Shadiah Namukwaya

As a Community Support Professional at AHRC NYC Fisher Center, I support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to lead self-directed and independent lives as active and valued members of their communities. My responsibilities include promoting skill development, personal interest and hobbies, providing assistance with activities of daily living, and ensuring the health, safety and overall wellbeing of people I support. I also assist with bus duty during arrival and dismissal, facilitate community engagement opportunities, and encourage self-advocacy. Additionally, I complete requisite paper work such as completing daily EDSRs and monthly progress notes for people I have supported in the month. I also participate in staff meetings and trainings for Continuous Professional Development.

As a Research Supervisor, I supported the Department of Social Work and Social Administration across various child protection and disability projects. My roles included supervising research assistants to ensure adherence to ethical research principles, including confidentiality, while collecting both qualitative and quantitative data using tools such as CAPI, ODK, and NVivo. I also contributed to data transcription and analysis, conducted literature reviews, and assisted in writing project reports. Additionally, I helped organize workshops, conferences, and stakeholder discussions related to child protection and disability advocacy.

As a Camp Counsellor at Camp Anne, AHRC Summer 2024, I supported adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in fostering their wellbeing, independence and full participation in camp activities. My responsibilities included encouraging engagement in camp activities such as arts and crafts, swimming, boat riding, music, sensory activities and nature exploration while providing adaptive opportunities tailored to each camper’ s needs. I assisted campers in planning and participating in daily activities that aligned to their interests and goals. I ensured health and safety through consistent supervision either by one 1:1 or group ratio of 1:5 and responded appropriately to any emerging needs. Additionally, I completed required documentation, including daily summaries, behavior and incident reports, and end-of-session evaluations, in accordance with agency and OPWDD standards.