Editor:
Although I missed the boisterous gathering of extended family that has been the hallmark of past Thanksgivings, this year’s smaller celebration gave me plenty of time to consider all of the things for which I am thankful, including a long and very satisfying career working with individuals with physical and developmental disabilities. My career led me to get to know some wonderful people.
I am also thankful for how society’s attitudes toward people with disabilities have evolved and continue to evolve. From the times when people with disabilities were at best pitied and at worst warehoused in large institutions, to the present day when people with disabilities are welcome in our schools and part of our community, things are changing in a positive direction. The fact that October is Community Inclusion Month, where we celebrate inclusion, diversity and the rights and contributions of people with intellectual disabilities, is a sign of how far we have come. In future we will progress further still, I have no doubt.
Finally, I am also thankful to have the opportunity in my retirement to serve on the board of the Sunshine Coast Association for Community Living, a great organization that provides a myriad of services for people with developmental disabilities on the Coast. SCACL’s staff have responded to the challenges presented by the COVID pandemic in thoughtful and innovative ways, and I speak on behalf of the entire Board of Directors when I say how impressed and thankful we are for the dedication and diligence of SCACL’s employees during these strange times. SCACL has several job vacancies at the moment, and I would encourage anyone looking for meaningful work in a great organization to consider SCACL.
Susan Blockberger, President, SCACL Board of Directors
