Graduate of reverse-integration class returns to support families

York University student Thalia Bueno and family support specialist Ishwarya Shankar 

By Louise Kinross

In 2008, Thalia Bueno attended kindergarten in a Bloorview School class for students with and without disabilities. "It shaped the way I see disability in a positive light," says the fourth-year York University student, who is finishing a three-month placement supporting families at Holland Bloorview. "Having kids who looked like me, I felt more secure in my identity. It really gave me a sense of worth."

The Law and Society major decided to return to the hospital as a student "because I wanted to give back to the community that was key in my education."

Thalia has been working with the hospital's family support team in Client and Family Integrated Care. "I've updated a funding and financial supports guide for families and created a new tip sheet about transportation." She's also worked on our monthly community resource e-letter, assisted parents at our Life Skills, Recreation and Respite Fair, and helped families find what they need in our resource centre. 

"I think being a wheelchair user allowed clients and families to see me in a different perspective and feel more at home," Bueno says. "When I first started this placement, I encountered a family in the hallway. The parent pointed out my wheelchair to the child and said: 'There are people here that look like you.' It was a sweet moment."

Bueno says when she was a kindergarten student 18 years ago, she didn't see hospital staff with visible disabilities. "I didn't see representation of wheelchair users at the staff level or in placement students. I didn't see adults using mobility aids. I think we're on a really positive trend now and I hope as we continue to grow this remains at the forefront."

Bueno says she's most enjoyed interacting with families during her work here. "I really like being able to not only listen, but to help families access and navigate community resources," she says. "I also found I got to put things I learned in class into practise, such as the social determinants of health. For example, I've sat in on meetings where we discussed food insecurity and how it really shapes how people with disabilities and their families experience their overall access to care and quality of life." 

Bueno says working with our family support specialists has "been great. We really put the emphasis on both the client and the family, and that means leading with empathy. I've been privileged to work with such an amazing team. They were very accepting of me. Even when I was younger at Holland Bloorview I had a sense that this was a tight-knit community. As a student now I feel the collegial atmosphere. It feels like a work family. If I didn't know something, I was encouraged to ask, and that played a large component in my learning."

Bueno, who works as a research assistant at the Centre for Indigenous Knowledges and Languages at York, would like to pursue a career in law or academia. This September she is returning to York to do a masters in Critical Disability Studies. Her research interest is artificial intelligence and disability. In the past, Bueno helped prepare new students with disabilities to university life through York's Student Accessibility Services.

"I've been fortunate to work in a non-clinical setting at Holland Bloorview and I hope the hospital increases those opportunities."

In general, Bueno has found navigating the hospital in her wheelchair straightforward. "Coming to Holland Bloorview has been very rewarding because I don't have to worry about accessibility." One thing we could improve in our resource centre, she says, is access to materials from a wheelchair. "Sometimes I struggled with reaching materials that are higher up. Perhaps there is furniture that could adapt to different heights."

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