Engaging Philosophy: News at Waterloo article November 2018

And a bit of Applied Philosophy in action, so to speak: Dave DeVidi attended a gala opening of LIFEactually, an exhibit of photographs by the highly regarded photographer Pete Paterson, at the Dufferin County Museum. The exhibit features people who live in Dufferin, and who are supported by Facilitation Wellington Dufferin (FWD), doing the things they love in their communities. It’s an eye-opening display of human potential, and a lesson on what people can achieve with support from people who believe in them. FWD provides independent facilitation to adults with developmental disabilities; that is, it provides supports that help people think through what is important to them, to make good decisions of their own about important things like where and with whom they will live and how they will spend their days, and to find the formal and informal resources to put their plans into action.

Dave reports that he has spent more than a decade working to help build FWD, and is currently the President of its Board of Directors … “but he works behind the scenes, because he just doesn’t have the skills to be an actual facilitator.” The gala attracted at least 200 people. The LIFEactually exhibit will spend two months at the Dufferin County Museum, then hopes to move to other museums in the areas FWD serves. In the photo with him, above, are: Marcelle, whose own photo should appear when LIFEactually moves to Guelph; and Candice, one of FWD’s facilitators.

*Pictured in photo Dave DeVidi (left), with Marcelle (centre) and Candice (right) at FWD’s LIFEactually Gala