After nearly ten years on the air, The Edible Computer column is coming to a close. I've enjoyed sharing stories about how people are living better through computers, and tucking in field notes along the way. While there is only one show left, you'll still be able to dig into the archives to explore previous shows, sharing some of the highlights from the past 9 year's worth of adventures.
DID YOU KNOW?
According to a 2002 Stats Canada report, over 14% of the Canadian adult population lives with a disability. This means one out of every seven Canadians aged 15 and over - an estimated 3.4 million people. Of this number, over 1 million are unemployed and would like to work.
— The Canadian Business Abilities web site.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Canadians Empower Disabled Youth through the New BeyondGraduation.ca Website
March is National Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month, so it's timely that a new Canadian web site is creating opportunities for young people with disabilities.
BeyondGraduation.ca is designed to support young people with disabilities in making a successful transition from school to higher education, employment and independent living.
Read on to find out how two award-winning young Canadians are tackling this latest effort to empower youth.
Two of Canada's Twenty-Something Seasoned Pro's
The BeyondGraduation.ca web site is a collaboration between the Plan Institute for Caring Citizenship and TakingITGlobal, the latter appropriately being one of Canada's most successful online ventures, launched by Jennifer Corriero and Michael Furdyk when they were just 19 years old. The two young Canadians have mobilized more than 10 million youth in various global projects since their launch in 2000, with Michael being hailed as one of Teen People's "20 teens that will change the world".
How They Plan on Empowering Disabled Youth
Through this latest endeavour the TiG team invites Canadians to reflect upon the role we play in enabling people with disabilities to become equal contributors to their community and improving their quality of life.
The BeyondGraduation.ca web site is an online resource and network designed to empower youth with disabilities by providing tools, information and resources needed to begin planning for a better future. It is a space for youth with ALL abilities to make new friends, explore interests and learn about options for the future. Whether you are a young person, parent, teacher, friend or someone looking to support a loved one on their journey to independent living, the new web site gives you an opportunity to become an integral part of a much larger movement for change.
While the initiative is new, there is already a wealth of helpful resources and connections waiting. Helpful resource guides, links to organizations that help disabled persons gain employment and housing, and links to resources and agencies that help disabled persons live a fuller life within their community. You'll also find a number of youth connecting as members, with both Jennifer and Michael waiting to greet you.
Young people and families tell their own stories throughout the web site in the form of both articles and video journals. It offers a positive approach to empowering by example.
The web site is simple to navigate and thoughtfully laid out, and shows the same kind of empowered approach that TakingITGlobal does to treating youth as both capable and valued Canadians.
Curing Kids Boredom During the March Break
Kids of all abilities will find an incredible set of resources and opportunities at the original TakingITGlobal web site.
Unlike many of the typical online web sites focused on youth, this site is designed to get beyond the vanity aspects of entertaining kids and reaches out to encourage them to share their questions, ideas and passions for making the world a better place with other young people around the globe. Unlike other social networks like MySpace and Facebook, TiG is a designed to empower youth actively and intellectually.
For parents looking for ways of beating the March Break blues, the TiG web site is a great place to start.
What's on Deck?
After nearly ten years on the air, The Edible Computer column is coming to a close. I've enjoyed sharing stories about how people are living better through computers, and tucking in field notes along the way. While there is only one show left, you'll still be able to dig into the archives to explore previous shows, sharing some of the highlights from the past 9 year's worth of adventures.
