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Civil Rights Now is working to improve the lives of people with disabilities

May 9th, 2013 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Civil Rights Now is working to improve the lives of people with disabilities)

Civil Rights Now and its Think Twice campaign is building toward the ultimate goal of a “British Columbians with Disability Act”

picture 474“When your civil rights have been violated you don’t need a good hug—you need a good lawyer.” That’s what Paul Caune has concluded after his experiences in trying to obtain adequate supports and accommodation in the province of British Columbia.

After more than two years of unrelenting self-advocacy, Paul was able to leave—escape is the word he uses—from an extended care facility, into innovative social housing. Now, as the CBC puts it, Paul Caune is leading the charge for the right of people with disabilities to manage their own care. (more…)

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A twisty tale of transformation

May 2nd, 2013 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on A twisty tale of transformation)

Martha Carter shares a multimedia performance reflecting her own ‘twisted’ journey of living with a crooked spine while pursuing a career in dance

picture 471THE STRAIGHT (Vancouver)—Martha Carter empties a little black bag onto the dance-studio floor. Before us lies a pile of glittering steel bits—hooks, bolts, and rods that look like hardware ripped out of the Terminator. “Don’t worry. They’ve been cleaned,” she jokes. These are pieces of the apparatus that was once used to straighten her spine. Surgically implanted in the ’70s, they were a symbol of what she couldn’t do. Now, they’re a symbol of what she can.

Thirty-six years ago, at the age of 14, as Carter lay immobilized in an itchy body cast, a career in dance seemed like an impossibility. Before doctors had surgically fused her vertebrae and inserted the metal rods, they had made it clear that her training would have to end. (more…)

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Rampant ageism is fueled by common, yet largely inaccurate, social beliefs

May 2nd, 2013 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Rampant ageism is fueled by common, yet largely inaccurate, social beliefs)

Our culture promotes the belief that aging means decline, dependence and dementia, or at best isolation and depression—yet most elders are healthier, better educated and productive both economically and socially, than they were earlier in life

picture 472Researcher, writer and activist Lillian Zimmerman has grown weary with what she calls the “crisis mentality about the horrors of aging“—and the broad notions of “decline” that accompany views about aging in our society. The octogenarian says the negative views of aging fail markedly to look at the positive aspects of aging. She’s also aware of rampant ageism in society at large, but argues that older people are healthier, better educated and productive both economically and socially, than they were earlier in life. “We don’t decline when we turn 65,” Lillian writes, “In fact we continue to develop and create innovative new ways of being older.” (more…)

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