A Look Back at 2023 Before Rolling Into 2024

 Since this is my last article for 2023, I decided to write a little about the past year. This year has been challenging for everyone, including me. Last January, I had to spend twenty-four hours in the ER just because nobody was available to take care of me. I spent

Working to Improving Wheelchair Accessibility During Winter

 Several people in the PWD community are impacted each winter by the city of Ottawa's poor snow removal service. Our already limited mobility becomes even more complicated when the roads, driveways, and sidewalks are icy and snow-covered. Many are forced to limit their daily activities or cannot leave their home.

How You Can Protect Your Mental Health During the Holidays

 The Help Santa Toy Parade took place on Saturday. While it was in my neighbourhood, I didn’t go. The main reason was because it was cold. Secondly, the holiday season can be a difficult time for my mental health. I’ve had some fantastic holidays with family and friends, but I’ve

Lansdowne 2.0 is Ignoring the City’s Biggest Issues

 Last week, the local news was even more depressing than usual. Where shall I begin? – Ottawa city council approved Lansdowne 2.0. – OC Transpo is cutting back on bus routes but is increasing fares. Ottawa is continuing its downward spiral. This week, I’ll focus on Lansdowne 2.0. I’m not

Fully Vaxxed, and Feeling Relaxed

 At the time of this writing, my right arm is sore, and I am tired, but for a good reason. On Friday, I received both the flu shot, as well as the latest COVID-19 booster shot. Now, I know that many people are hesitant to get the newest shot for

Feeding my Need for Better Health

 An update to last week’s article. Last week, I talked about my recent medical appointment and how most doctors and nurses I’ve encountered don’t take the time to read my medical file and aren’t prepared when I roll in. Many often look like a deer in the headlights or quickly

Our Health Care System Continues to Ignore our Needs

 Please note that I’ll be talking about hospitals and medical-related things. You might want to skip this article if these topics make you uncomfortable or are triggering. Trust me, I understand. As some of you know, I have a feeding tube in my stomach. There’s a hole in my stomach,

If a PWD is Stranded in the City – Will Anyone Hear Us?

 Last Monday, Ottawa Transit Riders and ParaParity members held a Para Transpo awareness meeting at City Hall. I admit I only saw about 38 minutes of the meeting. Based on what I saw, the discussion mainly consisted of a two-person presentation and some questions from the audience. Several Para Transpo

When Green Turns to Yellow It’s Time to Slow Down

 Welcome to Autumn 2023! We’re only a few days into Fall, and it’s been gorgeous outside. The signs are starting to show, though. The leaves are changing colour and falling off the trees. The nights and early mornings are getting colder, and the days are getting shorter, I love the

My Experience at CityFolk Can Serve as a Model for Other Festivals

 As soon as I heard Iggy Pop was coming to City Folk, I was so excited. Iggy Pop has been on my concert bucket list for a long time. I’ve been a fan for many years, and not just of his music. I’ve always found him fascinating, especially during interviews

An Opportunity For Para Transpo Users to be Heard

 One of the topics I talk about the most is Para Transpo and how the city continues to ignore the needs of people with disabilities when it comes to Para Transpo users. Over many years, I’ve attended countless meetings at City Hall, including speaking at city council meetings. I’ve also

Taking a Trip Down Memory Lane Should be Wheelchair Accessible

 During the summer months, Ottawa comes alive with festivals. So far, I’ve attended RBC Bluesfest, the Fringe Festival, ​​and the Buskers Festival. Still to come is CityFolk, which takes place from September 13th to 17th. One festival that I didn’t attend was the Nostalgia Music Festival, which took place this

Fanaticcon Brings Out The Geek in Everyone

 I didn’t have a television for the first few years of my life. As a matter of fact, I didn’t have a lot. ICU nurses and doctors surrounded me, and often, another patient was beside me. It certainly wasn’t easy, but compared to my roommates at the time, I had

It’s Better to Bust a Gut Than to Bust a Wheel

 For the fourth week in a row, the LRT is still down. Riders continue to complain about the service interruptions, while both OC Transpo and the City of Ottawa, along with our Mayor and some City councillors, continue to point fingers at each other and ignore people, especially people with

Letting The Good Times Roll—Unlike Our LRT!

 Before I roll deeply into this week's article, I want to point out that I’m aware of what’s going on with the LRT being down again and how it continues to affect people with disabilities and Para Transpo users. Those who follow me on social media probably know I’ve posted

Bluesfest Continues to Give People With Disabilities the Blues

 Last week, I talked about the good aspects of RBC Bluesfest, such as the sense of community, and festival-goers being respectful towards people with disabilities, As promised, this week, I’ll be talking about the less-than-positive aspects of Bluesfest and issues that Bluesfest continues to ignore. Before I begin, I understand

Positives about RBC Bluesfest 2023 and why I love the vibe!

 Typically, around this time of year, I talk about how non-wheelchair-accessible Bluesfest is and the horrible set-up of the wheelchair platform. I could also mention my experience with Para Transpo ​​thus far. But I’m not going to. Unless there’s an earth-shattering event, I’ll discuss the above next week. This week,

OC Transpo On-Demand Service Will Leave More People Stranded

 One of the big stories locally last week was the announcement by OC Transpo that they will be testing an on-demand service this fall. Transit General Manager Renee Amilcar said the service will be similar to Uber. People will be able to book a ride through an app. To implement

RBC Bluesfest & Whimble partner to assist PWD at this year’s festival

 The 2023 RBC Ottawa Bluesfest is just around the corner, and if you’re a person with a physical disability, I have some AMAZING news to share. I will get to the good news in a moment, but first, I want to tell you about the company/organisation helping make this possible.

Beautiful things happen when everyone is included

 The Ottawa Fringe Festival has returned, and I’ve been having a blast so far. Before I get into the good stuff, I must mention Para Transpo. I had planned to attend the Ottawa Fringe Festival last Thursday night with my friend; My ride was booked for 4 pm. After waiting

When Our Air Suffers, We All Suffer

 By Ryan Lythall As a ventilator-dependent person, last week was quite scary. Ottawa was under a poor air quality advisory for three days due to smoke about two hours away. It was my first experience with poor air quality in Ottawa. I heard reports of staying indoors. I had errands

Why Has the Mayor and Council Allowed Para Transpo to Become Unsafe?

 I planned to discuss a different topic this week, but life throws curveballs. When you’re a person with a disability, and you rely on Para Transpo, well, they don’t make it easy on you. It can become very frustrating and sometimes even risky. So, get comfortable if you can because

How The Great Glebe Garage Sale can be Safer and Attract More People

 ABOVE: The Great Glebe Garage Sale is a fun community event that has attracted thousands since 1986. (PHOTO: (L) OLM files, (R) via Facebook) Ottawa was busy last weekend. The REDBLACKS had a preseason game on Friday night. Atlético Ottawa played on Saturday. The Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend and The Great Glebe

Greetings to our new mayor and city councillors.

 Another election in Ottawa has come and gone. I know that some of you are tired of talking about it and perhaps still recovering from the results. Between the election last week and the ongoing inquiry regarding the use of the Emergencies Act during the occupation, it’s been an emotional

A list of local candidates that actually listen to PWD

 Last Thursday, I watched the Mayoral debate on CTV Ottawa. Full disclosure: I get bored the few times I’ve watched debates. Sadly, I get bored because issues that people with disabilities face are rarely mentioned. Scratch that. They’re never mentioned. This was also the case during the debate on CTV