News for Week of December 5, 1999
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Multi-sensory Rooms for Disabilities
Snoezelen rooms are non-threatening multi-sensory environments designed for children and adults with learning and developmental disabilities. Sound, smell, lighting, vibration and touch are combined to provide an enveloping experience. The word Snoezelen is derived from the Dutch words "to doze" and "to sniff." There are over 2,200 of such rooms in schools, hospitals, group homes, residences and daycares in Europe and North America. Of the more than 45 Snoezelen rooms in Canada, the first was developed at the Bloorview MacMillan Centre in Toronto and more recently at Bridgeview School in Point Edward, Ontario. The Magic of Snoezelen Rooms is an excellent introductory article in Ability Network Magazine.
Child advocacy groups are asking Ontario Superior Court to repeal Section 43 of the Criminal Code which allows for the use of reasonable force in correcting a child. Leading the challenge is the Canadian Foundation for Justice, Youth and the Law supported by the Ontario Association of Children's Aid Societies. Opposing the challenge is the federal government along with the Canadian Teachers' Federation and the Coalition for Family Autonomy who fear that striking down the law would make "proper discipline" impossible. The case begins in Toronto on December 6.
Updated December 5, 1999