National Philanthropy Day is recognized worldwide on November 15 as a celebration of philanthropy. It is a time to reflect on the meaning of giving and all that it has made possible.
On this special day, the Learning Disabilities Association of Canada acknowledges the invaluable role of donors and volunteers like you in helping children and adults who learn differently reach their potential and thrive in their community.
Your support has a direct impact across Canada, as exemplified by Sarah’s story*, an educational assistant at a school for students with multiple disabilities in Saskatchewan.
I would describe my learning disability as a Lego structure without a base. I have dyslexia. When I was younger, it was with reading and writing, and now it’s just with reading and sometimes grammar. (…)
Reading and communicating were my main difficulties. I would get really angry and muddled when there was something that I wanted to say and couldn’t get it out. (…) So we got testing done, and that’s when I entered the Arrowsmith program at the Learning Disabilities Association of Saskatchewan. I went there for 4 years, and it helped a ton. I did exercises to help reprogram my brain to make it stronger. Before I started the program, I wasn’t reading at my level, and by the end of it I was doing way better. (…)
With me having dyslexia, I grew up being aware of disabilities. For example, I was in a disability choir, an inclusive choir. And this awareness made me really love being around people with disabilities, feeling good about knowing that I could support them and have a positive impact on their lives, the way the teachers who were in the program I attended had an impact on mine. — Sarah Fairbairn, Saskatchewan
From providing educational resources and services to promoting ground breaking research to raising awareness, you have transformed the lives of Canadians with learning challenges.
A heartfelt thank you for creating a lasting impact through your giving to the Learning Disabilities Association of Canada.
* You can read Sarah’s full story and other stories of perseverance with learning disabilities in Born to Be Me!, a children’s book published by Dominique & Friends, in collaboration with the Association and its provincial and territorial partners.
