Biography:
Joni Wilson is the Jordan’s Principle and Wellness Services Lead at the Southern Chiefs’ Organization, serving First Nation children and families across Manitoba. Her career spans over twenty-five years working with First Nation communities, including ten years of supporting families through the implementation of Jordan’s Principle. Joni is a dedicated and passionate advocate for the rights of First Nation people living with a disability. She has served as an Indigenous representative on numerous advisory councils, committees and boards within the disability sector, including Manitoba’s Intellectual Disabilities Issues Advisory Council.
Presentation Description: Invisible Barriers – Jurisdictional Conflict for First Nations People Living with a Disability in Manitoba
The landscape of disability services for First Nations people and families is highly complex and difficult to navigate. Despite the adoption of Jordan’s Principle, many First Nations children living with disabilities in Manitoba are not able to access vital services and supports provided by the provincial government. For First Nations adults living with disabilities, it is nearly impossible to access any disability services on-reserve or be eligible for services off-reserve.
Through her presentation, Joni Wilson will discuss the challenges, barriers and denials to services First Nations citizens face to accessing the most basic supports from the provincial and federal systems. Joni will share her own journey in filing a human rights complaint on behalf of her son and other First Nations people across Manitoba.
