Kathy Ward-Doucette

Since graduating from Holland College’s Human Services Program and launching her business K&K Quality Care in 2002, Kathy has been a trail-blazer in the field of providing services and supports to people with intellectual disabilities. K&K Quality Care provides individually tailored day programming to approximately 25 adults, all of whom have benefited significantly from her knowledge, experience, and commitment.   

Kathy has developed an approach that builds on the strengths of her clients and addresses their individual needs. Client-centred, it involves parents, family members, and friends in developing personalized programs for each of her clients. K&K Quality Care operates on the principle of normalization; that is, helping people with disabilities to live, as much as possible, normal lives. Kathy’s fundamental principle is to accept people with disabilities as people, and to help them to accept greater responsibility and control over their own lives. She proceeds from the expectation that people with disabilities will become contributing representatives in our community and her operation is focused on that goal. K&K has developed several small businesses, where her clients are trained as employees and given valuable work experience.  

Uniquely, K&K Quality Care operates with no core government funding, demonstrating through a successful decade of service, that meeting the needs of people with disabilities is not an act of charity, but a realistic and effective way of providing her clients with the skills and training they require to become contributing members of society.  

Kathy is an outstanding advocate for her clients, helping them access additional services and supports in the community. She also partners with Holland College, opening her facility to students of the Human Services Program for on-the-job training, and is a member of the Advisory Committee of the Human Services Program. She also serves on a variety of both government and private sector committees and is actively involved in the Prince Edwards Island Department of Education and Early Childhood Development’s annual Transition Expo. 

Kathy received a Distinguished Alumni Award in 2012.