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| Marilyn Wilson at the 2011 TASH Conference in Atlanta |
On January 12, regular Toastmasters members and guests formed the lucky audience for Marilyn Wilson's prepared speech on Martin Luther King Jr. This famous figure from the American Civil Rights movement was a timely topic for Toastmasters as Marilyn had recently travelled to Atlanta Georgia, Martin Luther King's birthplace, and January 16 was Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Marilyn visited Atlanta for the annual TASH conference with DDRC staff member Bonny Johannson in late November 2011. TASH is an organization that promotes the inclusion of people with developmental disabilities and runs annual conferences on advocacy. Marilyn and Bonny have attended a TASH conference together in the past, and they enjoyed it so much that they planned and budgeted together to make this latest trip possible.
A natural leader, Marilyn shares what she learns from her travels freely. During her Toastmasters speech, Marilyn used information that she had learned from her visit to Atlanta, as well as pictures from her trip to help explain Martin Luther King's life and vision. King's efforts to protest discrimination against black Americans helped to change laws and attitudes that had excluded non whites in the United States for centuries.
The belief that everyone has an equal right to participate and contribute to society is something that we at the DDRC strive to demonstrate every day. It also seems fitting that Marilyn delivered a speech on a famous orator and a leader for inclusion, as she herself is a wonderful speaker and advocate for positive change in the community. At the conclusion of her speech Marilyn challenged her audience to think about the importance of Martin Luther King's vision even when it isn't easy. Marilyn asks, "What will you do to honour his memory?"
The 2011 Direct Mail Christmas Campaign hit mailboxes during the first week of November, and generated a great response. Since then the DDRC has received just over $12 000 from our generous donors! This year's Campaign is raising money to help provide accessible technology for all our clients. Our campaign letter gives donors a personal insight into the lives of two DDRC clients who could benefit from accessible technology like computer screen readers and voice input software. As donations continue to flow in, we look forward to breaking down technological barriers, and creating greater independence for our clients with accessible technology needs. 
This month the DDRC is challenging clients and staff to increase their daily physical activity. We all know that regular exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, but it is not always easy to make time in our busy lives to be active. Because exercise goals are often an important part of our client's personal goals, the challenge will provide a useful tool for clients and staff to talk about setting goals and the benefits of exercise.