Profiles of Toronto's Unsung Heroes
The following people received special recognition as Unsung Heroes during the event celebrating International Day of People with Disabilities on December 3, 2009. See the photo gallery from the event.
Robert Pio Hajjar
Nominated by: Best Buddies Canada and Ideal - Ways Foundation
Robert is a motivational speaker who invariably receives a standing ovation for his inspiring message of hope and his vision of the world where people with intellectual disabilities are valued, included, appreciated and loved for whom they are.
He captivated the audience and the organizers with his professionalism at the Regional Conference for Best Buddies Canada in Hamilton. Hamilton's Mayor was so impressed, he is helping to advance Robert's dream to be on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. Robert's fans have started YouTube and Facebook campaigns to persuade Ellen DeGeneres to invite Rob on her show.
Robert spoke at the Special Olympics Alberta in October and will speak at upcoming conferences in Canada and at conferences and workshops the United States. He will be speaking at the Special Olympics in Singapore and to the Singapore Down Syndrome Association.
Robert is the founding director of the Ideal - Ways Foundation, which is dedicated to empowering people with intellectual disabilities through community education, poverty relief and the provision of recreational art and literacy programs.
Robert is a long time recreational participant in adapted programs and integrated services offered by the City of Toronto's Parks, Forestry and Recreation. He currently volunteers his time at the Etobicoke Civic Centre print shop and at Blockbuster video.
Rachel Gallone
Nominated by: Surrey Place Centre
Rachel is part of the Self-advocacy Council at Surrey Place Centre. The Council ensures that clients have representation to the services the Centre provides. Rachel, like all council members, has received the services of Surrey Place. Council members provide recommendations and feedback on behalf of clients and advise on issues, concerns, direct policy and procedures that affect people with developmental disabilities.
As a self-advocate, Rachel has travelled across Ontario delivering the message that people with disabilities have a voice and want to be heard. Rachel has participated in a number of Surrey Place Centre fundraising events, including Get-in-line. She was the honourary spokesperson for Get-in-line in 2008.
As an active fundraiser for Surrey Place Centre, Rachel wants to help because of how much she has been helped. She says that her fundraising efforts give her a "sense of accomplishment, because the money raised doesn't only help one person, it helps lots of people, it helps lots of people in many ways."
Michael Monize
Nominated by: Toronto Rehab - Lyndhurst Centre
Michael is currently an Industrial Design student at the Ontario College of Art and Design, but that doesn't stop him from working hard for people with disabilities as well as the general community — especially children.
Michael's own business, "Four Ones Art Studio" is an outlet for artists and designers to gain recognition and exposure for their talents. He collaborated with the CPA - Canadian Paraplegic Association of Ontario and hosted two art shows, one at the AGO - Art Gallery of Ontario and the other at the Botanical Gardens auditorium in Edwards Gardens. He donated the money he made to CPA for spinal cord research.
He volunteered on the marketing committee for the Festival of International Conferences on Disability, Aging and Technology, which is an organization in the health technology rehabilitation industry.
Michael founded The Socio-Ergonomic People as a means to provide a platform for community projects, events and ventures that improve the quality of life of others. He also started the Lillian Allen Liberal Arts & Design Studio in partnership with the AGO. It is a free two week program for kids 11 to 14 years old. Michael also took the project to the City's Culture division and the program ran for the summer of 2008 and was offered free to 20 kids in "at-risk" communities.
Among his many ventures, he also designed the Access Alliance website, a social networking site that enable people with disabilities to connect. And Michael launched a design competition "The Design for Humanity Challenge: Access for All" in partnership with the Toronto Rehab, March of Dimes and the Ontario College of Art and Design. Michael has applied his leadership, entrepreneurial and creative talents to make a significant difference for people with disabilities, for young adults and for the general community.
Bobbi Moore
Nominated by: March of Dimes Canada
Bobbi is committed to improving the lives of people with disabilities and she never lets obstacles get in her way. Although her internship as a Ryerson Social Work placement student with March of Dimes ended two years ago, Bobbi still volunteers, going above and beyond what she is asked to do. She was instrumental in creating the "Coffee Connoisseurs Club", a weekly meeting held to promote a fun, supportive and inclusive environment for members who may have difficulty socializing. She ran the program every week while she pursued her Masters degree in Social Work, which she received in September.
Bobbi provides more than a social atmosphere for members of the coffee club. She helps them navigate ODSP paperwork. Perhaps, more importantly, she creates a safe environment for members to express their fears, challenges, while offering reasonable, workable solutions.
In addition to the Coffee Connoisseurs Club, Bobbi volunteered on a number of out-trips for the March of Dimes, to local hockey, football and soccer games, disability-related conferences and events. She has given joint presentations on achieving standards for the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. She worked on a proposal for funding the website Door2adulthood.com, which helps youths with disabilities transition to adulthood.
Elio Riggillo
Nominated by: Rotary Cheshire Homes and Canadian Helen Keller Centre
Elio is a passionate and tireless advocate on behalf of the Deaf-Blind community. He works two jobs - as a stock boy at Food Basics and as an American Sign Language instructor at George Brown College's Intervener program. He is married with three children. Despite all his responsibilities, Elio is a key advocate for the Deaf-Blind community.
He is a founding member and the president of the Ontario Usher Syndrome Association. He devotes many volunteer hours to the association for meetings, mentoring others and giving a voice to the Deaf-Blind community. Elio is on the Board of Directors of Rotary Cheshire Homes where he is also a crucial and vocal member.
As a mentor, Elio gently encourages people to apply for important services and connects them to support groups or steers them to the Canadian Helen Keller Centre for training. Elio is involved in several provincial committee's striving to improve the lives of all Deaf-Blind Ontarians so others do not face the same barriers that he has. Elio works daily to educate the public and public servants about the various needs of Deaf-Blind individuals.
David Swiderski
Nominated by: Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians - Toronto
David has never been recognized for his leadership skills even though he has led by example through his work in helping to organize a "Goalball" team for the blind and partially sighted for Toronto in 1996. Goalball is a sport specifically tailored for the blind and has gained much popularity throughout the world. It is an Olympic sport. Through David's work, the team flourished and was instrumental in getting blind people involved and engaged in a community activity.
David has spent countless hours doing work for many of the community's consumer organizations. As a member of the Guide Dog Users of Canada, David helped set up the group mailing list and website. He has assisted with ham radio training at the CNIB. He has been on the executive of the Alumni Association for the W. Ross Macdonald School; an affiliation that David has truly embraced with his strong skills in being able to keep the membership informed and united.
As a member of the Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians - Toronto Chapter, David has served in various roles over the past 9 years. He was the Treasurer for 5 years; a national delegate in 2007 for our Annual General Meeting and Convention. He is a strong voice of change on issues that are meaningful to many blind Canadians.
