By Bosang Lee, Executive Director of Here and Now Community Society
I first discovered the book Safe and Secure: Seven Steps on the Path to a Good Life for People with Disabilities in 2012, when I was searching for information and advice about what and how to prepare for my son with autism who was soon to become an adult. It was also the same year that I was introduced to PLAN and Plan Institute. PLAN’s parent-led organization with their concepts of living a good life, personal networks, and future planning seemed like a great fit for my family.
When I finished the transition plan for my son, it occurred to me that many other Korean speaking families may have difficulty in planning for their relative with a disability’s future, especially if they have difficulty understanding and communicating in English. This creates an extra barrier when trying to find support.
Here and Now Community Society was started in 2008 by offering a monthly 3-day overnight home camp to a small group of Korean speaking adults with disabilities who were isolated in their home. Inspired by PLAN and Plan Institute, Here and Now Community Society started to apply the PLAN model with Korean-speaking families. With help from PLAN and Plan Institute, Here & Now was able to develop a website in both English and Korean that provides information for families on future planning and building personal networks of support. Serving on the board of PLAN and Plan Institute has provided me with inspiration and real life examples of integration and inclusion.
Here and Now worked in collaboration with Plan Institute to produce a Korean version of Safe and Secure which would not have been possible without their help. They helped us to make sure the book was free and helped us with distribution. It is now available in Vancouver as well as Toronto, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Korea.
On behalf of Here & Now and Korean speaking families, I would like to thank PLAN and Plan Institute for their support.
About Here & Now Community Society
We work to help people with disabilities and their families, regardless of their ethnicity, to live in multi-culturally integrated communities while maintaining their unique culture and language.
Click here to get your free copy of Safe and Secure: Korea Edition.
