Sharing My Story by Sarah Evans

On August 5, I was on a panel about mental health and disability. It was hosted by Healthy Minds Canada, a charity that raises awareness about mental health and addictions and supports research and education. The panel was the second in a series of Lunch and Learns hosted by the charity. I was one of two panelists, and the panel was moderated by Paul Rosen, a Canadian Paralympic athlete and motivational speaker.

I was pretty confident about sharing my story because I had done it a couple of years before at the Ontario Federation for Cerebral Palsy's conference. The first time I shared my story was a bit scary. It was hard for me to know what to include since I wanted to be honest without getting too personal. People showed me how to balance this, which helped me to gain confidence in my boundaries. 

Although it wasn't planned, I ended up being on the panel with a really good friend. We used to be neighbours, and she was there for me when I was going through my worst mental health crisis. It meant a lot to me that we were able to do this together. 

The presentation was well received. People seemed to be very interested in what we had to say. I am very grateful to the people who organized the event and am hopeful that this will be the first of many opportunities to get the discussion of disability and mental health going. 

The Legacy of the Parapan Am Games

The Olympics are an exciting time. Everyone cheers and shows their national pride. Unfortunately, I think the Paralympics sometimes take a back seat. They are not as televised like the Olympics and sometimes they seem to fall off people's radar.

I thought that this is what might happen with the Pan Am and ParaPan Am Games, but I have been pleasantly surprised.

All along, the Pan Am and ParaPan Am Games have been promoted together. I have heard radio sports updates on the games. This morning I heard an interview with someone who created a website documenting the accessibility of places in Toronto. I think that people are talking about the ParaPan Am Games in the same way they talked about the Pan Am Games (and not complaining about them as much). It's exciting that the ParaPan Am Games have raised the profile of people with disabilities in Toronto and I hope they leave a legacy of accessibility long after the athletes have returned home.

Depression Isn't the Only Mental Health Issue by Renée Cormier

The most often overlooked demographic in mental health circles may surprise you. As mental illness slowly becomes de-stigmatized, those who live with disability still struggle to find the support they need. According to some studies, more than half of people with disabilities also live with mental health issues. It's easy to understand how depression could affect someone with a permanent disability, but make no mistake about it; depression is not the only mental health issue we are talking about.

People who live with either intellectual or physical disabilities are susceptible to all the same mental health problems as everyone else in the free world, only the risk is actually higher for people with disabilities. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, 20% of Canadians will experience some sort of mental health issue in their lifetime. Since this statistic does not exclude people with disabilities, it is safe to assume that those who are not living with disability are much less likely to experience mental health problems.

The challenges faced by people with disabilities needing support for mental health problems are considerable. It is actually quite difficult for people with physical disabilities to find accessible group therapy, yet the need for social support among the physically challenged is critical to their well-being. Sarah Evans, a mentor and mental health advocate at AbilityOnline, once told me about an experience she had trying to join a group therapy session. She was told by the organizers that she could not participate because her presence made others uncomfortable. Sarah lives with cerebral palsy which affects her speech and mobility. You would think that people who are so interested in helping others and who passionately battle to de-stigmatize mental illness would be more compassionate and inclusive.

Many people diagnosed with intellectual disabilities also suffer from mental illness. Who helps them? Virtually nobody. It seems the professional community considers the mental health needs of the intellectually challenged impossible to address.

I contend that nothing is impossible where desire to change exists. Making the professional community aware of the mental health needs of people with physical and intellectual disabilities is the first step. Advocacy is important. Aligning with organizations like Canadian Mental Health Association, Healthy Minds Canada and CAMH is also important. The squeaky wheel gets the grease, so when you are spreading the word through social media about mental health awareness, please put a plug in for those who live with disabilities. Their mental health is important, too.

Renée Cormier is a Public Relations professional who works with Abilityonline.org. She is passionate about helping people who live with disabilities find the social support they need in order to thrive and live meaningful lives.

Important Lessons at the Movies

Like many other people, I have caught on to the excitement of the new movie Inside Out. I am glad that the movie has gained so much attention. Not only is it funny with a great story line, but I think the concept is brilliant. The movie mainly focuses on the emotions of Riley, an 11-year-old girl who has just moved.

One of the things I liked best about the movie is the relationship between the characters Joy and Sadness. Joy always wants Riley to be happy and tries to keep Sadness at bay, but Sadness has an important role to play. In one scene, Joy and Sadness are on a journey through Riley’s mind with Bing Bong, Riley’s childhood imaginary friend. When Bing Bong is sad that Riley doesn’t talk to him anymore, it's Sadness who empathizes with him and helps him to feel better. The conflict between Joy and Sadness is important to the resolution of the movie.

This message is important because it mirrors life. Like Joy in the movie, it can be tempting for us to try to deny our sadness and want to be happy all the time. Sadness can tell us important information about those who were important that we have lost or what is or isn't working out. It's normal to feel sad and it is healthy to grieve the losses in our lives. In fact, ignoring sad feelings can make them worse. In the movie, Riley had to got through a period of sadness because of the loss of her old house and friends. Going through the sadness helped Riley to feel better again. 

This seems like such a simple lesson, but it took me a long time to learn it. 

Welcome Guests! by Sarah Evans

What if you were invited to go somewhere? It would be nice, right? You might even be an honoured guest. But, what if you knew that the people who invited you were not looking forward to the big event? You might even find out that they have been complaining about it.

I feel like this is how Toronto has been acting toward the Pan Am games. Instead of building up excitement for this world class event and the athletes that would be coming, we seemed to only be complaining. All I have been hearing on the radio about the Pan Am games for the past month or more is cost overruns, security and the infamous HOV lanes. I think that is what I am going to remember about these games more than anything else. 

Now we have taken to complaining about how much we are complaining.

Today is a new day though. Tonight is the opening ceremony, so it is my hope that we will put the complaints behind us and enjoy the next two weeks of the Pan Am games instead of continuously complaining about something happening regardless.

Food for Thought: Self-Disclosure as a Boundary by Sarah Evans

How much information do you share with others? What boundaries do you set around self-disclosure? A couple of weeks ago I wrote an article about boundaries. There are many kinds of boundaries that get crossed,  especially when you have a disability. Nevertheless, we must be aware of what is appropriate and inappropriate and not be afraid to set boundaries for others; physical or otherwise.

To me, self-disclosure is about what you tell about yourself to whom. Sometimes it can be difficult to know who's safe to tell what to. Sometimes people tell too much information about themselves, such as their finances and their personal life, to people they don't really know that well (maybe acquaintances or people they meet and are talking to in a store).

Personally, sometimes I'm too trusting of people and I just want to be friendly. Unfortunately, I don't think there is a hard and fast rule about keeping yourself safe. I think that we gain wisdom by just going out there and having experiences and dealing with people. This is one of the reasons why it is important that we all, including people with disabilities, are part of our communities and have social opportunities. Loneliness and isolation sometimes makes us vulnerable. Even though it is sometimes difficult to get out and about, we need to look for opportunities to be around others; if for no other reason, to help us gain street smarts.

Improving The Quality of Life for Individuals Living with Disability

Did you know that one in seven people have a disability and that people with disabilities are the largest growing demographic in the world? This is an important demographic for businesses with respect to product development and employee diversity.

This long ignored group of people is suddenly beginning to be acknowledged by industry leaders; especially in the field of technology. Mashable.com published an article called 7 Tech Breakthroughs That Empower People with Disabilities. Click here to read the article.

Meanwhile, did you know that AbilityOnline.org has a grant giving program called Ability Gives? We understand the financial strain created for parents trying to satisfy the equipment needs of children with disabilities. We provide grants for various types of equipment to help families improve the quality of life of their children. Check out the Ability Gives program at Ability Online. Preference is given to active members of our online community (it is free to join). Ask for a tour and discover resources, games, chat rooms and more.

Also, feel free to visit us to make a donation or leverage the influence of people in your workplace and community. 100% of all donations received for the Ability Gives program go directly toward the purchase of equipment. We keep absolutely nothing for ourselves!