Winter/Spring 2010

Ten years ago, Rick Martellacci took his daughter to the Mount St. Louis Moonstone Ski Resort near Barrie, Ontario, so that she could spend the day snowboarding. Martellacci, then 38, hadn’t skied since he’d had his leg amputated above the knee (as a result of a bone tumour) at age 17. He brought a book to the hill to pass the time and was prepared to sit tight until his daughter was finished. But out on the chalet deck on that mild March day, with the sun shining down and the distinctive bouquet of a ski vacation – crisp winter air mingled with barbecue – wafting in his direction, Martellacci felt compelled to get in on the action.
By Jennifer Rivkin

It is our last night at Sinchicuy Lodge in northern Peru. It is early November, near the end of the dry season. The setting sun turns the haze from forbidden charcoal cooking fires into a ruddy pink. Sitting in my wheelchair in our flat-bottomed boat, gliding past submerged logs and debris, I feel like the Amazon queen.
By Lynn Atkinson

Living with a chronic illness or disability presents many challenges. There are so many strong emotions to cope with, and so many life decisions to make. We often need to make adjustments to our daily routines, our homes, and our careers. We must deal with reactions from family members, friends and society at large. We have to take stock of our finances and navigate the maze of government systems.
By Gloria Troyer

The English Oxford Universal Dictionary defines play as something done to amuse oneself or for exercise, sport or recreation. It comes to us naturally when we are children, but as time passes and our responsibilities grow, play – doing things that give us joy – tends to fall by the wayside.
By Nancy Chamberlayne

Visitors to the home of Frank and Sharon Palermo are struck by the beauty of the house – open-concept design, hardwood floors, granite countertops and maple cabinetry in the kitchen, a deck off the dining room and another off the kitchen. The entryway is flooded with light from windows lining the four-storey stairwell that circles behind a central elevator. How decadent – an elevator!
By Veronica Leonard

How many evenings have chronic pain, physical limitations or fatigue prevented or discouraged you from cooking a tasty, healthy meal for yourself or your family? How many times have you turned to processed, microwaveable and costly take-out dinners?
By Linda Maran

Perhaps you remember your parents dancing to Sinatra’s “Moon River” when you were six years old, or maybe Dylan’s “Lay Lady Lay” was playing when you experienced your first kiss. Like John Cusack’s character in High Fidelity, most of us can probably arrange our favourite albums autobiographically; there are few feelings as satisfying as hearing a great song that perfectly captures an emotion or moment.
By Ryan White

Growing up, Bonnie felt like an outsider at her elementary school and considered herself “extremely ugly and different looking,” a belief that carried over into her teen years and adulthood. Her disability set her apart from others, and it didn’t help that she couldn’t find any role models in mainstream culture. “The media had nothing in terms of disabled people except human-interest stories, which really didn’t talk about being adults,” she says, adding that her summers at a camp for persons with disabilities were the only times she felt normal. “I was even popular.”
By Scott Bremner

Museums and art galleries provide insight into the world’s ancient and contemporary cultures, as well as educational and entertainment programs that enlighten those who are able to take part. Visits to these institutions are a major component of culture and heritage tourism, but barriers that make it difficult, if not impossible, for people with various disabilities to visit these community resources continue to exist.
By John Rae

Like millions of other Canadians, did you resolve to improve your physical fitness in the new year? One way to make your goal a reality is to take advantage of the resources available at fitness centres in your neighbourhood.
By Megan Purpora

With only weeks to go until the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver and Whistler, the countdown is on. On March 12, 2010, over 600 athletes from 44 countries will gather for the opening ceremonies at BC Place to begin nine days of intense competition in Para-Alpine skiing, Para-Nordic skiing, sledge hockey, and wheelchair curling. Paralympic Team Canada will be 55 athletes strong and are currently top contenders in the world they are preparing to impress. The excitement will not be reserved for spectators in Vancouver and Whistler. With national television coverage of a Paralympic Games for the first time in Canada, spectators across the country will get to share in the excitement and pride as Canadian Paralympic Athletes go for gold.
By Canadian Paralympic Committee

When the 2010 Paralympics are in full swing, flags will be everywhere. Almost as much as the athletes themselves, flags will command our attention. They’ll be carried with pride and expectation, waved with cheers and confidence, raised high above podiums as anthems are sounded and medals gleam.
By Ryerson University

This is the second of a four-part series emanating from the work of a national collective – the Belonging Initiative. Three key member organizations, L’Arche Canada, L’Agora and the PLAN Institute, recently launched a website to further the critical discussion of the need for social change at many levels. Al Etmanski from the PLAN Institute, Nathan Ball from L’Arche Canada, and Jacques Dufresne from L’Agora recently turned their focus to the environmental summit in Copenhagen. You can find their perspectives at appartenance-belonging.org. The following is excerpted from Al Etmanski’s contribution to the discussion.

The reality of the exercise of human rights of people with disabilities is a complex one. Our understanding of those rights frequently needs to be reviewed. In fulfillment of its mandate, Disability Rights Promotion International – Canada (DRPI – Canada) held a one-day workshop on November 10, 2009, about the existing relationships between the implementation of economic, social and cultural rights, and the daily lives of people with disabilities. This event, held in Québec City, was made possible by the collaboration of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration (CIRRIS), L’Institut de Réadaptation en Déficience Physique de Québec (IRDPQ), and Regroupement des personnes des organisations de handicapées de la région 03 (ROP 03) and with the financial support of Canadian Heritage.
By Disability Rights Promotion International Canada

By MS Society of Canada

On December 3, 2009, Canadians with disabilities celebrated the tabling of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in the House of Commons. Shortly, the UN secretary-general will receive Canada’s documents and ratification will be finalized. This international human rights treaty upholds: - the equal protection and equal benefit before the law for all people, - the inherent dignity and independence of all persons with disabilities and - the participation of people with disabilities in decision-making affecting them.
By Council of Canadians with Disabilities

In March 2007, the Public Health Agency of Canada approved funding for Independent Living Canada’s “Food for Thought” project. The initiative aimed to educate Canadians with disabilities about sound nutrition; create accessible tools and resources on healthy eating and nutrition; and use food to connect people, encourage physical activity and reduce isolation.
By Independent Living Canada