Judith Snow has been called the “Julia Roberts of the disability community”. You cannot be in her presence without experiencing a shift and seeing new possibility for yourself and others. Powerful, energetic and joyful, her passion is matched only by her commitment. Her entire life is dedicated to making a difference for people all over the world.

Judith Snow is a trailblazer, having led training and education programs for over 30 years throughout the US, the UK, Europe, the Caribbean and Canada. Her models have resulted in thousands of people with disabilities getting jobs, homes, new relationships and support systems that lead to full community participation and personal respect.

Working with her mother, Rita, in the 70’s, Judith was instrumental in the development of a model called Support Service Living Units. This service format has been widely adopted throughout North America. A little later she created Canada’s first post-secondary learning support program, enabling students with physical and intellectual disabilities to attend College and University and to excel academically and socially.

In 1980 she became Canada’s first person to receive individualized funding from the Government in Ontario. Shortly thereafter, she chaired the first ever attendant care action coalition, which caused the government to provide funding for 600+ people in the province of Ontario. Also during those years, she developed a model that puts government funding directly into the hands of the people who need the support. Since then some form of liberating individualized assistance has been adopted by most provinces for people with all sorts of disabilities.

In the 90’s Judith Snow focused primarily on training and education of families, individuals and human service providers. Judith wrote the book “What’s Really Worth Doing and How To Do It”, co-authored “From Behind the Piano” with Jack Pearpoint, and has written many articles in various publications worldwide.

Judith Snow was a consultant and trainer with the National Home of your Own Alliance for 8 years. This project operated in 23 states in the US, resulting in hundreds of people living in their own homes with their own support systems.

Judith Snow is a faculty member with the Asset Based Community Development Institute at Northwestern in Evanston, Illinois. Along with John McKnight, Mike Green, Henry Moore and other members of this faculty this Institute has fostered a fusion of community development and inclusion that allows citizens to benefit from diversity in grass root community settings internationally.

In the past ten years Judith Snow has concentrated on the contributions of people who don’t speak. “If a “quiet” kid’s really included violence and drug use decline at their school. We need to start telling everywhere the real life stories of students with challenging disabilities who are positively, even dramatically, changing schools in North America and Europe.”

In 2003 Judith developed Laser Eagles Art Guild, www.lasereaglescommunity.com, adapting a technique invented by Tim Lefens that allows people with limited mobility to paint, and making it possible for these artists to fully integrate into local arts communities. She has become a visual artist herself, with three showings of her own works.

Judith Snow shows people that there really is no disability. “People are always contributing something. The work is to see the value and potential in what they are contributing and build that through relationships into community and economic opportunities.”


Contact:
Judith A. Snow, MA
108 Hallam St.                           
Toronto, ON, Canada                      
M6H 1W8

E-mail: judiths@ica.net
                
Phone: 416-538-9344