With June being Deafblind Awareness Month, it was fitting that the Lions Graydon House officially opened today in Barrie.
Today’s event was the official opening of the LGH and the open house was to give a tour of the facility and show just how one might live should they need to use the building. Many speakers from the Lions Club were on hand as they have been instrumental in the building of over a dozen deafblindness homes around Ontario. Also present were members of the Deafblind Ontario Services team, such as Karen Madho who is the senior coordinator of public relations for the DOS.
“Today is the official opening and walk-through for the facility and just a great way to celebrate with our neighbours and our friends,” said Madho. “This is a way for the individuals we serve who are living with deafblindness to be involved and engaged in the community they are a part of.”
Five individuals living with deafblindness have lived in the home at 7 Forestwood Lane for close to a year and the house is fitted to suit all their needs, mainly the need for independence. Madho says that aside from a few interveners who help with some of the communication bridge, the residents are very self-reliant.
“It provides a home for those we serve, a home that is fully accessible and that means they can live their daily lives as safely as possible with a few devices and features that can ensure that they can do things as independently as possible,” said Madho. “There is what we call interveners that are some people who are here to help with being a main connection to the world around them. The individuals here have the opportunity through their intervener to express what they’d like to do and their preferences, be it go for a walk or go to the store, things like that.”
The bungalow has many rooms for meeting and interaction but also has all the elements of home such as washers and dryers, kitchens and sitting rooms. Another great feature of the Lions Graydon House is that it is completely wheelchair accessible for those who need it or may need one in the future. The building is named after the Graydon family and particularly Lions Club member Jack Graydon who has overseen many of the facilities in the province.
Shannon Girard is the community engagement manager for the DOS and oversees the north region for the not-for-profit organization. Girard said that the need for the Graydon House was clear as there were two homes in the Innisfil area but they were very small. Building one big house with updated interior elements was a blessing for the folks who need it most but also there is the want of the residents to give back to the community that they have moved into.
“We do with not for, that is what we live by when it comes to community,” said Girard. “We have a gentleman here who works with the fire department and another who works at a pasta place in Innisfil, both help out at the community events that their organization runs. The individuals are not just people we support but are considered workers with the establishment and that not only gives them a sense of duty and belonging but also allows us to show the community we are here to be a part of all that is happening.”
For more information on what the Deafblind Ontario Services provides as well as some of the community events happening from the organization, check out their website.
