Youth leaders reflect on what community means to them and why it plays such an important role in their lives
What does community mean to youth with disabilities?
For members of Holland Bloorview's Youth Advisory Council (YAC), community means belonging, connection, acceptance and support. It is a place where people feel seen, valued and understood, where they can build friendships, find purpose and use their lived experience to drive meaningful change.
These reflections are the highlight of Zine #3: Community, the latest issue in the four-part This is Our Hill zine series. Released as part of YAC's 30th anniversary celebration, the issue brings together artwork, poetry, interviews and personal stories from current and former youth leaders exploring the importance of community that YAC provided in their lives.
In the latest issue, youth describe community as "a place to belong," "a space that makes you feel safe," and "a place where people feel connected and supported." Others define it as "being seen and welcomed" and "actively choosing to love and support each other."
For many youth, YAC has become exactly that kind of community.
Finding belong
When asked why community matters, youth described YAC as a place where they found purpose, friendship and acceptance.
One youth shared that community "gave me a safe place where I felt like I belonged when nowhere else felt the same anymore," while another reflected, "I don't have to explain everything about my needs or disability. Because people just get it."
Another youth leader highlighted the importance of connection and interdependence, writing: “Community is how we feel valued, cared for, and supported, especially as disabled people, interdependence is the name of the game."
Blackout poetry
The publication also features a collection of blackout poetry created during a collaborative arts-based workshop. Using found words from books, youth leaders crafted poems that capture themes of friendship, courage, mentorship, belonging and hope.
Aafiya's poem speaks of friendship, care and being "respected with love," while Jillian's poem captures a longing for connection: "A soft voice called to him, a hand reached from the shadows of the trees."
Other poems celebrate confidence, growth and possibility. Julia describes YAC as "almost like being part of a family," where people are encouraged to do "great things.”
Zoe G.'s poem offers another powerful reflection on belonging:
Someone could see you were never alone.
You’re home, get some rest.
Maybe the comfort turned off all the darkness for a moment.
Then as she hurried along the path glancing over her shoulder behind her.
A whisper through the leaves and feathered along her like a campfire, a smoldering thrill.Someone did see, did hear and she could feel. - Zoe G.
Leadership and impact
The themes of community and leadership are explored further through interviews with Joanne Maxwell, vice president, experience, transformation and social accountability, and Bruce Squires, president and CEO, Holland Bloorview. Both reflect on how youth voices continue to shape the organization and improve health care.
Reflecting on YAC's impact, Joanne notes that the council provides opportunities for young people "to be self-advocates, to be part of a team that's looking at issues beyond themselves, to feel like you have a voice." She describes these as critical life skills that help youth develop agency and confidence.
When asked what advice she would offer youth leaders: "Lean into who you are. What are your personal strengths? What do you value? What do you see as being important in the (health) system, in the world? And then find ways to get involved."
Bruce reflected on the importance of co-design, youth leadership and creating opportunities for meaningful participation.
He noted that some of Holland Bloorview’s most successful initiatives, including the Employment Pathways program and Project SEARCH, have been shaped by youth with lived experience.
His advice to youth: "Never hesitate to share your ideas and to communicate. Speak your mind, share your thoughts in whatever way you can, in whatever way you’re comfortable. Shape your world”.
Creativity and expression
The issue concludes with digital artwork by Maria Chukalovskaya, who creates art using a customized computer mounted on her wheelchair.
“I like to create digital art. I control the computer using switches and Tobii Communicator software, which is customized by the Communication and Writing Aids Services team from Holland Bloorview and my family. One of the switches I use is called the Hummer Switch, created by PRISM lab at Holland Bloorview.”
Related articles:
- Holland Bloorview is celebrating 30 years of the Youth Advisory Council
- Celebrating disability advocacy through storytelling
By Terry Mutuku
Photos by YAC members
