This week an older gentleman from my church died. He was 85. He contracted polio when he was a child and lived in a wheelchair most of his life. For a small man living from an old style wheelchair (probably heavier than him), he did pretty good. When I met him many years ago he was still living on his own in my condominium building, with occasional help from friends and neighbours. He moved here from Montreal when he was 40 to try life on his own. His mom told him he could never do it and needed to be with her. He was never going to amount to much according to his mother's generation. He proved them wrong. He worked and lived like anyone else.....well maybe not like anyone else. He had tenacity. He was always pushing for better access. He wanted his life made a bit easier but also for the lives of others. Apparently he regularly showed up at City Council meetings to voice his concerns over the unsafe nature of curb dips at corners. He always had some issue he was advocating for and at times it was a bit tiresome for people around him. Was it ever going to be good enough for him? Would he ever be content with how things were? Probably not. Now he's at peace.
I think too of my life and it was quite the opposite. I was told I could do all sorts of things and basically told to lead a normal life - including chores at home like my sisters! I went to school, had summer jobs during university, moved out on my own, got a job...in some ways, I desperately tried to be "normal". I didn't want to ruffle feathers around me because it was so important that people liked me. However as I learned more and more in university I did start to take a stand. For example while studying biomechanics it seemed that all the examples given to us were from elite sport. Can we figure out a way to get this triple jumper to jump 2 cm further? Can we change the free style swimming stroke to shave off 1/10 sec? Did I really want to spend my career doing these things? I wanted to figure out ways to make kids with cerebral palsy or spina bifida walk a block instead of 2 metres. I wanted to see a child in a wheelchair be able to propel without getting shoulder pain. I'd love to know if new ergonomic crutches really can make a difference to those with amputees. The more I work in this area the more passionate I get but I am not attending city council meetings for better access. I don't nag when barriers are in my way, because I am not the only person.
Maybe I am too quiet at times and don't speak up for those less fortunate. I'm not always the best advocate for disability issues but I do believe quiet subtle education can make a difference in the long run. Educating our future doctors about patients who live with chronic illnesses and disabilities through our Health Mentors Program at UBC, will hopefully help change the attitude towards disabled patients struggling to manage their disease day after day. Educating future engineers, kinesiologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and professors about how to address people with disabilities and include them in research and other decisions about their lives will build up this community instead of continuing to oppress them, labeling them as unfortunate patients or just research subjects to study.
I admired my friend who passed away this week - his zest for life and quest for justice. He did what he knew how to do. I hope that I have that same zest and tenacity to slowly work for change so that folks with mobility impairments or other disabilities know they matter and their lives are of value. I know my life matters.
