My name is Paul Sawka. I am the Awareness Leader at the Canadian Down Syndrome Society. CDSS began in Calgary in 1987 and has been part of the Alberta community ever since.

I have accomplished a lot of great things in my life, but I could not have done it without the help of my family, friends, and support workers.

On behalf of the Canadian Down Syndrome Society, I want to talk to you about how important it has been to have support through the Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) program. I am one of the many people in Alberta who has benefited from PDD support. Through PDD, I am able to have support workers.

It is very important for me to have support workers to help me. I have three support workers. One helps me at work, and two help me with my personal life.

One place I really appreciate their support is with my sports. Without my support workers to help me get to where I need to go I might not be able to play Special Olympics sports or swim on the Calgary Dolphins swim team. Playing sports is good for my health and also gives me an opportunity to be part of a team. I have met many friends playing sports. The friendships I have made through my activities are very important to me and I would be very sad if I was no longer able to be a part of these activities.

I also have a support worker who helps me at my job. I would not be able to do my job without support. She comes to the Canadian Down Syndrome Society office to help me with my work tasks.

By having help at work I am able to hold a job and make money to support myself. I was even able to move out on my own. I am very proud that I can afford to live in my own apartment. I pay taxes, like everyone else. I contribute to society and to Alberta’s growth.

If my supports were taken away because there was not enough funding my life would change a lot. I would be stuck living with my parents and I likely wouldn’t have the great job that I have. I also would probably not be able to play sports and have the friendships that I have. I would be very sad if these things were to happen.

All the things in my life that I am very proud of would be taken away from me because I wouldn’t have the help I need to accomplish them. Losing my support would change my life negatively but it would be worse for many other people with disabilities.

I am lucky because I am capable of many things. I went to university and I got a job. I know how to take public transportation. I can accomplish great things but I still need some help sometimes. There are many other people with disabilities who would have a much harder time accomplishing all that I have or are unable to accomplish those things. If those people lose their funding they would not have any way to get money and support themselves. I think the government would be wrong to take away funding because we need the money to have our own lives.

I hope you listen to what I have said. A lot of people are speaking out about this important issue and as a self-advocate working at the Canadian Down Syndrome Society, I am able to represent people with Down syndrome.

I am proud to give voice to Albertans with developmental disabilities.

Thank you for your time,

Paul Sawka

Watch a video excerpt:

It was hard work to get to college but once I was in college I enjoyed the work I got to do. I also got to have paying jobs while in college and I enjoyed this. I had to get education before I could work for an organization like CDSS.

When I graduated I had the privilege of being the valedictorian. I felt very proud to speak on behalf of my graduating class. I was not nervous at all to make my speech at my graduation. I was very excited to make my speech and I was very proud they chose me to be the valedictorian.

In my speech I wanted to let people know that people with Down syndrome can fulfill their dreams and do what they want to do in their lives. People with Down syndrome can go to school or College and they can graduate. They can do anything they want to do in their life. This is the message I wanted to get across to teenagers with Down syndrome; if you put your mind to it and work hard you can achieve great things like me.

Me and my girlfriend Brenda at the 2011 Canadian Down Syndrome Conference in Vancouver

I will be at the conference with my co-workers from CDSS. VATTA will also be at the conference. I will be presenting the Endnote at this year’s conference with VATTA. My speech will be about Down syndrome, my life and what we do at the Canadian Down Syndrome Society. I will be helping VATTA by spreading advocacy and awareness about Down syndrome. I am honored to be attending the conference and I will be speaking at the Endnote session.

I am also looking forward to attending the break-out sessions. A break-out session is an educational session lead by an expert. In these break-out sessions I will be learning about Down syndrome. I am also excited to go to the conference to meet new people with Down syndrome and also to party!

See you there! Register at www.downsyndromeconference.ca

I think a better way to deal with this situation would have been if the police talked to him. I think that police should have made sure he understood the situation better before they used force. This man probably did not want to hurt anyone and so he didn’t need to be treated so roughly. I think if police had more information on how to work with people with disabilities this situation could have been avoided.

The Canadian Down Syndrome Society is happy to educate all interested police groups about Down syndrome. By doing this, CDSS hopes they can help police to deal with these situations better so that this circumstance can be avoided in the future.

I would also like to say that everyone at CDSS is thinking of the Saylor family and we would like to offer them our deepest condolences for their loss.

For the Canadian Down Syndrome Society’s full statement click here.

Me and my girlfriend Brenda – she came to the CDSS office to visit me and the team and we took this picture in my office.

I am going to celebrate Valentine’s Day with my girlfriend Brenda. I am going to be with Brenda for a special dinner. On Valentine’s Day, I will stay in my new place and me and my new roommate will have Brenda over. We will all have food. For a gift I am planning to have some flowers and a card for Brenda to show how much I love her.

Valentine’s Day is a special time to celebrate love and being in love. Lots of people like to go out for dinner with their loved ones. This is a special time to be together.

Thank you!

Hi Everyone,

I would like to say thank you for your comments! I have read all of the comments on my blog and on Facebook. Thank you for all your feedback and support. I found all of your comments very touching.  I am very busy here at work and things are going well for me. Thanks to all the parents that commented on my letter, thank you for reading my story about my life and I hope that it was helpful to you and can help you with your kids. I feel very happy and proud about after reading all your comments. I write this blog for all of you, thank you for reading it!

Paul
Awareness Leader

This is me when I was a teenager.

To all teenagers and young people with Down syndrome,

Hello. I am Paul Sawka. I am 26 year old. There are a lot of things that I can do. I can do things like sports and volunteering.I have a girlfriend. I already graduated from my high school and go to Mount Royal University. I am planning to graduate in two years. I also just graduated from Columbia College from the Job Search Program.

I had a great life as a teenager. I did many things when I was a teenager, like golf and play tennis. I had chores around the house. I also worked at Rogers Video Store near my home. The job was to put videos and DVDs away and to vacuum the carpet and clean the store.

Making friend in high school was hard for me because I did not know the people at first. I did make many friends a little later on. I had friends who have Down syndrome, as well without Down syndrome. I was bullied as a teenager but I got help when I needed it from teachers and my parents. I had a lot of help to cope with the bullies. I was bullied by some of the other boys at my school. These boys were unkind to boys like me. They picked on me and my friends. I  was downright sad about being bullied and I was very mad and angry with the boys who were bullying me and my friends. To resolve the bullying I talked to my parents and the principal.They helped me deal with the bullies. It is a good idea to ask an adult for help if you are being bullied.

This is me at work.

After graduating from high school my main goal was to find a job for me. The jobs that I had in the past were not great but I tried them to see what I liked and what I might want to do. After I tried many jobs and couldn’t find a good fit for me, I decided to go to Mount Royal University to take computer and literacy classes. I still go to Mount Royal to learn new skills that I can apply to my job. I also went to Columbia College and took the Job Search Program there. It was great to be there and to find better suited jobs for me.

I also have a girlfriend. It is great to have her and we plan to get married in two years. Having a girlfriend is great! I get to do lots of fun things with her.

I am planning to move out because I want to be independent from my parents. I am independent in my work and at school. I will be independent when I move out on my own and live with a roommate. I can be independent at my work place. I do my tasks at work; these are things like mailing out packages, photocopying, writing thank you letters, and answering the phone.

My parents are in my life but I do not need as much support from them anymore because I am an adult. My parents help me make decisions and they have helped me with my plans to move out and live independently. They also help me with sports and other activities I am involved in. I think my relationship with my parents will change a little when I move out. This is because I will need to be more independent and I will need to rely on them less. I will maintain a good relationship with my parents when I live on my own.

It is important for me to share my life’s success and growth with teenagers like you because I feel that I have overcome many obstacles in my life. I would like to let teenagers know that there is always support available from different places to help with any problems that may come along. Having Down syndrome has not stopped me from having success and growth. I feel very blessed to have a lot of support and loved ones in my life. I was asked to write this letter so I could give teenagers advice and encouragement, and hopefully inspire them. I would like to let teenagers know that no matter what the disability if you put your mind and effort into what you want you can accomplish anything. Here is some advice that I can give to teenagers with Down syndrome:

• If you are being bullied then go tell an adult to come to help.
• If you want to go on a date with someone then ask someone you like to do something with you. You can go do something you both like and see if you like each other.
• To make friends it helps to meet one friend and then you can make more friends together. You can also be friends with the other friends of your friends that you do not know.
• If you want people to treat you better or if you want more respect it is important to tell this person your needs and have a conversation with them so they understand your point of view.

I want to say thank you for reading my letter and I encourage you to email me if you have any more questions. You can email me by using the Contact form or by sending me an email at info@cdss.ca.

Thanks,

Paul Sawka
Awareness Leader

How did you get to be the  vice chair on the VATTA Committee?

This is Ruth

VATTA members were asked to elect someone to be vice chair, and they elected me. I was honoured and I hope I will be a great leader for them.

How is your working life going for CDSS VATTA Committee?

When I am the VATTA committee I work hard on advocacy issues. I am getting better at public speaking and more confident being in front of group of people.

Do you have a boyfriend?

I do not have a boyfriend at this time. I am single woman.

Where do you work and what do you do there?

I have worked at Boston Pizza for 10 years the duties are: busing tables, pre-bus, seating costumers, leading the birthday song, washroom checks.

I heard you can drive. Can you tell me how you learned?

I have my learners permit. When I was in high school I did the written test and I passed it. Then I went on to practice my driving with an instructor for my license, but he said that I would not be able to do the road test by myself.

Do you play sports?

I’ve been skating since I was 4 years old and when I was 12 years old I started figure skating .

Do you volunteer, like me?

Yes I volunteer I do work experience in the RCC daycare. I set up the snack, serve the snack, clean up the snack., do the dishwasher, have my 15 minute break, prep the snack, play and feed the infants. I volunteer at my church.

Where do you live now? Do you live on your own?

I do not live on my own; I still live my parents.

This is Ruth at her University graduation

What was your university experience like?

My university experience was very positive. I made a lot of friends and learned a lot of things. The TA adapted the courses but I did the same materials of the others students and I pick my own courses in the field human ecology. I graduated in 2011 and was able to convocate with my class.

What message do you have for other people with Down syndrome wanting to go to university?

My message for other people with Down Syndrome who want to go to University is try it, you will like it and you will have lots of fun. You can pick your own courses that you are interested in that might help you get a career in the future.

What are your plans for the future?

I am planning to move out with the roomate and getting a full time job in retail department.

—-

Thanks for letting me interview you, Ruth!

I have a picture of the Dolphins Swim Club on my cork board in the office.

I asked Janice, the club president, about it. Here is what she told me:

What is the Calgary Dolphins swim club?

The Calgary Dolphins Swim Club is a swim club for youths and young adults with Down syndrome.

What do they do?

The Club enhances physical therapy through the swimming program to increase mobility, endurance, and overall fitness levels

Why and when did it start?

The Club fosters personal improvement (both physical and well-being) and success in a positive team environment, and promotes development of the athlete in the four competitive swimming strokes. The swim club provides opportunities for skill development and competition, at all levels, with other swimmers and clubs within Alberta

At my Calgary Dolphins Swim Club swim-a-thon.

The concept started as a research study for a PhD student at the University of Calgary.  The Club was officially incorporated as a non-profit in 2005

How long have you been in it?

My daughter, Susan Patterson, has been as swimmer with the club since the beginning.  Many of our swimmers started as part of the study.

Thanks Janice!

I like being part of a great team, and the Dolphins are great. When I’m with the club, I get to be with my friends who have the same interests as me, and get fit at the same time.

To learn more about the Calgary Dolphins Swim Club visit their website – www.calgarydolphins.ca.

• Lose weight and exercise more
• Eat healthier food
• Stop smoking
• Stop drinking
• Save money
• Get a better job
• Learn how to play an instrument
• Go on a vacation
• Volunteer more

I am not making any New Year’s Resolutions this year. But if you are, good luck!

Happy New Year! See you in 2013.