EnableLink: Disabilities: Articles

April 2^nd, 2008

Disabilities: Articles

Abilities Magazine Archive

Healthy Farm Communities Resource Kit: The Canadian Centre on Disability Studies (CCDS) has broken new ground in rural Manitoba with a project concerning farmers with ...
73 Winter, 2007
Managing multiple sclerosis starts with information: By Nadia Pestrak

To assist people in finding the information they need, the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada offers information in a variety of formats: newsletters, booklets, its website, and information and ...
73 Winter, 2007
Meeting Yves Savoie The MS Society's New CEO Steps Up to the Plate: By Raymond D. Cohen

Raymond Cohen, president of the Canadian Abilities Foundation and publisher/editor-in-chief of Abilities, met with Yves Savoie, recently appointed president and chief executive of the Multiple ...
73 Winter, 2007
Celebrating Canadians with Down Syndrome We're Looking Forward to the Next 20 Years!: By Jason Grabinsky

Founded in 1987, the Canadian the Canadian Down Syndrome Society (CDSS) is a resource linking parents and professionals through advocacy, education and ...
72 Fall, 2007
Helping Students Succeed Learning Disabilities Assessment Centres of Ontario: By Allyson Harrison, Susan Alcorn MacKay

Learning Disabilities Assessment Centres of Ontario are helping students ...
68 Fall, 2006
The Caregiver's Gift Seeking Balance Along the Caregiver’s Journey: By Jon Temme

The road to a balanced life for any caregiver begins with recognizing signs that you may be ...
68 Fall, 2006
MS and Travel Preparation is Key to a Successful Journey: By Cindy Desgrosseilliers

Many people with multiple sclerosis believe their travelling days are over—but that’s not necessarily ...
67 Summer, 2006
Healing Hands Wound Care is a Key Part of Serious Injury Care: Serious injury care often involves the treatment and prevention of wounds, particularly for people who have suffered tissue and spinal cord injuries in workplace and auto ...
67 Summer, 2006
Election Brings Key Issues Forward MS Society Focuses on Income Security and Supports: By Deanna Groetzinger

During the recent federal election, the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada put seven key questions in front of the parties and ...
66 Spring, 2006
When Something's Wrong Helping Children and Youth with Mental Health Issues: By Krista Saleh

The CPRF has launched publications to educate about youth mental ...
66 Spring, 2006
Taking the Plunge Scuba Diving with Confidence: By Monique Lefebvre

The author, who has cerebral palsy, talks about how she learned to scuba ...
66 Spring, 2006
MS in the Family Supporting Children of Parents with MS: By Cristina Toporas

Multiple sclerosis affects not just the person diagnosed with the disease, but the entire ...
65 Winter, 2005
Serious Injury Home Care Recovery Challenges Lead to Changes and Innovations: By Maddy Roppoli

Specialized training and collaboration are critical to providing home care to people with serious ...
65 Winter, 2005
The Joy of Yoga More People with Disabilities are Discovering an Ancient Practice: By Jaclyn Law

Yoga can help improve flexibility, relieve stress and promote ...
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
"My son has been brought back to me" Applied Behaviour Analysis Program Helps Mother, Child Reconnent: By Claudine Gervais

Applied Behaviour Analysis can help families cope with ...
64 Fall, 2005
Can You Use the Phone? Disability and Telecommunications in Canada: By Phyllis Gordon

While Canadians are known to talk a lot on the phone, for people with disabilities this fundamental social interaction is fraught with ...
64 Fall, 2005
No Holding Back Disclosing a Disability Proves Empowering: By Anna Quon

The author discovers that a sense of freedom often accompanies the decision to disclose a ...
63 Summer, 2005
Green Thumbs Gardening with a Vision Disability: By Chrissy Laws

...
63 Summer, 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
Warren Macdonald Reclaiming Adventure: By Helen Y. Rolfe

Warren Macdonald's priority after becoming a double amputee was to get reacquainted with the outdoors he ...
63 Summer, 2005
Solar-Powered Hearing Aid Battery: Innovative African technology might offer a solution to the high cost of hearing aids for Canadians with hearing ...
63 Summer, 2005
A European Odyssey Cycling in the Countryside: By Maurice Richard

A six-month cycling tour of Europe was a dream come true for this 64-year-old amputee and his girlfriend. His travelogue chronicles their adventures, from breathtaking scenery to memorable monuments ...
62 Spring, 2005
The Fathering of a Preemie One Parent's Story: By Jeff Stimpson

Born two and a half months premature, baby Alex was not the pink, eight-pound bouncing boy his parents had planned for. Yet despite the challenges of round-the-clock nursing, drugs and therapy, his ...
62 Spring, 2005
Beauty is in the Eye I've Always Known My Son was Perfect: By Cheryl Hines

I'm leafing through a back issue of a popular Canadian women's magazine... and right there! On page 14 is a picture of a rather striking woman. Yes, she’s a model, but there’s something more. One of ...
62 Spring, 2005
Public Speaking Real-Time Captioning is Taken up a Notch: By Sandra L. Howe

People with hearing disabilities may one day soon be able to “listen” to other people speaking using, palm-sized computerized devices. Voice recognition has made huge strides in the past few years, ...
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
Stars on Ice: Members of the Canadian Deaf Ice Hockey Federation are looking forward to honing their already very fine skills on the ice this year. Many of the players have already made their international mark in ...
61 Winter, 2004
Rise in Age-Related Blindness: Canada is experiencing an unprecedented rise in age-related blindness, driven by the country’s aging population. And yet the Government of Canada has failed to prepare for this crisis by providing ...
61 Winter, 2004
Winning Over Weariness Taking Control of MS-Related Fatigue: By Elaine Abrams

Fatigue is the most commonly reported symptom of multiple sclerosis. It can affect mood, outlook, relationships and ability to cope with everyday situations. Fortunately, clinicians today are ...
61 Winter, 2004
Sayonara, Moto Ken! A Canadian Guide Dog Works Japan: By Chris Stark

Ritchie the Guide Dog has travelled the world with his Canadian companion. This time, the team takes on Japan. This beautiful country is culturally intriguing and pleasingly accessible – a winning ...
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
Fashion Cares about HIV/AIDS: On May 29, Fashion Cares celebrated its 18th year of fundraising in support of the AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT) by throwing a no holds-barred ...
60 Fall, 2004
Blind Student Barred from University Program: Another human rights complaint is in the works after a blind student was barred from an English-immersion program by the University of New Brunswick. Students of the intensive summer course are ...
60 Fall, 2004
Gregor Wolbring An Ardent Advocate: By Lynne Swanson

Having a conversation with Dr. Gregor Wolbring is like reading a science fiction novel. Yet most of what he talks about is not that far from reality. Biochemist Wolbring works in the field of ...
60 Fall, 2004
Thinking Outside the Box Elder Identifying a Tree without Sight: By Chrissy Laws

You don’t have to be sighted to enjoy nature – or even to identify the woodlands around you. By using the sounds of birds and wind, the scent of plants and the feel of leaves and twigs, you can learn ...
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
Study on Deafblindness in Canada: By the Canadian Abilities Foundation

Deafblindness is a unique and complex disability affecting thousands of Canadians. Some estimates say deafblindness can be found in approximately one of every 3,000 Canadians. The leading cause of ...
59 Summer, 2004
Back to Nature in New Brunswick: By Kate Merlin

The 58-kilometre Dobson Trail that winds through wilderness from Riverview, New Brunswick, to Fundy National Park is a popular backpacking destination. It has been over 40 years since the rugged ...
58 Spring, 2004
Islet Cell Transplant: By the Canadian Abilities Foundation

Deborah Sissmore of Toronto is the 60th Canadian with diabetes to undergo a groundbreaking medical procedure. On Christmas Day, 2003, she received a transplant of islet ...
58 Spring, 2004
Take the High Road How to Drive 1,800 Miles with Fibromyalgia: By Anna Rae Pamplin

For someone with fibromyalgia, a cross-country car trip can mean days of serious pain and fatigue. But this author found that with careful preparation and management know-how, she could not only plan ...
58 Spring, 2004
News that Jumps off the Page... And Goes Straight to Your Ear: By the Canadian Abilities Foundation

Tune in to VoicePrint Canada today and hear the latest stories from more than 100 Canadian newspapers and ...
58 Spring, 2004
Breaking New Ground An Unforgettable Vegas Venture: By Matt Allen

Amid all the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas, this writer manages to keep grounded with his unassuming travel companion. Doug can play the slots with the best of them – but he also teaches that ...
58 Spring, 2004
Black Amputee Offered White Prosthesis: By the Canadian Abilities Foundation

Ingrid Nicholls of Berkshire, England, was stunned to learn that after her foot was to be amputated, the hospital would offer her a white prosthetic limb. Nicholls is ...
57 Winter, 2003
The Bus Stops Here An Innovative Solution for Transit Riders in Argentina: By Silvana Santiago, Dawn Makinson

Every day in Buenos Aires a busy crush of people flails arms to try to flag down public transit. In this chaos, a vision disability makes it almost impossible to find and board the right bus. But an ...
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
Aftershock Support for Survivors of Electrical Burns: Meet an electrical burn survivor who lives with significant disabilities, and finds it hardest to deal with the attitudes of others – those who won’t or can’t believe in the extent of his invisible ...
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
Treating the Travel Bug Tips for Travellers Who are Blind: By Julie Sanfaçon

Do you have a serious case of the travel bug? Join this author as she recounts her journeys to many parts of the world, picking up along the way valuable tips and strategies for travelling with a ...
56 Fall, 2003
Play about Gary Malkowski: Gary Malkowski made history when he was elected to serve in Ontario’s parliament. As an NDP Member of Provincial Parliament, he was the first culturally Deaf person (using sign language to ...
56 Fall, 2003
Young Girl Makes Political History: Roisin Hartnett is only 13, but she’s already made her mark in history. She has become the first page who is blind to serve in Ontario’s legislature. The highly competitive page program is offered ...
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
Tips for Tots Parenting with a Vision Disability: By Elaine Carty, Tali Conine, Leah Dobell, Angela Holbrook, Chris Seminuk

When parents with disabilities network with each other, one of the most common questions they ask their peers is: “How?” What are some effective ways for a parent who is blind to feed, change and ...
55 Summer, 2003
Autism from A to Z A Range of Resources: Disorders along the autism spectrum remain, in many ways, a mystery. But one thing is certain: as we share the knowledge we do have, we are able to make gains in treatment and education that, ...
55 Summer, 2003
Michael Williams-Stark Making Faces and Raising Voices: By Karen Marie Marzocco

When people screamed things out of cars at Michael Williams-Stark years ago, the little boy just assumed he was “really popular” – he didn’t realize they were taunting his facial difference. Today, ...
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
Improving SCI Rehabilitation The Contribution of Persons with Longstanding SCI: By Meri Miojevic

For many individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI), rehabilitation can be a complicated, protracted and daunting process. In addition to the physical and psychosocial demands of adjusting to daily ...
55 Summer, 2003
Mad Peopleâ€™s History Disability Studies Course Breaks Down Walls of Silence: By Geoffery Reaume

“If the publication of my case is dangerous, so is likewise silence.” – William Belcher, 1796 When these words were written over two hundred years ago, William Belcher had spent 17 years confined ...
55 Summer, 2003
Letâ€™s Talk! The Community Living/Regal Family Helpline: The Community Living/Regal Family Helpline became available on February 20, 2002. This national line is available to families who have a family member with an intellectual disability, or others, ...
55 Summer, 2003
Action for Autism Families Battle Government Pressures to Institutionalize Children: By William Holder

Parents of children living with autism are feeling more than just frustration with government denials of educational, home care and other services to their families. They are also feeling intense ...
55 Summer, 2003
Strike a Pose! Reduce Pain and Fatigue with Yoga: By Lisa M. Wolfe

Many disabilities, such as fibromyalgia and chronic pain syndrome, can be eased with gentle exercise, stretching and relaxation techniques. It sounds like a prescription for yoga! In this article, ...
54 Spring, 2003
Reading Revolution Understanding Dyslexia with Science: By Robyn Suriano

Advances in brain scanning technology are making it easier for researchers to study the way our brains work. And that includes the brains of children with reading disabilities. What’s more, these ...
54 Spring, 2003
David Chalk Wired for Success: By Roger B. Jones

As a child, David Chalk was regularly singled out as the class’s worst speller and reader. But he credits his dyslexia as the reason behind his success today. That success has involved building a ...
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
The Kilimanjaro Quest Journal of an Amazing Adventure: By Jim Milina

History was made recently as Jim Milina climbed higher than any other quadriplegic person in the world - 14,500 feet on Africa’s Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest free-standing mountain on earth. Read ...
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
Cathy Chovaz McKinnon Triumph from Trauma: By Lynne Swanson

When Cathy Chovaz McKinnon woke up deaf one morning, she was "furious at the world." But she worked hard over the next few years to gain an understanding of deaf language and culture - and ...
53 Winter, 2002
Closing the Knowledge Gaps Supporting Two New Research Initiatives: By Meri Miojevic

Injury is the leading cause of death and disability of Canadians under 44 years of age. Of all types of injury neurotrauma, injury to the spinal cord (SCI) and/or brain (TBI) is the most serious, ...
53 Winter, 2002
Closed Captioned TV The Right Thing to Do: By Mary Gusella

If you are a member of Canada’s Deaf, deafened and hard-of-hearing community, perhaps you have been enjoying closed captioning of all programming on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s (CBC) ...
53 Winter, 2002
Deaf -- But Definitely Not Dumb: According to the results of the Canadian Hearing Society Awareness Survey, 23 per cent of adult Canadians report some hearing loss. The survey was conducted to determine the prevalence of and ...
52 Fall, 2002
Right By Your Side Legal Rights and Resources for Parents of Children with Disabilities: By Catherine Tse

As parents care for their children with disabilities, they have a right to supports themselves. In this feature, read one family’s story of workplace discrimination, and find out how to access the ...
52 Fall, 2002
Jane Poulson Gloriously Sharing Her Experience: By Elizabeth MacCallum

The autobiography of Canada’s first blind practising physician, "The Doctor Will Not See You Now," was published this year. Unfortunately, its author did not live to see it released. With ...
52 Fall, 2002
On the Road with an Ostomy Tips for Stress-Free Travel: By Elizabeth Rayson

The key to travel with an ostomy, says this author, is to be prepared. In this article she shares a dozen tips for ensuring your trip is comfortable and enjoyable. ...
52 Fall, 2002
The "D" Word A Small Boy Marks a Milestone: By Jeff Stimpson

As a father contemplates the future of his three-year-old son, born premature with a range of disabilities, his son continues to surprise him. The future may be uncertain, but in the here and now, ...
52 Fall, 2002
Get Into Hot Water Trade in Your Painkillers for Hydrotherapy: By Linda Aksomitis

Most people consider a hot tub to be a luxury, reserved for the few people who can afford it. But this writer speaks from personal experience when she says a good hot tub is worth its weight in gold ...
52 Fall, 2002
Blind Dating Tips for Appearing Attractive and Interactive: By Deborah Debord

Anyone navigating the treacherous waters of flirting, dating and just plain chatting wants to know how to get on well. But with the added complication of a vision disability, how do you sort out the ...
52 Fall, 2002
Be Entertained at Buskerfest: From the fastastic to the bizarre, from the hilarious to the unbelievable, more than 30 of the worldâ€™s best street performers will entertain audiences for four days (and nights!) in Toronto. ...
51 Summer, 2002
Childrenâ€™s Aid Society Removes Baby: In March, a three-week-old baby was apprehended and removed from the care of his mother by the Toronto Children’s Aid Society (CAS) without warning. The 27-year-old single mother is deaf. Her ...
51 Summer, 2002
David Roche From Darkness to Light: By Bonnie Sherr Klein

Humour will open your heart as you hear of David Roche’s experiences growing up with a facial difference. Now a polished presenter and performer, David shares inspiration and love wherever he goes. ...
51 Summer, 2002
Man in Motion World Tour – 15th Anniversary Rick Hansen in Conversation: New Developments, New Milestones: By Raymond D. Cohen

Rick Hansen spoke to Raymond Cohen, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of ABILITIES, about the exciting new developments of the Rick Hansen Institute marking the 15th anniversary of the Man in Motion World ...
51 Summer, 2002
Man in Motion World Tour – 15th Anniversary A New World-Class Spinal Cord Research Centre: Rick Hansen Institute Partnership Receives Funding: It has been 15 years since Rick Hansen wheeled around the world to raise funds for spinal cord research. Take a look at Rick now: his mission, his mandate, his milestones. Includes an interview by ...
51 Summer, 2002
The Integrated Rehabilitation System Towards Better Support for People with TBI: By Meri Miojevic

Each year in Ontario more than 6,000 people are admitted to hospital as a result of traumatic brain injury (TBI). In addition to the devastating personal and often life-long impact on the injured ...
51 Summer, 2002
Marshalling Crime Prevention Responding to the Needs of Deaf Seniors: By Michelle Astill

Last year, when the Government of Canada’s National Strategy on Community Safety and Crime Prevention expressed an interest in funding projects dealing with the safety of seniors, it was hoped that ...
51 Summer, 2002
Connecting Families New Telephone Helpline Launched: On February 20, 2002, the Canadian Association for Community Living (CACL) proudly launched the Community Living/Regal Family Helpline. The toll-free number is available for families across Canada ...
51 Summer, 2002
Springtime in Georgia The Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute: By Barb Taylor

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the only serving president to use a wheelchair, felt rejuvenated by the naturally warm underground springwater of Warm Springs, Georgia. He spent two-thirds of his personal ...
50 Spring, 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
Claustrophobia How This Warrior Overcame Old Fears: By Ed Smith

Life took a turn for Newfoundland journalist Ed Smith in 1998 when he sustained a spinal cord injury in a car accident and became quadriplegic. In this excerpt from his upcoming book about his ...
50 Spring, 2002
Digging up the Grass A Userâ€™s Guide to Medical Marijuana: By John Feld

If you are a Canadian with a specific health problem, it may now be perfectly legal for you to possess and smoke marijuana. In this look at the new policies around medical marijuana, the author ...
50 Spring, 2002
Taking Steps Improving Rehabilitation for Persons with Incomplete SCI: By Meri Miojevic

Walking (or functional ambulation) is often the primary goal of individuals who sustain incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI). Yet conventional rehabilitation, which usually concludes within four ...
50 Spring, 2002
Taking Responsibility in Attendant Services What "Directing My Own Care" Means to Me: By Derek Watters

The "direct your own care" model of personal care services challenges the consumer to take full responsibility for her or his care. If the consumer is up to this challenge, she or he will ...
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
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
Victory on the Ice ...And They Said Heâ€™d Never Play Hockey: By Jon Bateman

When this author was a child, his photo ran in the local paper with the caption: "Heâ€™ll never play hockey." He proved them wrong, becoming not just a sledge hockey player but a team ...
49 Winter, 2001
Navigating the Kingdom of Peace My Journey in Jordan: By Marie Laporte-Stark, Chris Stark

Read about the lovely country of Jordan and its friendly people -- from the perspective of a guide dog! This travel tale gives a fascinating story an interesting and lighthearted twist. Follow the ...
49 Winter, 2001
Nicole Watt Skating for Silver: By Lynne Swanson

Young Nicole Watt brought home a silver medal from Canadaâ€™s senior womenâ€™s figure skating competition. Yet it wasnâ€™t that long ago that her parents thought perhaps she should give ...
49 Winter, 2001
Readers Respond: Re. "Up in Arms: Why Gun Control is Critical for Canada," by Barbara Turnbull, Fall 2001 Canadian firearm laws are among the most restrictive on earth -- but under the Firearms Act, a ...
49 Winter, 2001
Giving Providers Knowledge and Skills Supporting Cross-Training in TBI and Substance Abuse: By Meri Miojevic

Although the links between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and substance abuse are well documented, significant barriers to appropriate care continue to exist in our health care system for individuals ...
49 Winter, 2001
National Polio Survivorsâ€™ Reunion: By Angela Hale

From September 7 to 14, 2001, the John and Ruth McCarthy Post Polio Program of Ontario March of Dimes hosted the National Polio Survivors’ Conference and Wellness Retreat at Geneva Park in Orillia, ...
49 Winter, 2001
Virtual LD Community Bringing Cutting-Edge Research into Classrooms: By Bruce Etheridge

The University of Toronto’s Adaptive Technology Resource Centre (ATRC) has created a unique online learning disabilities (LD) community dedicated to bringing cutting-edge research, innovative ...
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
Update on Dyslexia With the Right Instruction, Everyone can Read: By Fran Thompson

New technology and research are providing more opportunities than ever for people with dyslexia to succeed. Find out more about this learning disability, and what accommodations, education methods ...
48 Fall, 2001
The Thrill of the Dive Scuba for All the Senses: By Gary Haun

People often wonder why a blind diver would want to swim with sharks. But the hair-raising excitement of a shark dive makes this author glad to be alive. Follow him through his experiences -- and ...
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
Montreal Health Services Violate Rights: The rights of people with mental health disabilities on the island of Montreal are being violated by health service providers, according to the defense-of-rights group Project PAL (Alternative ...
48 Fall, 2001
Dr. Charles Laszlo Receives Gold Medal: On May 26, the Canadian engineering profession’s top honour, the Gold Medal, was conferred on Dr. Charles Laszlo of Vancouver, B.C. Dr. Laszlo, who has a profound hearing loss, was honoured for his ...
48 Fall, 2001
Polio Survivors Reunion National Conference and Wellness Retreat: By Glenda Tennyson

Whether you had polio in Toronto in 1927, in Winnipeg in 1953 or in Africa in 1972, all polio survivors are connected by a unique bond of common experience. A dear friend of Ontario March of ...
48 Fall, 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
Businesses Check for the Checkered Eye: Like many people with low vision, Libby Thaw of Port Elgin, Ontario, has experienced barriers from time to time while shopping in her community. Often the disability is not obvious to clerks and ...
47 Summer, 2001
Consumer Participatory Research New Study on Long-Term Impact of Spinal Cord Injury: By Meri Miojevic

Numerous epidemiological studies have shown that today, people with spinal cord injury (SCI) are living longer than in previous decades. A growing body of literature indicates that people living with ...
47 Summer, 2001
Expanding Independent Living Services: Ontario March of Dimes’ Acquired Brain Injury Services enables consumers living with the effects of an acquired brain injury to live with the greatest degree of independence in their community while ...
47 Summer, 2001
Setting Standards that Foster Equality Public Broadcaster Ordered to Caption Programming: By Michelle Falardeau-Ramsay

Like many Canadians, Vancouver’s Henry Vlug enjoys watching television. And, like more than half a million fellow Canadians, Henry Vlug has a hearing disability -- he is deaf. So his full enjoyment ...
46 Spring, 2001
Paul Young A Leader among Us: By Barb Horner

Disability advocate Paul Young is an outspoken, passionate man. Having spent many years of his life "labelled," he now inspires and challenges others to examine their own values and belief ...
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
Pilgrimâ€™s Paws A Dream Vacation to Israel: By Marie Laporte-Stark, Chris Stark

This couple, both blind, snapped up the chance to realize their lifetime dream of visiting Israel. And their holiday fulfilled their highest expectations. In this travelogue, experience the history, ...
46 Spring, 2001
Sticks and Stones Parenting a Child with a Facial Difference: By Lorra Garrick

Children who look different often endure devastating teasing from their peers. Yet many children with facial differences are confident and popular. This primer for parents explains how to bolster the ...
46 Spring, 2001
Phantom Limb Pain -- Grape Seed Breakthrough?: Amputees the world over -- such as Patrick Watson, well-known journalist and Chairperson Emeritus of the Canadian Abilities Foundation -- are familiar with the excruciating phantom pain that can ...
46 Spring, 2001
National Broadcast Reading Service Inc.: The National Broadcast Reading Services Inc. (NBRS) has announced a significant expansion of its national broadcast reading service for people with vision disabilities. Voiceprint, which ...
46 Spring, 2001
Including People Who are Deaf in Holiday Fun: The National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID), in New York, has produced a set of holiday tips to make the season merry for members of the workplace who have a hearing disability. Invite ...
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
Habits that Work Keep Attention Deficit Disorder from Creating Workplace Disorder: By Jean Marie Cousins

With a few creative tricks and some strategic planning, the worker with attention deficit disorder can equal -- even outshine -- the performance of non-disabled peers. Find out ...
45 Winter, 2000
A Sport that Scores Blind Hockey in Canada: By Gary Zarbock

Blind hockey is on the rise in Canada, where hockey is a cultural pastime. In this article, learn more about the sport from the perspective of a player who enjoys the mental strategies and physical ...
45 Winter, 2000
Dave Hingsburger The Art of Being Human: By Karin Melberg Schwier

Author, speaker and consultant Dave Hingsburger is devoted to improving policies and practices that affect the lives of people with disabilities. Brilliant, dynamic and prolific, Hingsburger makes a ...
45 Winter, 2000
Keeping Your Marriage Sound The Challenges of Hearing Loss in Relationships: By Gael Hannan

The key to a successful relationship is good communication. So what happens if one of the partners develops a hearing disability? Couples who have been there share their experiences and their ...
45 Winter, 2000
The Justice of Equality Access for All Canadians: By Michelle Falardeau-Ramsay

"The thrust of human rights legislation is to... break down the barriers that stand in the way of equality for all." -- Madam JusticeBeverley McLachlin, speaking for the Supreme Court of ...
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
Effecting Change The Story of a Successful Rally: By Linda Villeneuve

Read about one womanâ€™s eight-month struggle to reform legislation in her province. With determination and careful planning, people with disabilities can effect change, both in their local ...
44 Fall, 2000
Ross Watson Pushing the Limits: By Hélèna Katz

Ross Watson is the first blind mountain climber to reach the summit of Canadaâ€™s highest peak, Mount Logan. Find out what motivates him to challenge himself in all aspects of his ...
44 Fall, 2000
Toronto PWA Foundation Bike Rally: Richard Hudon works hard to make a difference in his community. An injured worker activist, he is also known for his strong cycling abilities, and he has been a supportor of the Toronto People with ...
44 Fall, 2000
Ending the Cycle of Abuse The Victimization of Canadians with Intellectual Disabilities: By Marc Gushue

Imagine the pain, fear and confusion that is felt by victims of violent crime who have intellectual disabilities. These individuals may not understand the circumstances which precipitate the violent ...
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
Read My Lips And Eyes and Body: By Gael Hannan

Speechreading is more than just reading lips. And, like any skill, it improves with practice. This article includes a host of speechreading tips and strategies for people with hearing ...
43 Summer, 2000
Raven Eyes Psychic and Witch is "Out of the Broom Closet": By Lynne Swanson

RavenEyes, a self-proclaimed psychic and witch, uses her gifts to help people. Blind from an explosion and at one point pronounced dead, she feels energy and spirits, and honours the earth and ...
43 Summer, 2000
Climbing Canadaâ€™s Highest Mountain: Ross Watson plans to be the first blind person to climb Mount Logan, Canada’s highest mountain (elevation: 19,551 ft.), in "VisionQuest 2000 -- The Height of Confidence" in ...
43 Summer, 2000
Whatâ€™s Your Sign?: By Kate George

"Get your fingers loosened up for another fast-paced episode of â€™Whatâ€™s Your Sign,â€™ the game show for Deaf and hearing kids." With these words (naturally, signed as ...
43 Summer, 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
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome New Initiatives and Resources across Canada: By Dorothy Badry, Donna Debolt

Fetal alcohol syndrome is often a hidden disability, and almost just as often misunderstood. Here, read about new cross-Canada initiatives for raising awareness about FAS and improving ...
42 Spring, 2000
The Polio Ontario Forum A Cyber Support Group: Canadian polio survivors can find information, support and friends with the new PolioOntario Forum, a cyber support group for people with post-polio symptoms. Need to ask a question? Looking for ...
42 Spring, 2000
A Journey to Motherhood My Pregnancy and Childbirth Experience: By Trish Day

She was married, owned a house and worked at a good job. Motherhood seemed the logical next step... but with cerebral palsy, there were a few more details to figure out, both through the pregnancy ...
42 Spring, 2000
No Man is an Island Easing Loneliness: By Catherine Steele

As youth with disabilities grow into adults, loneliness can be a new challenge. Here are some ideas for building bridges from ...
42 Spring, 2000
The West Wing Features MS: Warner Bros. Televisionâ€™s series "The West Wing," an hour-long drama that gives a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of the United Statesâ€™ Oval Office, has introduced ...
42 Spring, 2000
Colour Brings Clarity for Dyslexia: By Albert Evans

Colour is helping to overcome reading disorders such as dyslexia, according to novel research at the University of Essex. Professor Arnold Wilkins of the university’s Psychology Department is one ...
42 Spring, 2000
The Last Gift of Terry Riordon: By Raymond D. Cohen

In light of new evidence about Gulf War syndrome, it is time we speak up when the medical community doesnâ€™t have all the answers regarding pain and disability, and we are told "itâ€™s ...
42 Spring, 2000
Supporting Caring Communities Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAS/E): By Marnie Potter

Over the last several years, groups across Canada have been working towards a greater understanding of, and commitment to, crime prevention and how it affects persons with disabilities The ...
42 Spring, 2000
Cycling the Emerald Isle Pedalling and Pubbing Ireland: By Barry Henderson

This traveller rediscovered cycling after a leg amputation, and combined his newfound love of the sport with the outdoor beauty of ...
41 Winter, 1999
Jean Vanier in Conversation with Pamela Wallin: By Pamela Wallin

Jean Vanier, the son of the late governor general, experienced a personal epiphany that changed his life and became the seed of an organization that would transform the lives of others. In 1964, ...
41 Winter, 1999
A Fine Balance Between Medical Dependence and Self-Reliance: By Audrey King

This article first appeared as a video presentation for the CHEST Foundation, which provides resources to advance the prevention and treatment of diseases of the chest. Audrey King donated her time ...
41 Winter, 1999
The Integration of Persons with an Intellectual Disability in our Society: By Michelle Falardeau-Ramsay

The following is an excerpt of a speech pronounced recently by Michelle Falardeau-Ramsay at the 1999 Conference of the Canadian Association for Community Living. Not so long ago, the approach to ...
41 Winter, 1999
Now Iâ€™M Hearing the Facts What I Didnâ€™t Know About Hearing Disability: By Carolyn MacDiarmid

As a person with a visual disability, I know that there are countless eye diseases and conditions that can affect people in various ways. The same disease can progress, stabilize or have different ...
40 Fall, 1999
Winning At Losing Weight loss - A Question of Motivation: By Krista Campbell

Lisa on the day she received her Weight Watchers ribbon for losing 100 pounds Two years ago, Lisa Sorbara was a very sick young woman, but she didnâ€™t realize it. Lisa, who has Down ...
40 Fall, 1999
Best Buddies A National Program which Matches University Students with Adults who Have Intellectual Disabilities: By Lynne Swanson

Loree Verbeem and Tanya Milberg are Best Buddies. They chat about their new hair styles, play bingo, watch videos and paint together. Loree teaches Tanya sign language. Tanya gives Loree ...
40 Fall, 1999
See-Through Barriers Making Conferences and Events Accessible to People Who are Blind.: By Marie Laporte-Stark

Most of us attend meetings, conferences and exhibits, whether for work, community involvement or personal interest. Unfortunately, people who are blind frequently encounter barriers preventing their ...
40 Fall, 1999
Medical Marijuana Smoking Pot for Therapeutic Benefit: By John Feld

It says something interesting about our society and about marijuana - a substance which is not advertised, whose use is illegal, officially condemned, vilified and discouraged by the threat of ...
39 Summer, 1999
Enhanced Legal Aid: Raymond Kerim recently surmounted major obstacles to accessing the legal system in his fight to gain shared custody of his daughters. Kerim has learning disabilities that interfere with ...
39 Summer, 1999
A Deer Friend: Margo Graham, who has no pets because of her significant form of Tourette syndrome, has found an alternate way to connect with a furry friend. Graham lives in Kingston, Ontario, in a home ...
39 Summer, 1999
Self-Help for Brain Injury Survivors: Friends of the Head Injury Association (FOTHI) is an Edmonton self-help organization founded and run by survivors of brain injury. Members share coping and advocacy skills, support each other ...
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
Described Video A Career Opportunity Worth Talking About!: By Terry Costaris

Anyone who has tried just to "listen" to a movie knows that there are missing visual gaps that need to be filled in order to maximize the film experience. National Broadcast Reading ...
39 Summer, 1999
Blaze a Trail with Tandem Cycling: The Trailblazers Tandem Cycling Club is a metropolitan Toronto community organization for people with visual disabilities who are enthusiastic about bicycling. The club, which operates from April ...
38 Spring, 1999
Worldâ€™s Most Advanced Bionic Arm: Campbell Aird, a 47-year-old hotelier from Dumfriesshire in Scotland, has been fitted with what is claimed to be the world’s most advanced bionic arm. The limb, known as the Edinburgh Modular Arm ...
38 Spring, 1999
Plants can Heal Horticultural Therapy: By Lucia Morgan

When life becomes too much, thereâ€™s nothing like a garden to offer refuge, tranquillity and comfort. Cares and tension slip away. We slow down, relax and re-establish our connection with the ...
38 Spring, 1999
Rope Skipping Technique: Vaughan Evans of Vancouver, B.C., has taken a project in personal development to the next level. Evans, who is an amputee, hired a personal trainer a year ago to teach him to skip rope. He was ...
38 Spring, 1999
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
Love Bunnies Affectionate Angora Rabbits Make a Great Hobby: By Jacqui Adams

My love of Angora rabbits began at an agricultural show to which my daughter had persuaded me to go. There were at least 60 rabbits in cages, and I ended up ordering a blue Angora baby rabbit as well ...
37 Winter, 1998
Advocating for Access Securing Our Rights by Speaking Up: By Marie Laporte-Stark

Humans are creatures of habit. It is difficult, and quite often frustrating, to bring about change. And when services are finally made more accessible to consumers, organizations often take the ...
37 Winter, 1998
Virtual Reality for Visual Disability: The Teletouch system is a new type of software developed in the United Kingdom that translates computer words and graphics into tactile textures and shapes. Adapted by British Telecom, this novel ...
37 Winter, 1998
Body Language Do You Hear What I See?: By Robert S. Elkins

Like other people who are deaf, I observe my surroundings. There must be a connection between having broken ears and using eyes to pay attention. Since we are forced to miss conversations around us, ...
37 Winter, 1998
Iâ€™m under My Bed Beating the Grumps: By Catherine Steele

Do you ever feel like hiding under your bed? Do you ever have a bad day? Well, sooner or later, everyone does... Everyone gets in a bad mood. Research shows that 69 per cent of Canadian youth, aged ...
36 Fall, 1998
Caption Complications An Inside Look at Closed Captioning: By Mordecai Drache

I’ve almost finished captioning "foodessence," a popular television show on the history of food. The show is produced by Charles Bishop Productions in association with Life Network, the ...
36 Fall, 1998
Working Assets On the Job with Autism: By Ing Wong

Every day, Hartley Sigal makes the 30-minute trek from his home in northwest Toronto to the hustle and bustle of the downtown’s financial district. His destination: the Royal Bank Plaza, an imposing ...
35 Summer, 1998
Touching History Accessible Artifacts for Travellers Who are Blind: By John Rae

I have always loved being in the United Kingdom, but it had been 14 years since my last visit. On this trip I wondered what changes I would find. I was also looking forward to my first visit to the ...
35 Summer, 1998
Now Weâ€™re Cooking! Kitchen Tips for Accommodating a Visual Disability: By Deborah Debord

Cooking in the dark has been an interesting experience. As I continue to lose sight, I rediscover new ways to do the same old things. A dedicated cook, I refuse to give myself over to the microwaved ...
35 Summer, 1998
Just Like Magic Implant Eases Effects of Parkinsonâ€™s: By Raghbir Dhillon

I was born in India to a middle-class family some 69 years ago. I was very fond of my father, and many a time I would sit in his study and watch him do his work -- and notice that his hands would ...
34 Spring, 1998
A Friend Remembered in Land Mine Support A Tribute to Paul LeJeune: Antipersonnel land mines cause disabilities in 1,000 people every month in 64 developing countries. They are responsible for billions of dollars of rehabilitation costs, in addition to making ...
34 Spring, 1998
Succeeding in the Workplace Three Employees with Spina Bifida Share Job Tips: By Mary J. Dufton

Having a job gives us a sense of purpose, an identity and an opportunity to contribute to society. However, according to the Federal Task Force on Disability Issues, 44 per cent of Canadians with ...
34 Spring, 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
No Sitting Quietly Jimmie Heuga Comes to Canada: By Michelle Amerie

"One of manâ€™s greatest obstacles is to learn to sit quietly in his room." -- Blaise Pascal, 16th-century philosopher Jimmie Heuga, a 1964 Olympic bronze medalist from the ...
34 Spring, 1998
What are You, Pagal? Cultural Barriers to Mental Health: By Sujata Dey

"Pagal!" When I heard that word as a child, I knew it was time to run. Growing up as the descendants of immigrants from India, pagal is one of the few bad words that I could remember. The ...
33 Winter, 1997
Play By Play Soccer Like Youâ€™ve Never Heard it Before: By David White

Ken Cardy never misses a home game at Highbury, England, and he’s not about to miss this one. His team, Arsenal, is facing Leicester City in a late-season match in the F.A. Carling Premiership, ...
33 Winter, 1997
Airbag Warnings: Although Transport Canada has issued a few recommendations about airbags, such as advising children under 12 to sit in the back seat, it has not provided warnings to people with brittle ...
33 Winter, 1997
Margaret Gibbs Took a Flying Leap: Margaret Gibbs "took a flying leap" in Toronto last August to raise funds for the Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association of Ontario (SBHAO). Gibbs, a 61-year-old piano teacher ...
33 Winter, 1997
Working Solutions CPAâ€™s Work Force Survey: By Cliff Bridges

How many national disability organizations can claim they have always focused on return-to-work solutions? The Canadian Paraplegic Association (CPA) can. Since CPA was formed more than 50 years ...
33 Winter, 1997
A Holistic Health Experience in China I Look Back on My Medical Diagnosis with Fondness, Not Anguish: By Linda Ironside

Although I knew something was going on when I started to feel decidedly unwell years ago, I did not respect my body enough to check it out immediately. I arranged to see a doctor only when I had ...
32 Fall, 1997
Spiralling Down the Stress Highway: By Jo Clark, Sandra Hale

The experience of stress in life is universal. Throughout the span of human development, we will all have periods of adversity, change and challenge. How we respond and react to these events ...
32 Fall, 1997
Instability in Cambodia New Obstacles for Land Mine Survivors: By Hélèna Katz

This article looks at the land mine situation in Cambodia and how land mine survivors integrate in their communities. One person out of every 235 is an amputee and therefore disability is much more ...
32 Fall, 1997
Closing a Chapter Deep Brain Stimulation Makes a Difference: By Frank McQuay

I seem to recollect being in a darkened hospital room when my neurologist and two other men came and stood by my bed. My neurologist started to tell me about a type of operation that might help my ...
32 Fall, 1997
Choice and Opportunity: After 10 Months of Demonstration, Are Processes Being Examined by the Choice & Opportunity Project Providing Persons with an Intellectual Disability with Increased Power and Choice? First ...
32 Fall, 1997
Back on Track Returning to Work after a Brain Injury: By Mary McLagan

Frank Muraca s life changed dramatically in February, 1988, when he was involved in a car accident. The significant brain injury he sustained caused serious impairments in many areas of his life. As ...
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
Helping Kids "Feel" Colours: Hey, kids, do you have a friend who cannot see? Do you know that you can help your friend to see colours? Have a grown-up help you both understand. Put a mask on and have the grown-up give both of ...
31 Summer, 1997
CIBC Investigates Hearing Accessibility New Technology Enhances Communication: It is estimated that 10 per cent of the population, or 2.7 million Canadians, have hearing loss significant enough to affect communication. And, as the over-55 age group is growing at twice the rate ...
31 Summer, 1997
A Decade of a Legacy: 1987-1997 New Dignity for Canadians with Spinal Cord Injuries: On May 22, 1997, Rick Hansen will celebrate the Tenth Anniversary of his 40,000-kilometre marathon around the world, and the completion of his 17-city, 10-province, Tenth Anniversary Tour. But what ...
31 Summer, 1997
Parasites... Donâ€™t Let Them into Your System!: By Carolyn Turnbull

I recently received some health counsel from a caring relative. He regularly deals with a nutrition enterprise, and the people there had alerted him to certain "wisdoms" about multiple ...
30 Spring, 1997
Canadian Farmers with Disabilities Experts in the Fields: By Lynne Swanson

Many urban dwellers imagine farming and rural life as tranquil and idyllic. But realities are very different. Day-to-day operations are tough and demanding. World financial factors greatly ...
30 Spring, 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
Adults with Learning Disabilities Overcoming the Odds: By Isabel Shessel

At 30 years of age, Rob still reads at a grade-three level. He left school after grade 11. Is he another one of the unemployed, disillusioned statistics that we often hear about? Not for a moment! ...
30 Spring, 1997
Turning a Disability into an Ability: By Katherine Chartrand

Recently I was given a picture of me when I was nine months old. I was looking at a big dog that used to be mine. As I looked at the picture, I wondered if, back then, I could hear old Charlie ...
30 Spring, 1997
Land Mine Survivors Reclaiming Their Lives: By Hélèna Katz

Nobody wanted them after they’d had a limb blown off by a land mine. They begged in markets and along roadways. Rumours abounded that people with disabilities were thieves and couldn’t be trusted. ...
30 Spring, 1997
ABI Services Ontario March of Dimes welcomes a new program.: By Deanne Kukulewich

For more than 40 years, Ontario March of Dimes has provided exceptional community-based services and programs for people with all types of physical disabilities. Programs include attendant services, ...
30 Spring, 1997
A Unique Project Choice and Opportunity: In the early 1990s, persons with an intellectual disability on Prince Edward Island were feeling frustrated by the existing supports and services. Individuals with an intellectual disability felt ...
30 Spring, 1997
Graduating with the "Hidden Disability" Many supports are now available for students with learning disabilities: By Susan Alcorn MacKay

Stephanie is a bright, well-spoken young woman who reads at the grade-two level. Daryl uses a calculator even for simple multiplication. Michael dropped out of grade nine because he couldnâ€™t ...
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
Augustoâ€™s Message: !There is Still Hope!: By John Feld

AUGUSTOâ€™S MESSAGE: THEREâ€™S STILL HOPE! First Lorenzoâ€™s Oil... Now The Myelin Project BY JOHN FELD "How long before human trials begin?" asked the earnest young ...
28 Fall, 1996
Someone to Watch Over Me The Story of Seiko: By Susanne Pettit-Crossman

Susan Hoffman has a bodyguard. He’s tall, dark and handsome with black, wavy hair and large, brown eyes. He is on a 24-hour-a-day vigil and never leaves her side. His tireless patrol is crucial to ...
27 Summer, 1996
Hints and Devices for Parents Who are Deaf: There is a real lack of visual resource materials which are closed captioned, and there are few childbirth and parenting courses available with interpreters or real-time conversion. Therefore, ...
27 Summer, 1996
Great Expectations When Parenting at a Distance Moves in Under the Same Roof.: By Karin Melberg Schwier

This must be how it feels to be expecting, a lady in waiting, with a bun in the oven, heavy with child. Not exactly that this kid is an infant, but in two weeks, our lives will change. My ...
27 Summer, 1996
Do-It-Yourself Development Deaf Adults in El Salvador Develop Their Own Literacy Project.: By Tanis Doe

ACOGIPRI is an acronym for the Associacion Cooperativa el Grupo Independiente Pro Rehabilitacion Integral. Located in Sal Salvador, the organization runs a pottery-making workshop and sells its ...
27 Summer, 1996
Depression: By Michael Creurer

Depression is a pervasive mood disorder affecting a large number (between 5 and 11 per cent) of the general population. For people diagnosed with a chronic illness or disability, the prevalence of ...
27 Summer, 1996
Supported Employment Providing the Missisng Link for Success: By Denis Grenier, Jane Quesnel, Tory McTaggart

Supported Employment is considered to be one of the most practical employment options for both employers and individuals with disabilities. It allows employers to save time and money by pre - ...
27 Summer, 1996
Will the Owner of the Waving Arm Please Identify Itself? There is an invisible line between one stage and the next of unseeing.: 6 OCTOBER 1991 The van did not sell in spring, so I am still driving, although I have cut back. As I drive to church this morning on the empty streets I go through a red light. For some reason ...
26 Spring, 1996
My Place Is in the Community...With You!: The Canadian Association for Community Living has launched a national Public Awareness Campaign in support of people with intellectual disabilities. The Association for Community Living is a ...
26 Spring, 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
D-Day! I thought my life was over. But it was only the start of a new one.: By Janet Turner

I come from a small mining community of 5,000 people called Manitouwadge, Ontario, nestled just north of Lake Superior. I have lived there for 35 years since emigrating to Canada with my parents from ...
26 Spring, 1996
Dare to Dream With the support of teams of volunteers, my daughter could reach far more than I ever thought possi: By Lorraine Bartlett

For most young adults and their families, graduation from high school is a time for rejoicing, dreaming, and looking forward to new adventures as they embark on a new phase of their lives. The whole ...
26 Spring, 1996
Using Computers to Improve Cognitive Skills: At Lions Gate Hospital, in B.C., with the assistance of Simon Fraser University, a team has developed a treatment program using computers to improve cognitive skills in adults with traumatic brain ...
26 Spring, 1996
Will the Owner of the Waving Arm Please Identify Itself? "Itâ€™s a normal process of aging," the doctor says. I am 29.: By Roma Quapp

There is an invisible line between one stage and the next of unseeing. How can you tell where "worse" begins, or when? My world shrinks, grows more insular: I float within it. There are ...
25 Winter, 1995
The Next Generation Todayâ€™s students with disabilities are in your face.: By Sujata Dey

Crips. With attitude. They are the new generation of student disability rights activists who are aiming to change the world for other people with disabilities. Younger and more educated than the ...
25 Winter, 1995
The Mothersâ€™ March Back to Our Origins: By Dyanne Ostrander

During the severe polio epidemics of 1949 and 1951, mothers everywhere feared their young children would contract this highly contagious, disabling and potentially fatal disease. They were determined ...
25 Winter, 1995
Quality of Life Whoâ€™s the Judge?: By Sam Filer

(The National Access Awareness Week (NAAW) Kick-Off on May 29 saw the Metro Toronto Convention Centre teeming with activity. One of the most memorable events that day was a speech given by Justice ...
24 Fall, 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
Deaf-Blind and Dynamic! A Profile of Kerry Wadman: By Ing Wong

Kerry Wadman once walked into a bank to open a new account. It should have been a simple procedure. But there was one small problem. The teller was unwilling to communicate with Kerry. So Kerry ...
24 Fall, 1995
Barrier-Free Blooms The CNIBâ€™s Fragrant Garden: By Sibylle Preuschat

Gardens should be places where one can set aside the day’s worries and relax. But the average public or private garden is frequently not a relaxing place at all for a person with a disability. A ...
24 Fall, 1995
National Access Awareness Week Student Award Winners: On May 29, 1995, six post-secondary students with disabilities were awarded National Access Awareness Week (NAAW) Student Awards. Recipients of the awards were recognized both for their academic ...
24 Fall, 1995
Battles are Never Won by Surrendering: By Larry Himel

This is a story about Helen. Recently, I suggested to her that I’d like to write an article about her and asked if we could get together at our office to go over a few things. It was only last ...
24 Fall, 1995
When I was 18 in 1937 … A Woman Recalls Building A Life After Polio.: By Catherine M. Buckaway

When I was 18 in 1937, July 27, I woke and felt sick so I took a drink of water, and it came back through my nose. We called the doctor, who looked down my throat, and he thought it looked all ...
23 Summer, 1995
"Totally Blind?" The Potential for Sight: By Caroline R. Birkholz

"Totally blind" -- this is a diagnosis that is heard often when receiving a referral to the Occupational Therapy -- Early Intervention program. This is, however, just the beginning of ...
23 Summer, 1995
The Adult Network Addressing the Issues of Adults with Spina Bifida: By Henry Hill

In October, 1994, adults with spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus officially formed the Adult Network of the Spina Bifida Association of Canada (SBAC). The mission of the SBAC is "to improve the ...
23 Summer, 1995
Kateâ€™s Story On Interactive Photo CD: "Kate Sawford stands outside the operating room, poised to take her last walk on two legs. A blue hospital gown hangs from her thin body. Her bald head shines in the fluorescent light. In a few ...
23 Summer, 1995
Have a Vision The Visionics Low Vision Enhancement System: The Visionics Low Vision Enhancement System (LVES) was developed to assist people with chronic vision disabilities that canâ€™t be corrected by glasses, medication or surgery. It was invented at ...
23 Summer, 1995
Come to Your Senses, Gently The CNIBâ€™s Fragrant Garden: By Sybille Preuschat

One of the most pleasant ways to while away a warm afternoon is to relax among the flowers, plants and trees of a lovingly tended garden. The Fragrant Garden, on the grounds of the Canadian National ...
23 Summer, 1995
It Just Doesnâ€™t Make the Grade Quebec Fails to Support Students with Learning Disabilities: By Hélèna Katz

This article looks at post-secondary education in Quebec and the effect it has on students with learning disabilities. (Helena Katz is a freelance writer and public relations consultant with Katz ...
22 Spring, 1995
The Land Mine Crisis: Anti-personnel land mines (APMs) are having a catastrophic human and economic impact around the world today. APMs are a major cause of disability during and after a war. Most of the countries ...
22 Spring, 1995
Decreasing the Demands A new research study shows how mothers can reduce their stress load.: By Sylvie Tetreault, Rhoda Weiss-Lambrou

Technological advances in medicine have had different impacts on the rehabilitation field. Today, many children who would have died some years ago are surviving. Recent statistics indicate an ...
22 Spring, 1995
The Circle is Broken Including Athletes with Intellectual Disabilities at the Paralympics: By Helga Rempel

Who should compete at the Paralympics? Who personifies the Paralympic athlete? What direction should the Paralympic movement be taking? How will these changes affect athletes already competing at the ...
21 Winter, 1994
Phantom Limb Pain: By Patrick Watson

Phantom limb pain is the scourge of many amputees, the pain seemingly immune to treatment in thousands of cases, sometimes driving people to suicide. It has been an occasional terror for me, ...
21 Winter, 1994
Food Allergies Nothing to Sneeze At!: Did you know that allergies are the most prevalent of all chronic disabilities, affecting more than four million Canadians? And, although some allergies are more dangerous than others, each one puts ...
21 Winter, 1994
A Sign of the Times A Profile of Heather Whitestone, Miss America: By Lorin MacDonald

Like many girls, I watched the Miss America Pageant. But as a girl growing up with a disability, I couldnâ€™t hope to measure up to Miss America, in all her perfection. This yearâ€™s ...
21 Winter, 1994
Weâ€™re Staking Out Our Common Ground: By Geoff McMurchy

For some years now, the BCCPD (B.C. Coalition of People with Disabilities) has taken the lead among CCD affiliates in work related to bringing together people with AIDS/HIV and persons with ...
21 Winter, 1994
Helping Each Other Recover The Stroke Recovery Association Of Ontario: By Cheryl Denomy

In June, 1994, The Toronto Star reported that Canada has one of the lowest stroke mortality rates in the world. This means the estimated 40,000 to 50,000 Canadians who have a stroke each year have an ...
21 Winter, 1994
Ecological Medicine Finding Ways to BalanceOur Inner and Outer Environments: By Paul Davis

Most people are familiar with the common allergic conditions of hay fever and hives. Quite often, we can recognize the symptoms and determine the cause. However, according to writers and ...
20 Fall, 1994
Diabetes and Nutrition How Sweet It is!: By Susanne Pettit-Crossman

Diabetes is a common chronic condition affecting three per cent of Canadaâ€™s present population. It is believed that if our entire population were tested, this figure would jump to five per ...
20 Fall, 1994
Compass Talk High-Tech Wayfinding: By Christopher Guly

For most of us, travelling to a new city and finding an address can be aggravating and semi-traumatic. Street maps almost always seem to be written for "locals," not visitors. Endless ...
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
Paw Prints in the Sand A Tale of Two Guide Dogs — And Their Owners in Aruba: By Chris Stark

"Here comes Bob" were words that brought smiles to our faces. The statement announced the long-awaited start to our trip from Ottawa to Aruba. The long hours of planning were beginning to ...
18 Spring, 1994
Laugh, I Thought Iâ€™d Die Dennis Kayeâ€™s Life with ALS: On December 9, 1993, Peter Gzowski, host of CBC Radioâ€™s Morningside, had a special guest on the weekday morning broadcast: Dennis Kaye, author of the newly released Laugh, I Thought Iâ€™d ...
18 Spring, 1994
Speaking of Stuttering: By Lisa Bendall

It has been said that someone with an invisible disability often encounters the most trying obstacles to accessible living. Society finds it difficult to accommodate something that is less than ...
18 Spring, 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
A Thirst for Learning Independent Living in Trinidad and Tobago: By Diane Driedger

Itâ€™s rainy season in Trinidad but still people venture out, still people with disabilities trek to the Independent Living Centre (ILC). Here, they practise their skills on four computers that ...
18 Spring, 1994
Manufacturing Backlash: By Eric Schryer

(Chair of PUSHâ€™s Central Regional Council and serving on a multitude of employment-related committees, Eric Schryer is the coordinator of Disabled People for Employment Equity (DPEE), a ...
18 Spring, 1994
Deaf Culture and Multi-Culturalism The 1993 International Seminar on Youth and Development introduces the Deaf Participation Project.: By Tanis Doe

There are quite a few Deaf people who do not consider themselves "disabled." Instead, they feel that they belong to a cultural and linguistic minority, in the form of Deaf culture. ...
17 Winter, 1993
Talking Pictures Family Channel Brings Home Descriptive Video: By Lisa Bendall

This fall, Family Channel, Canadaâ€™s Family Network, announced the premiere of regular narrated television programming in Canada. On November 10 at 9 p.m., Family Channel broadcasted a ...
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
The Sue Rodriguez Case: By Anne Malloy

Sue Rodriguez has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). She was concerned that she might want to end her life at a point when, because of the effects of her disease, she would no longer have the ...
17 Winter, 1993
The Coalition of Provincial Organisations of the Handicapped Rogdrigue: Autonomy & Vulnerabiltiy Must Both Be Protected: RODRIGUEZ: AUTONOMY & VULNERABILITY MUST BOTH BE PROTECTED In the relatively brief span it took for the case of Rodriguez versus the Attorneys-General of British Columbia and Canada to arrive at ...
16 Fall, 1993
To Boldly Go...: By Lisa Bendall

"We find ourselves in a bewildering world. We want to make sense of what we see around us and to ask: What is the nature of the universe? What is our place in it and where did it and we come ...
16 Fall, 1993
Celebrating People First: By Kim Miller

The words may be simple, but the message they hold is profound. People First. To the nearly 1,400 delegates from 31 countries who gathered for five intense days, these two words mean everything -- if ...
16 Fall, 1993
A Future with Rights -- The Right Future: By Marie White

"We affirm that all Canadians have the right to opportunities to participate in community life." Thus begins a "Declaration of Partnership" in which, on April 2, 1993, the ...
16 Fall, 1993
Stroke and Conductive Education: By Cliff Goodall

Understanding the rehabilitative effects of stroke in todayâ€™s society eludes the majority, unless they have had actual contact with someone with this neurologically debilitating ...
16 Fall, 1993
Post-Polio Research in British Columbia: By Cecil Herschler,

"Post-polio syndrome," "post-polio" and "late effects of poliomyelitis" are diagnostic labels that are given more and more frequently to polio survivors today. People ...
16 Fall, 1993
Rodriguez Autonomy and Vulnerability Must Both be Protected: In the relatively brief span it took for the case of Rodriguez versus the Attorneys-General of British Columbia and Canada to arrive at the doorstep of Canadaâ€™s Supreme Court, a wide assortment ...
16 Fall, 1993
From Pain to Power: By Rosemary Adams

Recovery from the psychosis of my illness was not an overnight occurrence. A combination of therapy, medication and goal-setting led to my success. Goal-setting demanded discipline on my part. My ...
15 Summer, 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
Project Provides Support to Adults with Learning Disabilities: By Jeff Karp

Over the past few decades, there has been an increase in the provision and support for students with learning disabilities. There has also been an unprecedented number of individuals with learning ...
14 Spring, 1993
Pain Practical Self-Help Strategies: By Louise E. Koepfler

Pain is the second most common condition (after the common cold) bringing patients to the attention of their family doctors. It is estimated that in North America approximately 11 per cent of the ...
14 Spring, 1993
Sex & Spinal Cord Injury: By Vida Jurisic

"Sex is something you do, sexuality is something you are." -- Anna Freud Although sexual adjustment of some kind is a fact of life for many persons with disabilities, frank discussion ...
14 Spring, 1993
Out of the Workshops, Into the Work Force: By Lory Block

The field of vocational rehabilitation is undergoing substantial change. Consumers of the 90s are demanding that service delivery systems be client-driven and reflect the importance of personal ...
14 Spring, 1993
Power & Responsibility in Mental Health A Personal Horror Story: By Jane Melville Whyte

(The following moving and all too factual account was prepared for COPOHâ€™s diary project; contact COPOH office for further details as to this project. It explores issues which are not nearly ...
14 Spring, 1993
Management of Post-Polio Syndrome: By Rubin M. Feldman

During the last ten years, there has been an increasing awareness of the existence of a phenomenon which occurs in approximately 20 to 25 per cent of individuals who experienced the ravages of ...
13 Fall/Winter, 1992
Surrey Rehabilitation Centre Moves out of the Shelter and into the Open: By Lory Block

The Surrey (BC) Rehabilitation Society is going through what is perhaps the most significant development in its 20-year history. Following a comprehensive review of services, completed by the ...
11 Spring, 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
On Grieving The Experience of Jim Taylor: By Shirley McMahon

Jim Taylor, 27, was assistant manager, piano technician, and a devoted nine-year employee of a prominent piano store in West Vancouver B.C. This changed last Fall, after he flipped over the ...
10 Winter, 1992
Thinking Differently: By Tanis Doe

I do not normally write these kinds of stories. I use my time to write policy papers, project proposals, edit and publish newsletters etc., but these thoughts were so powerful I had to write them ...
9 Fall, 1991
Profile Of Post-Polio Networks and Self-Help Groups In Canada: (Editor’s Note: This article has been adapted from the executive summary of a report prepared by Doctor George Torrance and Doctor Joseph Kaufert for the Disabled Person’s Program Branch of Health ...
9 Fall, 1991
Hot Dog, Fun In the Sun: By Marie Laporte-Stark, Chris Stark

“Up, up Luna Dog! Up, up” ! With a wag of her tail, a shake and a jangle of the harness, this golden retriever guide dog answers the “all aboard call” to start the long airplane journey home at the ...
9 Fall, 1991
As We Live and Breathe: By Dyanne Ostrander

Brain dead, that’s the general public’s assumption when they hear that someone is ventilator dependent; that they are able to do little more than lie on a bed and let breathing equipment keep them ...
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
Silent News: By Lisa Airst

Silent News, a weekly round-up of national and international news for the deaf and hearing impaired, is now being produced by C.B.C. Newsworld. The show is hosted by anchorman Henry Whalen, and ...
9 Fall, 1991
An Incredible Sight: By Michael Lea

Out on the street they are blind. Handicapped. Disabled. In need of a guide dog or a white cane or a friend’s arm. But on the gym floor, dressed in the traditional white “gi” of the karate ...
8 Summer, 1991
Sign of the Times Gary Malkowski in Profile: By Peter Carter

New Democrat MPP, Gary Malkowski, was elected to the Ontario Legislature last summer. The 32 year old represents the Toronto riding of York East and serves as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister ...
7 Spring, 1991
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
God Does Not Play Dice: By Roy Bonisteel

Over the years I have been in radio and television and the five years I was honourary director of the Muscular Dystrophy Association Canada I have met and talked to hundreds of people around the ...
1 Fall, 1988