History, 1983 - 1984

TWENTY YEAR REFLECTIONS - Lynn Osborne-Way

Chairperson, 1983 - 1984

In 1983/84 I served as Chairperson of the Board for what was then "K-W Services for the Physically Disabled". Previous to that time I served as a Board member and very briefly as a staff person.

A number of significant changes took place during those years both in the community and K-W Services. In the Community, Participation House had just created some supported apartment units, across from the Fairview Mall, enabling numerous members of the agency to live more independently. As well, K-W Services experienced a move from an office in the home of long time staff person, Connie Cruikshank to a suite on the 6th floor of Waterloo Town Square.

Fundraising took up a great deal of energy during this time period, with the Board getting involved in Bingo, Oktoberfest tickets and a Magic Show.

Due to financial limitations, it was deemed necessary to cut back on staff hours, leading to Connie's resignation after many years of caring and dedicated work.

This was a time of growth for the agency but there were also growing pains. Public awareness regarding independence for disabled people was high as a result of the International Year of Disabled Persons. It was at this time that the agency came of age, in a sense, with a new Executive Director, an office in a high profile public location, a flier advertising the agency and even some initial discussions about changing the Agency name someday. It was definitely a challenging year for everyone involved.

Board of Directors

Staff

Landmarks

• 1983 - Employment Development Grant: "COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT SUPPORT PROJECT"
• 1984 - University of Waterloo Wheelchair Control System

Programmes

• C.L.A.S.S. of "83" Community Life and Social Skills