PWD & seniors have rights too, and Doug Ford needs to be reminded

 Last week, I came close to needing to go to the hospital. I wasn’t sick. One of my evening caregivers called in sick, and nobody was available to work. I was notified just as I was about to head out. To be fair, the people in charge of managing the

Rolling on the floor laughing my wheels off

 — a review of wheelchair accessibility at Yuk Yuks Ottawa Recently, I had the chance to check out Yuk Yuk’s Ottawa. When I posted that I was going on social media, a few of my friends and followers were surprised. The reason for that is because up until last year,

The Access 2 Card: A PWD’s ticket to fun in some places

 On Friday, I checked out Banksy 360°, which is at the Aberdeen Pavillion, until October 7th, 2022. The immersive experience is fantastic. I highly recommend checking it out if you can. If you’re a PWD, the event space is very wheelchair accessible. I had tons of space to roll around

Events big or small should be accessible to all

 Events big or small should be accessible to all Let’s start with some good news. Last Thursday, I was able to get my fourth shot. The process was much easier this time. I called the pharmacy around 10:30 am, and a spot was available at noon that day. I rolled

Music is meant to bring people together, not push them apart

 ABOVE: The wheelchair-accessible platform at RBC Bluesfest left OLM contributor Ryan Lythall feeling like a second-class citizen.  (PHOTO: www.facebook.com/ottawabluesfest) On Friday night, I went to Bluesfest. I went for two reasons. Reason number one was to see Rage Against The Machine. In case you’re wondering, the show was amazing. The second reason I went

Frankly, when it comes to PWDs, wheelchair companies and the city don’t give a damn

 Some of you may remember that last week I talked about a friend that became stranded due to his chair breaking down. In the same article, I also mentioned that Para Transpo safely drove him home. I have an update on the story. Last Thursday, Francis Menard, was again heading

A broken chair in a broken system can leave you in a dangerous spot

 I have a quick update regarding last week’s article. Last week, I wrote about a friend being stranded at the hospital because Para Transpo initially refused to pick her up, and Westway Taxi never showed up. A person from OC Transpo reached out to them to apologize and mentioned that the

Another broken promise to PWD from the City of Ottawa

 Before I get rolling in too deep, I want to say hello. Hello and welcome, especially to those reading me for the first time. Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you stick around. In case you missed reading this past Saturday’s edition of The Ottawa Citizen, there was

Please continue to wear your masks in indoor public spaces

 On Saturday, Ontario removed mask mandates in public transit and healthcare settings. I should point out that all hospitals in Ottawa will continue with mask requirements. This means we will no longer be required to wear masks in public transit, healthcare settings, and indoor spaces. Here’s where things get a

A PWD’s thought on the results of the 2022 provincial election

 The past few days have been rough on my mental health, and I know I’m not alone. Since last Thursday’s provincial election, I’ve felt a mixed bag of emotions. Anger, frustration, sadness, and even fear have seemingly taken over my thoughts. Well, more so than usual. To be honest, I

We need a voting system that is accessible to everyone

 This week, I’ll update you about my experience with voting in the provincial election. If you missed last week’s article, here’s a quick recap. Just over a week ago, I had planned to vote early. To my surprise, none of the locations in Ottawa Centre were remotely close to me.

My experience thusfar with trying to vote in the 2022 provincial election

 Last week, I received my voters' card. At first glance, I saw the word Field House, and I assumed Elections Ontario was referring to the Bethell Field House, located at 166 Frank Street. This is where I typically vote, and I live about 10-15 minutes away, and generally, really easy

A few gentle reminders on what to do when you come across a PWD

 With warmer weather here and more people getting out and about, I figured that now would be a good time to remind people how to act around people with disabilities. I wish I could just say be kind and respectful to PWD and others in general. Sadly, that doesn’t happen

Feeling like a stranger in an able-bodied city

 ABOVE: The crosswalk at Pretoria and Queen Elizabeth Driveway. (PHOTO: OLM STAFF) Let’s start with some good news. The warmer weather has finally arrived here in Ottawa, which means I’ve been out and about recently. That’s the good news. Shall we say the bad news or the bad part is

Sharing my recent struggles with anxiety due to the ongoing shortage of PSW

 I’m hoping that the “Rolling Thunder” will be gone by the time this article comes out. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against protesting, and I do love motorcycles, but with the convoy/occupation still fresh in my mind, I was nervous when I first heard about Rolling Thunder. It’s

With one roll at a time, we’ll get there eventually

 In last week’s column, I gave detailed instructions on using the new My Para Transpo website. This week, I wanted to give a little insight and talk about my experiences with the My Para Transpo website. On February 21, 2020, online booking became a reality. In the beginning, the website

Attention city hall: Please stop ignoring Para Transpo riders

 Last week, I took my first trip of 2022 on Para Transpo. While my experience on that day went smoothly, it’s not always the case. Having a positive experience with Para Transpo can almost be a reason to celebrate. For those who aren’t aware of what Para Transpo is, I’ll

We’re different, but yet, we’re the same

 First of all, I want to thank you for the kind words and the congrats. For those who haven’t read last week’s article, I talked about leaving the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario 28 years ago after living there for 19 years. Throughout those 19 years, I moved around several

The convoy: How quickly we became prisoners in our homes

 As I’m typing this, it’s early afternoon on a Sunday. I can hear cars and trucks honking in the distance. This has been the soundtrack to my weekend. On YouTube, people have been live-streaming what’s happening on Parliament Hill, as well as on the streets nearby. On social media, people

Ottawa refuses to believe that people with disabilities matter

 This week, I want to tackle a few issues. In a way, they’re all connected, at least, in my brain. First and foremost, how about this weather? Please don’t shoot me for a lame question. We had a major snowstorm last week for those of you outside of Ottawa, and

My close encounter of the Covid kind

 Last week, I received an email from one of the caregiver agencies that provide nurses that one had tested positive for Covid, and I had to self-isolate. Almost instantly after reading the email, I went through many emotions, but fear and anger were the main ones. My fear stemmed from

Feeling frustrated about Covid, imagine how LTC residents feel.

 Full disclosure… I’m frustrated at what seems like the world right now. Truthfully, it’s mainly at the province of Ontario and, in general, the continuation of people not thinking about others. By now, most of us have heard about the party that took place recently on a plane full of

Welcome to 2022. It’s time to review, and begin anew.

 Right off the bat, or in my case, the wheel, I want to say Happy 2022 to everyone. I hope that this year brings you happiness, good health, kindness, and an end to the pandemic once and for all. Since this is the first full week of January, the holidays

Life keeps rolling by and changing quickly

 For those who aren’t on social media, I have an update regarding getting my booster shot. I got it last Tuesday, and all went well. On Monday, a friend informed me about a pop-up clinic at Canadian Mental Health Clinic, located at 311 McArthur Avenue. I was lucky to book

Rolling through the holidays can be a bumpy ride at times

 Don’t worry, this week, I won’t be going on and on about Covid. I want to mention one quick thing. I reached out to Ottawa Public Health to see if they have plans to offer booster shots at home. Some of you may remember that I received my second shot