Sometimes existence is a political act. Being different in public space requires an act of defiance and a reclamation of ownership. I belong here. I dare to exist, as I am, as all that I am, here. There is a reason that the word ‘community’ has both a ‘U’ and an ‘I’ in it. I […]
Joe went to get the car as I waited just inside the door of the mall. As soon as I caught a glimpse of the car’s blue, I headed out the door. I was about half way to the car when a young man, maybe 20, said, “Can I help you?” I was too tired […]
Before we left we decided which of the two movie theatres we’d go to, how we’d get me in, and how we’d deal with the slope when we got home. Accessibility is a participatory sport, you need to plan and you need to adapt at any given moment. Once in the car, we headed out. […]
I like where I live. I am lucky, really, really lucky. I have a fully accessible home, a rarity where I live. This means that I have everything I need to be comfortable and safe. And not just inside … we also have neighbours that watch out for us and help out with things that […]
I was sitting at an event right beside a woman with an intellectual disability. I’d seen her around and we’d chatted a couple of times but it would be a stretch to say that I knew her. Wheelchair users seats are pre-determined, we sit in spaces that have been predetermined. That day it meant that […]
I made it to the door. It was cold. Really cold. My fingers were stinging from having to grab cold metal to push myself along a sidewalk that was heavily salted. It had been a hard push. But I was at the door, warmth waited inside. I pushed the automatic door opener and … it […]
I don’t think anyone heard us. We were speaking quite low. But what was happening was that three of us were talking about materials to teach someone about anal sex, after lunch, and over a sharing plate of sticky toffee pudding. We all laughed when we realized what we were doing. We all stopped when […]
On Sunday we decided that we needed to inject a tiny a bit of class and culture in a weekend Netflix ‘Dynasty’ haze. To meet that end we went to see Shakespeare’s “A Winter’s Tale” which was being broadcast live from England. It was playing in a movie theatre neat us, Shakespeare and popcorn! We […]
Kindness. This month’s issue of ‘The International Journal for Direct Support Professionals’ is one that I wrote on what it means to be, or do, kindness. It was published this month because on Nov. 13 we celebrate World Kindness Day. In the article, I challenge people to spend an entire day being kind in all situations, […]
It was the morning after the first snowfall of the year. Much more fell that we expected and, as we were up early getting ready for me to go to work, the plows had not yet been through. We took a second to turn on the television to get the Toronto, where my office is, […]
