John McGivney Children’s Centre recognizes special day with TikTok

The John McGivney Children’s Centre (JMCC) in Windsor is trying a new way to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

Celebrated annually on Dec. 3, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities aims to promote the rights and well-being of individuals with disabilities in society.

This year, JMCC is using TikTok to reach a new audience, while also promoting disability awareness in the community.

“My hope for the JMCC TikTok account is to let people know that having a disability does not define you,” said Faith Turner, a member of the JMCC Youth Advisory Committee in a news release.

“We can use this TikTok, and our other social media channels, to provide more information and education on living with a disability, interacting with someone with a disability, celebrating all abilities and so much more,” Turner said. “Being a part of this is such an empowering experience for me.”

Earlier this fall, JMCC became the first children’s treatment centre in Ontario to join TikTok. https://www.tiktok.com/@jmccentre

The initiative was spearheaded by JMCC’s Youth Advisory Council (YAC) a dynamic group of clients and recent alumni aged 14 to 30. To date, JMCCs TikTok videos have garnered over 10,000 views.

John McGivney Children’s Centre CEO Jessica Sartori and youth advisory council member Faith Turner at the John McGivney Children’s Centre in Windsor, Ont. on Friday, Dec. 2, 2022. (Chris Campbell/CTV News Windsor) “Being a young person with a disability can be very isolating, and the COVID-19 pandemic only increased that isolation,” said Jessica Sartori, JMCC CEO. “One of the main goals of our YAC was to work directly with our youth clients and young adult alumni to develop new ways to empower and engage this generation. The important messages of awareness, acceptance and motivation they are sharing on TikTok are inspiring to many, including myself.”

The JMCC supports over 3,000 children and youth with disabilities and their families annually in Windsor-Essex and is committed to enriching their lives and celebrating their abilities every day.

Youth volunteers, together with JMCC staff, share videos that promote disability awareness, offer helpful tips and tricks to make everyday life easier, including ways to stay motivated, be more independent and more. The videos are posted on TikTok and shared on other JMCC social media channels.

“At JMCC, we aim to be a centre of hope support and inspiration,” said Sartori. “On International Day of Persons with Disabilities, and every day, we are committed to working together toward a future of empowerment, participation and opportunity.”

To develop content for the channel and generate ideas, JMCC has held TikTok filming nights at the Centre for YAC members and other youth volunteers, providing an opportunity for young adults who may have similar lived experience to come together, be creative and have some fun as well.

“Celebrate the little milestones,” said Windsor born TikTok star Olivia Lutfallah who has more than half a million followers. She advises not to get caught up in attracting numbers. “Because I remember the first person that said, Oh, you made me feel really accepted. And I was like, Oh, that's so cool and just making one person feel a little bit better about themselves is such a great accomplishment.”

Lutfallah said, “Just that one person was so important to me. So don't get caught up in the numbers of it because helping one person is so much more important than helping no one you know.”

The University of Western Ontario student added, “when you look up the word understood a synonym that comes up is appreciated. And I think it speaks true to what videos like mine and others are doing and what they want people to feel like because awareness isn't only making those who don't live with it understand, it's also about making those who do live with it know that they're not alone and they have someone in their corner.”