Principle #5: Respect and Dignity

Principle #5: Respect and dignity are the foundation

Preserving the respect and dignity of all individuals is fundamental to the success of the active living movement.

The principles of dignity of risk, age appropriateness, personal satisfaction and freedom of choice are fundamental to providing programs and services for, by and to people with disabilities. Participation options should be available which are personally challenging and demanding, they should be geared to the participants' age group, and they should be varied enough that individuals can choose from a wide range of activities.

Terry Gardner

French
En début 2004, je me suis levé à 5h30 du matin pour me préparer pour aller travailler, comme tout autre matin. Mais lorsque j’ai regardé dans le miroir, les choses étaient loin d’être normales : je ne me voyais plus ! Tout était flou. Je pouvoir voir la couleur de ma peau mais je ne voyais plus mes traits. J’ai fait ma toilette et me suis habillé, mais je ne voyais toujours pas bien. Que faire?

Ryan Van Praet

French
Bien des choses m’ont donné de la perspective, qu’il s’agisse d’une leçon de vie quelconque, de la mort de mon père, décédé de la maladie de Lou Gehrig (SLA), ou de ma propre déficience visuelle. Ayant appris à quatre ans que j’étais atteint de la rétinite pigmentaire et que je perdrais graduellement la vue, j’ai vécu une vie de perspective et d’appréciation.

Mitchell Ravvin

French

une histoire de survie

Je m’appelle Mitchell Ravvin et je suis propriétaire de Rave Results, un service professionnel de collecte de fonds qui offre de l’aide aux petites et moyennes entreprises à but non lucratif. Je suis né à Calgary où j’ai aussi grandi, et à part quelques années de travail à Toronto (4) et à Los Angeles (1 an), c’est à Calgary que j’ai passé la majorité de mes 50 ans de vie.

Tracey Woywod

English

Dancing From The Heart

About four years ago, I began to feel like dancing again. I belong to a church where dance is very much a part of the worship service. I began dancing with other people who liked to worship through dance. It was during this time that some families approached me to ask me if I might like to teach their children to dance. I had been trained in classical ballet as a young person but did not think I would still be able to teach the art of dance.

Tim McIsaac

English

Daring To Dream

I have been blind since birth and am from Winnipeg. In the mid 1960's, Manitoba probably had a population equal to less than half the number of people who lived in Toronto. Consequently, the provincial government of the day believed it was more economical to send students with visual disabilities to the W. Ross Macdonald School in Brantford, Ontario than it would have been to educate us locally in our own neighbourhood schools.

Terry Gardner

English

A New Life

Early in 2004 , I got up at 5:30 am to get ready for work as was the norm. When I looked in the mirror, everything was a blur. I could see my skin colour but could not make out any features. I washed and dressed, and my field of vision just wasn't clearing. What to do?

Ryan Van Praet

English
Perspective has come to me in many forms, be it from a life lesson or by way of my fathers death from Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS), or in dealing with vision loss. Having discovered I had Retinitis Pigmentosa when I was 4 years old, knowing I would slowly lose my sight, I have lived a life of perspective and appreciation.

Mitchell Ravvin

English

A Story Of Survival

My name is Mitchell Ravvin and I am the Owner of Rave Results, a professional fundraising service that assists small and medium size nonprofits. I was born and raised in Calgary, and other than a couple of work stints in both Toronto (4 years) and Los Angeles (1 year), I have lived in Calgary for the majority of my 50 years of life.