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Microboards: Sustaining Your Future
Tools and Resources

Thank you for joining us for our webcast, Microboards: Sustaining Your Future. Below is a list of actionable tips, links and resources relevant to the topics discussed. We hope you find this information useful.

TIPS TO TAKE ACTION AFTER THE WEBCAST 
  1. Whether you decide to move forward with a Microboard or not, this is a great time to think about who is in your family member’s life. To start, make a list of the people who have a good relationship with your family member today.  

  1. Next, consider the people and places where there might be opportunity for relationships to grow. Who might not be closely in your life right now that you want to invite into a closer relationship in the future? Where are the places your family member enjoys spending their time? Look out for people in those places who might share a similar interest or are curious about your family member- being present in community places helps us create opportunity for new relationships. 

  1. Connect with a Microboards Ontario Peer Mentor if you have a Microboard for your family member or if you are thinking about setting one up. You can find the list of peer mentors here, 

     

LINKS & RESOURCES

Microboards Ontario
A Microboard is a group of family and friends joining with a person with a disability to create a non-profit organization. Microboards Ontario is an organization that promotes and supports the development of Microboards across Ontario.

VELA
Since 1990, VELA has supported the creation of 1,100 Microboards in British Columbia. In addition, in 2009, they began supporting people to access and manage Individualized Funding. VELA has assisted and/or mentored a variety of family groups, organizations and governments across the globe, including other provinces within Canada, in Australia, several US states, England and Ireland.

Microboards Resource Page
Visit the Planning Network to learn more about how creating a Microboard can support your family member in the future.

Pooran Law
PooranLaw is led by a group of like-minded lawyers who have devoted the majority of their personal and professional lives to promoting inclusion, enhancing the lives of people with disabilities and working to improve the greater social good.

Real Life Stories
Sometimes it’s helpful to connect with someone who has been through it already. Check real life stories from families who have set up a microboard for their family member. You can also consider connecting with a Peer Mentor for advice, strategies, or just a friendly ear from someone who understands.

Writer and 'Aroha pioneer' Andrew Bloomfield offers his firsthand perspective on how his Aroha came to be, and how it has functioned to transform his life. 
A short film about Andrew's journey.

BOOKS & ARTICLES 
Al Etmanski's bestselling book for families and their loved one living with a disability is filled with ideas, family stories, and thought-provoking questions. It provides hands-on planning guidance and worksheets for families to map the future of their loved one with a disability. The book includes a worksheet that can help with mapping out the relationships your family member has as you think about building a Circle of Support or Microboard. The new Ontario Edition will be released in the fall of 2025. 
 
From Behind the Piano: The Building of Judith Snow's Unique Circle of Friends
The book details the personal story of helping Judith Snow move out of an institution and into the community. In the process, a circle of support was born that not only helped Judith, but changed the lives of all involved. The book explains the formation of the "Joshua Committee" as Judith Snow named her Circle of Support.  
25. 
 
Jenny Hatch Justice Project
In 2012, Jenny Hatch, a 29-year-old woman from Providence RI was forced by the courts to live in a group home despite her strong preference to live with friends who loved her and wanted to share their home with her. Jenny's story illustrates the issues with guardianship and the impact it has on the ability for people to make decisions. 
 

 

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