IF SHARON Miles and her
husband Bill had not
adopted a mentally handi-
capped daughter, chances
are. the West Vancouver
woman would not have
ventured into the world of
volunteers.

By Surj Rattan
News Reporter

But that’s just what happened
to Miles, a special education assis-
tant at North Vancouver’s Hand-
sworth Secondary schocil. And
after about 30 years of giving her
time to help others, Miles’ con-
tribution has finally been
recognized in a big way.

This week she was presented
with the prestigious Canada Vol-
unteer Award Certificate of Merit
for her “outstanding volunteer
contributions to the community.’’

There were only eight people in
B.C. who were presented with the
award that is given out each year
by Health and Weifare Canada to
recognize. and encourage those
who have made valuable voluntary
contributions towards improving
the health and well-being of their
fellow citizens.

Miles and her husband have
four adopted children ranging in
ages from 19 to 27. Their
youngest, daughter Wendy, is
mildly mentally handicapped.

Miles was determined that
society would not close its doors
on her daughter’s desires to fit in
and Participate in everyday activi-
ties.

“We found out we had to work
very hard with her. Ten per cent
of my challenge was to work with
her and 90% would be to work
with society and all the things you
take for gramed like education,
medical, being able to go to the
store when you want to, going in-
to any program you wanted to,”
says Miles. “All of those things
you had fo fight for.’’

She adds that when she put her
daughter into the school system,
being a former full-time teacher,
she thought there. wouid be sup-
port for her daughter and that
“everything would be wonderful.’”
But she soon found out different.

“I started to volunteer where I
could in the school system in West

Outstanding volunteer

West Van’s Sharon Miles received
prestigious Canada Volunteer Award

NEWS photo Paul McGrath

‘

SHARON MILES knows only too well the readblocks and frustrations experienced by mentally
handicapped children. She works as a special education instructor at North Vancouver's Hand-

.sworth Secondary school.

Vancouver and I worked in
classrooms helping kids with
special needs learn how to adapt.
Then I went to work with the
North Vancouver schoo! district,’*
says Miles.

But while the school system had
now accepted Miles’ daughter,
other programs and activities out-
side of the classroom were still
reluctant to work with a men-
tally-handicapped person. Again,
Miles was forced to put on her
volunteer hat so her daughter
could participate.

“T took guiding because it was
a girls’ program and asked if my
daughter could be in a group, but
the problem was that no one had
any training,’* says Miles. ‘‘So 1
said fine, if you have a group that
is having some difficulty and if
you accept my daughter I will do
whatever you wish and that was
acceptable to them.”’

Miles then began to volunteer
her time with local Brownies and

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Girl Guide groups. She then met
parents of mentally handicapped
children who were having prob-
lems coping with their children.
Miles then set out to help the
parents by learning skills such as
sign language.

“A lot of people go to church
and again the problem was that
there were no programs for my
daughter. { felt these kids had a
tough time of life while growing

up,’’ said Miles. ‘‘There’s so
much frustration in life for them;
they almost make it but they never
do. In any situation they will be
the last on and the fi rst off and
they know that.’’

While many parents and
children take camping for granted,
Wendy Miles was met with road-
biocks when she attempted to par-
ticipate in the activity. Again, it
was her mother who broke down

@ Name: Sharon Miles.

@ Age: 54

© Occupation: Special education
assistant.

@ Residence: West Vancouver.

@ Born: Vancanver.

@ Family: Husband Bill,
children.

four

the roadblocks.

‘*They felt people with
disabilities would hurt themselves. .
I said, fine, if you give me a
campsite I will take a group and
work with them,”’ says Miles.
“Often, in these camps you're
giving the parents a break for a
little while. As ray kids say, I’m
the only parent who never got a
break. But it’s coming.’’

Miles is a long-time member of
the University Women’s Club and .
it was that organization that
nominated her for the national
award. She has been actively in-
volved with the Archdiocese of
Vancouver, the Girl Guides of
Canada and the North Vancouver
Tutorial Service to integrate
children with special needs into
regular classes and programs.

Miles says society’s attitudes
towards the mentally handicapped
are changing, but at a slow pace.

“TY remember the times when I
would walk down the road with
my daughter and people would:
say: ‘Oh my God, a retard’ and
then they would pull their child
away. I haven’t had that happen
in a long time,”’ says Miles. ‘And
I haven’t had that attitude of:
‘Get that kid out of here, she
doesn’t belong.’ Slowly people’s
attitudes are changing.”

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