Graduating high school, going to college or university and moving out of the house - it's all a part of growing up for thousands of young Canadians every year, but is especially daunting for students with disabilities.

The "Independence Program" is a special camp for disabled students who need to learn how to live in the city.

Thirteen participants between the ages of 18 and 21 arrive at Toronto's Ryerson University campus for a three-week course that will change their lives.

It has been a long day for Valerie Pominville who has cerebral palsy. She and her parents drove 10 hours to get to Toronto, and Valerie arrives sobbing.

"I think today she's realizing how big the city is," says Nicole Pominville, Valerie's mother.

Valerie still lives at home with her parents on the family farm in the francophone town of Hearst - about 200 kilometres north of Sault Ste. Marie. She studies psychology at Hearst University where she has already completed three years of her degree and plans to go to graduate school.

"I don't want to depend on my parents all my life, so I want to learn things that will lead me to an independent life," she says.

Nearly 1,000 kilometers away in Woodbridge, Ontario, it's the same story for Gabby Carafa. She has neuromuscular disorder and relies heavily on her mother.

"I don't cook. I don't clean. So the list is bigger for what I don't do than what I do," says Gabby.

All that is about to change. Gabby and Valerie will soon be roommates.

"I'm really, really nervous about it," says Gabby. "I've never surrounded myself with people with disabilities. My mom always teases me and says that I'm in denial about it because I feel like I'm really not in a wheelchair that I'm separate from them."

Checking In

The rooms are small and Spartan - typical student dorms. They're not quite what Valerie had imagined, and even touches from home can't temper her disappointment.

"When I had my mental image of here I thought it would be all accessible with big rooms. For someone with a disability they're a bit small," notes Valerie.

Gabby has a similar impression. "It's definitely not like my home. It could be worse. I don't know how yet, but it could be," she says smiling and checking out her new quarters.

Kim Jones-Galley has helped run the independence program for 16 years. She knows expectations are high.

"I think this year we had a number of participants who were quite emotional, and you know visibly upset at being in Toronto and knowing they were going to be there without their parents for three weeks," says Jones-Galley.

The students get training in the kinds of everyday tasks able-bodied people take for granted - like shopping for groceries. Gabby cruises through the Dominion store with a staffer at her side.

"Can you get me the I Can't Believe it's Not Butter, light?" Gabby asks. The staffer helps reach the product on a shelf that's too high and out of her reach.

Next up, is food preparation and how to do it safely, followed by a lesson in making meals. Of course, the campers take this opportunity to whip up some of their favourites, like chicken fingers and cake.

Surviving the busy streets

After five days of learning the basics, it's time for the first big test. A supervised outing through the busy streets of downtown Toronto - a nerve-wracking experience dubbed 'City Survival.'

"City Survival is a very stressful day, because at the end of the first week it's the determining factor as to whether or not they can go out independently," says Jones-Galley

Confidence isn't an issue for Gabby, who knows exactly what she wants to do - she's heading out to indulge her footwear fetish.

"I'm going to the Bata Shoe Museum. It's City Survival so we have to pick a place where to go and try to 'survive the city,'" she says with a hint of sarcasm.

Meanwhile, Valerie is heading to a ceramics museum but first she has to get to the subway and she's not off to a good start.

"I'm a bit mixed up," says Valerie as the city swirls with traffic and general busyness around her. Only 10 minutes into her journey and she's hopelessly lost and more than a little accident-prone.

Several blocks away, Gabby is embarking on her maiden subway trip. She encounters a few minor obstacles - the stations can be confusing for any first-timer - but she manages to sort it all out.

Gabby mades it to the Bata Shoe Museum with flying colours. She's marvelling at the sight of a pair of lime green platform shoes in one of the Shoe Museum displays.

"They're just so weird," she says smiling.

Unfortunately Valerie's destination is a long way off and her journey takes much longer than expected.

Valerie, who took too long to get to the subway, has no time for the ceramics museum. She settles on shopping for notebooks at a dollar store instead. It's been a trying day but a great learning experience.

Post-mortem

After the staff and attendants confer on how the campers did at City Survival, Jones-Galley has a few observations:

"I believe Valerie will need a little bit more practice and definitely that's something that she can book a staff person to go out with her and to continue practicing her navigation skills so that she does increase her confidence," says Jones-Galley.

With "City Survival" behind them now, the days fly by. They try all kinds of activities like riding bikes, playing with musical instruments and diving headfirst into a wild game of basketball.

The kids race around the court in their wheelchairs with great enthusiasm, tossing the ball back and forth and scoring baskets like old pros.

"Hunt them down and eat them raw!" shouts Abbey in a moment of game excitement.

"Probably 80 per cent of them have not had the opportunity to participate in wheelchair basketball let alone any other wheelchair sports," says Jones-Galley, courtside.

City Survival II

Before long, the three weeks are nearing an end. It's time to head out on the final camp test, City Survival 2. Gabby's previous success means no chaperone this time. But that's not the case for Valerie. She's off to the movies with her shadow, looking to improve on her previous City Survival outing.

Two blocks into her journey, and she's already encountered an obstacle. The sidewalk is under construction, but Valerie's about to learn that some Torontonians are only too happy to help.

In less than half an hour, Valerie is at the movie theater and opts to see the French film, "Familia."

"I've learned from the first time that I should have had assistance so, well, as we say, we learn from our mistakes and this time I had asked for assistance," says Valerie, pleased.

And Abbey is shopping up a storm at the Air Canada Centre's gift shop. "This is the best day of my life," he gushes as he tries on a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey.

Moving forward

All too soon the campers' time together comes to a close. While new friends say their goodbyes and families reunite, it's also time for the participants to reflect on some very personal lessons learned.

"I think I became more open minded and accepted the fact that, you know, people in wheelchairs are just like everybody else. And it's not only me that's like everyone else, other people are too. So there's no point in me judging someone based on their disability when I have a disability myself," explains Gabby.

Valerie has also made an important self-discovery.

"Now that I've done this program I have a better idea what it is to be on my own. So when I decide that I want to live on my own, I'll be more ready," says Valerie.

Jones-Galley is confident about the crop of young people she's seen pass through the program this summer. "Each participant who came into the independence program this year could live on their own," she says.

"I believe Valerie will do really well," says Jones-Galley. "She stayed with it and took every opportunity to develop her skills and gain that confidence and I think that's something she'll always take with her."

And her room-mate?

"Gabby's dream of living on her own is definitely realistic," says Jones-Galley. "With the support that can be put in place, I believe it is a realistic dream for anybody."