Francie Munoz with Mike Edser of the SAC

The Self Advocates Council have talked about Toronto Police Services quite a lot in recent years. Members know police are helpful in the community, in case people get lost, or get into trouble and need help. When the SAC heard about what happened to Francie Munoz, they felt very badly and wanted to invite Francie to come tell her story. Mostly, everyone wanted to give Francie a big hug and thank her for her bravery in standing up to people calling her names.

When Francie’s mom Pam Munoz watched the video and heard Toronto police calling Francie “disfigured” during a minor traffic incident, she knew she had to stand up and tell them it was wrong. That’s when Pam and Francie decided to take the Toronto Police Services to task and demand to be treated better. The Self Advocates Council was so proud of Francie. They were excited to have her join a SAC meeting. Pam and Francie brought beautiful baked cookies for everyone to enjoy as they settled in and listened intently to Francie’s story.

Francie brought a speech about the police incident that she had prepared just for the SAC. She was happy to share her story, and seemed to have a great time  sharing laughs with the self advocates.

The group immediately bonded with Francie and her mission to make things right for people with intellectual disabilities.

Francie shared that mainly, she wanted the police to tell everyone how sorry they were for calling her names. The police were told they need to do community service work, but what Francie really wants is that everyone with an intellectual disability receives an apology. Francie spoke with strength and warmth about her  experience with the Toronto Police, and reminded us that there are kind police out there who want to help us. She is a true example to us all of what self-advocacy is all about.

The Self Advocates Council is inviting the Toronto Police Services to come in and speak with the SAC. All people labelled with intellectual disabilities are welcome to attend!  Please contact Sue Hutton for further info at shutton@cltoronto.ca

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