Shortly after Donna Desjardins was told to abandon her son who was born with Down syndrome, she began her journey to build a more inclusive community for children with developmental disabilities.
Her advocacy was recently acknowledged at the Alberta Legislature where she was recognized with the Gary McPherson Leadership Award.
Desjardins, 74, received the award on Dec. 3, on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
“I’ve advocated for persons with disabilities (for 40 years), and it all started because I have a son with Down syndrome,” Desjardins said. “It was amazing. I was very emotional seeing some of the people that had come from various ministries and Inclusion Alberta.”
The Gary McPherson Leadership Award from the Premier’s Council on the Status of Persons with Disabilities is given to an individual Albertan who has demonstrated outstanding leadership or achievement in improving the lives of persons with disabilities.
According to Desjardins, when she was told to leave her son Daniel in an institution, a St. Paul local told her not to. And, with that, Desjardins moved to St. Paul.
“They have stood by us and allowed us to ensure Daniel would become a contributing member of this community,” she said.
Desjardins’ journey came naturally after the birth of Daniel. She created the pathway to ensure Daniel could also have the same dreams and fit into a community that would allow him to influence others.
“It’s very easy for people to think that just because they have a disability they have nothing to add and that is so wrong,” she said. “I believe that the world, society, and communities still need to learn how much an individual with a developmental disability can contribute to the family, country, and world.”
Penny Fox is a member of the Regional Abilities Awareness Committee that put together Desjardin’s nomination.
“Anyone who meets Donna knows she’s a very soft, kind and caring person who looks at everybody’s abilities and works in a group to strengthen the abilities that they bring to the table,” Fox said. “She’s an amazing woman, so ambitious and like the Energizer bunny which just keeps going and going.”
Desjardins served as a member of the Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) Board for six years and nine years as vice-chair of the Northeast Alberta PDD Community Board. She has also served on several provincial boards and committees, including Inclusion Alberta, Inclusion St. Paul and the Portage College Advisory Committee.
Her most recent endeavour is advocating for inclusive post-secondary education at Portage College.
