OTTAWA – September 9th, 2021 – September 9 is International FASD Awareness Day, a day to raise awareness of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), work to dispel stigma associated with FASD as well as celebrate the neurodiversity of those living with the disorder. To mark the day, Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada is publishing its latest research report, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: Supporting Inuit Families and Communities.
The report is culmination of a year of engagement sessions with service providers, those living with FASD, and their caregivers in Inuit communities and urban centres across Canada. The report outlines how FASD is understood, and how individuals living with FASD are supported within our communities.
In our conversations and engagement sessions around FASD and related services, many Inuit identified a series of social and physical barriers that can prevent families from accessing the appropriate services or level of care required to meet their unique needs. These include a lack of holistic, culturally-specific and trauma-informed services, and as well as a hesitation to seek out what services are in place, due to the widespread stigma around FASD.
“Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder [FASD] is a term that carries significant stigma,” said President, Rebecca Kudloo. “Not only do we need to work to understand and decrease this stigma, but there also needs to be health and social supports specifically for Inuit living with FASD, their mothers, and their families.”
The Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: Supporting Inuit Families and Communities report is available here on our website, and printed versions of the publication will be distributed throughout the regions. To accompany the main report, Pauktuutit is also publishing a community report and environmental scan.
Pauktuutit extends sincere gratitude to the service providers, knowledge keepers and community members who shared their experiences for this project.
For more information or resources about FASD, visit:
- https://pauktuutit.ca/health/fetal-alcohol-spectrum-disorder/
- Piruqatigiit Resource Centre: https://piruqatigiit.ca/
- Canada FASD Research Network: https://canfasd.ca/
- Saskatchewan Prevention Institute: https://skprevention.ca/
To schedule an interview:
Please contact Amanda Deseure, 613.806.3336 or email communications@pauktuutit.ca.
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Pauktuutit is the national non-profit organization representing all Inuit women in Canada.
Its mission is to foster a greater awareness of the needs of Inuit women, and to encourage their participation in community, regional and national concerns in relation to social, cultural and economic development.