Outsider Artist

by Beverly Cramp, Galleries West Magazine
Republished with permission of the author

Gallery Gachet, which supports marginalized artists in Vancouver, helps Teresa Pocock, an artist with Down syndrome, launch her second book.

Teresa Pocock celebrates her exhibition and book launch at Gallery Gachet in Vancouver. (Photo by Billiam James)

Artist-run centre Gallery Gachet was filled recently with bright drawings and celebratory poems by Teresa Pocock, a stark contrast to the grubby and littered streets outside in Vancouver’s poorest neighbourhood, where many of the city’s homeless and drug-addicted citizens live.

Pocock likes primary colours and often incorporates text so exuberant it makes visitors smile. “I like the flavour of everything,” begins one of her poems. “Chocolate cake. Coke Zero. I love cranberry sauce and cranberry juice, and chicken pie.”

The four-day show [August 2-5, 2018], Pocock’s second at a space known for its work to encourage healing and empower marginalized artists, was set up to launch her second book, Totally Amazing: Free to Be Me. It’s an inspiring account of how she has fought to let her creativity blossom.

Pocock was born with Down syndrome. Her mother supported her in numerous ways, arranging for regular exercise and enrolling her in a private school that she attended for 12 years. Pocock, who lived with her parents in Ontario, flourished in this nourishing environment.

But after her mother died in 1999, her father took care of Pocock. But eventually, in 2013, when Pocock was 49, she was declared “incapable” of making her own decisions and placed briefly in a long-term care facility that houses elderly people.

“The nurses at the home told me Teresa cried every day and did almost nothing,” says her sister, Franke James, also an artist.

Teresa’s father, a retired lawyer, was in poor health, but managed to get her out of the care facility and took her to live with James. Within a year, James and her husband had moved to Vancouver with Pocock, hoping to build a better life.

Teresa Pocock poses with her sister, Franke James. (Photo by Billiam James)

As James writes in the introduction to Totally Amazing, British Columbia is better for Teresa “because it recognizes her legal right to make her own decisions.”

In Vancouver, Pocock began a regular practice of writing and making art. In addition to calling herself an artist and author, Pocock is a self-advocate. She’s not shy to speak up for herself and in 2016, she asked the Ontario government for an apology.

It was made in a statement to Global TV by Eric Hoskins, then the province’s health minister, but not directly to Pocock. So she sent a handwritten letter to the minister, asking him to write to her personally. Later that year, she received his written apology.

Teresa Pocock stands in front of the hand-written letter she sent to the Ontario government. (Photo by Billiam James)

Pocock continues to draw and write every day at the dining room table. Once, when she was asked her to clear away her art supplies to make room for dinner, she joked: “But I’ll lose my job.”

Pocock is a participating artist at the Vancouver Outsider Arts Festival, a free event that runs Aug. 10 to Aug. 12 at the Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre. The festival, organized by the Community Arts Council of Vancouver, features art and performances by those who identify as outsiders for a host of reasons, including mental health issues and differences in physical abilities.

To see more of Pocock’s work, visit totallyamazing.ca. ■

Visitors check out Teresa Pocock’s art and writing at Gallery Gachet. (Photo by Melissa Newbery)

Teresa Pocock’s Artistic   Ability is Celebrated During Canadian Down Syndrome Week!

Teresa Pocock’s “Artistic Ability” is featured in The Vancouver Foundation’s annual 2017 magazine, “Gifts of Inclusion”. This is perfect timing as November 1st to 7th is Canadian Down Syndrome Week — a week to celebrate the talents of people with Down syndrome and “See the Ability”. #CDNDownSyndromeWeek.

Read the Vancouver Foundation article by Roberta Staley below…

Artistic   Ability

Terea Pocock photographed by Zack Embree at the opening of her art show at Gallery Gachet, Vancouver, BC in June 2016

Once forced to live in a senior’s   care facility, Teresa Pocock has   created a home, and a body of   work, in Gastown

By Roberta Staley

VANCOUVER’S GASTOWN NEIGHBOURHOOD, abutting the Downtown Eastside, is known for its red brick   buildings, cobblestone roadways, graffitied walls, steam  clock, Woodward’s and Dominion buildings, tech cluster  and busy restaurants and pubs. The people who navigate   its streets are as heterogeneous as their environment:  entrepreneurs, academics, artists and activists, as well as   those struggling with poverty and addiction.

Seated at a sturdy wooden table in a sleek, minimalist   Gastown condo is Teresa Pocock. By way of greeting,   she throws her arms in the air, exclaiming, “I am a self advocate!”   – a sincere and indisputable declaration. It   wasn’t an easy journey, but Pocock has learned to express   herself as an artist and an activist, drawing the attention   of thousands of people including politicians.

Pocock was inspired to become a working artist   thanks in large part to a $1,000 Vancouver Foundation   Downtown Eastside Small Arts Grant in 2016, which   motivated her to create enough individual works to   launch a solo show. “It really helped Teresa blossom into   a professional artist,” says older sister Franke James, with   whom she lives, along with brother-in-law Bill James, in   the Gastown home filled with books and art.

Pocock’s inaugural exhibit premiered June 29, 2016 and   showcased an array of richly illustrated poetry, mounted   bus-poster size on the walls of Gastown’s Gallery Gachet.   Opening night doubled as the book launch for Pocock’s   self-published Pretty Amazing: How I Found Myself in the   Downtown Eastside, and a selection of the book’s poems and   illustrations were part of the exhibit. The bold verse, as well as     the jewel-coloured art, show an individual who is confident   about asserting her place in the world, writing in the poem I   Am Alive: “Redeemed/Okay, I am reborn/In Gastown.”

“Now she can say she’s an artist and a poet,” says Bill.   “It has given her a huge sense of purpose to her life.”

What makes these accomplishments so significant –   extraordinary even – is that Pocock has Down syndrome.

As her book title alludes, her life has not followed a simple   course. In early 2013, Pocock’s elderly father, with whom she   lived in Toronto, had failing health and was about to move to   a care home. Several siblings placed Pocock, the youngest of   seven, in a long-term seniors care facility without their father’s   approval. Franke and Bill, along with Pocock’s dad, spent   four days wrangling with government officials, nursing home   management and even the police to get her out. Pocock   then went to live permanently with Franke and Bill.  
That wasn’t the end, however. With the help of   Franke and Bill – who are business partners in the   communications firm The James Gang, Iconoclasts –   Pocock made a campaign video for the website change.org   protesting her confinement and demanding atonement   while asserting the rights of the disabled. The petition,   launched on World Down Syndrome Day on March 21,   2014, called out the Ontario government for supporting   her placement in an institution that was clearly unsuited to her age – she was then 49 – abilities and temperament. In   the video, Pocock calls for an apology from the government   for denying her human rights. “I was crying and scared,”   Pocock says to the camera. “It’s my right to decide where   to live … I did not want to be there.” She received 26,000   online signatures of support.

In November 2016, as a result of public pressure and   media attention, Ontario Minister of Health and Long-  Term Care Dr. Eric Hoskins wrote a letter of apology to   Pocock. Franke framed it and hung it in the front hallway.

That wasn’t the only time Pocock has attracted the   attention of politicians. At the opening of her gallery   show, a staff member of Vancouver East MP Jenny Kwan   presented Pocock with a certificate from Kwan, applauding   her “wonderful drawing, creativity and achievement.” It is   also framed and hangs in Pocock’s bedroom.

Since the exhibit, Pocock has been drawing nearly   every day in her artist’s sketchbooks. Her inspiration has   become Gastown itself, edgy despite its gentrification, noisy   and raw, a working harbour with cargo ships loading and   unloading in Burrard Inlet. Pocock draws what is around   her: the geometric pattern of windows on the Woodward’s   building; her favourite coffee shop Prado; London Drugs;   Nesters Market and, most endearing to Pocock, The Flying   Pig bistro, with its homemade macaroni and cheese, and   desserts. “I like chocolate cake,” says Pocock, who does   yoga, plays Scrabble and reads in her spare time.

“Teresa’s art shows what she cares about, what she   is feeling and thinking and what she’s afraid of and   excited about,” says Franke. “She shows that she belongs   in the world.”

Pocock has another project in the works; she is planning   what Franke describes as “an unconventional, freewheeling   cookbook” full of her favourite foods. “We thought the   book could have information about the neighbourhood   and where Teresa actually gets the food.” As with her   first publication, it too will be filled with images and   drawings. “And we’ll go to the Flying Pig,” Pocock adds.

Franke muses on her younger sister’s influence in   Gastown. “In society, there is a tendency to take people   who are different and segregate and hide them away. When   Teresa is out in the world, it brings out good things in   people. Like at restaurants, they will bend over backwards   because Teresa is with us. We call it the Teresa Effect.”

To learn more about the Downtown Eastside Small Arts  Grants program visit   vancouverfoundationsmallarts.ca. You can   also help support this program with a donation. Call Kristin   in Donor Services at 604.629.5186 for more information.  

CREDITS

“ARTISTIC ABILITY” written by ROBERTA STALEY for the Vancouver Foundation.

Read The Gifts of Inclusion, Vancouver Foundation’s 2017 Annual Magazine. Also available in eReader version. Or download the Adobe Acrobat PDF

PHOTOGRAPHS

Photo by Zack Embree

Photo by Gerry Kahrmann for PostMedia (licensed):

Photos by Franke James:

Help open eyes and hearts to “See the Ability” of those with Down syndrome. Join in raising awareness about the abilities and unique gifts of people with Down syndrome during #CDNDownSyndromeWeek. Spread the word!

Ontario Government apologizes to Teresa Pocock: 4 Signs of Change

By Franke James, Teresa’s sister

Vancouver, B.C., December 5, 2016
How does a Canadian with an intellectual disability fight back when their rights are violated? Four recent developments have me thinking optimistically about signs of change for Canadians with intellectual disabilities, and my sister in particular…

The first sign of change…

Raise your voice and shout out a cheer for this great news! The Ontario government has formally apologized to my sister Teresa Pocock who was “placed” against her will in a long-term care home in November 2013 at the age of 49. (The fallout of that experience compelled us to move with Teresa from Ontario to British Columbia, where we have lived since March 1, 2014.)

Ontario’s Health Minister Dr Eric Hoskins recently wrote, “Dear Ms. Pocock, Thank you for writing to me… I would like to apologize to you…”

Global News shone the spotlight on Teresa: “Ontario woman forced into long-term care wants apology from provincial government”

hoskins The driving force for this written apology came from Global News Journalist Christina Stevens who was determined to get answers on how this travesty happened to Teresa.

Stevens did a two-part news story about Teresa: “Ontario woman forced into long-term care wants apology from provincial government.” She did some remarkable digging to find out how many other people with developmental disabilities are in long-term care. She discovered that Teresa is just the tip of the iceberg. There are more than 2,900 “Teresas” living in Ontario long-term care facilities.

Stevens pressed Minister Hoskins for an apology for Teresa. Minister Hoskins sent a statement that was aired on Global News on July 22, 2016: “I would like to apologize to Ms. Pocock and her family for her being placed in a seniors residence…”

The Minister’s apology on television on July 22 was great news. But no letter of apology was sent to Teresa. So two months later Teresa wrote to the Ontario Health Minister and told him, “I did not want to live in a nursing home. I am capable.” See her reading her letter aloud…

Getting an apology from any government is a rare feat. The apology is a victory for Teresa and all people with intellectual disabilities. It is good to see that in Teresa’s case the Ontario government has finally admitted a mistake was made. It is good that Minister Hoskins showed respect to Teresa by writing to her personally.

Most Canadians do not realize — and I did not know until it happened to my sister — that nursing homes have become the new dumping ground for the intellectually disabled. I now see this segregation as an insidious form of discrimination. The Canadian Association for Community Living writes, “Today in Canada, thousands of Canadians with intellectual disabilities remain trapped in large, segregated institutions — inappropriately and unjustifiably segregated from society. They remain, for the most part, hidden and removed from mainstream society despite a collective knowledge, based on research and practice over the past 30 years, that with proper community based supports all persons with intellectual disabilities thrive in the community. They remain in these institutions as a result of inaction by governments and communities.”

Second Sign: New Federal Law

The second sign of change is that the Canadian government is drafting legislation for a federal “accessibility law” to protect the rights of people with disabilities. It is long overdue. Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Persons with Disabilities herself said, “Right now, within our current legal framework, the rights of those of us with disabilities don’t kick in… until our rights have been violated. The current system unfairly burdens Canadians to ever defend our rights.”

If the new Canadian law has teeth half as sharp as the 1990 Americans with Disability Act and their 1999 Supreme Court “Olmstead” ruling, it could make a revolutionary difference in Canada.

Third Sign: Canada in consultation to sign enforcement protocol

UN Flag by Stockbyte licensed from Getty Images. Photo of Teresa Pocock by Franke James Which brings me to my third sign of change. Canada has just announced that it is in consultations to safeguard disability rights by signing the enforcement mechanism for the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). I am proud to say that my sister Teresa Pocock is the self-advocate prominently featured on the campaign poster driving that change. Teresa earned the distinction as a result of her traumatic experience being “placed” in an Ontario long-term care home against her will in November 2013. Teresa and I presented testimony about her forced placement to Ontario’s Select Committee on Developmental Disabilities in January 2014. Vice-Chair MPP Christine Elliott called Teresa’s experience “truly shocking”.

The Ontario government is facing a big crisis regarding adults with developmental disabilities. The Ontario Ombudsman, Paul Dubé, recently completed a multi-year investigation into Ontario’s treatment and care of people with developmental disabilities. On August 24, 2016, Mr. Dubé published “Nowhere to Turn,” a highly critical report on the Ontario government’s handling of the crisis, calling it a “systemic failure”.

The Ombudsman’s report detailed many heartbreaking cases, including those which amount to “a modern-day version of institutionalization.” Mr. Dubé also acknowledged that long-term care homes are providing institutional care to adults with developmental disabilities, “despite the fact that such settings can be wholly unsuitable.”
“In my opinion, the Ministry’s response to urgent situations involving adults with developmental disabilities and its administration of the process to address crisis cases has been unreasonable and wrong. I have made 60 recommendations for reform, including a requirement that the Ministry [of Community and Social Services] report back on its progress in implementing necessary changes.” The Ombudsman’s report “Nowhere To Turn” includes 6 recommendations on the inappropriate admission to long-term care homes of people with developmental disabilities. This one recommendation could have derailed the train that was determined to put my sister into the long-term care home…

21. The Ministry of Community and Social Services should actively work with local agencies to ensure that placement of young adults with developmental disabilities in long-term care homes is considered a last resort and that alternative solutions are vigorously pursued.

But despite sounding the alarm, the Ombudsman also struck an optimistic, upbeat note. He cited a new “culture change” and better leadership.

We appreciate Minister Hoskins’ apology to Teresa and accept it as a positive sign that the Ontario government wants to do better in its treatment of people with developmental disabilities. He has his work cut out for him. As Nowhere to Turn shows, and Global News’ Christina Stevens reported there are thousands of young and middle-aged people with developmental disabilities warehoused in Ontario long-term care homes.

Fourth Sign: Whistleblowers Wanted!

I could have used this… The Ontario government has just opened a whistleblower hotline to report abuse of people with developmental disabilities.

The news that Ontario’s abuse hotline has been expanded is timely. Is it a result of the pressure from the Ombudsman’s report “Nowhere to Turn” and the new Federal Accessibility law?

The Government of Ontario is expanding ReportON, a new service for reporting suspected or witnessed abuse of adults with developmental disabilities.

The 24/7 phone line and email service is the latest step taken by the Ministry of Community and Social Services to further improve the safety of adults with developmental disabilities.

Abuse is often hard to identify. Examples can include being denied basic necessities like food, shelter, clothing or medicine. Even if you are unsure, but suspect abuse or neglect of an adult with a developmental disability, you should contact ReportON. Each call will be investigated and the appropriate action will be taken. People can access ReportON by calling 1-800-575-2222 or emailing reportONdisability@ontario.ca.

If the Ontario government had listened to us it would not have taken three years, 26,000 people on Change.org, the BC Civil Liberties Association, Global News coverage, disability-rights lawyers, and scores of other efforts to finally get the Ontario Minister’s attention. But then we’d never have created the campaign to raise awareness of this human rights abuse…

Highlights from Teresa Pocock’s Campaign 2014-2016

It has taken a determined campaign over three years to assert Teresa’s rights to choose freedom over segregation. Teresa’s Change.org petition, “Tell the Ontario Government Human Rights Should Be For Everybody” launched on March 21, 2014, World Down Syndrome Day. It has now amassed over 26,000 supporters and more than 2,400 comments.

Watch Teresa speaking up for herself in this video from Spring 2014:

Teresa Pocock’s Change.org Petition: Tell the Ontario Government, Human Rights Should Be For Everybody.

Over 26,000 people signed Teresa’s petition, and 2,400 left comments. Here are a few…

“I’m signing because I want my daughter’s rights protected. She has Down syndrome and I too have seen people with Down syndrome in nursing homes before their time.” Lorna Aberdein, Waterloo, Canada

“I am shocked by the treatment this lady received in the name of “protection” Clearly her rights were abused and she deserves an apology for the archaic way her life was being dictated. Shame on the people involved.” Christine Bearpark, Steinbach, Canada

“I worked in a long term care home for 10 years and this young woman certainly does not belong in one. An apology would be the least the government could do for this young woman.” Mrs. Dale Pond, Markdale, Canada

Teresa is very grateful to the 26,000 Change.org supporters and the organizations who stepped forward to help her assert her rights.

On July 12, 2016, the BC Civil Liberties Association sent a letter in support of Teresa.

“We believe and support Ms. Pocock’s statements that she did not want to be put into a nursing home.”

The letter was co-signed by the Canadian Association for Community Living, Inclusion BC, Plan Institute, People First of Canada, Spectrum Society for Community Living, Vickie Cammack, and Al Etmanski.

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Teresa had a life to live. So many places to go! Things to do! People to meet!

DoNotBelongInNursingHome

Photo of Teress Pocock by Zack Embree June 29 2016

Teresa Pocock: ‘Pretty Amazing’ Artist, Poet and Author

On June 29, 2016, the Vancouver Sun did a feature article on Teresa’s budding art and writing career in the Downtown Eastside. The Sun headline aptly summed up the incongruous absurdity of Ontario’s treatment of Teresa: Artist with Down syndrome written off as ‘incapable’ blooms in the Downtown Eastside .

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Book Launch: Pretty Amazing: How I Found Myself in the Downtown Eastside
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Teresa Pocock’s book: Pretty Amazing: How I Found Myself in the Downtown Eastside.

Amazon Reviews and Comments

Absolute Pleasure – My Coffee Table Favorite
“Teresa Pocock’s honest writing and spontaneous word play make this book a delightful read from cover to cover. Just add in her personal illustrations, and we get an opportunity to see the world from her point of view. Her sister prefaced the book with Teresa’s astounding story of how she triumphed over systemic erasure and mistreatment to take back her rights and empowerment.”

Art, Poetry, Human Rights and Emergence
“Teresa Pocock is an artist/poet living in the downtown east side of Vancouver. Her words and visual creations are unfiltered expressions of her self in the moment. The poems show up in the form of inner dialogue, a kind of call and response thing. There’s poignancy, exuberance and freshness to these works. The visual art are boldly done in the colours and forms of her environment, the locations of Teresa’s emergence as an artist. The human rights dimension of Teresa Pocock’s life is outlined by the touching, loving introduction written by her sister, Franke James. What a story! What a book! Place yourself in touch with this adventure in becoming.”

The book cheers me up
“I was very delighted when Teresa gave me a copy of her book and signed it for me.
Once I got home and found some time to look at it I was extremely surprised by the uplifting effect the book had on me. It cheers me up every time I open it and look at the paintings or read a poem. It has a special magic to it.”

“I Am Alive” by Teresa Pocock on Vimeo.

Megaphone Magazine September 2016: A Pretty Amazing Story

Spring 2016: Human Rights Should Be For Everybody. Published in the Family Support newsletter, and the Institution Watch newsletter.

March 2016: Down Syndrome Victory! Teresa Pocock wins an Arts Grant in Vancouver

July 1, 2015: How many times can the Minister of Health turn his head, pretending he just doesn’t see?

March 2015: My sister, Teresa, Just Wants To Have Fun — Outside of an Ontario Nursing Home! #humanrights –

November 30, 2014: Dear Minister of Health, How Do You Measure One Year?

April 2014 – This Easter, Teresa Egg-spects Apology from CEO of the Rekai Centre

April 2014 – Rock On! Teresa Power Walks for her Freedom

photo of teresa Pocock by Zack Embree October 2014

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Dear Minister Hoskins, Please send me a letter

By Franke James

My sister Teresa is stepping forward as a self-advocate. She has written a letter to Ontario’s Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, Dr. Eric Hoskins asking him to please send her a letter!

“Dear Minister Hoskins, It was nice that you apologized on TV for putting me into a nursing home. But it’s weird that you have not sent me the apology in writing. Did you forget? Please send me a letter. I did not want to live in a nursing home. I am capable…”

For over two months, Teresa has been waiting — and waiting — and WAITING — to hear from Minister Hoskins. Because two months ago, on July 22, the Minister apologized on Global News TV for Ontario’s placement of Teresa in a “seniors residence” in 2013. I think most Canadians would be shocked that Teresa — at 49-years of age — was placed in a nursing home which specialized in dementia and palliative care.

The Minister’s statement of apology on TV was good news. But confusingly, there was no follow up by him, or any Ministry staff!

Teresa herself calls it “weird” that he has not sent her the apology in writing. I agree. Most people would expect that the Minister would have contacted Teresa afterwards. Most people would expect that at the very least he would have sent a letter to Teresa. More than two months has elapsed, and there has been NO letter expressing regret. NO phone call to say sorry. Nothing. It sends a message that they don’t really care.

So Teresa wrote this letter to Minister Hoskins…

As Teresa herself writes, she did not want to live in a nursing home. Her “placement” in 2013 was done against her wishes and was very traumatic. It changed her life. Global News Journalist, Christina Stevens did a two-part news story about Teresa’s experience: “Ontario woman forced into long-term care wants apology from provincial government.” Stevens interviewed Minister Hoskins, but he refused to answer any questions about Teresa’s file citing “privacy” reasons. Teresa and I then gave permission for the Minister to speak with Stevens for the second part of the news story.

Stevens did some remarkable digging to find out how many other people with developmental disabilities are in long-term care. She discovered that Teresa is just the tip of the iceberg. There are more than two thousand, nine hundred “Teresas” living in Ontario long-term care facilities. Stevens pressed Minister Hoskins for an apology for Teresa. He did not appear on air, but sent a statement to Global News: “I would like to apologize to Ms. Pocock and her family for her being placed in a seniors residence.”

The Minister’s statement of apology on television was good news. But confusingly, there was no follow up by him, or any Ministry staff! Why has there not been any follow up?

The Ontario government is facing a big crisis regarding adults with developmental disabilities. The Ontario Ombudsman, Paul Dubé, has just completed a multi-year investigation into Ontario’s treatment and care of people with developmental disabilities. On August 24, Mr. Dubé published “Nowhere to Turn,” a highly critical report on the Ontario government’s handling of the crisis, calling it a “systemic failure”. I read the 182-page report in full, as well as numerous media reports and editorials on it.

The Ombudsman’s report detailed many heartbreaking cases, including those which amount to “a modern-day version of institutionalization.” Mr. Dubé also acknowledged that long-term care homes are providing institutional care to adults with developmental disabilities, “despite the fact that such settings can be wholly unsuitable.”

“In my opinion, the Ministry’s response to urgent situations involving adults with developmental disabilities and its administration of the process to address crisis cases has been unreasonable and wrong. I have made 60 recommendations for reform, including a requirement that the Ministry [of Community and Social Services] report back on its progress in implementing necessary changes.”

But despite sounding the alarm, the Ombudsman also struck an optimistic, upbeat note. He cited a new “culture change” and better leadership!

“What really made the difference is leadership, and attitudinal changes at the Ministry, from the top down. Officials are no longer aloof and are more willing to engage directly in resolving individual crisis cases. They are no longer on the defensive when dealing with our Office and see the value we can add in helping them maximize service to Ontarians.”

I would like to believe Mr. Dubé. I hope that the Ontario government has turned over a new leaf — and sincerely wants to do better in its treatment of people with developmental disabilities. I believe that the Ombudsman, Paul Dubé, would want — indeed expect — Minister Hoskins to show some respect and kindness to Teresa by sending her a letter.

If I had Minister Hoskins‘ ear, I would tell him that this is a golden opportunity for him to show the Ontario Ombudsman that there really has been a “culture change” in Ontario’s treatment of people with developmental disabilities. And that by sending a sincere letter of apology to my sister Teresa he will demonstrate that he is part of the change (and his apology was not just done to please the TV audience).

“…the moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; those who are in the shadows of life; the sick, the needy and the handicapped.”
~Hubert H. Humphrey

Teresa has sent her letter to Minister Hoskins — along with an autographed hardcover copy of her new book, Pretty Amazing: How I Found Myself in the Downtown Eastside. We hope the Minister replies.

RELEVANT LINKS:
Teresa Pocock’s book: Pretty Amazing: How I Found Myself in the Downtown Eastside.

Teresa Pocock’s Change.org Petition: Tell the Ontario Government, Human Rights Should Be For Everybody.

Human Rights Letter: BC Civil Liberty Association‘s July 12, 2016 letter in support of Teresa, was co-signed by the Canadian Association for Community Living, Inclusion BC, Plan Institute, People First of Canada, Spectrum Society for Community Living, Vickie Cammack, and Al Etmanski.

Vancouver Sun: Artist with Down syndrome written off as ‘incapable’ blooms in the Downtown Eastside

“I Am Alive” by Teresa Pocock on Vimeo.

A Pretty Amazing Story in Megaphone Magazine

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By Franke James for Megaphone Magazine
Photo of Teresa Pocock by Zack Embree

“Freedom” describes Teresa Pocock’s awakening as an artist and poet in the Downtown Eastside. When she draws, she is free. There is no filter. She doesn’t second guess herself or say her drawing isn’t “good enough”. She is confident. She lets whatever is on her mind come out, freely.

But the freedom to make her own decisions and choices—where she lives, what she does, and how she expresses herself—is new to her. Teresa has Down syndrome. It’s been very difficult for her to assert her rights and be her own person. For much of her life, she’s been wrapped in a cocoon, where other people made decisions for her. This was made evident in 2013, when Teresa was forced into a nursing home in Ontario at age 49.

Against her wishes, Teresa was placed in a long-term care home that specialized in dementia and palliative care. It was absolutely the wrong place for her. When Teresa said she didn’t want to live there, no one listened. Fortunately, Teresa’s father, a retired lawyer, was able to get her released after four days. The next day, Teresa came to live with me and my husband. Three months later, we moved from Ontario to British Columbia and eventually settled in Gastown in the Downtown Eastside.

Finding her voice
Settling in the Downtown Eastside turned out to be a great stroke of luck for Teresa and her budding career as an artist. She applied for a DTES Small Arts Grant to create an illustrated book about her new neighbourhood. The grant was approved in February, and Teresa got to work.

Over the next four months, Teresa created about 100 illustrations in large spiral-bound sketchbooks using vibrant hues of magic markers. She also wrote 10 poems for the book. My husband and I helped Teresa design and self-publish her book.

Pretty Amazing: How I Found Myself in the Downtown Eastside is a collection of Teresa’s art and poetry. In her opening poem, I Am Alive, she shares her upbeat philosophy on life: “Be nice to everyone.” And she says she feels “redeemed. Okay, I am reborn. In Gastown.”

Her natural ability to express herself through art is important. In her art and poetry, she can freely express her worries and her joys. Her poems reflect the dialogues she has with herself. Often, she takes on the role of her own parent, saying, “Please be nice to my daughter.” And she encourages herself: “You’re not afraid of those monsters. You have the power of attorney.” Her power of attorney document helped win her release from the nursing home. To this day, Teresa carries the updated document with her.

In her poem “The Schedule,” Teresa shows how she organizes her day. She carefully plans the times for her breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner. She includes these detailed times in her drawings and often scratches the numbers out as the hours pass. We hear her sense of humour and wordplay when she writes, “We are quite a pair. Eat your pears at Nesters. I love Perrier.” When she reads the poem aloud she laughs at her own cleverness.

The unexpected
Teresa is enjoying her new identity as an artist and author. This past summer, she launched her book and art show at Gallery Gachet. And then something amazing happened. For almost three years now, Teresa has been asking the Ontario government to apologize. Her Change.org petition—Human Rights Should Be For Everybody— garnered more than 26,000 signatures. Last month, the B.C. Civil Liberties Association and seven other signatories sent a letter to the Ontario government stating, “We are gravely concerned that the government, through its actions, appears to condone the forced placement and mistreatment of developmentally disabled adults.”

The letter caught the attention of Christina Stevens at Global News, who did a story on Teresa. On July 22, Minister Eric Hoskins apologized to Teresa on Global News for “placing” her in a “seniors’ residence,” saying it was not appropriate. The apology was a welcome surprise, but the Global News story exposed the fact that Teresa is just one of thousands who have been deprived of their liberty, as 2,900-plus people in that province are living in such facilities.

Teresa’s pretty amazing journey that brought her to the Downtown Eastside is still unfolding. She has just turned 52. She is now free to make her own decisions. Free to colour outside the lines. And free to make a difference for all people with disabilities simply by being who she is: a self-advocate and artist in the Downtown Eastside.

I AM ALIVE

Hello.
Be nice to everyone.
Look, I am alive.
You have to be nice.
I am doing fine.
Thank goodness.
I have to be nice to them.
And to the others.
That’s a brilliant idea!
You’re thinking.
And I’m thinking too.
I think we need to make a list of the things we need.
Right. I’m alive. Nesters. Flying Pig. Prado.
We love it here.
Everybody loves me.
You guys are alright, I know.
You guys, I am born. I am alive.
Redeemed.
Okay, I am reborn.
In Gastown

“I Am Alive” by Teresa Pocock on Vimeo.

Related Links:

“A Pretty Amazing Story”, Megaphone Magazine, September 2016

Global News: Ontario woman forced into long-term care wants apology from provincial government

Global News: More than 2,900 Ontarians with developmental disabilities live in long-term care facilities

BC Civil Liberties letter to the Ontario Government: Teresa Pocock’s forced admission to an Ontario long-term care home violated her human rights

BCCLA writes to Ontario Ministry of Health re: Violation of Teresa Pocock’s #HumanRights

Who is willing to stand up to defend and assert the human rights of the intellectually disabled?

A tragic wrong occurred when Teresa Pocock was forced into an Ontario long-term care home in 2013 against her will. Despite Teresa’s many remarkable achievements since her release, the Ontario government has refused to admit they made a mistake in declaring her “incapable” and forcing her into a long-term care home. The violation of Teresa’s human rights is critically important because there are many, many “Teresas” all across Canada and in the United States. The National Task Force on Living in the Community stated that over 12,000 Canadian citizens (with developmental disabilities) are living in health related institutions such as senior’s facilities, nursing homes, acute care hospitals, long term care facilities and personal care homes, as opposed to ordinary homes in the community.

Thankfully, the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association, (BCCLA) and seven signatories are standing with Teresa.

“We believe and support Ms. Pocock’s statements that she did not want to be put into a nursing home.”

In an open letter sent to the Ontario Minister of Health and Long-term Care, the BCCLA is requesting a formal apology to Teresa from the Honourable Eric Hoskins.

“We are gravely concerned that the government, through its actions, appears to condone the forced placement and mistreatment of developmentally-disabled adults.”

The BCCLA, Canadian Association for Community Living, Inclusion BC, Plan Institute, People First of Canada, Spectrum Society for Community Living, Vickie Cammack, and Al Etmanski have all joined together to send a clear message to the Ontario Government: Teresa Pocock’s forced admission to an Ontario long-term care home violated her human rights.

Please join us in calling for an official apology from the Ontario government by signing Teresa’s Change.org Petition and sharing this letter.

July 12, 2016

The Honourable Eric Hoskins, MPP
Minister of Health and Long-Term Care
Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
10th Floor, Hepburn Block
80 Grosvenor Street
Toronto, ON M7A 2C4

Dear Minister Hoskins:

Re: Teresa Pocock’s forced admission to an Ontario long-term care home violated her human rights

At age 49, Teresa Pocock was forced against her will into an Ontario Long-term Care Home. The traumatic experience shattered her trust and created psychological distress. These events compelled her to leave her home province of Ontario where she was living at the time. She moved to B.C. where she is flourishing as an emerging artist and is also a BCCLA member.

We believe and support Ms. Pocock’s statements that she did not want to be put into a nursing home.

The BC Civil Liberties Association is concerned that the Ministry has violated Ms. Pocock’s rights, which are protected by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and Ontario law.

We are gravely concerned that the government, through its actions, appears to condone the forced placement and mistreatment of developmentally-disabled adults. We understand that your ministry conducted a 14-month long investigation into Ms. Pocock’s treatment. We understand that, despite uncovering evidence of institutional wrongdoing, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care produced a report that concluded that government agencies had done nothing wrong. However, Ministry documents obtained under a Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (“FOIPPA”) request suggest that the investigation found indications that the law may have been broken in Ms. Pocock’s case, resulting in a violation of her rights.

The information that has been provided to us about Ms. Pocock’s case strongly suggests that Ms. Pocock’s rights under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms were violated when she was forced into long-term care against her will.

Ms. Pocock’s right to decide where she lives under Article 19 of the Convention was violated when an Ontario social worker conducted her Capacity Assessment without proper consent and against Ms. Pocock’s written legal directions in her 1995 Power of Attorney. Moreover, the evidence that has been provided to us suggests that the social worker falsely indicated on the consent form that he had reviewed Ms. Pocock’s Power of Attorney when in fact he had not done so.

We are deeply troubled by the findings of the Ministry’s investigation. The documents provided to us through the FOIPPA request that were obtained from your Ministry, in our view, support Ms. Pocock’s assertions that she was wrongly deprived of her liberty.

We urge you to issue a formal apology to Ms. Pocock without further delay.

The following individuals and organizations join the BCCLA in calling on the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care to uphold the laws of Ontario and Canada to defend Ms. Pocock’s human rights and liberty.

Sincerely,

Josh Paterson
Executive Director of the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association

Michael Bach
Vice-President of the Canadian Association for Community Living

Faith Bodnar
Executive Director of Inclusion BC

Tim Ames
Executive Director of Plan Institute

Kory Earle
President of People First of Canada

Ernie Baatz
Executive Director, Spectrum Society for Community Living

Vickie Cammack

Al Etmanski

See the PDF copy of the BCCLA letter to Hon. Eric Hoskins:

“Teresa Pocock’s forced admission to an Ontario long-term care home violated her human rights”

I Don’t Belong in a Nursing Home

I Don’t Belong in a Nursing Home. I have places to go. Things to do. People to meet.

Please sign Teresa Pocock’s petition

July 23, 2014

With the stroke of a pen, my disabled sister’s human right to decide where she lives was wrongly taken away.

In a heart-breaking move, Teresa who has Down syndrome, was forced against her will into an old-age nursing home, by the Toronto Central CCAC (Community Care Access Centre) and two of my siblings. Four days later, she was rescued by my 91-year old father who was “adamant” he did not want his daughter living in a nursing home. But then the nursing home called the police, in a shockingly callous and bizarre effort to force her back.

Teresa is demanding an apology from these two institutions, the CCAC and the Rekai Centre. This is a sorry mess. Her records show that the crisis list was manipulated to get Teresa to the very top, and placed in the nursing home. Her profile contained false information which made her appear to need 24/7 care. See the presentation I made with Teresa, to the Ontario Government’s Select Committee:

Teresa’s story: Crisis, Capacity and Courage
http://teresapocock.com/capacity-and-courage/

On July 22, 2014, the Ontario Government’s Select Committee published their final report. It states: “Long-term care homes are pressured to accommodate young and middle-aged people with developmental disabilities without any medical need for this type of care or any training to support this group of clients.”

By signing this petition you can help Teresa get an apology for the harm done to her. Teresa is asking the CCAC to apologize for wrongly taking away her human right to decide where she lives. Teresa is asking the Rekai Centre to apologize for calling the police in a completely unnecessary, intimidating and callous attempt to force her back into their institution.

Over three months ago we filed a 12-page complaint with the Ontario Ministry of Health. We have only heard they are “inspecting” the matter.

We need a full apology from both institutions because this is not just about one person — it’s about standing up for and protecting the human rights of all people with disabilities.

Please sign Teresa Pocock’s petition demanding an apology from the CCAC and Rekai Centre at Change.org.

Thank you.

Human Rights Should Be for Everybody – Video

Teresa Pocock is 49 years old and has Down Syndrome. She is asking the CCAC to apologize for improperly taking away her human right to decide where she lives. She is asking the Rekai Centre to apologize for calling the police to force her back into their long-term care home.

To support Teresa’s request for a full apology, please sign her Petition at Change.org.

Video Transcript

My name is Teresa Pocock.
I’m 49 years old. And I am turning fifty.
I am a female.

I have Down syndrome.

Last fall, the CCAC said I couldn’t make my own decisions.
The CCAC said I couldn’t decide where I live or who cares for me.
That was wrong.

It is my human right to decide.
I want the CCAC to say they are sorry.

Then in November, they put me into an old-age nursing home.
The Rekai Centre.
I did not want to be there. I was crying and scared.
So my Daddy signed me out.
And I went back home.

But then the Rekai Centre called the police
Trying to force me to come back.
Fortunately, the police said I was safe with my sister, Franke.

I want the Rekai Centre to say they are sorry.
I want the CCAC to say they are sorry.
It’s my right to decide.

Please sign my petition at change.org
Thank you.

To support Teresa’s request for a full apology, please sign her Petition at Change.org.

Human rights should be for everybody. Forced into a long-term care home at 49, Teresa wants an apology.

By Franke James on Change.org.

Please sign: Teresa’s Petition at Change.org

With the stroke of a pen, my disabled sister’s human right to decide where she lives was wrongly taken away.

In a heart-breaking move, Teresa who has Down syndrome, was forced against her will into an old-age nursing home, by the CCAC and two of my siblings. Four days later, she was rescued by my 91-year old father who was “adamant” he did not want his daughter living in a nursing home. But then the nursing home called the police, in a shockingly callous and bizarre effort to force her back.

Teresa is demanding an apology from these two institutions, the CCAC and the Rekai Centre. This is a sorry mess. Her records show that the crisis list was manipulated to get Teresa to the very top, and placed in the nursing home. Her profile contained false information which made her appear to need 24/7 care. See the presentation I made with Teresa, to the Ontario Government’s Select Committee:

Teresa’s story: Crisis, Capacity and Courage
http://teresapocock.com/capacity-and-courage/

By signing this petition you can help Teresa get an apology for the harm done to her. Teresa is asking the CCAC to apologize for wrongly taking away her human right to decide where she lives. Teresa is asking the Rekai Centre to apologize for calling the police in a completely unnecessary, intimidating and callous attempt to force her back into their institution.

We need a full apology from both institutions because this is not just about one person — it’s about standing up for and protecting the human rights of all people with disabilities.

We are getting traction — 48 hours after we launched this petition, the CEO of the Toronto Central CCAC, Stacey Daub, responded with a public apology to Teresa on change.org. “I apologize for any part the Toronto Central CCAC contributed to this.”

Teresa called the CCAC’s apology “beautiful”, but we have not won yet… The Rekai Centre has not responded. We need the Rekai Centre CEO, Mary Hoare, to offer a full and public apology for the harm they caused Teresa.

The truth is that if we had not rescued Teresa from the nursing home, she would have been living in an institution — with no right to choose otherwise — for the rest of her life. How could this happen in Canada? That’s what Teresa and her supporters want to know.

And Teresa is not the only one being hurt. Developmentally disabled people are routinely being forced into inappropriate “care”.

This is wrong. And it is having a catastrophic effect on the lives of so many people like Teresa.

Please sign our petition to help stop the discrimination against “disabled” people in our health care system.

Please sign Teresa’s petition, because human rights should be for everybody.

MORE DETAILS:

I presented Teresa’s harrowing story to the Select Committee on Developmental Services at the Ontario Legislature. (Teresa was present and consented to her health records being shared.) You can see the slide presentation I made on January 21st, which lays out the full sequence of events.

Teresa’s Story: Crisis, Capacity and Courage
http://teresapocock.com/capacity-and-courage/

Why is there NO accountability?

How could the rights of a developmentally disabled person be removed so easily? Teresa’s story shows how it was done, and why we need to hold the institutions, and those responsible, accountable — so that it does not happen to anyone else.

Teresa’s plight shows that there is NO accountability. This is ironic… If you drive too fast, you’ll get a speeding ticket. If you litter, you can face a hefty fine. But if you incorrectly take away the rights of a person with Down syndrome and place that person in a nursing home, NOTHING happens! There is no penalty and the health care institutions will not even say they are sorry!

After her discharge, Teresa wanted to regain the ‘capacity’ rights that the CCAC had taken away. Teresa wanted to make her own decisions about where she lived and who cared for her. So, in late December and January, Teresa was interviewed and assessed by an expert licensed capacity assessor who determined that Teresa is in fact capable of deciding where she lives.

That was a victory for Teresa! But the shocking fact is — if we had not stepped forward to protect her rights, Teresa would have been living in an institution for the rest of her life. (The group home alternative which miraculously popped up after Teresa’s discharge was no better than the nursing home. She would have been living with four other developmentally disabled people — all of whom were non-verbal, and three of whom were in wheelchairs. Considering that Teresa is able-bodied and very verbal this would not have been the optimum home.)

Teresa’s case shows that our consent and capacity laws are woefully inadequate to protect the rights of the developmentally disabled.

How were Teresa’s rights taken away by the CCAC?

In a heart-breaking move, my lively 49-year old sister with Down syndrome, was stripped of her human rights and placed in a nursing home where she was surrounded by frail elderly people, many of whom were incapacitated and could not walk, talk or feed themselves.

Last fall, with the stroke of a pen, CCAC-Toronto wrongly declared Teresa “incapable” and recommended her placement in a long-term care institution in November 2013.

The CCAC records are riddled with false information. (I have obtained the records as Teresa’s new Power of Attorney for Personal Care.) Teresa was incorrectly described as needing 24/7 care. They incorrectly stated that she needed assistance to use the toilet and dress her lower body. Teresa was falsely depicted as a ‘wanderer’ and ‘violent’, but when those descriptions prohibited Teresa from most long-term care homes, they were retracted.

Teresa’s own statements about her independence (“I can dress myself. I can shower myself”) were used as examples of her insidious cognitive decline.

Why would the CCAC inaccurately portray Teresa’s abilities? I won’t speculate on the “why”, but the fact is that the CCAC’s incorrect health profiling enabled her to get to the top of the Crisis List, and into a long-term care home.

Why did the Rekai Centre call the police?

Teresa spent four days in the Rekai Centre before we could get her discharged. On November 30th, my 91-year old father who had Senior Power of Attorney, signed Teresa out. That day, I spoke with the CEO of the Rekai Centre, Mary Hoare, and informed her that Teresa would be living with me. I sent her an email on December 1st confirming everything.

But then in a move which I can only describe as cruel and callous, the Rekai Centre reported Teresa as a “missing person”. On December 4th, three burly policemen were sent to my home to take Teresa forcibly back to the nursing home.

The fact that the Rekai Centre sent the police to take Teresa back is shocking and traumatizing. Why did they send the police four days after Teresa was discharged? Why didn’t the Rekai Centre just pick up the phone or email me? They knew where she was because they sent the police to my home!

Fortunately, the police reviewed our legal documents. They spoke with my lawyer, and interviewed Teresa herself. They concluded that Teresa was happy and safe living with me, and she did not need to be forced back into the nursing home. See more details here:

http://teresapocock.com/capacity-and-courage/

Teresa now lives with me.

For the past three and a half months, I have been fighting for Teresa’s rights to live outside of an institution. Her right to decide where she lives has been restored and she is thriving: taking photos, walking, cooking, dancing, learning new money-management skills, and going on trips… She has accompanied me on trips to Washington, DC, Guelph, Ontario, Collingwood, Ontario, Vancouver, BC and Victoria BC. Teresa is now fully engaged in life and enjoying it! To learn more about Teresa, please visit www.teresapocock.com

We need to stand strong to protect the rights of developmentally disabled people so that what Teresa experienced does not happen to anyone else.

Please sign Teresa’s petition Thank you in advance for your support!

Related Stories:

Nowhere Else to Go: 2007 / Toronto Star
http://www.thestar.com/life/2007/02/16/nowhere_else_to_go.html

Disabled Forced into Nursing Homes
“In 1987, The Arc of Illinois filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of individuals with developmental disabilities forced into nursing homes who did not require nursing home care.”

http://newsletter.csfil.org/index.jsp?CAMPAIGN_ID=443&content_id=805

To learn more about Teresa, please visit www.teresapocock.com

Sign: Teresa’s Petition at Change.org

Tag: Human Rights

Artist-run centre Gallery Gachet was filled recently with bright drawings and celebratory poems by Teresa Pocock, a stark contrast to the grubby and littered streets outside in Vancouver’s poorest neighbourhood, where many of the city’s homeless and drug-addicted citizens live.

Artistic Ability

Once forced to live in a senior’s care facility, Teresa Pocock has created a home, and a body of work, in Gastown

What makes these accomplishments so significant – extraordinary even – is that Pocock has Down syndrome.

The first sign of change…

Global News shone the spotlight on Teresa: “Ontario woman forced into long-term care wants apology from provincial government”

Second Sign: New Federal Law

Third Sign: Canada in consultation to sign enforcement protocol

Fourth Sign: Whistleblowers Wanted!

Highlights from Teresa Pocock’s Campaign 2014-2016

Teresa is very grateful to the 26,000 Change.org supporters and the organizations who stepped forward to help her assert her rights.

“We believe and support Ms. Pocock’s statements that she did not want to be put into a nursing home.”

Teresa had a life to live. So many places to go! Things to do! People to meet!

Teresa Pocock: ‘Pretty Amazing’ Artist, Poet and Author

I AM ALIVE

Who is willing to stand up to defend and assert the human rights of the intellectually disabled?

“We believe and support Ms. Pocock’s statements that she did not want to be put into a nursing home.”

“We are gravely concerned that the government, through its actions, appears to condone the forced placement and mistreatment of developmentally-disabled adults.”

Artistic   Ability

Once forced to live in a senior’s   care facility, Teresa Pocock has   created a home, and a body of   work, in Gastown

What makes these accomplishments so significant –   extraordinary even – is that Pocock has Down syndrome.