October 10, 2025
Hi everyone!
This month, I’ve been thinking a lot about our culture and values.
When people first join the St.Amant community, they are often surprised by just how many people we support, the amazing variety of services we offer, and our presence throughout Manitoba. And let’s not forget training. Every year, we provide training to hundreds of caregivers and partners in the community at large – think teachers, police officers, childcare staff, and more.
All of that work is motivated by one core conviction: people with disabilities have a right to life as full citizens, with dignity and respect, full stop.
That conviction is at the heart of the incredible advocacy that I see from Autism Case Managers as they support families to find their way through complex systems. It is the reason St.Amant school staff are so passionate about consulting to colleagues in community schools: they share what they know so that kids can get the right supports in their neighbourhood schools. It is the reason why staff in the Community Residential Program are both supporting people to make meaningful connections in the community and working hard to identify and eliminate rights restrictions. It explains why the staff in Health & Transition Services have accepted the call to support people whose needs might look different from those they supported in the past.
Every service and every training is an expression of our values and commitment to human dignity. Disability is not a disease; there is no “epidemic” and we are not seeking a “cure”. We honour people’s differences. We celebrate their gifts. We learn from the people we support so that we can keep doing better.
