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Honourable Doug Currie, Minister of Social Services and Seniors today announced members of the Disability Services Review Committee. The mandate of the committee is to review the range of services now provided to persons with disabilities, carry out a public consultation process and report findings and recommendations to the Minister.

 “Members of the committee were appointed by cabinet because of their demonstrated commitment and interest to ensuring community and government services available to persons with disabilities and their families,“ said the Minister.

 Members of the committee include:  Teresa Aitken, Bridget Cairns, Corinna Costain, Sharon Gallant, Kathy Pilkington, Kevin Porter, Charlene Stevens, Twilah Stone, Shelley Watts and Barry Schmidl. Ex-officio members include Sharon Cameron, deputy minister and Kathy Jones, director of social programs of the Department of Social Services and Seniors as well as consultants Gordon MacKay and Stephen Pate.

 Over the next few weeks, the review committee will develop a discussion paper to include statistics, trends, program information and questions for discussion and feedback. Stakeholder and public consultations will be organized throughout the province beginning in February 2008.

 The comprehensive review will include research into best practices of international and pan-Canadian legislation, programs and service models. These findings will be part of a report and recommendations to Government. The time frame for the review is expected to be six months.

 More information about how Islanders can provide suggestions and feedback to the Disability Services Review Committee will be announced early in the new year.

DISABILITY SERVICES REVIEW COMMITTEE

Teresa Aitken is a parent of a son with Autism.  She has been a volunteer with the Autism Society of Prince Edward Island for ten years and currently serves as board secretary.  Aitken is a registered nurse who now works in the school system as an education assistant to a teenager with Autism.  She is a community volunteer with 4-H, Brownies, Beavers as well as Sunday school and music programming.  Aitken and her family live in the Montague area. 

Sharon Gallant of Alberton is a parent of a daughter who is physically challenged.  She is a former member of the board of the PEI Council of the Disabled.  Gallant’s education and career background is in finance.

Kathy Pilkington of Charlottetown has a daughter and husband with MS .  She holds degrees in arts and education with masters studies in educational psychology.  Her career has focused entirely on working with people with disabilities as a special education teacher and consultant within the school systems of Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and PEI. Pilkington has been involved with the Cerebral Palsy Association, MS Society, Association of Special Education Teachers and the PEI Guidance Association.

Twilah Stone - Ministerial Advisory Committee on Disability Issues
Twilah Stone of Charlottetown is an instructor in the Human Services program at Holland College and a long time advocate in support people with disabilities.  She is a founding member of the PEI Education Coalition, PEI Citizen Advocacy Inc and PEI People First and currently serves as the chairperson of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Disability Issues.  Prior to joining Holland College, Stone worked at the Sherwood Home, Child and Family Services (Montague), Tremploy, PEI Citizen Advocacy Inc and the PEI Association for Community Living.  Stone’s son lived with intellectual and physical disabilities until his passing.
Kevin Porter - Ministerial Advisory Committee on Disability Issues

Kevin Porter is executive director of Community Inclusions Ltd, a community-based organization that supports adults with intellectual disabilities in Western PEI.  He has a bachelor of arts degree from UPEI with a major in psychology and is a certified life coach.  Prior to joining Community Inclusions in 2000, Porter worked with youth in  employment-related capacities.  He lives with his wife and three sons in West Devon.

Corinna Costain - Business Community
Corinna Costain is co-owner and operator of Scotcor Construction Ltd. and Scotcor Rentals in Summerside.  She has a bachelor of arts in psychology from Mount Allison University.  Prior to returning to Prince Edward Island 12 years ago, Costain worked with individuals with physical disabilities and also taught at a private school in Vancouver for students with learning disabilities.  Recently, Scotcor Construction partnered with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and the Province to develop an 11-unit accessible building in Summerside called Independence Place.

Charlene Stevens - Consumer
Charlene Stevens is a board member of the Prince Edward Island Chapter of the Canadian Paraplegic Association.  She has been a paraplegic since 1994 following an accidental shooting.  Stevens received her RN diploma from the PEI School of Nursing in 1992 and worked as an RN in Texas before returning home to Prince Edward Island in 2006.  She is now the RN branch director for WeCare Home Health Company in Charlottetown.  Stevens lives on the Annandale Road near Cardigan with her husband and two children. 

Bridget Cairns - Prince Edward Island Association for Community Living
Bridget Cairns is executive director of the PEI Association for Community Living, a member organization that has supported individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families from more than 50 years.  Cairns studied at Seneca College in Toronto and worked for the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario before moving to PEI. She lives with her two children in Lyndale near Montague.

Barry Schmidl - Prince Edward Island Council of the Disabled
Barry Schmidl has been executive director of the PEI Council of the Disabled since  2000.  Schmidl holds degrees in social work and political studies and has additional post-secondary academic certificates and qualifications in adult education, human sexuality and computer applications.  He has a long history of volunteer involvement in the social justice, affordable housing and related fields.  Schmidl is a native of Montreal and lived in Northern Ontario for 20 years before moving to PEI in 2000.  He now lives in Charlottetown with his wife and two sons.

Shelley Watts - Tremploy Inc.
Shelley Watts of Charlottetown is the business manager at Tremploy, a non-profit registered charitable organization that provides vocational training and/or employment supports to adults with an intellectual disability.  Her education and career background is in accounting.  She is presently a board member for KidsCount and a former board member of Island Hospice Association.

Disability Services Review Committee Bios [English] [Français]