Tag: self-identity

Disability Pride Parade – Virtual Edition!!!

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Disability Pride Parade!!!
(Virtual Edition)

When: June 1st to 6th, 2020

Where: DisabilityPride.net Facebook Page

Who: any group, organization, individual, entrepreneur, artist, or any other category of persons, who holds a positive attitude on disabilities, disability issues, and disability rights

What: WIN PRIZES!!!!!!!!!!

How: in lieu of a float, submit a representational image, or a 30-SECOND video to virtual2020parade@disabilitypride.net
no later than Wednesday, May 27, 2020, at 11:59pm

International Day of People with Disabilities

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Hi everyone! Mary here. Today we recognize the International Day of People with Disabilities. To celebrate, we attended a flag-raising, award ceremony and reception Dec. 2nd, 2019 at HRM City Hall. We had many interesting conversations, including an important take on the history of Disability Rights and Inclusion from Gerianne. She reminded us that is wasn’t that long ago, only 1980, that restaurants had the right to kick her out for no reason other than existing with a disability and wanting to eat.

Gerianne’s lesson in history is valuable reminder as to how far we’ve come and how far we have left to go to ensure the full inclusion of people with disabilities in every aspect of life. It was a stark reminder to hear Gerianne’s experiences after we were let in the side door, because the front door of City Hall is not accessible. Yesterday, a group of people walked into City Hall to be recognized, a group that would not have received the same treatment 30 years ago. We have much left to do but today, we will celebrate inclusion, diversity and uniqueness.

Save Yourselves!

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By: Mary M. Wilson

Taking the ferry to Dartmouth today, we noticed the safety video was missing instructions for people who rely on wheelchairs and mobility aids. @hfxtransit should be aware that traditional life jackets and inflatable rafts are not useful for wheelchair users and should include instructions for our safety too!

Taking My Own Advice

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A few days ago, while talking to my attendant, I realized something about myself, that I need to work on. I realized that I have to take my own advice.

I have a couple people in my life who I often tell: “You can’t let your past control your present. You can’t blame people & things from your past on your life now. How you feel about your present is on you.”

As I said this, I realized I’m kind of doing that. I have a situation in my life that I’m currently very anxious about. I’m hoping it will work out but I’m not sure. Sometimes I’m very positive and very hopeful. Other times I feel like doom and gloom is all around me.

When I went to see my mental health counselor last week and he asked me how I was. I replied (partly to make him laugh [I love making people laugh and smile]): “I’m feeling a little bipolar these days.”

His response: “Up. Down. Riding the wave huh?”

Yet there’s a grain of truth in that statement. My emotions seem to be all over the map lately and I suddenly realized I always assume the negative.

So as I was talking to Kristina, I wondered out loud: “Why do I always assume the negative? Why do I always assume the worst?” Okay, maybe not always, but often.

I try to keep positive. I do, but it takes constant effort, constant reminders to myself. The outcome could be great, so why am I assuming the worst.

As we were talking about this, I realized that some of this comes from 30 + years of being married to a man who was always negative. His first reaction was always to assume the worst. For instance, if I had said to him: “Why don’t we go for a walk?” His response would be: “Well, we have nowhere to go! I don’t want to just go walking.” Or if I said: “Let’s go bowling.” His response would have been: “Nahhh! It’s probably not accessible. And besides, how are you going to bowl? I can’t even see the lanes. Nahhh!”

Others throughout my life have also added their own negativity with all their “You’ll never…(s)”

But as I often tell others, you can’t keep blaming your past for your present. So I’m just now realizing that I need to not let my past affect my future. How will I do this? I’m not sure, one step at a time.

If anyone has any advice, drop me a line! I don’t want to be a nervous wreck and I also don’t want to mess up potentially great things coming my way. I don’t want to assume the worst. I want to assume the best.

DisabilityPride.net Hires Its First “Social Media Marketing/ Public Relations Manager”

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Left: Mary M. Wilson Right: Gerianne B. Hull

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About a year, or year and a half ago, I said to my friend/associate, “One day I really want and need to hire a Social Media Marketing/ Public Relations Manager. Running a blog as a business, with all that it entails – promotion, marketing, networking, website design an maintenance; plus continually having to hire my Personal Living Attendants and that whole process and then fitting everyone’s availability into my schedule and my needs, and also finding replacements when they call in sick, etc., etc. Hey…. who has time to write, right?

At times I wondered if the day of hiring such a person would ever get here, but alas it has arrived. Last week, I hired Mary Wilson, as DisabilityPride.net’s first Social Media Marketing/ Public Relations Manager, and I am ecstatic to have Mary on my team.

Mary grew up as part of the extended family of the Fredericton Community Living Society (FCLS). She worked as a relief attendant as one of her first jobs. Mary is a graduate of the University of New Brunswick, in 2007, with a BA in Philosophy.

Mary started working in online marketing in 2007 and she was the first online video producer for PartSelect.com and Fix.com, starting in 2009. She was soon asked to use her background in photography to help set up a video studio and spent almost the next 10 years creating instructional and how-to content to help people become more self-reliant and independent. Mary won the Atlantic Internet Marketing Conference’s Best Use of Video in 2013. She has produced almost 2000 videos for PartSelect.com and Fix.com, reaching over 40,000,000 views on YouTube. Mary also had a brief stint/crash course in Purpose, Public Relations and Marketing, as part of the small team working with Carol Cone – the mother of cause marketing.

She has been around the disability pride movement since she was very small. Her mother was an alternative education teacher and a founding member of the Fredericton Community Living Society. She passed her passion for inclusive communities on to Mary. One of Mary’s very first jobs was as a relief attendant, working with a woman who had watched her grow up and treated Mary as family.

Mary is the mother of two amazing daughters. She is an “amateur” (her word) nature photographer, a novice crocheter, and a voracious reader.

I am so looking forward to seeing what comes next for DisabilityPride.net with Mary onboard.