2026 Citizenship Highlights
Below we’re sharing stories of engaged citizenship that were featured in this year’s annual report.
What do we mean by citizenship?
For many of us, citizenship is something we take for granted. It can be defined in many ways, but at its core citizenship is our sense of value and belonging. This sense of citizenship doesn’t always extend to people with disabilities. That’s why Skills Society was formed - to provide people with disabilities with the same opportunities and choices, the same ability to share their gifts and talents, and the same sense of belonging that we all enjoy. Citizenship is what we strive for every day - and it encompasses the following:
Everyone in our Skills community has a role to play in shaping our imagined future - a community where all individuals are valued citizens.
The 2026 citizenship stories were compiled and written by Autumn Sanders, Communications and Innovation Coordinator
Participation can take many forms. It can mean learning something new, showing up for experiences that matter, or using your gifts to connect with others. For Michelle, photography has become a meaningful way to do all of this, giving her space to be creative, practice her skills, and stay connected to the people and experiences she values.
Michelle’s interest in photography grew when her sister found two of their dad’s old cameras at his house and passed them along to her. One was a red Nikon and the other a black Sony. They quickly became important to Michelle. “Photography helps me remember him,” she shared. She also talked about how using his camera feels special, saying,
“Using my dad’s camera feels like a way to honour him for a long time.”
With support from a Skills Society Citizenship Award, Michelle was able to take her first photography class at the Burwell School of Photography last year. The course was a mix of indoor and outdoor learning, where she practiced taking photos in different lighting, learned how the camera works, and experimented with props. Michelle enjoyed the chance to learn something new. One thing that surprised her was realizing, “I didn’t know that there are any different types of cameras.” Along the way she also met a friend in the class, which added to the experience.
Michelle especially enjoys taking photos of nature. “Trees and nature are kind of neat,” she said, explaining that “they have different shapes and colours.” Being outside with the camera makes her feel happy, and she is proud of the progress she has made. She has been practicing by taking photos around her home and capturing things that matter to her. She has also shared some of her photos with friends.
Photography has opened up new possibilities for Michelle. She hopes to take the Level 2 class at the same school, keep practicing, and continue building her confidence. She is also planning to bring her camera to family gatherings to take photos of the people she loves.
Through photography, Michelle is exploring her interests, building new skills, and sharing her perspective with others. It is also a way to honour the relationships and experiences that have shaped her life.
Michelle with her certificate of completion from the Burwell School of Photography
Michelle showing her photography album
In Dungeons and Dragons circles, Brittany is what’s known as a “dice goblin”, someone who collects and hoards dice. Opening up her case, Brittany shared the different sets she has collected over the years, many tied to different characters she plays in the game. “That’s why I’m called a dice goblin,” she laughed.
For those unfamiliar, Dungeons and Dragons, also known as DnD, is a role-playing game where participants create and play as characters while moving through an ongoing story or “campaign.” In Brittany’s words, “you fight monsters and go searching for treasure.” The game is guided by a Dungeon Master, who helps build the world, describe what characters encounter, and guide the story as players decide what actions to take.
Currently Brittany participates in two different role-playing groups that meet weekly. One of the campaigns she is part of is called Curse of Strahd, a gothic horror campaign set in a vampire-filled world called Barovia. In this campaign, Brittany plays a goliath character and travels with a mimic companion that can disguise itself as different objects. Brittany loves the creativity involved in developing characters, including their personalities, voices, and abilities. “I’m deep into RP,” she shared, referring to role play. Creating a character can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days depending on how detailed she wants to get.
For Brittany, DnD is a space where she can be creative, curious, and fully immerse herself in another world.
“I shut everything off around me… I can just be my character for awhile,”
she shared. An actor with the Rising Sun Theatre group and an artist and writer at the Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts, Brittany is drawn to storytelling and character creation across many parts of her life.
Brittany joined her groups through Meetup, an online platform where people can find events and groups in their community. While she originally joined for the role playing and character creation, what has kept her coming back is the sense of connection and belonging she has found through the groups. She described fellow players as welcoming, especially to newcomers, and shared that over time she has built friendships through the game.
For Brittany, DnD is more than fighting monsters or collecting treasure. It is a space to be creative, connect with others, and step fully into herself and her characters. Reflecting on what being part of the group means to her, Brittany shared “It symbolizes that I belong.”
Brittany holding up some dice
Brittany’s dice collection
For William, relationships are grounded in honesty, trust, and being able to fully be yourself with another person. This year, he and his partner Dale are preparing to get married after reconnecting two years ago following many years of knowing one another.
William and Dale first met through a mutual friend and started spending time together through coffee dates and conversations. Over the years, life took them in different directions, but they continued finding their way back to one another. Reflecting on reconnecting at Corona Station during a difficult point in his life, William shared,
“I believe in miracles… it was like the universe saying, you need this person.”
Since then, William and Dale have been building a life together and planning for their future. William described their relationship as healthy and stable. “Part of being in love is going through the hard stuff together,” he shared. The two spend much of their time together and approach challenges as a team.
Planning the wedding itself has been “all over the place,” William laughed, describing the challenges of coordinating and trying to figure out what will work best for them. Through it all, he says communication has been one of the most important parts of their relationship. “That’s what any relationship is really about,” he explained. “Being honest and truthful… coming back to the table and working it out.”
As a self-identified transgender person with a learning disability, William also spoke about the importance of being respected and understood as a whole person. “People want to put that one label,” he shared. For William, the right to love who you love and choose your partner matters deeply. It is connected to being treated equally, having your choices respected, and being able to build a life alongside someone who accepts you fully. Reflecting on his relationship with Dale, William shared, “As long as we have each other and a roof over our heads, that’s enough for me.”
William and Dale
Relationships are an important part of citizenship. Having people to spend time with, share your life with, and care about, can shape everyday routines in meaningful ways. For Karen, much of that companionship currently comes from her relationship with Dale.
Karen and Dale met while living at their current apartment building and have known each other for a couple of years. Laughing, Karen shared how their relationship first started:
“I bugged him one day and said, ‘Dale, you want to be my boyfriend?’ and Dale said yes.”
Since then, the two have built many routines throughout the day. They spend time in Karen’s place drinking tea and coffee, watching television in their pajamas, going for walks, visiting friends, and heading out together for coffee at Starbucks. “We just like keeping company during the day,” Karen shared. They also enjoy bowling, attending dances together at ACT, watching hockey, shopping, and spending time out in community.
Karen describes Dale as funny and caring. “He doesn’t talk much, but he talks to me,” she shared. Their relationship is grounded in companionship, mutual care, and spending time together. “It feels good and I’m not bored,” Karen said about being with him. Dale comforts Karen when she is having a hard day and, sometimes, when she asks for a hug, “he gives me one.”
Their relationship also includes teasing, laughter, and caring for one another in everyday ways. They buy each other treats and coffee, talk about their lives, and continue learning about one another. Karen smiled while describing Dale kissing her on the cheek and shared simply, “I liked him ever since I met him.”
For Karen and Dale, companionship is built through shared routines, humour, care, and enjoying being part of each other’s everyday lives.
Karen and Dale
Karen and Dale