Living with disability

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That's why I asked. I wasn't sure if you had a license. Did you ever think about driving? I recognize that it would be difficult to do it now, but it probably would have been quite possible in your teens/20s.
It might've been - no one told me I wasn't capable (and when I was a teen I really wanted to drive but my mom upped the anti to impossible levels, kept moving the goal posts - so I was never allowed to get my learners license or if I had she wouldn't have let me use her car or taught me - and I was on the younger side of my friends so they were driving us around before I was old enough, and they wanted to drive, anyway) - the combo of my reflexes/ startle response and Visio-spacial awareness while going at high speeds was probably never a good idea, and my mom was probably right to stall me. Eventually I just got used to transit anyway. Maybe if I lived in a tiny country town I might've driven, but not in anything like a city. I'm good with a scooter. I could maybe try to get a license and a hand controlled car but I'm not comfortable with the idea of driving anymore, anyway. Too dangerous for me, I think. I could probably drive around the block right now, hypothetically. I know enough to do it. But I wouldn't even want to go out to the main road.
 
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Hiring a twenty something to drive you would be a great options. Particularly if you might think about Nanaimo. I have heard great things about it. I think you now work from home so that would work

good luck Kimmio. It sounds very frustrating. But there might be some options
My work head office is here - don't know if they'd lend me equipment to take out of town without a managerial/ administrative and/ or IT contact in Nanaimo. I could always ask. But it would change their landscape. They'd probably say "No, because then we'd have to start allowing others to do it too and it'll get too complicated."
 
People who drive, obviously. It's only 1.5 - 2 hrs. Next, if someone who doesn't use a wheelchair or scooter can't or chooses not to make the drive - they can take a coach line bus. Those have stairs into them and no designated spaces. There used to be, if I recall but could be wrong, a ferry that travels along the coast between here and Duke Point (Nanaimo). Not anymore. There is no train anymore and I don't even know if it was accessible. I never took it.
I mean for the non-drivers. I know many buses are wheelchair accessible, that's unfortunate the coach buses aren't. Are they at least capable of storing the scooters underneath for people who can manage the steps for a little bit? It's been a long time but I do recall the seniors tours in the Rockies, I'm pretty sure some of them weren't mobile with devices. Maybe those catered a bit better to their customers though.
 
I mean for the non-drivers. I know many buses are wheelchair accessible, that's unfortunate the coach buses aren't. Are they at least capable of storing the scooters underneath for people who can manage the steps for a little bit? It's been a long time but I do recall the seniors tours in the Rockies, I'm pretty sure some of them weren't mobile with devices. Maybe those catered a bit better to their customers though.
I don't think they could get a scooter into the luggage compartment underneath. It's heavy and could get damaged by it jostling around or luggage hitting it. Nothing's tied down or secured under there. It would need to be driven in on a ramp (which it's not high enough for, for head clearance) or wheeled in, and the wheels locked. I've taken coaches lots of times before I had my scooter or walker and the drivers just toss the luggage in as fast as they can, and get going. I don't think there is an option for a scooter. I don't even think they take bikes.

My friend worked for a tour bus company in Van in about 2005 for the summer, for extra money - booking trips from outside a hotel lobby. The same style of bus. She got complaints all the time from disabled tourists. They ought to change the design of the buses but at this point, I doubt it. Things are now, because of MAID, probably headed on a downward slide toward less accessibility, not more. It was getting better for awhile, and back in 2005 to 2010, would've been the time to lobby for accessible coach buses - people did try. There was a massive disability inclusion effort in several areas. There may have been some specially designed ones during the Olympics - that's when Van, and Victoria to an extent, saw the most expansion in accessibility. But things are going in the other direction now.

In the late 90s and early oughts the plan was to prepare for disabled seniors with money to be able to live full lives with disabilities as they aged. They, as a voting block with the most influence and affluence, chose to have the dying option instead. That's cheaper for the government anyway. Let's face it. The government would prefer it, because of money, to get rid of disabled people and avoid the headache of having to change the familiar landscape that the able bodied are used to. They're not going to have it both ways - accessible death and accessible life are not compatible agendas. And the public has convinced themselves it's a real choice not an evil misrepresentation of choice.
 
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I don't think they could get a scooter into the luggage compartment underneath. It's heavy and could get damaged by it jostling around or luggage hitting it. Nothing's tied down or secured under there. It would need to be driven in on a ramp (which it's not high enough for, for head clearance) or wheeled in, and the wheels locked. I've taken coaches lots of times before I had my scooter or walker and the drivers just toss the luggage in as fast as they can, and get going. I don't think there is an option for a scooter. I don't even think they take bikes.

My friend worked for a tour bus company in Van in about 2005 for the summer, for extra money - booking trips from outside a hotel lobby. The same style of bus. She got complaints all the time from disabled tourists. They ought to change the design of the buses but at this point, I doubt it. Things are now, because of MAID, probably headed on a downward slide toward less accessibility, not more. It was getting better for awhile, and back in 2005 to 2010, would've been the time to lobby for accessible coach buses - people did try. There was a massive disability inclusion effort in several areas. There may have been some specially designed ones during the Olympics - that's when Van, and Victoria to an extent, saw the most expansion in accessibility. But things are going in the other direction now.

In the late 90s and early oughts the plan was to prepare for disabled seniors with money to be able to live full lives with disabilities as they aged. They, as a voting block with the most influence and affluence, chose to have the dying option instead. That's cheaper for the government anyway. Let's face it. The government would prefer it, because of money, to get rid of disabled people and avoid the headache of having to change the familiar landscape that the able bodied are used to. They're not going to have it both ways - accessible death and accessible life are not compatible agendas. And the public has convinced themselves it's a real choice not an evil misrepresentation of choice.
All that effort for an accessible society was for the upcoming seniors with money to spend. It wasn't really for people with disabilities already - we just tried to align with their interests, for them, and hope we'd get some benefit, that it was a door open to improving our lives too. And that effort was thrown away.
 
All that effort for an accessible society was for the upcoming seniors with money to spend. It wasn't really for people with disabilities already - we just tried to align with their interests, for them, and hope we'd get some benefit, that it was a door open to improving our lives too. And that effort was thrown away.
I agree "aligning" isn't the way to go. There is so little similarity between the sections of the population and the legislation.....at it's viewed as though there's no distinction at all. Clearly, it isn't a one-size-fits- all approach.
 
I agree "aligning" isn't the way to go. There is so little similarity between the sections of the population and the legislation.....at it's viewed as though there's no distinction at all. Clearly, it isn't a one-size-fits- all approach.
Oh, no, not what I meant. At the time the majority of the population was still against assisted suicide. We weren't even thinking of it - maybe others were but it wasn't in the disability advocacy community agenda, or on the radar. It was about making life more accessible! So aligning was the way to go. Seniors, older consumers with money and disabilities were beginning to travel etc and looking for more options. We wouldn't have made the advances without them. We didn't have the political or economic influencing power. We needed their buy-in to the idea, and it was already there. And it was important to point out that "Hey, we know it's not accessible out there. We understand. Let's do something about it." There couldn't have been a better group to align with. We tried to help them too! To give them some insight. They blew it for all of us, I think. Especially, especially, especially...because assisted dying was NEVER intended to go this far when it was proposed years and years ago. It was for dying people, in their final stage. Some sick opportunists took advantage of people with disabilities, pushed it too far, to ultimately get rid of us, and whoever they are, I currently hate them.

That said...I'm calm...civil rights groups, women's rights, all minority groups find common interests and advance. They always have. None of us would've gotten anywhere today without aligning with others who have common concerns, finding a common thread. And it's always messy as things advance. It's never smooth. The 60s and early 70s were not smooth as social advances where taking place. They were lots of alignments and splits and realignments. I think the one mistake disability rights groups did make on the assisted suicide issue is aligning with pro-lifers. But I think it's more like pro-lifers just barged in and "aligned" with us and distorted the message without asking.
 
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"...because assisted dying was NEVER intended to go this far when it was proposed years and years ago. It was for dying people, in their final stage....".
Wholeheartedly agree. Can't get my head around how mental health issues, people who have a disability and young people can be included here. I'm very much opposed to that "expanded" population being included in that.
 
"...because assisted dying was NEVER intended to go this far when it was proposed years and years ago. It was for dying people, in their final stage....".
Wholeheartedly agree. Can't get my head around how mental health issues, people who have a disability and young people can be included here. I'm very much opposed to that "expanded" population being included in that.
This belongs in the MAID thread perhaps - but it's also very relevant to living with a disability. Unecessary death hanging over our heads, by the very people we trust with our health, and popular support for it - instead of support for our living needs - is a pretty clear barrier to living. Not least because it's f***ing depressing.

I've said this over and over, and it's still true. The reason people with disabilities can be so readily offered death, is because they included the word disability as synonymous with illness in the legislation - if they were concerned about human rights it wouldn't be in there and the lawyers and lawmakers who drafted it damn well knew that - embracing the medical model definition and ignoring the human rights model definition that helps keep us safe from exploitation - and it went over mainstream heads because of entrenched ableism. They were probably fascists. Who else? I think it was a fascist move that it got slipped in. Someone who knows and upholds our commitment to human rights would've known better. In doing that they contravened the UN human rights declaration that Canada ratified in a promise to uphold. The legislation breaks international protocol - and certainly their promise - but there's no real remedy. Unless, that point is really driven home through some court challenges or something. I feel there's a stir in awareness because of other human rights issues getting attention now. I haven't totally lost hope. I think we'll get our turn, but it's going to be rough out there for awhile. I'm astonished by the level of ignorance and discrimination here in my town. Of course, people don't realize they're doing it. They never took the time to understand or care, either, though. This is a very priveleged and entitled place. People seem to think they can say whatever they want - make whatever ignorant comments - to people they perceive as less than while they stand there and watch us struggle to be included (and assume that's inevitable just because of who we are). Until and unless society is fully accessible, they will always perceive us that way.
 
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What about a BC version of Wheel Trans. It’s what it is called in Ontario. Special buses you can order that take whelk chairs, have ramps and lifts..... assume BC has something similar?
 
What about a BC version of Wheel Trans. It’s what it is called in Ontario. Special buses you can order that take whelk chairs, have ramps and lifts..... assume BC has something similar?
There's handidart. It doesn't go out of Metro Victoria. There is one in Metro Vancouver. But Nanaimo is a distinctly different city and doesn't share our transit system.
 
What about a BC version of Wheel Trans. It’s what it is called in Ontario. Special buses you can order that take whelk chairs, have ramps and lifts..... assume BC has something similar?

We face a similar problem in Ontario. Wheel Trans is TTC. You couldn't use to get it to Barrie. A person in Toronto who wanted to move to Barrie (why, you might ask, but that's another question) and required a scooter would be in the same situation as Kimmio.
 
I didn’t know that Bette. I know wheel trans operates in other cities besides Toronto though. London has it. Or I guess I should say used to have it
 
We face a similar problem in Ontario. Wheel Trans is TTC. You couldn't use to get it to Barrie. A person in Toronto who wanted to move to Barrie (why, you might ask, but that's another question) and required a scooter would be in the same situation as Kimmio.
Metrolinx should take it over. That way it would at least cover the whole GTA. And might be able to extend to GTA-adjacent areas like Barrie and Kitchener.

I didn’t know that Bette. I know wheel trans operates in other cities besides Toronto though. London has it. Or I guess I should say used to have it
We do but it's a different service from the Toronto one so you can't, say, use it to go to Toronto. I am not sure if it is even run by transit here. Would have to check.
 
Metrolinx should take it over. That way it would at least cover the whole GTA. And might be able to extend to GTA-adjacent areas like Barrie and Kitchener.


We do but it's a different service from the Toronto one so you can't, say, use it to go to Toronto. I am not sure if it is even run by transit here. Would have to check.
Same as Handidart - which is the same type of service. It is run by transit, requires regular transit fare if one applies and gets approval to use it. (I haven't done so. I heard they're late all the time so you can only estimate your arrival time at work or appts etc.) The bus works fine in town. I need a way to get out of town to another town.

Even if other cities have Handidart services, they don't travel between cities.
 
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Same as Handidart - which is the same type of service. It is run by transit, requires regular transit fare if one applies and gets approval to use it. (I haven't done so. I heard they're late all the time so you can only estimate your arrival time at work or appts etc.) The bus works fine in town. I need a way to get out of town to another town.

Even if other cities have Handidart services, they don't travel between cities.
I would have to check the service here might. There is public transit with some of the surrounding communities so it wouldn't be a big stretch. I know there are issues with the service though it's not super reliable.
 
And the accessible service in Barrie is also difficult. They'll give you a 1/2 hour window at either end, in which the bus will arrive. So if you have an 11:00 appt, you'd have to pick a 10-10:30 pickup, guess the longest the appointment will take (hard with some specialists), then book a half hour window after that. Once Mom was in a wheelchair, appointments took half days for me to accomplish. I'd drive to her facility, wait with her for the accessible bus, travel with her to the appointment, hope whoever (dentist, psychiatrist) was not running terribly late, then wait with her, often almost an hour, for a return ride. But the charge was reasonable - exactly the same as an adult fare, and an aide (me) gets on free.
 
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