How this deaf and blind man is living independently — with a bit of help

Moving away from the family home for the first time can be a big adjustment for anyone, but for a man in Sturgeon Falls, Ont., it's been quite a transition.

Alec Malette moved out of his parents' house last year and lives in an apartment in Sudbury with a few roommates.

The 24-year-old is deaf and blind, and has had some help from DeafBlind Ontario.

Malette lives in a facility that is supported by the organization.

"I have my own space and get along well with my two roommates," he said.

"I make my own meals and do some some household chores. I've also started attending classes at the local college and got a part-time job at a diner."

DeafBlind Ontario is a provincial organization that supports people who are deaf, hard of hearing and non-verbal with a developmental disability. It was founded in 1989 by a group of parents who lobbied the provincial government to secure funding for community based support living programs for their children.

DeafBlind Ontario helps man live independently

11 months ago

Duration 1:09

Alec Malette, who is deaf and blind, is living in an apartment in Sudbury with the help of an agency that focuses on independence.

For Malette, that means he and his roommates can live on their own — with a bit of support from staff.

"She helps me make sure I'm ready for my day to work," he said, speaking of his professional intervener.

Interveners help people like Alec connect with others in their community. They facilitate communication, help people gain independence and build life skills.

"So our intervener service team provides Alec with — basically, we act as the eyes and ears for him. So we help him with navigating his world," explained Crystal Pigeon-Way, the community engagement manager with the organization's north region.

"With him, a lot of his goals are around accessing public transportation to build his independence. A lot of life skills learning, so cooking more independently, getting a job, going through post-secondary, kind of perusing his own desires and interests that way."

Malette moved to Sudbury after his parents contacted DeafBlind Ontario to learn what options were available for him.

"I had the opportunity to meet Alec in the spring of last year and we started his transition to moving to Sudbury," Pigeon-Way said.

"So we would go an visit him, find out what he likes, attend his job with him, gather some information and build relationships with him — so that's how we met."

She said for Alec, he had little anxiety about the change from living with family to living with roommates.

"For Alec, it was really smooth. So Alec came in ... ready to move, super excited to come to Sudbury," she said.

"Alec is the type of person that wants to do every and anything possible. So he really likes going to Chapters, and shopping, hanging out with his interveners. He enrolled in some classes at Cambrian as soon as he got to Sudbury, got himself a job."

'I love it here'

Pigeon-Way said it's rewarding to help people be more independent in the community.

"I love it, honestly. I've been working with DeafBlind Ontario Services for just over six years now. Throughout my time here, we've successfully transitioned in the Sudbury area nine people supported, so Alec being one of them," she said. 

"It's really nice that we're able to gear their daily plans and their goals to their specific interests and help them live their best lives."

Malette said he keeps in close contact with his parents in Sturgeon Falls, who visit him once a week.

"They're proud," he said. "I love it here. I'm so happy to be able to live on my own."

Morning North5:16Blind and deaf man's journey to independence

This is the story of Alec Malette from Sturgeon Falls who is deaf and blind. He's now living on his own in Sudbury. As the CBC's Martha Dillman tells us, his journey to independence went smoothly... with a bit of help.