I have now been in Kelowna for almost a year and I must admit it is a city of dichotomy. I would like to say it is a tale of two cities but in actuality it is a tale of many cities. Kelowna is no longer the sleepy town my parents use to bring us … Continue reading Kelowna – A Tale of Two Cities
Month: June 2014
Polio Diaries – Episode 5
And so it was that on Monday December 28, 1953 my parents returned me to hospital. Christmas was over and I don't remember any more of it than my dad throwing up. Friday January 1, 1954 I entered what was to be my first complete year as a rediscovered individual and that year would include … Continue reading Polio Diaries – Episode 5
Polio Diaries – Episode 4
I am going to switch gears today to discuss supportive alliances. Polio survivors have had numerous alliances over the years and often the survivors were not even aware of them. One of those alliances was in the form of the Canadian Paraplegic Association and by extension Canadian veterans. Although formed to support returning WWII veterans … Continue reading Polio Diaries – Episode 4
Polio Diaries, Episode 3
1953 saw the last of the major polio epidemics in North America. In Canada that resulted in almost 9000 cases with over 500 deaths. That was an 18% mortality rate and that figure climbs as high as 30% for adults. The mortality rate isn't as high anymore where polio still exists but then medicine has come … Continue reading Polio Diaries, Episode 3
Polio Diaries, Episode 2
Memories from my early polio years are pretty vague so I do have to work at retrieving them. However with the 60th anniversary of the vaccine introduction to Canada coming up in 2015 I do feel it is important to log some of this before the first hand experience disappears forever. Particularly right now with … Continue reading Polio Diaries, Episode 2
Polio Diaries – Episode 1 The Diagnosis
It was just ten days following his third birthday. He had been exhibiting signs of the flu for almost the entire ten days since his birthday and was getting increasingly sicker. His mom had taken him to the doctor twice and each time been told if was just the flu. The date was June 10, 1953 … Continue reading Polio Diaries – Episode 1 The Diagnosis
What Disability?
In essence there are two types of disabilities (which is very different from diagnosis). They are congenital, usually something that started at birth but is defined by a "condition that occurred before the age of 4", or acquired. An acquired happens after the age of four and could be anything from the results of a … Continue reading What Disability?
It’s Alright to Say No!
Recently I had a little back and forth with an individual that really brought the idea of advocacy back home to me and, in particular, its relationship to physical access. I recognize access as a right and I have spend the better part of my life fighting for and defending rights. Not just those of persons … Continue reading It’s Alright to Say No!
A Poster Child's Perspective 