What is OneAbility?
The Greater Victoria Collaborative for Adapted Sport and Physical ActivityMission
OneAbility fosters active living and sport participation for people with disabilities by facilitating connections, partnerships, advocacy, education and knowledge sharing among its’ members and communities.
Background
OneAbility is a network of about 50 organizations and groups who are working together to promote and improve sport and recreation opportunities for people with disabilities. Founded in 2015, OneAbility started in the greater Victoria area and now includes members from around BC and other provinces.
OneAbility’s original mission was to bring organizations together to connect and communicate around the delivery of sport and physical activity programs and services for individuals with disabilities. As the organizations came together they realized the opportunity to collaborate, cross promote, learn from each other and create joint programming opportunities. The organizations all shared a common purpose, but most did not know about each other and had not worked together previously. It took time to build trust and establish mechanisms to support working together. However, once members started sharing and collaborating there were early wins with joint program opportunities, and shared promotions, education and training. OneAbility became a hub through which organizations could navigate shared challenges, identify shared opportunities, and also amplify the programs and services that were being offered across the region. Today it is clear that our collective efforts are strengthening members reach, programs and raising the profile of the field of disability recreation and sport – and there is the potential to do more together!
Goals
- Deepen member’s connections and capacity for pursuing their mandates.
- Enhance relationships and structures for joint promotions, education and advocacy.
- Grow the network.
- Develop the internal resources and structures needed for an effective, sustainable network.
The goals are focused on three types of impacts:
- Strengthening members programs and services
- Education and building the field of disability sport and recreation
- Ensuring OneAbility itself has the structures and resources needed to serve its’ members
Current Services
- Shared website and on-line calendar of events
- Twice-monthly newsletters sharing programs, events, grant opportunities and training opportunities
- Monthly member forum offers networking, sharing and learning opportunities for anyone to join
- Learning Events (pre-COVID, now delivered on-line through the forum)
- Annual education day
- Program grants for members
- Strategic networking and relationship building with national and provincial organizations
Board Members
Alannah Verville
Alannah graduated from Camosun College in 2017 with her Bachelor in Sport and Fitness Leadership. In her final year of school, she completed her co-op work term with MOVE Adapted Fitness and in 2019 stepped into the role of Executive Director. Through her connections at MOVE she was introduced to OneAbility and instantly wanted to be a part of this amazing community of inspiring people and organizations. Over the years she has been involved in OneAbility’s various committee groups, panel discussions and membership forums and in 2021 she joined the board of directors! Alannah is excited to continue fostering OneAbility’s growth while striving to deliver on the organization’s mission and vision.
Carinna Kenigsberg
Carinna is the Chair of the Board for OneAbility Foundation, as well as the Director of Programs and Impact at Power To Be. Carinna has played a role in supporting the expansion of OneAbility’s program collaborations, resource sharing opportunities, and community reach. Developing strategic partnerships and enhancing OneAbility’s strategic goals. Carinna has a degree in Child and Youth Care and leads with an ability-centered approach. She practices inclusivity from the way she uniquely connects to individuals, to seeing linkages and opportunities that can build on people’s strengths. Carinna understands the strategic benefit of partnerships and how rich an experience can be when it is done through the collaboration of different skill sets, history, culture and perspective. It is with this mindset and philosophy that Carinna aims to be a steward for people, the natural environment and community. Carinna values being rooted, providing valuable experiences, and finding authentic ways to move the notions of inclusion and impact forward collectively.
Mike Waters 
For more than 25 years, Mike Waters has worked to build community. He has lead and supported numerous initiatives that worked to develop, evaluate and improve programs, services, facilities and infrastructure for municipal and regional governments, and not-for profit agencies in Canada and the UK.
Throughout his career, Mike has held senior leadership roles focused on community
development, social inclusion, social planning, recreation, parks and environmental services.
More recently, he has managed and supported initiatives to improve services for Indigenous
peoples, cultural planning, universal access, and community sustainability.
Mike is currently the Executive Director of the Victoria Therapeutic Riding Association.
Gail Hamamoto
Director of BC Wheelchair Sports Association, and has worked with the organization for 28 years. Gail is the Vice President of the Canadian Paralympic Committee and is CPC’s representative on the Board of the 2010 Games Operating Trust stewarding the financial legacy from the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Gail serves on the Board of World Wheelchair Rugby, was co-Chair for the 2010 World Wheelchair Rugby Championships and chairs the Canada Cup International Wheelchair Rugby Tournament held every two years at the Richmond Olympic Oval. She has organized multiple national and international events in wheelchair rugby, tennis and athletics, focused on creating legacies that include increased awareness, schools programs, equipment, communications and sport development. Gail was the co-creator of the Bridging the Gap Program that removes barriers to participation in sport for individuals with disabilities, supporting their ongoing participation, and is currently leading the development of the Indigenous Bridging the Gap Program. Gail enjoys mountain biking on the North Shore, and playing hockey with an amazing group of women that are showing her the true meaning of lifelong sport!
Tanelle Bolt
Download our Strategic Plan here: 2020_OA_Presentation_DOWNLOAD_Set_sm
