EnableLink: Arts: Articles

April 2^nd, 2008

Arts: Articles

Abilities Magazine Archive

Abilities Arts Festival A Celebration of Disability Arts and Culture: By Deborah Cohen

Between October 25 and November 4, 2007, Toronto will be transformed as Abilities Arts Festival: A Celebration of Disability Arts and Culture will take centre stage to showcase an array of stunning ...
72 Fall, 2007
The Power of Partnership Access 2 Entertainment: By Vanessa Pfaff

Easter Seals is delighted to have played a role in building an exciting partnership with the disability community and the movie theatre ...
68 Fall, 2006
The Next Generation High-School Students Discover Accessible Media: By Charles Silverman

...
67 Summer, 2006
Read All About It!: By Lisa Bendall

"After Disability," a new all-inclusive guide for people who have developed a disability is now ...
67 Summer, 2006
Warren Rupnarain's Election Tour and Ryerson's Fashion Show: Warren Rupnarain checks on election candidates' attitudes toward disability, and Ryerson makes its annual fashion show more ...
67 Summer, 2006
Disappearing Act My Life as a Reluctant Superhero: By Miguel A. Zapata

I’ve been blessed with the ability to vanish into thin ...
67 Summer, 2006
Stretching Creativity Inspiring Students to Create Accessible Art: By Samhhavi Chandrashekar, Leesa Levinson

...
66 Spring, 2006
Simple Plan, Supermarkets and European Air Travel: Music for teens with hearing disabilities, accessible supermarket flyers and new rights for European air ...
66 Spring, 2006
More Than Skin Deep Expressions of Disability in Body Art: By Jaclyn Law

Thousands of Canadians have body art done—tattoos, piercings, branding and scarification—including many people with ...
66 Spring, 2006
Seeing the Light Changing a Light Bulb is No Joke: By Sharon Wachsler

All too often, jokes about people with disabilities are made at our expense. This column is about jokes made by people with disabilities, in celebration of our creativity, resilience and unique ...
66 Spring, 2006
Ronald McDonald House Kids Get Celebrity Visitors: Celebrities visit kids with disabilities at Ronald McDonald House and Variety ...
65 Winter, 2005
Artists First!: By Raymond D. Cohen

The celebration of disability, through the lens of the filmmaker and photographer, the brush of the artist, and the flight of the dancer, is developing in an unprecedented fashion ...
65 Winter, 2005
One Smashing Movie: The docudrama Murderball smashes ...
65 Winter, 2005
Making the Arts Accessible The Stretch Project and CulturAll: By Jaclyn Law, Jutta Treviranus

Stretch and CulturAll promote inclusion in the ...
65 Winter, 2005
Unhelping Hands Please, Keep Your Good Intentions to Yourself!: By Marilyn J. Burks

have a visible disability – rheumatoid arthritis. One look at me, and people instinctively want to “rescue” me. And it always ends in ...
65 Winter, 2005
Good, Clean Fun A Showering Guide for Amputees: By Maurice Richard

For those of us who wear a prosthesis, staying clean in the great outdoors can be a real test of patience and ...
63 Summer, 2005
Hands-on Learning for Kids: A disability awareness exhibit produced by the Boston Children’s Museum is on display until April 24 at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, ...
62 Spring, 2005
Peak of Success My Walk in the Clouds: By Dede Norungolo

After surviving a brain injury, this author is up for anything. That includes taking on the Pikes Peak Challenge, a 13.5-mile trek up a Colorado mountainside. Along the way may have her doubts, but ...
62 Spring, 2005
Abilities Festival A Celebration of Disability Arts and Culture: It's the news so many of you have been waiting for! Abilities Festival: A Celebration of Disability Arts and Culture is coming to ...
61 Winter, 2004
A Milestone for Moviegoers Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You!: For anyone with a disability who requires a support person to attend a movie, the process at times hasn’t always been ...
61 Winter, 2004
Stuck on You My Husband’s Passion for Duct Tape: By Debra MacDonald-Beauchamp

This author claims she can’t compete with the new love in her husband’s life – duct tape! Her husband, whose stroke has affected his ability to handle tools, seems to think duct tape is the answer to ...
61 Winter, 2004
It’s Hip to Be Square: By Carol Jean Scott

I had polio as a baby and, as a result, I am about 90 per cent paralyzed on my left side. One activity I thoroughly enjoy is square ...
60 Fall, 2004
Famous Players Offers Accessible Services: Famous Players has established new services in its cross-Canada theatres to meet a range of disabilities. Now, select theatres are offering Descriptive Video Service (DVS) for customers with vision ...
60 Fall, 2004
Delighted Dad Now I Know I'm Not Chopped Liver: By Ken Davis

It’s challenging to be a new dad at the best of times. But to be a new dad to an adopted toddler who has had very little exposure to men – not to mention men in a wheelchairs – can be even trickier. ...
60 Fall, 2004
Alvin Law Every Reason to Celebrate Life: By Lynne Swanson

When Alvin Law was born without arms or hands, his birth mother gave him up. But his new family, his teachers and the Saskatchewan community around him nurtured the boy’s many gifts, including his ...
59 Summer, 2004
Projections International Film Festival Puts Disability in the Spotlight: By the Canadian Abilities Foundation

Moviegoers in Toronto are about to experience a film festival so enlightening, entertaining and challenging that it will open minds and hearts. Don’t miss Projections, an international festival that ...
59 Summer, 2004
Weeping Man at Weeping Rock: By Brice Carroll

While visiting a national park, this author is certain he is headed for disaster when his wheelchair skids uncontrollably toward a cliff. But his nail-biting horror turns quickly into hilarity as he ...
59 Summer, 2004
A Standing Ovation Artists Receive Accolades in Winnipeg: By Cassandra Phillips

A hush comes over the audience as the curtain is pulled back to reveal a dark outline of a figure. And then the figure begins to speak. This is David Roche, and he is presenting ...
59 Summer, 2004
A Tribute to Disability Sports in Alberta: By the Canadian Abilities Foundation

The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Museum has recently enhanced its permanent disability sport ...
58 Spring, 2004
Challenging Stereotypes A Celebration of Arts in the Community: By Sue Proctor, Kari Krogh, Maya Gislason

Mark your calendars for the last week in March. The Arts Ability project will be showcased as an innovative approach to facilitate opportunities in the arts for people with disabilities within ...
58 Spring, 2004
The Air Out There Surviving Heightened Airport Security: By Ken Davis

With airport security tighter than ever, this traveller finds himself the recipient of rather thorough bodily searches – and his carry-on baggage, too, is the subject of intense scrutiny. Seems that ...
58 Spring, 2004
Kina Diamond Sparkles Onstage: By the Canadian Abilities Foundation

Kina Diamond describes herself as a pop/disco singer “determined to defy the laws of conventionality.” The Montreal, Quebec, native has a style all her own. She has aspired to ...
57 Winter, 2003
House Hunting Season Staking out the Habitat: By Chrissy Laws

The woods of northern Maine abound with wild animals, but this writer is after bigger game: a new house. After some false starts – including leaking pipes and menacing dogs – she and her husband ...
57 Winter, 2003
France Geoffroy To Dance is to Live: By Sujata Dey

France Geoffroy of Montreal has always known she was born to dance, and that didn’t change when she acquired a spinal cord injury. Now she is a talented member of an integrated dance company, and she ...
56 Fall, 2003
Creative Journeys Paths to Artistic Expression: By Deborah Debord

Whether she’s joining a choir, weaving on her loom or creating a culinary delight, this author is no stranger to following artistic pursuits. Through her own experiences and those of the many artists ...
56 Fall, 2003
Art and Soul Celebrating the Abilities Festival: When it comes to thinking outside the box, people with disabilities usually have the title, hands down. Maybe that is why we see such an array of rich creative works emerging from disability culture. ...
56 Fall, 2003
Operation Snow Balls A Sticky Situation in the Summer Heat: By Ken Davis

Like many others with quadriplegia, this author is always looking for new ways to stay warm in winter and cool in summer. But on one particular hot summer afternoon, perhaps he was a little too ...
56 Fall, 2003
Famous Players Discontinues Companion Policy: Famous Players Theatres has announced that as of September, 2003, it will discontinue its “companion policy” for patrons who use wheelchairs, that has allowed free admission to the escort of a person ...
56 Fall, 2003
Inspiring a Best-Selling Author: Lauretta Reid, 11, of Orillia, Ontario, has inspired one of Canada’s best-selling authors to write his latest children’s book. Youngsters the world over love the funny and whimsical stories of ...
56 Fall, 2003
Sheâ€™s Got the Look The Truth about Mona Lisa: By Gael Hannan

For centuries, art aficionados have wondered about Mona Lisa’s enigmatic smile. This author reveals the truth once and for all: in the famous painting, Mona Lisa is wearing “the look.” She has tuned ...
55 Summer, 2003
Summer Reading: In every issue of ABILITIES, we bring you a handful of new book titles in our up-front Books section. But with an array of inspiring, informative or thought-provoking disability-related books on the ...
55 Summer, 2003
Art Raises Awareness: Approximately 20 per cent of Canadians will experience a mental health disorder during their lifetime, and the remaining 80 per cent will have a family member, friend or colleague who deals with ...
55 Summer, 2003
Ducking Telethons Iâ€™ll Take Passion Over Pity: By Mark Lindenberg

Many people with disabilities have experienced the pat on the head and the well-meaning, “You’re so brave.” But this author argues that everyone, with or without a disability, has good days and ...
54 Spring, 2003
Tinnitus Tactics Why I Love the Legendary Libido of Locusts: By Bob Dorsett

Accentuate the positive, suggests the author, who has developed tinnitus. What he chooses to hear in his ears is not a persistent and frustrating noise, but the pleasant serenade of locusts, ...
53 Winter, 2002
Culture Signs The Canadian Dictionary of ASL: By Gael Hannan

This two-inch-thick reference book may not be very portable, but it’s certainly valuable. With years of research and hard work behind it, this dictionary is an impressive publication, containing ...
53 Winter, 2002
A Star is Born: Fourteen-year-old Mony Yassir from Toronto has managed to snag an acting role on the award-winning television series, "Degrassi: The Next Generation." This dynamic young lady has a ...
53 Winter, 2002
A New Book for Non-Profits Pressure Points and Possibilities: The pressure is on! Non-profit organizations, including those serving people with disabilities, are being pressed to provide more and better services at the same time that governments are ...
53 Winter, 2002
Culture Cauldron and Art with Attitude Ryerson Showcases Deaf and Disability-Inspired Art: By Catherine Frazee

It all started with a simple one-liner. At a focus group hosted by the Ryerson RBC Institute for Disability Studies Research and Education, we asked the question: "How can we best support you, ...
52 Fall, 2002
Washroom Woes An Entrance Manual for Walker Users: By Anita Arnold

When you use a walker and need fast access to a public washroom, the biggest challenge is often simply getting through the door. This writer presents her own novel solutions to a range of ...
51 Summer, 2002
Paul Wittgenstein His Music Touched Our Hearts: By Richard Bauman

In 1914, Austria’s Paul Wittgenstein made his debut in Vienna as a brilliant pianist. But just a few months later, his right arm was amputated from a war injury. What kind of music career lay ahead ...
50 Spring, 2002
That Sinking Feeling Thereâ€™s Such a Thing as Too Much Power: By Audrey King

Most people with motorized wheelchairs respect the power they sit on. But sometimes the power can get a little out of control – with hilarious consequences. This author recounts her misadventures ...
50 Spring, 2002
The Person Within Preventing the Abuse of Children and Youth with Disabilities: By Marc Gushue

Abuse of persons with disabilities occurs every day, in every part of Canada. While a good many of these acts of abuse are crimes, few are ever reported to the police. When these crimes are committed ...
50 Spring, 2002
That All May Read... Opening Doors to the New World of Digital Information: By Lawrence Stevenson

For thousands of Canadians who are blind or have low vision, the ability to read is a prime source of independence, quality of life and self-esteem. Take Aaron Marsaw, a law student and client of ...
50 Spring, 2002
Best Practices Home-Based Employment Handbook Published: By Robb Nickel

The Canadian Centre on Disability Studies (CCDS) recently published a handbook, Best Practices in the Home-Based Employment of People with Disabilities, based on a study that examined the ...
50 Spring, 2002
On Broadway! The Entertainment and Accessibility of Manhattanâ€™s Theatre District: By Adam Lloyd

New York has always been one of this author’s favourite cities. While the sheer number of activities in the Big Apple can pull visitors in several directions, Broadway is one particular attraction ...
50 Spring, 2002
A Comedy of Errors Sometimes Blindness is in the Eye of the Beholder: By Avril Rinn

People are often a bit taken aback before they realize that this author has low vision. Why is she sniffing umbrella handles and walking into doors? Perhaps if her disability was more obvious, it ...
49 Winter, 2001
Mouth and Foot Painting Artists: The Mouth and Foot Painting Artists (MFPA), a worldwide organization of over 500 artists who cannot use their hands, held an art exhibit in Toronto in September to showcase some of its membersâ€™ ...
49 Winter, 2001
To Chew or Not to Chew? A Cottage Industry Solution to Noisy Alarms: By Audrey King

A ventilator alarm that sounds like itâ€™s meant to wake the dead is enough to motivate this author to want to muffle it somewhat. But her solution, while certainly inventive, is just a tad ...
48 Fall, 2001
Making a Difference An Inspiring Portrait of Canadians: By Lisa Bendall

A new book published by the Canadian Abilities Foundation celebrates the numerous achievements of Canadians with disabilities. Explore the extent to which Canadian society owes its richness to its ...
48 Fall, 2001
Adrian Anantawan A Young Man with a Big Dream: By Jan Wong

Violinist Adrian Anantawan is just 17, yet heâ€™s now on his way to a career of showcasing his talents. Although some felt his disability could work against him, Adrian beat out dozens of ...
48 Fall, 2001
Home Invasion My Smelly Skunk Saga: By Lynne Swanson

What do you do when a family of skunks decides to come for an extended visit? Skunks seem to be like hiccups: Everyone has a different "cure" to suggest. Fortunately, skunks do move on ...
47 Summer, 2001
Violence Prevention New Resource Guide for Women is in Your Community: Women with disabilities have an increased risk of abuse. However, the number of violence prevention resources available to support women is steadily growing, and more and more of these are accessible ...
47 Summer, 2001
Rainbows of Chaos: A Special Feature on the Arts Websites: The Internet is a Groundbreaking Way for Artists with Disabilities to Showcase Their Work: In this feature on arts and disability, read about a photography exhibit of deafblind Canadians, learn to create a colourful mandala, get geared up for upcoming arts events, and explore the web, ...
47 Summer, 2001
Rainbows of Chaos: Special Feature on the Arts Get Off to a KickstART! A Celebration of Disability Arts and Culture: In this feature on arts and disability, read about a photography exhibit of deafblind Canadians, learn to create a colourful mandala, get geared up for upcoming arts events, and explore the web, ...
47 Summer, 2001
Rainbows of Chaos: A Special Feature on the Arts Creating Mandalas -- Thereâ€™s a Talent Inside Everyone: By Judy Ellis

In this feature on arts and disability, read about a photography exhibit of deafblind Canadians, learn to create a colourful mandala, get geared up for upcoming arts events, and explore the web, ...
47 Summer, 2001
Rainbows of Chaos: A Special Feature on the Arts Perceptions of Light: In this feature on arts and disability, read about a photography exhibit of deafblind Canadians, learn to create a colourful mandala, get geared up for upcoming arts events, and explore the web, ...
47 Summer, 2001
Leonard Bishop The Power of the Pen: By Gail Parsons

Leonard Bishop grew up in the slums and was labelled "stupid." His mother bribed his kindergarten teacher to pass him after four semesters. He barely graduated high school and spent years ...
47 Summer, 2001
Imagery, Individual Identity and Independent Living Addressing Oppression through Positive Imagery: By Traci Walters, Liz Griffis

Disability imagery, whether photographs, posters, verbal or written discourse, is composed of multiple viewpoints or gazes, ranging from the "impaired" physical body to the disabling social ...
47 Summer, 2001
Celebrating Arts and Culture KickstART! Promises to be Extraordinary: By Geoff McMurchy

"I dream of creating a place where we can dare to be our most authentic, glorious, outrageous selves. It will be a brief vision of a possible future." -- Bonnie Klein, filmmaker and ...
46 Spring, 2001
Fake Elvis and the Unlucky Seven Memory of an Aura: By Cory Hill

The author, who has epilepsy, likes to think of the aura that precedes a seizure as a sort of "comic relief." He has seen some odd things during auras, and some of them are downright funny. ...
46 Spring, 2001
Canada Post Christmas 2000 Stamps: Canada Post, which has just issued its Christmas 2000 stamps, this year is using original artwork by three Canadian artists with disabilities. All three of the artists are foot or mouth painters. ...
45 Winter, 2000
Frances and Me A Vision of True Friendship: By Selma Fishman

Selma and her friend Frances both have macular degeneration, which affects their central vision. But although they may walk into menâ€™s rooms by mistake and fail to spot each other when they ...
45 Winter, 2000
A Bevy of Books: In every issue of ABILITIES, our regular up-front Books section offers a display of new disability-related titles. For this issue -- just in time for Christmas, whether it’s gift-giving or holiday ...
45 Winter, 2000
kickstART! A Celebration of Disability Arts and Culture: By Geoff McMurtry

"In Canada, the United States and around the world, artists and performers with disabilities are contributing to one of the most radical and effective aspects of disability culture -- ...
45 Winter, 2000
The Teen Scene Observations on Adolescence: By Maureen Bursey

This author wasnâ€™t fully prepared for her little girl, who has Down syndrome, to hit puberty. But between the mood swings, discussions about having babies, and obsession with the Spice Girls, ...
44 Fall, 2000
Whatâ€™s in Store Sneaking a Preview of Profiles Project: By Daryl Rock

Hereâ€™s a sneak preview of the upcoming publication, "Making a Difference," that will profile the achievements of intriguing Canadians with ...
44 Fall, 2000
Show and Tell Videos Available for Raising Awareness or Simple Enjoyment: By Sandra Carpenter

For those of you who know the Foundation on Independent Living, it should come as no surprise that there is a growing wealth of information now available from us on standard VHS cassette format. ...
44 Fall, 2000
Meeting of the Minds A Vehicle Conversion Gone Bad: By Larry Rosenthal

After the platform lift for a modified vehicle runs amok, a driver confronts the dealer for a repair. The warranty may cover new parts, but does it cover the doohickey that kept the thingamajig from ...
43 Summer, 2000
Making a Difference United Nations International Day for Disabled Persons: By Max Brault

In 1992, the United Nations officially proclaimed December 3 as the day on which we celebrate the achievements and contributions made to our community by persons with disabilities. A committee ...
43 Summer, 2000
Spinal Discord -- A Cure for Paralysis? Restoration, Reality and Christopher Reeve: By Charles Krauthammer

Will people with spinal cord injury ever walk again? Thatâ€™s the debate, and itâ€™s a hotly contested one. Here is one from a collection of viewpoints and some of the latest ...
43 Summer, 2000
Spinal Discord -- A Cure for Paralysis? The Cure-around-the-Corner Myth: By Vic Willi

Will people with spinal cord injury ever walk again? Thatâ€™s the debate, and itâ€™s a hotly contested one. Here is one from a collection of viewpoints and some of the latest ...
43 Summer, 2000
Spinal Discord -- A Cure for Paralysis? Will Christopher Reeve Walk Again?: By Jeffrey Kluger

Will people with spinal cord injury ever walk again? Thatâ€™s the debate, and itâ€™s a hotly contested one. Here is one from a collection of viewpoints and some of the latest ...
43 Summer, 2000
Making a Difference Book of Profiles is Progressing: By Daryl Rock

Read an update on the upcoming publication that will profile the achievements of intriguing Canadians with disabilities. Here, the author explains his motivation and pride in preparing the ...
43 Summer, 2000
Happy Trails Riding a Power Wheelchair into the Sunset: By Omega Baker

Making the switch from a manual to powered wheelchair was a bit intimidating, but this author recounts the experience with humour, and looks forward to jet-setting adventures in her new ...
42 Spring, 2000
Girl, Interrupted Not Perfect, But Still Powerful: By Constance McKnight

A new movie starring Winona Ryder as a teenager in a mental health facility offers a somewhat accurate glimpse of institutional life and the stigma of living with a mental health ...
42 Spring, 2000
Making a Difference Profiling Canadians with Disabilities: By Daryl Rock

An upcoming publication by the Canadian Abilities Foundation will profile the achievements of intriguing individuals with disabilities across the nation. Get a sneak preview of one of the ...
42 Spring, 2000
Hero Joy Nightingale Soul Winging Free: By Lisa Bendall

Sheâ€™s only 13, and sheâ€™s already a composer of music and ballets, a poet, an artist, a disability advocate, and editor and founder of an award-winning Internet magazine. Hero Joy ...
42 Spring, 2000
New From the Roeher Institute Publications, Projects and Programs: By Cameron Crawford

Each year, The Roeher Institute produces an array of research reports, technical papers and other informational products on public policy, programs and disability. Our activities are grounded on the ...
42 Spring, 2000
Mother Knows Best Close Encounters: By Jennifer Veenboer

This author has heard it all from religious zealots who approach her on the street because of her visible disability. She has finally come up with a snappy comeback that has them scurrying ...
41 Winter, 1999
Dancers with Disabilities Blurring the Social Constructs of Ability and Disability with the Grace of Dance: By Mordecai Drache

Frank Hull: Frank Hullâ€™s motorized wheelchair hums to the other end of the dance floor. He rolls toward me at full speed, and slams on the brakes. His body is propelled forward, toward mine ...
41 Winter, 1999
The Parenting Book for Persons with a Disability: From Planning Your Family to Raising Adolescents Available December, 1999: By Lenka Petric, Heather Stonehouse

The Centre for Independent Living in Toronto (CILT) is pleased to announce the publication of a unique resource for parents and prospective parents with a disability. The Parenting Book for Persons ...
41 Winter, 1999
The Keeper Facing the Perils of Dating: By Anita Arnold

Iâ€™ve often encountered a problem while dating: when to tell my date I have a disability - the first date or the fifth? Do I wait until my clothes are off to tell him Iâ€™ve got hair growing ...
40 Fall, 1999
Famous Players Policy: When Michelle Amerie attended the recently released film Inspector Gadget with a young friend and her father, she found that Famous Players gave her a little more than she had bargained for - a hard ...
39 Summer, 1999
A Mass Production An Irreverent Tale of Disability Unawareness: By Rob Kocur

Having a disability, I meet many interesting members of the able-bodied population. Take people in Yorkville, Pennsylvania... please. Sharon was from Yorkville, and we met through one of those dating ...
39 Summer, 1999
Model In Designer Showcase: On March 23, Randy Upper became the first runway model with a disability to be featured in the Matinee Fashion Foundationâ€™s designer showcase. Upper, 30, displayed two outfits designed by ...
39 Summer, 1999
Jane Cameron A Tapestry of Colours: By Dale Schierbeck

Born in High River, Alberta, in 1949, Jane Cameron has had an exemplary life - she has travelled the globe, met dignitaries and stars, filled her room with medals and trophies commemorating her ...
39 Summer, 1999
You Keep Your Eye on the Ball My Love Affair with Golf: By Gord Paynter

Forty-eight - an age? Forty-eight, a failing grade? Or forty-eight, the projected value of our Canadian dollar? Possibly. But, in this case, forty-eight refers to my best score for nine holes of ...
38 Spring, 1999
Smooth Ride Guide Paving the Way for Travellers with Disabilities: By Lynn Atkinson

The Canadian Transportation Agency recently launched a publication at the Vancouver International Airport that should alleviate much of the uncertainty and apprehension experienced by many persons ...
37 Winter, 1998
Planet of the Blind A Memoir by Stephen Kuusisto: By Tina Mintz

Stephen Kuusisto s life was a lie. Born premature, his retinas were damaged by too much oxygen in his incubator. He was legally blind (less than 10 per cent of normal vision), but he hid this from ...
37 Winter, 1998
Integrated Square and Round Dance Convention: Over 4,000 square dancers, round dancers and cloggers from around the world converged on Ottawa for the 11th Canadian National Square and Round Dance Convention, held from July 16 to 18. More than ...
36 Fall, 1998
Just Another Part of the Family: By Mary Lee Gannon

"You are lucky to have a peer group built right into your family," a special education teacher told me shortly after my daughter started school. My daughter was three and was not talking ...
36 Fall, 1998
Everett Soop A Story about Truth and Identity: By Sandy Greer

The late afternoon sun streams through the kitchen window, onto the potted plants that Everett Soop cares for. His lips are pressed tightly with determination as he raises, with difficulty, the ...
36 Fall, 1998
Creating Magic A Portrait of Canadian Artists with Disabilities: "Everyone has a creative spirit inside them," writes Ellen Anderson, President of the Creative Spirit Art Centre in Toronto. "Without art, we are lifeless." Art is an integral ...
36 Fall, 1998
Stopping Traffic My Dream is a Double-Door Handi-Bus: By Anita Arnold

The Handi-Bus is immensely valuable in ensuring people with disabilities like me donâ€™t grow roots into our couches. However, shortly after I started with the system, I discovered a small design ...
35 Summer, 1998
Completely Unperfect Focusing on the Body Beautiful: By Lisa Bendall

Rasso Bruckert got his mid-life crisis over with rather early -- he was barely in his 30s. "I asked myself whether I had done everything in my life that I wanted," he says, "and I had ...
35 Summer, 1998
Somebody Somewhere Breaking Free from the World of Autism: By Margaret Welwood

In her first book, "Nobody Nowhere," (reviewed in ABILITIES, Fall 1995), author Donna Williams takes the reader into a world inhabited by only four in 10,000 people: a world of ...
34 Spring, 1998
A Life in the Day Imagine... A Teacher, Lost for Words: By Doug Brown

"Did you see Mr. Brown yet?" "No, is he really back to teach?" "Him with a beard -- grey, no less!" "I thought he had cancer, or was it open-heart ...
34 Spring, 1998
Cane Quandaries ...Not Exactly Putting on a Top Hat!: By Linda Ironside

Having a disability is not much of a problem on my scooter. In fact, it can be fun passing able-bodied "walkers" on the sidewalk with a friendly little beep... although sometimes, I must ...
33 Winter, 1997
Solitude and First Light The Photography of Paul Malon: By Analee Weinberger

When I first saw Paul Malonâ€™s photography at a downtown Vancouver gallery, I was captivated by his scenes of dawn-illuminated ice-fields and magenta sunsets over harsh mountain peaks. The ...
32 Fall, 1997
Designing Disasters Funny You Should Ask: Living with a Disability: By Rawnie Runn

"Funny You Should Ask: Living with a Disability" may seem to be an odd treatment of what is normally considered an un-funny subject. In the current deluge of laugh-a-minute TV sitcoms, we ...
32 Fall, 1997
Slow Dance A Story of Stroke, Love and Disability: By Bonnie Sherr Klein

Ten years ago, acclaimed documentary filmmaker Bonnie Klein had a massive stroke. In the beginning, she was paralyzed and unable to breathe on her own. In the months and years to follow, as Klein ...
31 Summer, 1997
Guide Dog Duncan This Canine Has Charm Plus a Mind of His Own: By Tina Mintz

Sometimes I think that I spend too much time with my dog Duncan. My entire wardrobe consists of clothing of a strange black, beige and white fuzzy tweed. More people greet him and remember his ...
31 Summer, 1997
Claude MS-ING Around: By John Mythen

The "unspeakables." Bladder trouble is usually a symptom of MS. The problem is simply that you either go too often or not enough. I have little control over starting or stopping. I often ...
30 Spring, 1997
Hey, Thatâ€™s Entertainment! Or is it…: By Raymond D. Cohen

Hey, that’s entertainment! Or is it… Sure, going to the movies is a nice way to spend some recreational time -- and, clearly, people with disabilities are just as passionate about the arts as their ...
29 Winter, 1996
Dear Me! How do you deal with people who assume that a scooter lowers your IQ?: By Linda Ironside

"Are youâ€™re sure youâ€™re in the right bank?" was the first thing the teller said to me. It was the first question she asked, before my name or account number. I was neatly, ...
29 Winter, 1996
Land Mines Exposed The Voice of Survivors: There is one land mine for every 20 children in the world. Over 100 million mines have been concealed in forests, meticulously buried in fields, or scattered by helicopters. Mines are hidden in the ...
29 Winter, 1996
The Hunchback of Notre Dame: By Don Barrie

"The Hunchback of Notre Dame" is the 34th animated feature produced by Walt Disney Productions. The story is adapted from the 1831 classic French novel by Victor Hugo (author of ...
28 Fall, 1996
Label Me Normal! A Profile of Jane Field: By Lisa Bendall

As a Canadian singer/songwriter with her first recording behind her, Jane Field has been getting noticed. Publicity can often be an artist’s best companion on the road to success, but for Jane, it’s ...
27 Summer, 1996
Escaping Violence In CAILCâ€™S New Video "Double Jeopardy," Women With Disabilities Speak Out on Their E: By Michael Horne

The airing of "Double Jeopardy on "The Disability Network" on CBC marked CAILCâ€™s first video production on violence issues, and further broadened our growing library of resources ...
27 Summer, 1996
A Visit to the Home for Blind Women: By Kate George

"The Home for Blind Women" is the title of a short documentary motion picture about a home for women who are blind (go figure!). Established near Windsor, Ontario, the home since the 1950s ...
26 Spring, 1996
Gardens of the Moon Is Mellow: By Sharon Mejia

"Gardens of the Moon" is Judy Norburyâ€™s debut album. The album is a reflection of Judyâ€™s life stories and personal experiences. Her musical style ranges from traditional ...
26 Spring, 1996
Being Creative: I am a recovering alcoholic living with the effects of polio and post-polio. All the unsuccessful social drinkers Iâ€™ve met sure are creative. What wonderfully creative excuses weâ€™ve ...
26 Spring, 1996
Re-Writing Murphyâ€™s Law Wendy Murphy challenges the assumptions of the viewing public.: By Kim Miller

The man at the bar is feeling elated. He has been talking for over half an hour with the outgoing, witty, engaging, blue eyed woman with long blond hair. He knows he has seen her somewhere before -- ...
25 Winter, 1995
Nobody Nowhere A writer with autism brings the reader into her world.: By Margaret Welwood

Young children will put almost anything into their mouths, but Donna Williams was still eating bark, grass and plastic at the age of 17. She took home a dying kitten to nurse it back to health, but ...
24 Fall, 1995
Life After Deafness A Resource Book: Imagine going to bed hearing, and waking up deaf. You canâ€™t hear the radio, TV, movies, music or the telephone. You canâ€™t hear the voices of your family, friends or colleagues at work. ...
24 Fall, 1995
Easy for You to Say Talking to Teens: Teenagers are plagued by questions about sex, contraception, family, friends, school, body image, drugs, alcohol, and their career. A chronic condition like asthma, Crohn’s disease, spina bifida or ...
23 Summer, 1995
Creativity Beyond Artisits with Disabilities: By Adrianna Gamble

Have you ever wondered how an artist manages to make ends meet in the real world? The competition is stiff, the list of requirements and expectations, gruelling enough to make anybodyâ€™s hair ...
23 Summer, 1995
True Grit The Wayne Pronger Story: By Carolyn Deeth

Wayne Pronger seems to be a paradox. He is a writer who cannot hold a pencil, a country and western composer who cannot strum a guitar, and a skilled communicator whose speech is difficult to ...
22 Spring, 1995
The Engagement Theatre Troupe Members Explore What The World Has To Offer: By Edward Jacobi

"If I had met her on the street, I think I would have avoided her, in my mind at least." These are the words of director Gilles Blais as he introduces us to one of the members of ...
22 Spring, 1995
Rick Hansenâ€™s Going the Distance with His New Bestseller: By Lisa Bendall

"Often, people ask me if I would exchange the life I have led since my accident for the use of my legs. Sometimes they seem shocked or disbelieving when I invariably answer, ...
21 Winter, 1994
Henry & Verlin A Canadian Film: By Lew Blancher

Where there have been many and maudlin attempts to reflect the lives of people with disabilities in story and full-length film that have failed, "Henry & Verlin" depicts our reality ...
21 Winter, 1994
Broadway Star Ben Vereen is Back on Stage!: By Mary Clark Green

"When I woke up after my accident, I couldn’t talk ... couldn’t move my left leg -- in fact, the use of my entire left side was gone ... My first reaction was, ’Why me?’ I was desperate to reach ...
21 Winter, 1994
Social Well-Being A Modest but Radical Proposal: By Tanis Doe

For the last 40 or 50 years, people with disabilities have been collectively knocking on the door of mainstream society and asking to be let in, with only moderate success. Sometimes, to help us gain ...
20 Fall, 1994
Art That Makes You Fell: By Margot (Lili) Ende

I am a European painter. Four years ago, I was introduced to the Braille alphabet by the Swiss Association of the Blind. Louis Braille (1806-1852), who lived in France, accidentally lost his sight ...
20 Fall, 1994
Creative Forces Art and Healing in Psychiatry: By Wendy Campbell

"Art forms have a cleansing effect on the human spirit," says Tomson Highway, award-winning Canadian playwright who has a strong belief in the therapeutic benefits of art. Although ...
18 Spring, 1994
Gift of Wings: By Kim Miller

For once you have tasted flight You will walk this earth with your eyes turned skyward For there you have been, And there you long to return. -- Leonardo da Vinci Carl Hiebert is adept at ...
18 Spring, 1994
Scrap City Pack Rats Heroes First!: By Lisa Bendall

(These comic-book superheroes bring disability into the world of children’s fantasy.) It’s a bird...It’s a plane...No! Wrong on both counts, but the first guess was closer -- it is a critter, ...
17 Winter, 1993
Video Focuses On Workers with Hearing Disabilities: By Jim Steen

What do you do when you want to improve your efforts to inform Canadians who are deaf and hard of hearing about your programs and services? The federal governmentâ€™s Employment Equity Branch ...
17 Winter, 1993
First Off... I Would Like to Offer a Personal Thank You...: By Raymond D. Cohen

First off, I would like to offer a personal thank you to Professor Stephen Hawking for his participation in Lisa Bendall’s article "To Boldly Go..." (p.5). Professor Hawking has become ...
16 Fall, 1993
John Callahan Revisited: By Raymond D. Cohen

Admittedly, John Callahan’s cartoons are not for everyone. The sketches have targeted every conceivable social issue from politics to religion to ethnicity. "Political correctness" is not ...
16 Fall, 1993
Scent of a Woman: By Lisa Bendall

The portrayal of people with disabilities in the media has been gradually becoming more positive and natural. Many ad campaigns, for example, include wheelchair users in their commercials and manage ...
14 Spring, 1993
Another Path to My Garden My Life as a Quadriplegic: By Lew Blancher

Unabashedly, I admit Marilyn Noell is a friend. We were introduced through a mutual friend three, perhaps four, years ago. Ostensibly my wife and I were invited to her home to see her unique and ...
14 Spring, 1993
No Joke Itâ€™s Alan Mark Shain: By Christopher Guly

"Iâ€™m not wasted." Pause. "I always talk like this." And so, Ottawa comedian Alan Mark Shain opens his comedy routine for the Wednesday night crowd at Yuk Yukâ€™s. The ...
14 Spring, 1993
Imprinting Our Image An International Anthology by Women with Disabilites: By April D'Aubin

Even if you have surpassed information overload, a historic new book, Imprinting Our Image, edited by Diane Driedger and Susan Gray, demands your attention. The book stands as the first anthology ...
14 Spring, 1993
Theatre Troupe On Last Wheels: By Kirk Gresser

Brantford, Ontario: home of the Great One, Scott Merritt, Scott B, and The Rolling Thunder Theatre Company, a group of actors with and without disabilties. After 600 shows in 60 cities, Rolling ...
14 Spring, 1993
Michel Provencher A Man and His Music: By Elaine Shatenstein

Think of classical music, its precision and elegance, played on the acoustic guitar, cello and violin. Think of sunny days in autumn, their freshness and warmth, with colour and vitality in the air. ...
13 Fall/Winter, 1992
A Passage to Africa The Steven Cosman Expedition: By Lisa Bendall

Steven Cosman’s dream to visit Kenya is about eight years old now. He studied the central east African country at the University of Calgary, where he attained his degree in biochemistry. However, it ...
13 Fall/Winter, 1992
Itâ€™s About Time: By Gail Sill

Parallels have often been drawn between the world-famous Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking, well-known scientist of today. Both individuals performed poorly in school, and yet both precocious ...
13 Fall/Winter, 1992
Bill Reid The Latest Legend: By Shirley MaMahon

“The great flood that had covered the earth for so long had at last receded, and the sands of Rose Spit lay dry. The Raven walked along the sand, with eyes and ears alert to break the monotony. A ...
11 Spring, 1992
Winter Games â€™92 Take on the Arts!: By Linda Spalding

The spectacular Canadian Museum of Civilization will play host to the colour and pageantry of the medal awards ceremonies during the Canadian Winter Games â€™92 for the Physically Disabled in ...
9 Fall, 1991
Ron Satok A Blind Artist with a Clear Vision: By Susan Satok

Atten-SHUN! Forwahd, MARCH! Hup two three FOAH! A typical morning at Camp Borden? No! The (British) “Sergeant Major” is artist Ronald Satok instructing a drama class for children with language ...
9 Fall, 1991
Living With Epilepsy Putting the Puzzle Together: By Reisa Gula

The autumn air was cool as it washed over my face and bare legs. The surface beneath my cheek felt gritty and hard, and sounds of traffic broke the noonday stillness from time to time. I was lying on ...
9 Fall, 1991
Callahan Speaks!: By John Callahan

My life has changed so much since the publication of my autobiography. I had no idea how different I would feel after all the response. It’s got to be one of the most uplifting feelings a person can ...
4 Spring/Summer, 1990
My Left Foot: By Ruth Manson

As the opening credits roll on Director Jim Sheridan’s film, MY LEFT FOOT, someone is attempting with mystifying awkwardness to work a record player Graudually the scene opens up to reveal not a ...
4 Spring/Summer, 1990
The Rooster Woman of Havelock: By Wendy Jacob

Beethoven composed his greatest symphonies while he was deaf. Van Gogh produced some of the world’s finest paintings while institutionalized, and Milton wrote “Paradise Lost” after he became blind. ...
4 Spring/Summer, 1990
Gaby A True Story: By Tim Christison

How can I scream when I can’t talk? How can I stop loving with the seed of a woman inside? God, if life is so many things that I am not, and never will be, give me the strength to be what I ...
1 Fall, 1988