Close

The BCSALN Board and Members

Michael McLellan

BCSALN Board of Directors  & President
Member of the Self Advocate Committee of Inclusion BC

Michael lives with a visual impairment. Michael’s beginning of self-advocacy was advocating for himself for his white cane. Through this, Michael gained confidence, and shared the importance with others of having your voice heard. Or specifically, to feel the “power of the white cane”, whatever that white cane may be to you. Michael is the recipient of the 2022 WOW Award. This prestigious award was awarded to Michael based on his tireless efforts given to promoting Advocacy throughout the province. He currently sits on the boards for The Self Advocacy Foundation, The Learning Community for Person Centered Practice and Inclusion BC, and he represents Inclusion BC on the Board of Inclusion Canada. Michael is also a part of the Provincial Accessibility Committee within the BC Government. He is the President of a non-profit workers’ cooperative called ESATTA. Michael works with CLBC and other community services by conducting presentations to spread the importance of self-advocacy and inclusivity amongst the B.C. community. Michael is a co-founder of SALN.

Chelsea Rinquinha

BCSALN Board of Directors

Chelsea is a resident of Kitimat BC and happy to say she is the Northwest delegate for BCSALN and the co founder of TALK Northwest. She is on the Planning Committee for the 2023 Self Advocate Leadership Conference. She is proud of the advocacy work she is involved with. She enjoys meeting new people and networking on important issues. She is excited to learn and grow more with every new connection.

Michaela Robinson

BCSALN Member
Member of the Self Advocates of Semiahmoo (SAS)

Michaela Robinson lives in her own apartment with her roommate and enjoys having a place to call her own. She works at Staples and White Spot part time. Michaela has received the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, The Royal Canadian Legion Medal of Excellence, the B.C and International Exceptional Children’s Award, the Yes, I Can Award, and the Kwantlen Polytechnic University Distinguished Alumni Award. Michaela is active in Special Olympics; participating in 5 and 10 pin bowling and Rhythmic Gymnastics. She’s also a very involved in her church and the newest member of the Catholics Women’s League (CWL) Michaela has been a member of Toastmasters for many years which has helped her excel in her public speaking skills. People enjoy her positive attitude as well as her enthusiastic personality. She is passionate about accessibility and ensuring that everybody is able to be apart of their community.

Bryce 
Schaufelberger

BCSALN Member & BCSALN  Website Manager & Vice President of the Mission Self-Advocacy Group & Self AdvocateNet manager

Bryce Schaufelberger is the webmaster of SelfAdvocateNet.com, the largest and one of the oldest Self Advocate websites in the world. Bryce's vision for a website began over 20 years ago when the site went live. Bryce is a well known Special Olympic athlete who has traveled to many international events. He is also a member of the Mission BC hall of fame for his many achievements. Bryce has been an early adopter of technology. He refurbishes computers and makes them available to Self Advocates. Bryce teamed up with Cam Dore and CedarCreekTech to help create the new SALNBC.com site. Bryce is the recipient of the BC People First Presidents Award 2002.

Ramona Harder

BCSALN Member & President of Chilliwack Access for all (CAFA

Ramona has been part of Chilliwack Access for All (formerly Chilliwack People First) since 2008. She has taken on many leadership roles over the years, including President, Treasurer, and Secretary. She works hard, shows up, and is always one of the first people to help when something needs to be done. Ramona is a strong leader who communicates clearly and treats everyone with respect. She believes that learning, inclusion, and community connections are important for everyone. She has helped with many self‑advocacy activities, including rallies, letter‑writing campaigns, fundraisers, and events that support people with diverse abilities. Ramona has also helped build strong community relationships through events like the Chilliwack Transition Fair, the CSCL Community Living Event, and the yearly canned food drive with the Salvation Army. She has attended Inclusion BC Conferences and Camp Luther Self‑Advocate Retreats to learn, grow, and bring new ideas back to her group. Ramona continues to use her experience, leadership, and passion to support inclusion and advocacy in her community.

John Desrochers

BCSALN Member

 

John Desrochers is a 39-year-old gentleman who lives in Quesnel BC and has an autism diagnosis. John enjoys a large selection of activities ranging from outdoor, community, gaming to language activities. When it comes to outdoor activities, John enjoys hiking, walking, swimming and camping. In the community John enjoys donating his time at the Two Rivers Church lunch program, supporting the Amazing Race to Inclusion, being a part of CLBC self-advocacy, meeting his peers in the community and going to sporting events. At home John is a gamer who enjoys both the retro gaming scene (NES, Gameboy, etc.) and modern consoles (Switch 2, Steam Deck, etc.). Finally, John truly enjoys learning new languages, collecting sounds with his audio recorder and transcribing on paper various data sets which include RGB codes, sports teams, and anything else worth collecting to him

Jo-Anne Gauthier

BCSALN Member  & Vice President
Member of BC People First

Jo-Anne Gauthier has been advocating for inclusion and accessibility rights for people in BC for over 20 years. She is the past President and current member of BC People First, a provincial organization run by self-advocates. Jo-Anne is an integral part of BCPF Fundraising and Communications Committees – she is a tireless volunteer who leads by example. She has also worked on community projects for Possabilities, Inclusion BC, the Canadian Institute for Inclusion and Citizenship and is involved with CLBC Partnership meetings and projects. Jo-Anne spends her free time enjoying life on the BC coast with her husband, getting outdoors to enjoy nature, travelling and spending time with her children and grandchild.

Alexander Magnussen

Co-founder and member of BCSALN

Alexander Magnussen is a co-founder of The Self- Advocates Leadership Network. He was a Mentor to The Self-Advocates of Semiahmoo in South Surrey. Alexander worked for Community Living B.C. for two years and for CBI Consultants for 2 years. He has been a professional public speaker for the over eight years and is a former board member of Inclusion B.C. Alexander is on the Board of UNITI.

Kara Anderson

BCSALN Board  of Directors  & Treasurer
Alumni of the Self advocates of Nanaimo

 

Kara is a mother of a son with a disability. Kara is passionate about self-advocacy work and has lived in B.C. for over 10 years. Kara is the secretary for Empowering Self-Advocates to Take Action and has given presentations for the Regional CLBC Staff Meeting. She helps facilitate the Welcome Workshops for CLBC. She is an alumni of the Self-Advocates of Nanaimo. Kara developed and was part of a film called "Fun, Food, and Advocacy”, which was presented at the Inclusion BC conference in Victoria 2019 " and was in the Inclusion BC film “Gender Matters.” She sits on the Provincial Advisory Committee to the CLBC Board. In 2022, Kara helped facilitate the keynote at the Inclusion BC Conference. Kara is a certified People Planning Together Trainer with The Learning Community for Person Centred Practices.

Tami Pedersen

BCSALN and crafts.
Board of Directors 
And A Member of Speaking Up For Self  Advocacy
Tami grew up in Kamloops, moved away for a few years, and then came back. She has been a self-advocate for a long time. People often told her she couldn’t do certain things, but she has shown them that she can! Tami loves to travel, read, watch movies, and enjoy sports like hockey, football, and wrestling. She also likes listening to music, painting, and crafting.
Being part of the SUSA group has been a highlight for Tami because she can help create opportunities for people to get the support they need to reach their goals. She has presented at City Hall, events, and conferences. Tami’s goals are to have control over all areas of her life and to keep improving her skills so that one day she can sell her paintings

Krista Milne

BCSALN Board of Directors  & Secretary
Member of the Self Advocates of Semiahmoo (SAS)

 

Krista is the Secretary for the B.C SALN Board.She attends conferences, gives interviews and has made several videos focusing on inclusion and promoting self-advocacy. Krista is employed at White Spot as hostess and enjoys learning new skills and interacting with the customers. Krista is also working as a Community Leader Igniting Change (CLIC) Storyteller. In this role she gets to interview CLIC graduates. Krista says this has been a very exciting opportunity since it’s helped her gain more confidence and leadership skills. Krista lives in her own apartment with her roommate and values her independence and freedom. Krista feels very passionate about Affordable and Inclusive Housing and often gives speeches about this issue. Krista aims to be a leader in her community by creating positive change for herself and for others.

Dara Watson

  1. BCSALN Member  & Member of 

BC People First

Dara Watson is a long-standing self-advocate and community leader from Dawson Creek, British Columbia with over 10 years of involvement in the self-advocacy movement. As a dedicated member of BC People First Society (BCPF), Dara has been deeply engaged in advocacy campaigns aimed at advancing the rights, inclusion, and voices of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities across the province. Dara served as President of BC People First Society in 2022 and 2023, where she provided leadership, supported fellow self-advocates, and helped guide the organization’s work in championing autonomy, community participation, and meaningful inclusion. In her role, she contributed to events, peer supports, and advocacy efforts that reflect the core People First principle of Nothing About Us Without Us. In addition to her work with BCPF, Dara is an active member of Special Olympics BC, where she participates as an athlete and community supporter. Her involvement with Special Olympics underscores her commitment to inclusive community life, teamwork, and empowerment through sport. Dara has been recognized for her enthusiasm and gratitude for coaching and community connections in her local Special Olympics community. Dara’s leadership extends beyond organizational roles — she is a trusted voice in her community, frequently encouraged by peers and allies to pursue broader leadership opportunities. She brings lived experience, resilience, and a collaborative spirit to every initiative she joins. Joining the BC Self-Advocate Leadership Network (BCSALN) would be a natural next step in Dara’s leadership journey. She is eager to contribute her skills, lived experience, and passion for advocacy to support BCSALN’s mission of building self-advocate leadership across the province. Many in the self-advocacy community have encouraged Dara to bring her insights and energy to BCSALN’s work — a testament to her influence, respect, and ongoing commitment to positive change.
Click to listen highlighted text!