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7 | W aterloo C hronicle | T hursday,M ay 12,2022 w aterloochronicle.caCertified Lyric provider • www.serenityhearing.ca same owner, one name, 7 great locations! open evenings and saturdays by appointment formerly Auburn & Mountain Hearing Centres • 550 Fennell Ave. E. Unit 16 B, Hamilton 289-768-6167 • 723 Rymal Rd.W. Unit 500, Hamilton 289-768-8971 • 570 University Ave. E. Unit 905,Waterloo 888-907-1436 • 350 Conestoga Blvd. Unit B3, Cambridge 888-737-9976 • 168 Barton St. Unit 3, Stoney Creek 289-203-3256 • 1144 Wilson St. W. Unit D203, Ancaster 289-203-3195 • 370 Winston Rd, Grimsby 289-206-5364 Many of us take our ability tocommunicate for granted, butthe ability to speak, hear andbe heard is much more vital toour everyday lives than mostof us realize. For those whohave difficulty communicating,everyday interactions canpose significant challenges. Acommunication disorder mayprevent an individual fromperforming well at work, askingfor help, hearing instructions atschool or even saying 'I love you'. We're "hear" to help! #communicateawareness Connecting People elections.on.ca Learn all the ways you can mark your X. My voice, my choice, my life! Those words resonate with some familiarity to most of us. We clamoured them loud and clear as teenagers, eventually real- izing that, at every stage of our life, we redefine and re- visit our voice, settle on choices, and ultimately do our best to enjoy the ride and live our lives. In previous articles, we talked about relationships, how fundamental they are to our shared need for con- nection and belonging as humans, and how Bridges to Belonging walks along- side youth, adults, and se- niors living with disabili- ties to building authentic, meaningful, caring rela- tionships. In this article we want to share how we "walk with" using a person directed ap- proach to express their in- dividuality and live with self-determination sup- ported by family, friends. We start with respect, then engage our curiosity and focus our attention on the person we are with. It's all about them, we listen and learn directly from the per- son as they voice their sto- ry, share their dreams of the life they want and choose the desires they want to pursue. Unfortunately, despite our many advancements, the voices of people with disabilities are not heard, their choices not ho- noured, and their lives not fully expressed. Not all voices use words, being heard is not auditory and being seen is not visual -- communication is more than mere words and lan- guage more than organized sounds. However, this article is about more than communi- cation. It's about having a life of meaning, purpose, and value as determined by you, me, and the person with a disability. As an organization, we believe that everyone has stories worth sharing, the one they've lived and the one that is unfolding. Brid- ges to Belonging has its be- ginnings in the "New Story Group" started with a few families with a vision for their adult children with disabilities to live as valued members in their commu- nities. We each have a voice we want heard: a voice that will tell our family, our friends, and our communi- ty who we are and where we want to go; where we are and who we want to be. One of our current pro- jects is to gather stories; stories of encounter and choices; of dreams and ac- complishments. In the voices of our participants, in their words, we recount how meeting with our facil- itators and walking along their chosen path trans- formed and still impacts their lives and their fami- lies and friends' lives. Their dreams can be big, seem overwhelming, unexpected, or shy. Their dreams are real and our role, our joy, is to walk alongside them as a guide and trusted resource as they write their own sto- ries. If you have a story wait- ing to be told about your life, in your voice and with your choice -- and want someone to listen, please reach out at Bridges to Be- longing. Your voice, our voices build a community where people of all abilities be- long -- Our Community. Donnamarie Dunk is the executive director of Bridges to Belonging. Her personal and professional life has allowed her to experience the abundance of community, the power of authentic relationships and the resilience of the human spirit. She is an ally and advocate for peo- ple and families margin- alized by society to live free of barriers to inclusion, enjoy the rights and privi- leges of their citizenship and experience belonging as valued members in their communities. WATERLOO REGION'S BRIDGES TO BELONGING SEEKING YOUR STORIES OPINION YOUR VOICE, OUR VOICES BUILD A COMMUNITY WHERE PEOPLE OF ALL ABILITIES BELONG - OUR COMMUNITY, WRITES DONNAMARIE DUNK DONNAMARIE DUNK Column