A support and advocacy organization for families who care for loved ones with intellectual or physical disabilities is in the process of broadening the scope of its disability support in the Gimli area by encouraging more people in the area and in surrounding areas such as Arborg and Riverton to reach out to them with issues and perhaps join the organization.
The Family Advocacy Network (FAN) of Manitoba, which a mostly volunteer, not-for-profit organization, has a branch in Gimli. It hosts in-person meetings at the Bayview Church in the town’s South Beach neighbourhood. It also hosts a private Facebook page where people can obtain advice and information.
The Gimli FAN branch’s past president Debra Roach, who has a seasonal residence in Gimli and served for about seven years as president of the branch, said they are hoping younger families will consider becoming a member of FAN as they may not be aware of the support network.
FAN membership is free and it connects people to others in the community that can act as mentors as they navigate issues such as the school system or government support programs.
“It will be eight years next March that we’ve been up and running. We started with four families. We had all felt isolated,” said Roach. “Then we met each other and thought we really should try to get more families together and let them know they’re not alone. That took quite a long time.”
FAN now has about 1,400 members in active branches across Manitoba including Gimli, Stonewall, Beausejour, Winnipeg, Steinbach, Morris, Carman and Portage la Prairie. It’s also making inroads in the north in the Thompson, Flin Flon and The Pas regions.
Its members include parents, family members and caregivers of adults and children with intellectual and physical disabilities. FAN advocates with a united voice for people with disabilities, and branch members get together in person to share experiences and advice.
“We also bring into the fold people who are fostering because they run into the same issues,” said Roach. “FAN includes all disabilities. We are not just for autism or Down’s or cerebral palsy and so forth – we accept everyone.”
Some of the major disability issues FAN addresses include respite, inclusive education and the transition from school to adulthood, which results in “fewer opportunities” for people with disabilities. Members can broach issues during in-person FAN meetings, via virtual meetings, FAN’s private Facebook page or by phone.
“If someone phones FAN to talk about something that’s going on, we can get together with them for coffee. Or if they have to go to a meeting at a school, for example, to talk about their child and they feel intimidated, we’ll go with them,” said Roach. “Parents know their children better than we know them so they know what they want to say. But we can be there with them and talk beforehand about experiences we ourselves have been through and maybe coach them. What we really want to see is parents feeling empowered.”
In the realm of schooling, Roach said school divisions across the province get funding to support students with disabilities but each division is different in terms of what supports they offer. That could either “work very well for our folks or not.” Educational Assistants (EAs), who work with students with disabilities, are “worth weight in gold and we need more of them at a living wage and fully trained.”
FAN works with other disability advocacy organizations such as Community Living Manitoba, which is hosting a 2025-2026 “Exclusion Tracker” survey (a cross-Canada survey) that asks the parents or guardians of children with disabilities in K-12 to fill out a survey each and every time their child experiences an incident of exclusion at school. Forms of exclusion can include being sent home or not being able to take part in class activities or field trips.
“We’re asking parents every time exclusion happens – every time their child is sent home from school for being dysregulated, or parents being asked to bring their child in late or kids not being allowed on field trips – to document that in the Exclusion Tracker survey – and to send in a separate survey for each incident. Exclusion shouldn’t be happening. Every child has a right to go to school and that is law,” said Roach. “People wanting to do the survey can contact either Community Living Manitoba or us at FAN, and we’ll refer their request to Community Living or get the survey for them.”
FAN meets once a month with the provincial government through its Community Living Disability Services to advocate for programs or services on behalf of their members, said Roach.
“The fact that we have the province’s ear is very important to us. We’re thankful for that,” she said. “They try to help out where they can.”
At various times of the year, FAN offers events for its members and other self-advocates. In the past, Fan Gimli has teamed up with the RM of Gimli’s recreation department to host pickleball. This week it’s hosting an event for caregivers at Camp Manitou (Oct. 24-25).
The Gimli FAN branch is scheduled to meet on Oct. 30 at the Bayview Church.
To become a member of FAN and its private Facebook page, parents and caregivers can fill out a short registration form on FAN’s website, call 1-431-489-2542 or email: families.caregivers@fanmb.ca
Visit FAN Manitoba online www.fanmb.ca or its public Facebook page.
