March 6, 2026
We can probably all agree that the world today is a complicated place. We are dealing with levels of uncertainty that are new for many of us. In that context, let’s remember that St.Amant’s core values of Collaboration, Hospitality, Excellence and Respect are timeless and constant. No matter how uncertain the world may be, we always have the power to act with kindness; we can always honour the rights and choices of the people we support.
This week marks national Health Ethics Awareness Week, a time to reflect on the ethical principles that guide our decisions. Simply put, those principles are to do good; don’t cause harm; be fair; and respect each person’s right to make their own choices. Supporting people to live life on their own terms is not always straight forward. We may not always agree with everything someone wants to do. Ethics is not about finding a single ‘right’ solution to some issue. Instead, the goal of ethics is to help us understand an issue as much as possible and to make the best choice we can – even when that involves some compromise.
One of our most important responsibilities is to truly know and understand the people we support. That’s because our job is to connect people we support to whatever brings them joy, meaning, and purpose. While balancing the ethical principles I mentioned above, we are here to honour people’s choices as well as the dignity of risk. Making choices takes practice. We all learn from our mistakes. That’s why it is so important that we make sure people have the education, exposure, and experiences they need to discover more about themselves and the ways they can be a part of their communities.
To learn more about rights and the importance of choice, please check out an amazing new website: myrightsmatter.ca. Big thanks to the St.Amant Foundation for securing the grants necessary to create it and, especially, to the self-advocates who had the vision for the website in the first place.
