Will Ottawa Ever Take PWD Seriously?

 I’ve lived in Centretown since 1994. Throughout the years, I’ve seen businesses come and go, but the one thing that has remained is the poor sidewalks along Bank Street. Several years ago, parts of Bank Street were improved while others were ignored. Since Bank Street is one of our busiest

Ottawa is the City that Fun and Common Sense Forgot

 It seems like summer has finally arrived in Ottawa. The past several days have been hot and sunny, so I’ve been able to get outside and roll around. While I love getting out and rolling around, it’s a fresh reminder of the lack of wheelchair accessibility, especially downtown. For example,

The Doc “Tell Them You Love Me” about a Non-Verbal Man with Cerebral Palsy made my Blood Boil

 Recently, I watched a new documentary on Netflix called Tell Them You Love Me. The documentary delves into the controversial real-life relationship between a female abled-bodied professor named Anna Stubblefield and a nonverbal man with Cerebral Palsy named Derrick Johnson. The heart of the documentary lies in the question of

The Inadequate Training and Unacceptable Behaviour of Para Transpo Drivers

 Before I roll deep into this week’s article, I want to mention two shows I saw at the ​​Fringe Festival this past weekend. Murder, She Read It’s 1908, and there’s been a murder! Wyndergate Manor’s mystery novel-obsessed maid takes it upon herself to deduce who did the deadly deed after

Help me Restore my Faith in my Neighbourhood and in Humanity

 We’ve all seen the effects of climate change over the past few years. The weather here in Ottawa has become more unpredictable and extreme. One minute, it is a beautiful sunny day, and the next minute, it is pouring rain with high winds. Recently, I was a few blocks from

The Ottawa Art Gallery and Accessible Art in the Capital

 During Doors Open Ottawa this year, I visited the Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG), one of my favourite places in Ottawa. Why do I love the Ottawa Art Gallery? – Wheelchair accessible – Admission is free or by donation except for ticketed events – Quiet places to take a break from

When Declaring a Business or Event is Inclusive, Ensure it truly Means Everyone

 The terms inclusivity, inclusion, and inclusive are widely recognized. Often, when I see an organization or event use these words, the focus is on welcoming LGTBQ+ friendly, all genders and identities, and so on. Something is missing, though. A large group of people are regularly left out, the same large

Tips to Enhance the Accessibility of Mental Health Support

 May is Mental Health Awareness Month. As someone who has ongoing mental health challenges, I’ve encountered several barriers regarding getting the support I need, including proper medication. Unfortunately, I encountered a barrier last week. It’s not a new one, but it’s one that no one seems to mention.   Mental
be kind to homeless people

Never Judge a Book by its Cover

 I finally got outside and went for a long roll on Saturday. Over six hours, I encountered tons of people and experiences. It’s amazing what you can experience when you’re not staring at your phone like a zombie. I want to talk about the mental health aspects of my day.

Don’t Ignore the Signs of Anxiety

 As a person with anxiety, I often get anxious about writing. Specific questions rush my mind, sometimes affecting my body and writing. – What message am I trying to send? – Will others understand it? – What if I am misunderstood? – Will people get the point, and perhaps my

Take Time for Yourself and be Grateful

 It’s been a while since I’ve discussed mindfulness and trying to stay present in a world that runs so fast. Last week was relatively busy, including two hospital trips for appointments. As I’ve mentioned before, going to the hospital can be a stressful experience for me. Thankfully, I was in

Choose to See What You Want to See

 This week, I want to start with two statements and a question. First statement: I’m a person with a physical disability. Due to my physical disability, I’m ventilator-dependent. Also, I have 24/7 care, including any time I go out. My voice is often hard to understand, but I try to

Understanding ASD and Myself Better

 Shortly after my last article, I realized that April is Autism Awareness Month. I was also reminded that April 2nd was World Autism Day.  To everyone who has Autism, I see you, I hear you, and I appreciate you for being you. Being yourself is a hard thing to do

Discovering my Differences are Similar to Yours

 Over the past several months, I’ve been on a journey of self-discovery and learning about mindfulness. In my travels, I’ve realized that I am not only different physically but also think differently. While I haven’t officially been diagnosed, I wholeheartedly believe that I am neurodivergent. A few weeks ago, I

Where do I Roll From Here?

 Over the past three articles, I talked about being born with Nemaline Myopathy and the doctors telling my parents I would only survive a year. A year would turn into living at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario. When I turned seventeen years old, upper management approached my mom and

I’m Gonna Break my Rusty Cage and Roll

 Last week, I left off when I was approached by upper management at the Children’s Hospital Of Eastern Ontario about moving out. I was seventeen at the time and was aging out of the system. CHEO gave me two options: I could either live in a group home or a

Rolling my way Through the School of Hard Knocks

 Rolling my way Through the School of Hard Knocks In part one of my four-part series about my origins story, I wrote about my early years living at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa. Despite being given a year to live, I was determined to prove the doctors

Taking a Look Back at the Start of my Journey

 March 16th, 2024, will mark the 30th anniversary of the day I moved out of the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario and into my apartment. Each week in March, I will write about my journey from 1975 to now. I’ll be sharing my story from my perspective and remembering past

Cultivating Inner Peace with Art, Meditation, and my Surrounding

 Last week was chaotic for me. My new sleeping pills stopped working, so I had very little sleep for three days. Thankfully, I could communicate with my doctor, which seems to be helping. That’s just one issue I had last week. The important thing is I’m still here, and, more

Those Who Live in Chaos Don’t Deserve Your Time

 I’ve been told that, at times, I trust too much. I often give people a second, third, or fourth chance even after they did me wrong. In other cases, it’s one, and I’m done. Typically, it depends on the circumstances, the person, and our history together. Sometimes, it’s hard to

Practising Self-Care When You’re Reliant on Others

 As I’ve been saying over the past few weeks, I’ve been spending a lot of time focussing on myself and practising mindfulness and meditation. So far, I’ve felt pretty great, and it’s been a positive experience. I highly recommend everyone try it at least once if you haven’t already. I’ve

Finding a Healthy Way to Manage Anger and Frustration

 We live in an extremely noisy world where we’re constantly bombarded with information. Whether through constant news cycles, social media, or paying attention to our “smart” devices, we have a continuous stream of information coming at us. The easiest thing for many people to do is to read, react, and

Trying to Make the Best out of Feeling Stuck at Home

 Ottawa received two big snowstorms last week, including over the weekend, making me feel almost trapped in my place. Also, only one elevator has worked in my building for at least the last three weeks. To be fair, it hasn’t been a real issue for me, but I still consider

The Fine Art of Aging and Learning to Treat Yourself Better

 Last week, I turned 49 years old. My birthday was quiet but nice. A friend came over briefly to give me a card. I had planned a small party for Saturday evening, but my lungs were feeling messy, so I played it safe. I’ve been hearing a lot about respiratory

Life is a Learning Experience if you Allow it to Be

 Welcome to 2024! I hope you enjoyed the holidays and have a happy new year! It’s hard to believe we are already in the new year. Time flies when you are having fun. This week, I want to talk to you about how I spend my time during the holidays.