This past October, Michelle Amerie, a member of our Abilities family, completed the Easter Seals Drop Zone challenge. Casting fear aside, she rappelled down a 32-story building. It was all for a good cause—proceeds from the fundraising event are used to support children and youth with disabilities. Since 2005, the Drop Zone has raised more than $4.8 million for Easter Seals. Click More... to watch a video of Amerie’s amazing descent.
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The Canadian Abilities Foundation, with the support of TD, is proud to re-launch the Directory of Disability Organizations in Canada.
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On 3 December 2011, Canadians will be celebrating the United Nations’ Day of Persons with Disabilities. The history of advances in disability policy at the federal level is presented in a new book, called Celebrating Our Accomplishments, published last month by the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD), a national organization of people with disabilities working for an inclusive and accessible Canada.
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This post is based on DAWN-RAFH Canada’s statement delivered by National Director, Bonnie Brayton on December 6, 2011 in Montreal, QC in commemoration of the National Day of Action and Remembrance on Violence Against Women. More than 20 years after the massacre of 14 young women at l'École Polytechnique in Montreal, violence against women in Canada continues to be an on-going issue. For women with disabilities, it is even more intensified and occurs in a number of different forms. One of these is conjugal or spousal violence.
By COMMUNICARE - DisAbled Women's Network (DAWN) Canada
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As if we needed any more evidence of the power of art! Scientists at University College in London, U.K., have discovered that “works of art can give as much joy as being head over heels in love.” In a study published this spring, they concluded that the “pleasure” responses registered in the brains of people viewing art were as powerful as those in the throes of falling in love—regardless of whether or not the individuals had any prior knowledge of or affinity for art.
By Abilities Arts Festival
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Throughout most of his life, John Bramblitt, 39, turned to drawing or writing whenever his seizures became too much to bear. Creating something offered him respite from the disruptive convulsions, that were part of growing up with severe epilepsy. But when Bramblitt lost his vision 10 years ago because of damage caused by the disorder, he thought that his ability to create and enjoy art was gone forever. Then one day in 2002, Bramblitt decided to start painting again. He considered doing something that is regarded as visual to be almost an act of defiance—and he was ready to defy expectations.
By Monique Beech
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The growth of the consumer movement in Canada in the 1980s created a complete paradigm shift for Canadians with disabilities. Out of it developed a new appreciation of people with disabilities as being important citizens with abilities, as well as a new philosophy regarding the role of service providers and of people with disabilities as empowered consumers.
By Independent Living Canada
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When Aaron “Wheelz” Fotheringham was a little boy, he used to blast up and down the hall using his crutches, pretending that he was a superhero. These days, as a pioneer in the sport of wheelchair motocross (WCMX), Fotheringham flies for real. The 19-year-old made it into the 2010 Guinness Book of World Records as the first person to do a single backflip in a wheelchair. In August 2010, he mastered the double backflip.
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Izzy Camilleri felt that she was “all thumbs” the first time a client using a wheelchair approached her for one of her famous leather designs eight years ago. Though long considered an icon of Canadian fashion and haute couture, Camilleri admits that designing around a wheelchair was something that she had never considered—and it made her a little nervous. Now, Camilleri’s taken adaptive clothing a step further by opening the world’s first store completely devoted to fashions for “seated clientele.” IZ Adaptive—where authoritative function meets unparalleled fashion for wheelchair-users—opened its doors in Toronto this past May.
By Barbara Turnball
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As soon as Luca “Lazylegz” Patuelli begins contorting and twisting his body, a chorus of cheers erupts. To the 300 schoolchildren gathered here at a seniors’ home in Toronto for the Abilities Arts Festival, Patuelli is more than just a celebrity. He’s a role model. Most of the children watched Patuelli steal the hearts of Canadians on the hit show So You Think You Can Dance Canada this past August. The professional dancer, who has competed around the world with breakdancing crews, made it to the top 90 on the show, a first for a contestant with a disability.
By Monique Beech
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Even under the best of circumstances, Internet dating is like trying to knock down milk bottles at a carnival. You can come close, but how often do you get to go home with a teddy bear? Or a soulmate? Now that I’ve lost most of my sight, it’s getting even harder to find mine. I have retinitis pigmentosa, which is congenital, incurable and getting worse. Even so, I do want to find The One.
By Eleanor Roth and Marlene Shyer
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The Accessible Road is a travel guide revolving around accessibility. It is designed to help those with limited physical mobility plan worry-free getaways—they won’t need to give accessibility a second thought! The guide reaches out to a clientele looking for accessible cultural and tourist sites that have qualified staff who are familiar with their needs. Like everyone else, people with mobility issues are looking for fun and adventure, while keeping safety in mind. Kéroul understands.
By Keroul
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