The Honourable Brian Warr, Minister of Children Seniors and Social Development, and Minister Responsible for the Status of Persons with Disabilities, participated today in a virtual meeting with the Provincial Advisory Council for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (the Advisory Council).
The Provincial Government recently appointed 10 people to the Advisory Council and reappointed five others through the merit-based appointment process established by the Independent Appointments Commission Act. The council is comprised of individuals who have extensive knowledge and lived experience related to inclusion. The members of the council advise and inform the minister on disability-related issues, promote awareness and identify best approaches to removing barriers experienced by persons with disabilities.
The new members of the Advisory Council who are appointed for three-year terms are Erica Breen Hearn of Gander, Kimberly Maich of Logy Bay, Wendy Monk of Arnold’s Cove and Rose Anna Wilson of Deer Lake, while Patricia Lorraine Dwyer of Steady Brook, Pauline Duffy of Stephenville, and Jennifer Rimmer and Debbie Ryan of St. John’s are appointed to two-year terms.
Chair Fraser Piccott and Paula Corcoran-Jacobs of St. John’s, Bruce Oldford of Grand Falls-Windsor, Nancy Reid of Green’s Harbour and Katarina Roxon of Kippens have been reappointed to the Advisory Council.
Biographies of the appointees are provided in the backgrounder below.
Quotes
“As Minister Responsible for the Status of Persons with Disabilities, I am pleased to welcome these members, with their valuable insight and lived experiences related to accessibility and inclusion. Our government remains committed to working with all stakeholders to achieve equitable access to opportunities and services for persons with disabilities. I value the contributions of the Advisory Council and I look forward to working together as we advance the new accessibility legislation.”
Honourable Brian Warr
Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development
Minister Responsible for the Status of Persons with Disabilities.
“It is truly an honour to be selected as Chairperson for the Provincial Advisory Council for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities. I am pleased to be leading the Council and advising the minister on the upcoming enabling accessibility legislation. I’m excited for the opportunity that this legislation will create; a legislation whose principles and spirit will reflect the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and advance inclusion for all people of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Council will continue the collaborative work set out before us with community partners, stakeholders and government.”
Fraser Piccott
Chair, Provincial Advisory Council for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities
– 30 –
Learn more
Provincial Advisory Council on the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities
Follow us on Twitter: @GovNL and @CSSD_GovNL,
Media contact
Gina MacArthur
Children, Seniors and Social Development
709-729-3768, 730-2977
ginamacarthur@gov.nl.ca
BACKGROUNDER
Biographies of Members of the Provincial Advisory Council for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities
Fraser Piccott works for the Newfoundland and Labrador Association for Community Living; Avalon Region, as both the Solutions Lab Project Coordinator and Development Coordinator. He is a retired Canadian Armed Forces veteran who has professional experience in business and community in supporting and advancing the lives of individuals with intellectual disabilities. Fraser brings vast experiences from work with numerous associations and boards including; Founding chairperson of the Eastern Residential Support Board, Vice-President of the Canadian Association for Community Living, Past President of the NL Association for Community Living, Past President of the Vera Perlin Society and has been a council member of the Provincial Advisory Council for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities since March 2017. Fraser is currently a board member of the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation and the Bowring Park Foundation.
Paula Corcoran-Jacobs is the Executive Director of Consumers’ Health Awareness Network Newfoundland and Labrador (CHANNAL). Paula brings both personal and professional experiences in mental health. Involved in the Understanding Changes Everything campaign, Paula shares her own amazing recovery journey in hopes of inspiring hope and affecting change. Paula is involved with the Mental Health Commission of Canada, the Department of Health and Community Services’ Recovery Project and Workplace NL.
Pauline Duffy has personal lived experience with disability and has vast professional and volunteer experience with accessibility and inclusion. She was a board member with Epilepsy NL for over 20 years, as well as a treasurer and a tutor with the Laubach Literacy Association for over 5 years. Pauline is currently an active Rotarian and lives in Stephenville.
Patricia Lorraine Dwyer has personal experience fostering and supporting children with disabilities. Her longtime volunteering in her community includes the Royal Canadian Legion, the Lions club, the Girl Guides and the Army Cadets and formerly the adaptive ski program at Marble Mountain. She has received several awards for her work in the community and provincially. Patricia lives with her husband, Fraser in Steady Brook and has two grown children.
Erika Breen Hearn lives in Gander with her husband and two small children. Erika has professional experience in law and lived experience in accessibility. She also has a background of advocacy and volunteer work particularly with the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association Newfoundland and Labrador.
Kimberly Maich has professional experience and lived experience with disabilities and inclusion. She is an associate professor in the Faculty of Education at Memorial University and works in the field of inclusive education, researching, writing, and teaching on autism spectrum disorders in inclusive classrooms. She has studied, lived, and worked across Canada from Vancouver to St. Anthony. Kimberly has three grown children with disabilities and lives in a four-generation family outside of St. John’s.
Wendy Monk has vast professional experience in education in various roles including teacher, Guidance Counsellor and Adult Basic Education instructor. She is an Accessibility Services Coordinator with College of the North Atlantic. Wendy is a parent to two extraordinary children who are hard of hearing.
Bruce Oldford has lived experience with removing barriers in the workplace, in the community and in his personal life. He has passion in finding adaptive ways and solutions to daily barriers in the environment experienced by persons with disabilities and sharing his learnings with others to strengthen inclusion in his community. Bruce lives in Central Newfoundland.
Nancy Reid has personal lived experience with disability and is a parent of a young adult who has multiple disabilities. She has a passion for advocacy and has worked in various related roles. Today, Nancy uses her professional and personal experience in her work with the Coalition of Persons with Disabilities – Newfoundland and Labrador.
Jennifer Rimmer is a proud user of American Sign Language (ASL) as her primary language. She is committed to Deaf activism and has had lifelong connections with Deaf and women’s organizations across Newfoundland and Canada and is committed to Deaf activism as a volunteer, advocate and outreach consultant. She works with the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of the Deaf as a Family Communication Program ASL consultant and has assisted with and co-lead wellness sessions with NLAD Health and Wellness. She is a recipient of 2014 Cecilia Carroll Award for Independent living and has a long-term and extraordinary personal commitment to full inclusion of people with disabilities in Newfoundland and Labrador, locally and nationally. Jennifer is a proud Memorial University of Newfoundland alumnus with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology/Anthropology and Women studies. She is also a member of NL Deaf Choir and has worked with Canada Video Relay Service as Community Outreach Specialist.
Katarina Roxon is a recipient of the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and is a 2016 Paralympic Gold Medalist. She lives and trains in Kippens-Stephenville, and has successfully represented Canada in major world swimming championships and Paralympic Games for 15 years.
Debbie Ryan has vast lived and professional experience with vision loss and is a strong advocate for persons with disabilities. She has been very active with CNIB, promoting awareness, eye health, self-advocacy, and removing barriers. She is currently a member of the City of St John’s Inclusion Advisory Committee and Marine Atlantic’s Inclusion Advisory Committee, and works with businesses on the best practices of diversity and accessibility. She is a past Board Member of the Coalition of Persons with Disabilities NL and past president of the International Association of Business Communicators Newfoundland and Labrador (IABCNL). In 2019, Debbie was recognized by IABCNL as the Communications Professional of the Year for her work in inclusion and the prevention of vision loss.
Rose Anna Wilson is a Military veteran who served for 23 years, and has lived experiences with disabilities, mental health and issues related to seniors. She actively volunteers in her community as an Area Director of the Northern Peninsula for the Newfoundland and Labrador 50+ Federation, is a peer supporter for Seniors NL, secretary to local Royal Canadian Legion, and a current member on the Buildings Accessibility Advisory Board. Rose is originally from Buchans Junction and currently lives in Deer Lake.