NDMS Services
Advocacy
NDMS provides advocacy services for people with disabilities, from children and youth, to adults and Elders. We support individuals to be their own self-advocate, and we also provide individual, group, and systems advocacy.
Self-Advocacy
Self-advocacy refers to an individual’s ability to effectively communicate their needs and rights. NDMS will help you make your own decisions and stand up for your rights. Self-advocacy encourages individuals to help themselves to get what they need.
Individual Advocacy
NDMS helps individuals through formal or informal advocacy initiatives to stand-up for their rights.
Systems Advocacy
NDMS supports systems advocacy by trying to change policies and systems that negatively impact persons with disabilities.
Support Groups and Workshops
NDMS currently facilitates a monthly roundtable discussion and disability committee about disability-related topics. We encourage community members, persons with disabilities and their families/relatives, and service agencies to attend. The discussions offer an opportunity for you to share your experience on different topics.
NDMS also offers various workshops including resume building, inclusive hiring, accessibility devices and technology, and much more!
Please contact us to find out more or how to participate.
The Nunavut Solutions Grant
The Nunavut Solutions Grant is a joint project with NDMS, the Rick Hanson Foundation, and the Government of Nunavut. The grant provides funding for those living with a mobility-related disability to access equipment or services that will improve the quality of life for Nunavummiut. The Nunavut Solutions program contributes to greater inclusion by making it possible for individuals to be more independent in their day-to-day lives, which allows them to participate more fully in their communities.
Twenty thousand dollars is assigned to support the unmet needs of Nunavummiut with mobility-related disabilities. In the past, the program granted money to buy mobility aids like wheelchairs and lifts, to renovate homes to make them more accessible, or for support services such as respite care. Eligible projects include the provision of equipment and/or services that increase mobility, physical accessibility, and quality of life.
Job Coaches
Job coaches have the opportunity to create positive change by changing people’s thoughts and attitudes towards disability. The more information that is shared, the more understanding there will be for the lived experiences of people with disabilities, the more people will be willing to make changes (Assembly of First Nations, 2017). A coach becomes a mentor and friend to help people with disabilities plan out and act on their personalized goals for the workplace (Bissonnette, 2015). The coach is not the expert who solves problems. The coach helps people become more innovative and resourceful by thinking through their own problems and creating their own solutions (Bissonnette, 2015). The coach’s ability to support people with disabilities depends on the quality of their relationship and their effectiveness in communication (Dillenburger et al., 2019).
NDMS provides job coaches to employers and employees who require additional support. We also offer a comprehensive job coach program to help develop skills and abilities for job coaches across Nunavut.
Programs and Counselling
NDMS also provides various programs and counselling. Please contact our office to inquire further, or see our Training Opportunities tab for more information.