When children are valued, listened to, encouraged, understood, and believed in;
they will be successful.

When the Lethbridge Association for Community Living decided to recognize schools for their inclusive practices it made perfect sense to name the award in honour of Betty Grigg. Betty was a President and an active member of Lethbridge Association for Community Living for many years. She worked tirelessly with parents, schools, politicians and other stakeholders towards inclusive learning environments and communities.

Betty Grigg was one of those pioneering parents that lead the change in our communities and province. She was a well known and respected for building awareness and networks within the community. Though a strong and relentless advocate, Betty was always dignified and gracious. Many of the families that are part of The Lethbridge Association for Community Living today thank Betty for her warm welcoming style of leadership. Betty was often on television and hosted a show called “Our Town”. It was her connections in the media that brought disability issues to the forefront. The community became aware that for too long people with disabilities had been segregated from the community and in turn the community had been deprived of the opportunity to be enriched by the unique contributions of each citizen.

Many families that continue to advocate for (and have successful adult children as a result of) inclusive educational opportunities, were inspired Betty Grigg. Her legacy lives on in the hearts and minds of our community and in the schools that embrace the challenge of including all students in all activities of the school.

It is The Lethbridge Association For Community Living’s honour to dedicate this prestigious award in her name.  This award shines a light on the incredible work of our schools  to create a meaningful educational experience.

You learn to talk by talking
You learn to read by reading
You learn to write by writing
You learn to include by including

Melodies Story

      I am a 30 year old self advocate and I have a disability and would like to share my story with you all. I was recently in the paper a few years ago under the topic called “A Closer Look At The People Around

You” and just let everyone know who I was and how life has been for me. The heading of the story was called” Helping Other’s Has Helped Melodie With Her Own Life”. Well here I go with my story. I was not born

with my disability but was in a accident when I was really young and now my left side of my body was affected and it was a brain injury from what I was told later on.

This article I was in talked about my dreams and how nothing can stop me from doing anything in life with my Physical Disability and I believe that’s true over the years growing up. Some have thought I wasn’t able to do anything in life but I have done so many things.  I graduated from high school 1996 and went back to high school for another year.  Then I went to college for half a semester from September 1997 till December 1997.  I started working in January 1998 at a day program for a year and a half then went on a mission for the LDS church for a year.  Then went back to the day program that I am at today and I am really proud of myself and those who do know me are proud of me for being at the day program I am at now.  Since starting there in Jan.98 other than my mission it’s been about 10 years and I love being out in the community helping out where ever I can and I have volunteered as well. Where I am working now has changed throughout the years and I have made a lot of friends there.

I have gone through many struggles throughout my life growing up but that still does not stop me from doing what I want to do in life today. I am a very happy person and have gotten many complements from everyone in the community and from those who do know me, about my Smile and its odd not seeing me with this smile.

      Many of my friends have a way of making me laugh and smile and it works if I am not laughing or smiling something is wrong and even if I am quiet and you will know something is wrong and many know how to get things out of me even if I hold back.  I know not to hold things inside when something is bugging me.

                              Story by Melodie Scout