Excerpt from the speaking notes of Lieutenant Governor the Honourable David C. Onley
MS Society, Ontario Division Fall Conference, November 7, 2009
As a lifelong advocate on disability issues, I have seen this kind of self-help attitude [the MS Society’s creation by people with or affected by multiple sclerosis] achieve miracles for those living with disabilities.
When they become advocates on behalf of family members and become involved as volunteers or mentors, their lives are immeasurably improved and so too are the lives of all they touch.
In this, you are actually promoting accessibility.
And by that I do not mean just physical accessibility such as ramps and wheelchair parking. Accessibility also means inclusion and acceptance, a societal attitude that enables people with disabilities to achieve their full potential in the community.
For me, accessibility is a basic human right. It is in fact, why I have chosen accessibility as the overarching theme of my mandate as Lieutenant Governor.
True accessibility means that regardless of the disability, society will welcome and support the full range of the person’s actual ability. As such, accessibility includes both classically defined disabilities as well as non-visible disabilities. A by-product of these also includes poverty, to the extent that 40% of disabled Canadians live on incomes below $10K a year.
We must recognize that disability means much more than the blue sign with the white wheelchair on it.
In speeches over the years, I have asked people, “when you meet someone with a disability for the first time, do you see the disability or do you see the ability within?”
Everyone likes to think they see the ability. But we all know that’s not true. We all see the disability. And that’s fine, it’s human nature.
The important thing is not to make a judgment based on the surface realities, but to look beyond them and see the person as he or she really is.
Our Mission : To be a leader in finding a cure for multiple sclerosis and enabling people affected by MS to enhance their quality of life.
Ontario
Division
Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada
175 Bloor Street E., Suite 700, North Tower
Toronto, Ontario M4W 3R8
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