A New Parent Consultant at Ensemble

Hello Everyone!

My name is Michelle DiCarlo and I am the new parent consultant at Ensemble. While I am new to the position as a parent consultant with Ensemble, I have been working as a volunteer with Ensemble for almost two years. I joined their Election Strategy Committee to raise awareness to the challenges people with disabilities and their families face on a daily basis. One of the key messages of the committee has been to dispel the myth that all people with intellectual disabilities are receiving support. Windsor-Essex County has almost 300 children on the waitlist for services and over 400 people waiting to receive additional support. The public needs to be aware of the stresses faced by families raising children who have disabilities. We need public support to address these issues as they are community issues which require community solutions.

My son, Nicholas, has both physical and intellectual disabilities. Nicholas has been my greatest teacher and source of inspiration! My goal for Nicholas is to ensure he has every opportunity to reach his fullest potential in his own way and in his own time. To accomplish this goal, I have come to realize that this is not just an individual or family effort, but a community effort. In order for Nicholas to have the same opportunities as other children, he needs assistance through social support programs. This is a concern shared by many families here in Windsor-Essex County, across Ontario, and throughout Canada.

It is on that note, that I decided to enroll at the University of Windsor to become a social worker so I may offer a greater contribution to this community. One of the core principals of social work is social justice. Inclusion is one of the aspects of social justice as this not only benefits an individual, but an entire community too. So much more can be accomplished when we all work together.

Working together is a core value of Ensemble, after all, the French word "Ensemble" was chosen for its meaning "all together." I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to work at Ensemble as it provides a wonderful learning opportunity since I will be able to work directly with families and Ensemble's extensive community partners.

I look forward to learning from everyone as well as sharing my experiences and knowledge.

Together, we can accomplish our goals.