Vera Perlin
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Elizabeth Vera Perlin, OC (1902 – 1974) was a
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advocate for the rights of the mentally disabled and a reformer who influenced the entire school system of
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and broke new ground on a national scale with her vision and accomplishments. Perlin was the founder of the Newfoundland Association for the Help of Retarded Children, founded two years before the nationally orientated Canadian Association for Community Living. Perlin was born in St. John's,
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(now
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, Canada), the daughter of Mitchie Ann (Manuel) and John Chalker Crosbie, married Albert B. Perlin. Her husband and family were part of the small but influential Jewish community in St John's. She was educated at
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in St. John's and private schools in
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. While volunteering at the United Church Orphanage in St. John's, Perlin encountered many foster children with
developmental disabilities Developmental disability is a diverse group of chronic conditions, comprising mental or physical impairments that arise before adulthood. Developmental disabilities cause individuals living with them many difficulties in certain areas of life, espe ...
who were receiving no education as a result of special needs. As a member of the advisory board of the United Church Orphanage, she persuaded church officials to fund an experimental day school modeled after schools she had studied in
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. Perlin recruited Molly Dingle as teacher and opened the school in the orphanage on Hamilton Avenue in 1954. In 1956, Perlin founded the Newfoundland Association for the Help of Retarded Children, which is now known as the Newfoundland and Labrador for Community Living. With the aid of donations and volunteer work the association opened the Vera Perlin School in 1959 on
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. In 1966, a multipurpose building was constructed to help support the growing program, initially named The Vera Perlin School, it has since been renamed The Perlin Centre. The program expanded and eleven branches were established outside of St. John's to further support those with developmental disabilities. The Vera Perlin Society, a community living organization is named after her.


Awards

* 1955, President of the Regional Council of Home and School Associations. * 1962, first Citizen of the Year Award given by St. John's * 1967, one of 11 Canadian women honoured as ''Women of the Century'' by the
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. * 1968, appointed Officer of the
Order of Canada The Order of Canada () is a Canadian state order, national order and the second-highest Award, honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the Canadian Centennial, ce ...
for her "services to the community in many organizations, particularly those dealing with the care and treatment of retarded children". * 1970, awarded an honorary
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by
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.


See also

*
List of people of Newfoundland and Labrador This is a list of notable people who are from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, or have spent a large part or formative part of their career in that province. This list also includes people associated with the former English, and later British c ...
*
List of communities in Newfoundland and Labrador This article lists unincorporated communities of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Incorporated towns and cities are incorporated municipalities and can be found on List of municipalities in Newfoundland and Labrador. Newfoundl ...


References

1902 births 1974 deaths Officers of the Order of Canada People from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador {{canada-activist-stub