1. Be Inspired
  2. Principle #2: Empowerment

Principle #2: Empowerment

Principle #2: Empowerment is the key

The empowered individual is the core of any successful program or service.

As society's awareness of people with disabilities has increased, so has the realization of the importance of self-determination and the opportunity to take charge of ones life. People with disabilities have a right to be involved in planning programs, choosing activities of interest, and initiating change when required. Self-empowerment does not mean, however, that individuals are left to act on their own. We live in a society that aims to promote interdependence, where people collaborate with others and receive support for acts of self-determination.

Marc Ross

English

On Course And Giving Back

I was born in Vienna, Austria in 1981 and grew up in Calgary, Alberta. Shortly after my seventeenth birthday, while on an exchange program in France, I broke my neck diving off rocks with friends. After months of rehabilitation and therapy, I decided to get back to school, now as a C 5 quadriplegic with limited shoulder movement and weak biceps. I graduated high school with my class in the spring of 1999, and went on to earn my BA and MSc in psychology at the University of Calgary. In the fall of 2012, I completed a Ph.D. in educational contexts.

Kuen Tang

English

The Journey of Trying Something New

As I drive towards Spirit River, Alberta on a beautiful Friday morning, my heart is calm like the weather before a major storm, but my mind is racing 100 miles per hour, full of excitement.

I am a C 6/7 quadriplegic and I have always been afraid of heights, but I have “jumped” at the challenge that our Peer Event Coordinator, Brian, has given to me. All my friends think I am crazy, but, yes, I have agreed to go skydiving!

Kim Kilpatrick

English

Be Active

I have been totally blind since birth. Before I came along, my family was very active in sports. My dad played hockey, football, ran track and road races, skated, skied, and curled. My mom walked, rode a bike, skated, and cross country skied. My brother was growing to love swimming and skiing. When I arrived, the family did not change their lifestyle and just expected me to do what everyone did. We had to adapt some activities slightly. We put rice in beach balls for ball games. When I was old enough and tall enough, we got a tandem bicycle.

Jason Dunkerley

English
In December 2012, a friend gave me some good advice. In an email he wrote that even though the future held uncertainty, I could be sure of one thing: running is forever. At the time, my wife Colleen had just begun dialysis treatments, having first learned she had kidney disease in 2008. I was undergoing tests to determine if I could donate one of my kidneys to her.

Chris Bourne

English

It's All About Having Fun

As a kid, I was always active; playing games, recreational and organized sports like skiing, hockey, soccer, racing dirt bikes, football, you name it, I played it. I loved to be outdoors, either having fun or doing physically demanding labour jobs. Being active was central to my lifestyle. Without it, I went a little stir crazy.

Austin Smeenk

English

Bridging Gaps in My Mind's Eye

Having a disability does not mean you are unable to do things like play hockey, ride a bike, sail a boat, snow board, or have a teen business cutting grass or blowing snow. It just means that there needs to be an openness to trying and doing things differently. As an active person with a physical disability, I have learned through experience that a lot of my ability happens when I am able to bridge gaps in my mind’s eye.