Centre for Independent Living in Toronto

What is IL?

Information and Referral

Peer
Support

IL Skills
Training

Direct Funding /
Financement Direct

Attendant
Services

Parenting With a
Disability Network

Volunteers

CILT
Resources

an image of two parents discussing thier children

Parenting Resources

The Parenting Book for Persons with a Disability: From planning your family to raising adolescents

ISBN: 1-895676-32-0

The first of its kind in Canada! Written from the perspective of the Independent Living philosophy, this unique resource celebrates parenting as a viable and rewarding option for persons with a disability.

The Parenting Book for Persons with a Disability is a valuable reference for parents and prospective parents with a disability, health care providers, social workers, midwives and other service providers and professionals.

This book addresses questions such as:

where does one find side-opening cribs?
What is nurturing assistance?
Where can parents find peer support and advice?
What are some guidelines for discussing disability with your children?

In addition, this book:

Includes a cross-section of health, social and support services in the Greater Toronto Area, as well as general information and advice on parenting with a disability found in various publications and Web sites.
Offers practical information for parents as they anticipate the steps and stages in their child’s life.
Includes personal accounts by parents with a disability as well as their advice and tips about resources and strategies for securing needed services.
Was funded by a grant from the United Way of Greater Toronto

The cost of the book is $20 (Canadian orders), $25 (US orders), $30 (International orders), and it includes shipping and handling. (Canadian funds only, please.)

To order your copy, email the PDN Coordinator at pdn@cilt.ca.

Nurturing Assistance: A Guide to Providing Physical Assistance for Parents with Disabilities

ISBN: 1-895676-42-8

Another first of its kind in Canada!

Created in response to the growing number of parents with disabilities, this Independent Living model of parenting support provides a framework of how to develop a working model of nurturing assistance for parents, prospective parents, service providers and funders.

This book addresses questions such as:

What is nurturing assistance?
Is nurturing assistance available in Ontario?
How do I get funding for nurturing assistance?
What steps are necessary to develop a working model?

In addition, this book:

Includes practical tools on hiring, advertising and interviewing, training checklists and other tips
Provides background and concepts of nurturing assistance
Offers advice on working relationships
Includes personal accounts of parents with a disability using, and people providing nurturing assistance as well as accounts from children and professionals
Was funded by a grant from the United Way of Greater Toronto

The cost of the book is $30 (Canadian orders), $33 (US orders), $35 (International orders), and it includes shipping and handling. (Canadian funds only, please.)

To order your copy, email email the PDN Coordinator at pdn@cilt.ca.

Additional Literature

This is a listing of all titles available for review on the topic of parenting with a disability at the CILT Resource Library. If you would like more information on certain titles please contact the PDN.

Categories:

PREGNANCY
PARENTING
ASSISTIVE DEVICES / ADAPTIVE EQUIPMENT
ADOPTION
CHILDREN
REPORTS

Pregnancy

Mother to Be: A guide to pregnancy and birth for women with disabilities
Written by Judith Rogers and Molleen Matsumura
Published in New York by Demos Publications in 1991
ISBN 0939957299

The Baby Challenge: A handbook on pregnancy for women with a physical disability
Written by Mukti Jain Campion
Published in New York, New York, USA by Routledge in 1990
ISBN 0415048591

Table Manners: A guide to the pelvic examination for disabled women and health care providers
Written by Susan Ferreyra and Katrine Hughes
Published in San Francisco, California, USA by Planned Parenthood Alameda/San Francisco in 1984

Women with Physical disabilities: Achieving and maintaining health and well-being
Edited by Danuta M. Krotoski, Margaret A. Nosek and Margaret A. Turk
Published in Baltimore, Maryland, USA by Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. in 1996
ISBN 1557662347

Multiplying Choices: Improving Access to Reproductive Health Services for Women with Disabilities
Written by Barbara Waxman Fiduccia
Published in Oakland, California, USA by Berkeley Planning Associates in 1997

Parenting

The Parenting Book for Persons with a Disability: From planning your family to raising adolescents
Published by Centre for Independent Living in Toronto, Inc. in 1999
ISBN 1895676320

Nurturing Assistance: A guide to providing physical assistance for parents with disabilities
Published by Centre for Independent Living in Toronto, Inc. in 2002
ISBN 1895676 428

Becoming a Mother, Spring/Summer 2001, Vol. 3-1
Published in Toronto by the Association for Research on Mothering, York University

Good Times, Bad Times: Women with learning disabilities telling their stories.
Edited by Dorothy Atkinson, Michelle McCarthy, Jan Walmsley, Mabel Cooper, Sheena Rolph, Simone Aspis, Pam Barette, Mary Coventry and Gloria Ferris.
Published in Worcestershire, UK by British Institute of Learning Disabilities in 2000
ISBN 1902519183

Bigger Than the Sky: Disabled Women on Parenting
Edited by Michele Wates and Rowen Jade
Published in London, England by The Women’s Press in 1999
ISBN 0704345455

Disabled Parents: Dispelling the myths
Written by Michele Wates
Published in Chesterton, Cambridge by National Childbirth Trust Publishing in 1997
ISBN 1857752570

Mother Father Deaf: Living Between Sound and Silence
Written by Paul Preston
Published in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA by Harvard University Press in 1994
ISBN 0674587480

Parenting: Tips from parents (who happen to have a disability) on raising children
Edited by Betty Garee
Published in Bloomington, Illinois, USA by Cheever Publishing, Inc. in 1989
ISBN 0915708264

The Only Parent in the Neighbourhood: Mothering and women with disabilities
Position paper written by Jillian Ridington
Published by DAWN Canada: Disabled Women’s Network Canada in 1989

Families, Illness, & Disability: An integrative treatment model
Written by John S. Rolland
Published in New York, New York, USA by BasicBooks at HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. in 1994
ISBN 0465029159

Women and Disability / Les Femmes Handicapées
Edited by Francis Rooney and Pat Israel
Resources for Feminist Research/Documentation sur la recherche féministe, Vol. 14 (1), March 1985
ISSN 0707-8412

Talking It Out in the Family When Mom or Dad has a Disability: Information for nurses, social workers & other caregivers, families and self-help groups
Written by Karen A. Blackford
Published in Sudbury, Ontario by Persons United for Self-Help (PUSH), Northeastern Region

Assistive Devices/Adaptive Equipment

Adaptive Baby Care Equipment: Guidelines, prototypes & resources
Written by Kris Vensand, Judith Rogers, Christi Tuleja and Anitra DeMoss
Published in Berkeley, California, USA by Through the Looking Glass in 2000

Parenting with a Disability: Assistive devices and adaptations for child care
Written by Elaine Carty, Tali Conine, Leah Dobell, Angela Holbrook and Chris Seminuck
Published in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada by University of British Columbia, School of Nursing in 1995
ISBN 0888655274

Playability Tool Kit: Building Accessible Playspaces
Published in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada by Ontario Parks Association in 2001
ISBN 0968101917

Adoption

You May Be Able to Adopt!

A guide to the adoption option for prospective mothers with disabilities and their partners
Linda Toms Barker, Susan Haight-Liotta, Ann Cupolo Freeman, Megan Kirshbaum, Fred Nisen and Margaret Jakobson
Published in Oakland, California, USA by Berkeley Policy Associates (formerly Berkeley Planning Associates) in 1997

The Question of David: A disabled mother’s journey through adoption, family, and life
Written by Denise Sherer Jacobson
Published in Berkeley, California, USA by Creative Arts Book Company in 1999
ISBN 0887392016 (paper back); 0887391451 (hard back)

California Adoption Agencies: How do they assess parents with disabilities?
Final Report written by Michelle Estrada
Published in Berkeley, California, USA by Through the Looking Glass in 1996

Children

Mama Zooms
Written and illustrated by Jane Cowen-Fletcher
Published in New York, New York, USA by Scholastic Inc. in 1993
ISBN 0590457756

Happy Ever Afters: A storybook guide to teaching children about disability
Written by Kathy Saunders
Published in Stratfordshire, England by Trentham Books in 2000
ISBN 1858562139

I'm Wendy Blair, Not a Chair!
Written by Carolyn McDiarmid, illustrated by Sarah Ennals
Published in Toronto, Ontario by the Canadian Council of Rehabilitation and Work in 2002
ISBN 1896508332

Reports

What works with parents with learning disabilities
Written by Susan McGaw
Published in the UK by Barnados Childcare Publications in 2000
ISBN 0902046586

Adapting Through the Looking Glass’ Intervention Model for Deaf Parents and their Children
Final Report written by Paul Preston and Mimi Lou
Published in Berkeley, California by Through the Looking Glass in 1998

Keeping Our Families Together: A Report of the National Task Force on Parents with Disabilities and their Families
Compiled by Paul Preston and Margaret Jakobson
Published in Berkeley, California, USA by Through the Looking Glass in 1997

Challenges and Strategies of Disabled Parents: Finding from a national survey of parents with disabilities
Final Report written by Linda Toms Barker and Vida Maralani
Published in Berkeley, California, USA by Berkeley Planning Associates in 1997

Women with Disabilities and Mothering: Sharing stories, exploring our options
A Symposium Report. Geneva Park, Ontario
Published by DisAbled Women’s Network Ontario 1994

“Erasing Mothers with Disabilities Through Canadian Family-Related Policy”
Written by Karen A. Blackford
In Disability, Handicap & Society, Vol.8-3, 1993