• The Sibling Collaborative, an organization co-founded by Helen
• "Disability, Poverty and #MeToo", an article by Helen
• Memory, Witness and Hope, an initiative recommended by Helen that brings together French- and English-speaking institutional survivors labelled with intellectual disabilities.
• "People First of Ontario", a video recommended by Helen about the bond between siblings

The Quote of the Week

When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.

- Helen Keller