The document discusses barriers faced by students with complex physical and communication needs in gaining employment and independent living. It notes a lack of accessible and affordable equipment, insufficient teaching of necessary skills, and systems that are unable to accommodate needed changes. The proposed solution is an educational program called "moveAbility" that would provide post-secondary education focusing on literacy, communication, mobility, and personal care skills to help students become educated, employable, and independent citizens.

1. Removing Barriers to Success
mLE v1.0 May 25, 2012 1

2. How do we provide students
with complex physical and communication needs,
the education they need to
gain employment
AND
care for themselves more independently?
mLE v1.0 May 25, 2012 2

3. These students lack to the ability to sit, stand, and walk
unassisted AND are non-verbal, often with a severe
hearing loss.
The equipment and technology necessary to assist with
mobility and communication is unaffordable.
The prevailing assumption is that if a person cannot
move nor communicate, he/she has low cognitive ability
and little potential for learning.
Too many “experts” feel they have a right to tell these
students and their families what to hope and dream, and
who qualifies to be taught and who doesn’t.
mLE v1.0 May 25, 2012 3

4. Teaching mobility skills and augmentative communication
requires healthcare professionals but none are mandated
to ensure student learning.
Students “graduate” from the public system without a
useful education, no job opportunities, lack of self-worth
and become a huge burden of care to families and
government.
Government systems and processes are silo-based and
too rigid to absorb the necessary changes, which are
simply too dramatic and too expensive.
mLE v1.0 May 25, 2012 4

5.  Very progressive policies but implementation is slow and
incomplete.
 Lots of great intentions but very school/teacher specific.
 NB does not have enough people, money, or facilities to serve
students with complex physical and communication needs (e.g.
equipment costs alone exceed $75K per student).
 There is no curriculum in NB to teach students with multiple,
complex needs, who may be passive, with a slow learning curve.
 Reliance is on Individualized Educational Programmes but few
resources and trained professionals exist to support these IEPs.
 These students leave the public system without adequate mobility or
communication skills, with little or no literacy and numeracy …
mLE v1.0 May 25, 2012 5

6.  What do these students do after high school?
 How can they get a job without a practical education?
 Answer is to keep learning – post secondary.
mLE v1.0 May 25, 2012 6

7.  …a post-secondary learning environment for young adults
with complex physical and communication needs focused on
core education needs and teaching of essential skills related
to mobility, communication, literacy and personal care.
 …mission is to develop independent citizens by expecting
their involvement, unleashing their energy, developing their
creativity, and motivating them to peak performance.
 …fosters a belief system that everyone can learn, that if you
know how to teach, they know how to learn.
mLE v1.0 May 25, 2012 7

8. moveAbility
Living Technological
Research Advances
“Lab”
Educated,
Employable
Students
Job
Opportunities Innovation
mLE v1.0 May 25, 2012 8

9.  Able to read multiple forms of
media (e.g. books, websites)
Literacy  Able to write using assistive
 Develop a core vocabulary technology
of several hundred words Communi- Educated,
cation
 Readily communicate Employable  Attain functional skills for
needs, wants, opinions, Students sitting, standing and
knowledge Mobility walking (no longer “nailed”
to a wheelchair)
Personal  Achieve coordination to
Care navigate a power wheelchair
 Physically support in multiple settings
themselves for dressing
and hygiene care
 Greater independence with
self-nourishment
moveAbility
mLE v1.0 May 25, 2012 9

10.  Multiple engineering advances for
power wheelchairs (e.g. battery
Power
innovations, smart driver Mobility
controllers) with seamless
integration
Technological
Advances
Assistive
Technology
 Advances in switch technology,
eye-gaze components,
moveAbility communication devices
 Advances in technology
accessibility (e.g. more
affordable, reach more people)
mLE v1.0 May 25, 2012 10

11.  Spawn the growth of new
academic course offerings (e.g.
AAC) for health science
students
 Become the recognized  Development of innovative
standard that enables methods to integrate students
unmatched academic and with disabilities - academic,
social, community
personal growth of students moveAbility
with disabilities
Integration
Innovation
 Become the model for inclusive Service Centre of
Delivery Excellence
education delivery
mLE v1.0 May 25, 2012 11

12. Alter social norms to value

everyone’s contribution
moveAbility
regardless of disability
 Citizens and businesses are
accommodating, accessible, and
supportive across multiple
settings
Job  Create new job opportunities,
Community Opportunities new ways for graduates to earn a
Pride
living, more independence, less
social costs
New  More choices, more
Wealth opportunities to spend money.
mLE v1.0 May 25, 2012 12

13.  Expand the paradigm of “if we
Education, know how to teach, they know
Curriculum
Therapy,
Models how to learn”
Intervention
Models  Expand the communication skills
of individuals to enable greater
participation in education,
Living employment and community
Research
“Lab”
Human
Development
Models
AAC
Models
moveAbility
mLE v1.0 May 25, 2012 13

14. Literacy Power
Mobility
Communi- Educated,
cation
Education, Employable
Curriculum Technological
Therapy,
Models Students
Intervention Mobility Advances
Models
Personal
Care
Living
Research Assistive
“Lab” Technology
Human
Development
Models
AAC
Models
moveAbility
Academic
Integration
Innovation
Job
Community Opportunities
Pride
Service Centre of
Delivery Excellence
New
Wealth
mLE v1.0 May 25, 2012 14

15. 2014 2024 2034
 Inaugural class of  Last of inaugural class has  moveAbility is an integral
moveAbility. graduated, 75% have found part of the public education
 Many students are low meaningful work. system from K-12.
functioning due to  moveAbility is entrenched in  All students will have basic
inadequate teaching in the high school curriculum of literacy, communication and
public education system. public education system. mobility skills.
 Duration in moveAbility – up  Some students have basic  Curriculum at post-
to 10 years. literacy, communication and secondary level will (evolve)
mobility skills. to be more career and job
focused, as new
 Curriculum at post-
secondary level will include employment opportunities
are created.
more advanced topics, with
some specialization.
Students will have obtained a level of accreditation upon graduation
that is recognized and meaningful.
mLE v1.0 May 25, 2012 15

16. 1. Spawn the growth of Augmentative and Alternative Communication
(AAC) course offerings for health science students, expertise no
where else in Atlantic Canada.
2. Advance the science of physical therapy and intervention, leaving
behind outdated paradigms.
3. Greatly reduce the financial burden to social systems for care.
4. Create new wealth in community, new jobs.
5. Become a model for inclusive education, integration, and delivery.
6. Centre of Excellence in SJ, leverage developing Health Cluster.
7. Expand Programme across Canada … and beyond.
mLE v1.0 May 25, 2012 16

17. Please contact Mike at the web address below:
www.3rdtimelucky.com/about-mike-2
mLE v1.0 May 25, 2012 17