The 2015 Access, Equity & Human Rights Awards took place at Toronto’s City Hall on Wednesday, December 2. The Access Award for Disability Issues, established in 1983 to recognize the International Year of the Disabled, is always part of the ceremony. The 2015 Access Award was presented to Farah Mawani.
Farah Mawani, 2015 Access Award winner
Mawani, a long-time human rights advocate, is the founder of Building Roads Together. This peer support group program is an integrated group designed to empower people faced with unique health challenges. Building Roads Together aims to maximize accessibility to programs such as exercise.
Mawani, who is recovering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), said her experience with mental illness is what led to the creation of Building Roads Together. Mawani’s program is part of an organization she founded called Farahway Global, based at the Centre for Social Innovation (CSI) Regent Park.
“I’m beyond moved that a growing number of people and organizations across the city and country want to be part of Building Roads,” Mawani said during her acceptance speech.
Here is a list of the other award recipients for 2015:
Aboriginal Affairs Award: Joanne Dallaire
Constance E. Hamilton Award on the Status of Women: Andrea Sesum
Pride Award for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Transsexual and Two-Spirit Issues: Mark Smith
William P. Hubbard Award for Race Relations: Kamala-Jean Gopie
On October 30, 2015, the 22nd annual Canadian Disability Hall of Fame induction ceremony took place at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto. Three people were inducted this year: para-athlete Lauren Barwick, lawyer Bernard Gluckstein and comedian Rick Mercer. Lauren Barwick was inducted in the Builder category. The equestrian from British Columbia is also one of Canada’s most decorated athletes. This includes the gold and silver won at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games. Growing up with a brother and sister born with disabilities, Barwick became paraplegic as a result of a ranch accident in 2000. She recently received Canada’s only medals in Para-Dressage, a silver and bronze, at the 2014 AllTech FEI World Equestrian Games. Bernard ‘Bernie’ Gluckstein and Rick Mercer were inducted in the Achiever category. Gluckstein is a personal injury lawyer based in Toronto. His firm, Gluckstein Lawyers, has helped several clients with disabilities, especially those with Acquired Brain Injuries (ABIs). Gluckstein is a founding director of the Ontario Brain Injury Association. He is also an accredited photographer for the Paralympics.
During his acceptance speech, Gluckstein spoke fondly of a client who needed encouragement to keep living after she became paralyzed from the waist down at the age of 19. They have remained friends ever since. That client was the event’s emcee, Joanne Smith. (Smith, a media personality and licensed nutritionist, is a 2007 CHOF inductee.)
Comedian and satirist Rick Mercer was recognized for presenting people with disabilities in a positive light on his weekly CBC TV series, the Rick Mercer Report. On the show, he has trained with Paralympians, and also with those working out at the Abilities Centre and Variety Village. Mercer is also a recipient of the Order of Canada. His weekly TV series is one of the most-watched homegrown shows in Canada. Mercer believes, after having befriended several people with disabilities, that making Canada a barrier-free country is “the only way.”
There is an exhibit going on now commemorating Terry Fox and the 35th anniversary of his Marathon of Hope. The exhibit, titled Terry Fox: Running to the Heart of Canada, opened at the Canadian Museum of History (formerly the Canadian Museum of Civilization) in Gatineau, Quebec (immediately across from Ottawa, Ontario) on April 2, 2015.
Terry Fox (1958-1981) started his walk across Canada because he wanted to raise money for and awareness of cancer research. His Marathon of Hope began after he lost his right leg to cancer in 1979. The Terry Fox Centre in British Columbia has preserved many of the items from the Marathon of Hope, which Fox ran from April 12 to September 1, 1980, when his cancer returned to claim his life.
Fox’s Marathon of Hope lasted 143 days and 5,373 kilometres. It began in Newfoundland and ended in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Since Fox’s death, the Terry Fox Run has become an international event held every September.
I visited the exhibit in June, and I recommend it. The exhibit retraces the story of Fox’s marathon and how it continues to motivate and inspire people to contribute to the fight against cancer. I liked seeing all the artifacts on display, including his artificial leg. My favourites were the van his friend drove alongside Fox during the Marathon of Hope, and the Order of Canada that Fox received in late 1980. Terry Fox: Running Through the Heart of Canada continues until January 3, 2016. You can order tickets online at http://www.historymuseum.ca/, or call 1-800-555-5621. TTY customers can call 1-819-776-7003.
Tonight I'm sad to read Michael Burgess has died of cancer. He was a Canadian actor and opera tenor. I met Burgess twice during the '90s and saw him as Jean Valjean in a Toronto production of Les Miserables. He was a good guy. Rest in peace Michael Burgess.
“Enjoy the moment.” This is what singer/songwriter Justin Hines says to his fans who attend his concerts. During the Parapan Games, I heard Hines say this when he performed at Nathan Phillips Square one hot August afternoon. Prior to that day, I got to interview him for Enables Me.
Interviewing Justin Hines recently was a great moment for me, because I got to learn more about this talented folk-pop artist, and the people that influenced him and his music along the way.
“I was always into people who weren’t kind of flashy,” Hines says. Hines grew up in Newmarket, Ontario, with family members who were musical. This includes his father, who played guitar. In addition to his musical family members, Hines credits Cat Stevens, Carole King, James Taylor and Jim Croce as influences. “I have always loved the singers who would go on stage and tell their stories through songs… I thought that was really cool, and I wanted to be that guy.”
Hines was born with a rare joint condition called Larsen’s Syndrome. Hines says he doesn’t think about his disability too much, preferring instead to share his gifts and talents with his fans.
Hines’ began singing as a child, with his earliest public performances at church services. Hines’ formal entry into the music business came as the age of 14. “I had won a contest to sing the National Anthem at a Toronto Raptors game (1996). From there I kept getting these kid show gigs. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but it ended up being the start of my journey going forward.”
After paying his dues for the next decade, he signed with an independent label called Orange, which has a distribution deal in place with Universal Music Canada. His second album, Chasing Silver, has a song called “Say What You Will.” The song encourages the listener to say what is on your mind when you’ve got the chance. Staying silent could result in a missed opportunity.
“Say What You Will” became a #1 hit in South Africa, and its popularity led Hines to filming a music video there. It also led to Hines and colleagues to donate school supplies to the Despatch Primary School in Reservoir Hills.
“Going to South Africa was really emotional for me,” Hines says. Their educational campaign was inspired by the song. Witnessing people help each other out on a huge scale is something I never dreamed I would be a part of. The whole experience was life-changing when I look back on it.”
Hines has enjoyed many spectacular moments in his career so far. Over the past decade, he has released five CDs, toured throughout Canada and internationally, received the Order of Ontario, and was made a founding artist of The Agency for Extraordinary People. When I asked him what his favourite moment has been, this was his response:
“I don’t look back too much. I can’t isolate anything in particular… everything has been amazing… I never thought I could make it to this level… I feel blessed…”
So, what enables Justin Hines?
“Having a strong support system… I believe that’s the key for people like ourselves striving to find a really good support system. A lot of people haven’t been as fortunate as I have. I say to them, if you didn’t have it yourself, then maybe you can be that person to somebody else, and recognize how important it is to really be there for each other.”
During the 2015 Parapan Am Games held recently in Toronto, I got to interview another first-time para-athlete, Anne Fergusson. She is a 19-year-old sitting volleyball competitor originally from Smiths Falls, Ontario. Born without a left hand, she has been passionate about sports and has competed in volleyball since high school. She was involved in other sports, however sitting volleyball is her specialty.
Toronto, Ontario, August 9, 2015. Canada vs USA sitting Volleyball 2015 Parapan Am Games . Photo Scott Grant/Canadian Paralympic Committee
When I asked her what it felt like to be making her national debut at Parapan, she said:
“Absolutely amazing… It’s a great group of girls and it’s been an incredible experience.”
She also said it was exciting to make her national team debut on home soil. Her goal is to make the 2016 Paralympics in Rio, while juggling her engineering studies at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario.
Toronto, Ontario, August 14, 2015. Canadian women compete in the Sitting volleyball during the 2015 Parapan Am Games . Photo Scott Grant/Canadian Paralympic Committee
Fergusson and her team won bronze when they defeated Cuba 3-0. Before the bronze medal game was played, I asked her to pick a personal favourite Parapan Am moment.
“I think my favourite moments have definitely been coming out as a team. This group of girls have definitely worked hard together… it has been really special.”
You can find an organization near you to try out sitting volleyball:
Instead of focusing all of our attention on the veteran para-athletes, the Enables Me team has taken an interest in the newcomers. Priscilla Gagne is new to the Parapan Am Games. She won silver in Judo in the women’s under-52-kilogram event this week after defeating three of her four opponents at the Abilities Centre in Whitby, Ontario.
WHITBY, ON, AUGUST 11, 2015. Judo at the Abilities Centre – Canadians Priscilla Gagne (-52KG/B1) wins a silver medal.
Photo: Dan Galbraith/Canadian Paralympic Committee
“This is a huge accomplishment for me,” she said. “This is definitely a highlight. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I’m just so grateful it was right here in Canada, and in Toronto of all places close to Sarnia where family could come. It means the world to me.”
The 29-year-old Gagne. who is visually impaired, and a former wrestler, was born in Quebec and raised in Sarnia, Ontario. She credits her move to Ottawa as having helped her perform better as a para-athlete.
“I was moving for work because Ottawa is a blind-friendly city. My dad was visiting me from Sarnia and he said ‘let’s just go look at the dojo,’ and knowing my dad, before I left, he was signing papers to pay for my membership.”
WHITBY, ON, AUGUST 11, 2015. Judo at the Abilities Centre – Canadians Priscilla Gagne (-52KG/B1) wins a silver medal.
Photo: Dan Galbraith/Canadian Paralympic Committee
Gagne says she hopes to qualify for the 2016 Olympics in Rio, as long as she stays in the top six. I asked her if she enjoyed her first Parapan Am experience overall.
“All the training really paid off,” she said. “I’m disappointed I lost the one to Brazil but all in all, I’m really happy.”
Austin Hinchey, the Edmonton-based captain of his sitting volleyball team, overcame a major obstacle. Born with osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bones) concentrated in his left leg, he decided to get it amputated. He made this life-altering decision at age 11. Now, at age 23, he represents Canada in para competitions throughout the world. After developing a passion for volleyball in high school, he began playing competitively. He has been the captain for Team Canada's Sitting Volleyball team since 2007.
In 2011, he and his sitting volleyball team won the bronze medal at the Guadalajara Parapan Am Games.
So what does he think about playing on home soil in the 2015 Parapan Am Games?
"It's amazing to be playing in Canada. We (our current team) have only played one other event in Montreal every year, but we've never played something this big in Canada, and we have never had these kinds of fans in Canada. It's really exciting for us and we're really enjoy playing in front of the home crowd."
Hinchey is so proud of his current roster that going to the 2016 Olympics in Rio is "the goal." With an unbreakable attitude like that, his goal to go to Rio looks promising, especially with growing interest for sitting volleyball.
Before I wrapped my interview with Hinchey, I asked him if he had any advice for young people with disabilities who long to get into sports:
"I think the biggest thing is just to try and find a sport that you love, and to enjoy playing it. We play ultimately to have fun and to enjoy the sport (of volleyball), and especially if you're an athlete that qualifies to play a Paralympic sport, just try to get involved. Most sports are inclusive and (organizers) are always looking for new people."
You can find an organization near you to try out sitting volleyball:
Powerlifting is considered by many to be the ultimate test of strength. The sport made its debut at the 1964 Paralympic Games in Tokyo (the 2nd Paralympics). Powerlifting was originally exclusive to men with spinal cord injuries. Powerlifting now has male and female competitors with a wide range of disabilities. Powerlifting has been part of the Parapan Am Games since it began in 1999.
The objective is to lift the most weight. Competitors are required to lie on an official bench with their head and body in contact with the bench, and their legs and both heels extended throughout the lift. Three attempts are given to perform each lift. The heaviest "good lift" (within the weight class) is used for final placing in the competition.
Powerlifting is the only discipline with 10 different weight divisions. According to the Canadian Paralympic Committee, athletes draw lots to determine the order of weigh-in and lifts.
Results from 2011 Parapan Am Games
You can click here to view the results of the men’s and women’s powerlifting events. Venue for 2015
Hershey Centre (aka Mississauga Sports Centre), 5500 Rose Cherry Place, Mississauga, Ontario.
Swimming is one of the largest and longest-standing sports for athletes with a disability. Para-swimming has been part of the Paralympics since the first official Games in Rome in 1960. There are several para-swimming competitions around the world, and the sport is governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
Rules for para-swimming are adapted from the International Swimming Federation (FINA). There are some differences. Para-swimmers can either stand or sit on a platform before diving in, or they can start their race in the water. Blind and visually impaired swimmers often have people called "tappers." These tappers stand at the end of the pool and use a pole to tap the swimmers when they approach the wall, indicating when the swimmer should turn or end the race. Blind and visually impaired swimmers are required to wear blackened goggles, so they can compete at an even level with partially sighted swimmers. Results from 2011 Parapan Am Games
You can click here to view the results of the men’s and women’s para-swimming events. Venue for 2015
In mid-April of this year, my parents and I spent a weekend in New York City. It was my sixth trip to the city nicknamed the Big Apple, and it’s one of my favourite cities in the world (second only to Toronto, of course).
The trip was a birthday gift my dad gave to himself, and to us. We left Toronto on Thursday, April 16, and arrived in New York the following day, which was my dad’s birthday. We kicked off the festivities by having dinner at P.J. Clarke’s bar and grill on Lincoln Square. Once called “The Vatican of Saloons” by The New York Times, P.J. Clarke’s has remained intact through its nearly 150-year history. It has been frequented by celebrities such as Frank Sinatra, who once claimed Table #20 as his own.
After dinner we went to catch a jazz concert at Lincoln Center that evening. Jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis lead the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra in a concert honouring one of its bandmates, Joe Temperley. The Scottish-born saxophonist is one of the founding members of Jazz at Lincoln Center. Temperley played memorable solos, and he appears to be going strong at 85.
The next day, we went to the 9/11 Memorial Museum. The museum honours and remembers the nearly 3,000 people who were killed on September 11, 2001. It also recognizes the six people killed in an unrelated attack on February 26, 1993. Remnants of the World Trade Center destroyed in 2001 are on display, including the satellite that was on top of the north tower.
This quote from the Roman philosopher Virgil sums this experience up best: “No day shall erase you from the memory of time.”
A night at the opera followed the trip to the 9/11 Memorial Museum. The Metropolitan Opera Company, nicknamed The Met, has hosted many famous opera. It also has a classy-looking restaurant near the theatre stage. We dined at the Met, and we enjoyed our meals. Then we saw two short Italian operas, Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana (Rustic Chivalry) and Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci (The Clowns).
In regards to accessibility, I like how you can access English subtitles at the back of every seat. It was helpful to us since they were all sung in Italian.
Sunday was our last full day in New York. We kicked it off with an excellent brunch at the Tavern on the Green, a family restaurant in Central Park. We ate there once before, and it was exactly as I had remembered it.
Our trip concluded with catching a Broadway musical, a biographical look at the life and music of Carole King (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical). The story focuses on her early years as a successful writer of pop hits, and her eventual transition to having her own singing career. We all loved it.
I love New York, and am always reluctant to leave. The one thing I won’t miss about New York is the cabs. They drive too fast on those bumpy roads, especially around Broadway and Times Square. Other than that, New York is accessible for travellers with disabilities, and I hope you get to visit it before you die.
