Below is a transcript of the tape that was made of my speech at the Inspire Awards, given out by Toronto’s LGBT community, at the ceremony on May 5th. The beginning and ending are from memory, which is unreliable, the middle is from the portion of my speech that was recorded. (Joe assists me with […]
Today I will be receiving a lifetime achievement award at the “Inspire” ceremony here in Toronto from the LGBTQQ+ community. It’s for my work regarding sexuality, adulthood, and self advocacy with people who have intellectual disabilities. I feel humbled by the award and challenged by the fact that I have one minute to speak after […]
Okay, this is a subject I’ve written about before but I’m going to take a different turn in the telling. We arrived at a hotel with a booking guaranteeing an accessible room and there wasn’t one. The clerk, handed me a key to a room, not telling me that it wasn’t accessible, even though I’d […]
Does it matter that I have a disability? Yes. It does. People keep saying that they don’t think of me as disabled. Even though I am. People keep saying that they don’t see me that way. Even though I am, quite visibly, disabled. People keep saying that I shouldn’t speak of myself that way. Even […]
While Joe was getting his hair cut I was wandering around the store. He takes much longer than I do and I fill that time by browsing. I was rushing back to the hair cutting place when I had to come to a stop because there were two people who were blocking the pathway. The […]
I keep getting told that it’s “not prejudice.” I keep getting that patient voice explaining to me that prejudice as a motivating factor is just in my mind. I keep having explained to me that, essentially, there is no such thing as prejudice against people with disabilities. After shopping for groceries in my local store, […]
Date: October 11th, 2018 10:30AM – 8:30PM Location: Heritage Hall, 3102 Main Street, Vancouver (Click for map) At the INCLUSION Art Show, you will see the recent creations of hundreds of artists who are working independently or in studios supported by Community Living agencies across Metro Vancouver. Come and meet artists during the show, discover […]
Hosted by: Disability Alliance BC Date: September 27th, 2018 Location: Italian Cultural Centre 3075 Slocan St., Vancouver (Click for map) Ticket Price: TBA DABC’s 6th annual fundraising gala is on September 27th, 2018 at the Italian Cultural Centre (3075 Slocan St., Vancouver, BC). Last year’s gala was a fun evening and a great success and […]
Hosted by: PLAN Institute Date: September 7th – 9th, 2018 Location: The Bowen Island Lodge, 380 Cardena St, Bowen Island (Click for map) Registration: Available online (note: space is limited) About the Retreat: Being the primary support for a loved one who is vulnerable or who has a disability can be an all-consuming and sometimes […]
Hosted by: Delta Community Living Society Date: July 13th, 2018 10:30AM – 2:00PM Location: Kirkland House at Hawthorne Grove Park, 4140 Arthur Drive, Ladner (Click for map) Click for flyer Bring your family and friends to the Kirkland House on July 13th for the presentation of the Tony Schmand Memorial Awards and the Janice Womersley […]
