This fall the DDRC launched a selection of new client workshops on multiple topics covering important life skills. Each workshop runs as a series over several weeks, giving organizers and clients the time to study topics in depth.

Participants are enthusiastic about the hands on, group environment as well as the new skills that they are learning. The topics of the workshops range from Building Relationships and Dressing for Success, to Employment, Current Events, and Money Skills.

Some particularly powerful workshops have been the Advocacy and Rights and Responsibilities series. Clients in the Rights and Responsibilities workshop learned about their rights as Canadian citizens as established in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Those participating in the Advocacy workshop wrote and addressed letters to the new Premier of Alberta, Alison Redford, congratulating her on her recent election, and explaining what they would like to see the government do for individuals with disabilities.

After completing an activity reviewing articles in the newspaper, Shawn, a participant in the Current Events series explains, "I like looking at the sports sections and seeing who is playing and who is playing well." Often, it is the variety of activities in the workshops that really get the message across: acting out the news headlines, "is fun, and helps you to remember things better," says Brad, another Current Events participant.

Bonny Johannson and Kyle Engleson, the organizers of the new workshops, want these series to become an ongoing part of the DDRC's service to our clients. These workshops provide opportunities to learn new skills, but Bonny recognizes that "it is important to have fun, too."