--- title: The Latest | Al Etmanski description: "Al Etmanski is the President of PLAN (Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network) and has been a leading advocate for people with disabilities and their families in Canada for more than two decades. He is widely recognized as a visionary thinker in areas of social policy, community development and individualizing services for people with disabilities. Al is an author, advocacy consultant and social inventor who specializes in finding innovative, non-governmental solutions to social problems." --- [![20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/Administration/Tamarack%20Logos/20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange.png?width=200&height=47&name=20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange.png "20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange")](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/?hsLang=en-us) # The Latest Contribute. We love to hear your thoughts, your musings and your latest work. Please share with us! 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He is widely recognized as a visionary thinker in areas of social policy, community development and individualizing services for people with disabilities. Al is an author, advocacy consultant and social inventor who specializes in finding innovative, non-governmental solutions to social problems. ### Recent Posts [![](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hubfs/The_Latest/spoon%20cutlery%20tool%20plan%20-558126-edited.jpg) ](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/stash-your-plan-in-the-cutlery-drawer?hsLang=en-us) ### [Stash Your Plan in the Cutlery Drawer](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/stash-your-plan-in-the-cutlery-drawer?hsLang=en-us) Posted by [Al Etmanski](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/author/al-etmanski) on March 24, 2017 Imagine a restaurant review that focused exclusively on the cutlery on the table. “What about the meal?” you would ask. Indeed. Knives and forks aren’t the meal. They are merely a means to a hopefully delicious end. Sadly, in the social justice world there is too much focus on tools and processes. [Read More](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/stash-your-plan-in-the-cutlery-drawer?hsLang=en-us) [![](http://institute.plan.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/alex.jpeg) ](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/where-have-all-the-flowers-gone?hsLang=en-us) ### [Where Have All the Flowers Gone?](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/where-have-all-the-flowers-gone?hsLang=en-us) Posted by [Al Etmanski](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/author/al-etmanski) on February 6, 2017 The family arm of the disability movement that I belong to seems to be getting older. The average age of the people at the meetings or conferences I attend is getting higher. There is a certain nostalgia in our deliberations. [Read More](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/where-have-all-the-flowers-gone?hsLang=en-us) [![](http://institute.plan.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/headshot.jpg) ](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/the-crown-of-lobbying?hsLang=en-us) ### [The ‘Crown’ of Lobbying](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/the-crown-of-lobbying?hsLang=en-us) Posted by [Al Etmanski](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/author/al-etmanski) on January 19, 2017 People who are members of disability royalty, and that include staff, funders, policy makers as well as individuals, families, and friends, are by definition in it for the long haul. Their lobbying, petitioning and advocacy will continue for a lifetime. Chances are they will be engaged with the same people and the same departments more than once or twice. That makes it even more important to pay attention to their individual and collective reputation. [Read More](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/the-crown-of-lobbying?hsLang=en-us) [![](http://deepeningcommunity.ca/sites/default/files/imce/liz_artist_etmanski.jpg) ](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/if-it-aint-broke-dont-fix-it?hsLang=en-us) ### [If It Ain’t Broke Don’t Fix It](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/if-it-aint-broke-dont-fix-it?hsLang=en-us) Posted by [Al Etmanski](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/author/al-etmanski) on December 19, 2016 *“My name is Liz and I have Down syndrome.”* *She strode onto the stage without notes, without preparation, and seemingly without a care.* *A hundred pairs of eyes were anticipating her spoken word poetry performance.* *A recipe for disaster.* *A disaster that I had tried to prevent from the moment she was born.* *It was the scene of my undoing.* ** [Read More](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/if-it-aint-broke-dont-fix-it?hsLang=en-us) [![](http://deepeningcommunity.ca/sites/default/files/imce/al_and_vickie_impactability.jpg) ](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/the-force-that-bounces-the-world?hsLang=en-us) ### [The Force That Bounces the World](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/the-force-that-bounces-the-world?hsLang=en-us) Posted by [Al Etmanski](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/author/al-etmanski) on October 13, 2016 This may be the easiest assignment Vickie and I have ever had. The good folks at the [Plan Institute](http://institute.plan.ca/) and [Tamarack Institute](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/?gclid=CO-tttSO1M8CFYNpfgodRYYGZA&hsLang=en-us) have asked us to host a webinar series on the ingenuity of people with disabilities and their families. Easy, because innovation is **the** core competency of people with disabilities and their families. [Read More](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/the-force-that-bounces-the-world?hsLang=en-us) ### [Beyond the Olympics/Paralympics: 5 World Class Brazilian Social Movements](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/beyond-the-olympics/paralympics-5-world-class-brazilian-social-movements?hsLang=en-us) Posted by [Al Etmanski](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/author/al-etmanski) on September 13, 2016     [Read More](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/beyond-the-olympics/paralympics-5-world-class-brazilian-social-movements?hsLang=en-us) [Next](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest/author/al-etmanski/page/2) [![20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/Administration/Tamarack%20Logos/20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange.png?width=3401&name=20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange.png "20yrLogo-2_WhiteOrange")](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/?hsLang=en-us) ### Tamarack [Home](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/?hsLang=en-us) [Latest](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/latest) [Events](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/eventlisting?hsLang=en-us) [Donate](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/donate?hsLang=en-us) [About](https://www.tamarackcommunity.ca/whoweare?hsLang=en-us) ### Follow Us [** ** ](https://www.facebook.com/TamarackInstitute) [** ** ](https://twitter.com/Tamarack_Inst) [** ** ](https://www.linkedin.com/company/tamarack-institute-for-community-engagement)   In the spirit of respect, reciprocity, and truth we honour and acknowledge that our work occurs across Turtle Island (North America), which has been home since time immemorial to the ancestors of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples. ### Subscribe Be in the know. 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