Our Stories / Nos histoires

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These are our stories. Take a read. Share your own.
Ce sont nos histoires. Prenez une lecture. Partagez le vôtre.

Tell Your Story/Racontez votre histoire

avr 20, 2020

From the news in January and February, I knew PWD were in trouble. I try not to worry but isolate issues and deal with them individually. That's hard when problems cascade like this.

I have post-polio syndrome, use a wheelchair for mobility with a bit of walking on crutches and have heart disease which is stable with my meds. PPS is mostly muscle weakness, fatigue and more pain as I get older, now 71.

I lost my house cleaner in March, so I had to step up daily disinfecting for about an hour a day. Extra work makes the pain worse: I saw the physiotherapist for new exercises to relieve it plus re-dedicated myself to 30 minutes of NuStep recumbent stepper every 2 days. A morning exercise routine makes the day better but I still have a lot of pain.

I rest in the afternoon and take pain meds. I order groceries online with SuperStore and plan a week ahead. I have a lot of stress since my wife likes to socialize. She leaves when I'm resting and won't say where she's been. I worry she will bring COVID-19 home and I will get sick.

Thankfully I don't worry about money, just plan to spend and act carefully. I make my diners in batches and freeze them. I eat fruits and veggies and avoid snacks except for nuts, berries and dates. Every day is busy with something planned every 1-2 hours. Gardening just started so that's will be fun all summer. I stay positive, Facetime my kids in Ontario plus Facebook contacts with friends and relatives. This too shall pass.

avr 14, 2020

I hear many stories from people with disabilities living in the community, people who depend on home care and attendant services to stay safe and healthy.
People providing services are showing up at their home without personal protective equipment.
In many areas the supply has dried up, and the scarce resources are sent to hospitals.
We are missing an opportunity to keep people safe and healthy in the community, to avoid hospitalization and to plank the curve of infections.
Home care workers and attendant service providers who bravely continue to provide services to people with disabilities should be prioritized for testing and to receive healthcare the event that they test positive for COVID-19.

avr 13, 2020

I been watching that Trudeau and ford they mention everyone else the elderly the working people frontline workers low earning people not once in their speeches we get acknowledging I think they really hate disabled people and I have been struggling with been here everyday I am in alot of pain people who are like that makes me so mad count us in

avr 6, 2020

Day after day at 11 am, I go to watch our Prime Minister speak on TV.
He speaks so well. In many ways, watching him comforts me.
He looks me in the eyes and tells me what's happening.
It's not good - in any way.
But, somehow he breaks all the information down and I feel better having bite size pieces of knowledge fed to me.
Day by day I take it all in.
However, in the last few days, I have started getting an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach.
At first it was hard to figure out.
It wasn't the general anxiety that most everyone is feeling.
It was something different.
I spent most of last year working on getting Bill C-81 passed - the Accessible Canada Act.
Now, during this crisis, it was important to see what the Accessible Canada Act really meant to the Government.
What I noticed was that - slowly - interpreters started to be on TV... that was fantastic even if they were late to the stage.
Soon, the TV news shows were even doing clips on the interpreters!
It was great exposure and obviously an incredible important service finally being provided.
And I truly believe having an Accessible Canada Act made that happen.
That felt good.
But at the same time, the Prime Minister in his media conferences, has been outlining the Government's assistance to the people of Canada.
There has been assistance announced for employers, employees, businesses, prisoners, shelters, Indigenous peoples, families, seniors, people who are sick, students and recent grads - all people who need assistance most certainly.
I don't begrudge any of them.
But why hasn't the Prime Minister announced any assistance for people with disabilities?
As the days go on, that uneasy feeling grows.