Disability Positivity

place where you get to talk positively about disability

  • My east coast trip to Nova Scotia

    n the early months of summer, my parents and I took a relaxing driving trip to the east coast towards Nova Scotia. On the way, we stopped in Montreal as well as  just outside of Nova Scotia, before reaching our first destination in the town of Nova Scotia. 

    The first place we stayed at was called Oasis on the Shore which was near River John. This was my favourite place my parents stayed at during of the entire trip for many reasons but here are the main ones, I got to see a 360 degree view of the ocean from anywhere I was in our really modern cottage, got to watch my Dad  cook and eat lobster right from the ocean nearby, and played with plush toy octopuses in the many bedrooms we had. 

    Even after we got back to the city, my Mom  and I went to IKEA to get some things for our home and as we were walking around the store we saw one lonely octopus sitting on top of a display, so my Mom and I decided to go see if there was more in the store, and there was, so we decided to buy one for a joke to remind ourselves of these fun memories from this trip. Now it’s at home sitting on my bed, and often we use my clothing to dress it up.

    The second place we stayed at was called Wild Caraway.  It’s located in Advocate Harbour and has 3 different coloured cottages on its property. We were in the orange cottage. It was kind of like my cottage, but at this one you could walk down to the nearby beach, drive down to Joggins Fossil Cliffs & Centre, and take part in the Wild Caraway foraging dinner. The dinner was interesting, and it’s definitely something you have  to try once,  but not sure if I would eat the six course meal again. On top of all that we had breakfasts freshly made and dropped off at our cottage everyday. My Mom even went kayaking in Advocate Harbour. The cottage was in a really remote area and as a result of that, it was really peaceful. 

    On this trip, I experienced many things that will help me remember it for a long time, including getting my power wheelchair stuck on the  Advocate Harbour beach, having the Wild Caraway foraging dinner and getting to play  with plush toy octopuses in the many bedrooms we had at  Oasis on the Shore.

     It was a great trip and I would love to go on  something similar sometime in the future. I would shorten my stay at Wild Caraway and extend my stay at  Oasis on the Shore in Nova Scotia. I even decided to buy a Nova Scotia t-shirt at a gift shop we found on our drive.       

  • Kristen’s 2026 Summer Plans

    Since the summer weather has officially started, I wanted to let my viewers experience a hot girls summer from my perspective. .If you’re someone who is part of this community and are looking for some inspiration, this post is for you.

    Firstly, since the sailing season is short lived, I have already started that. I have sailed with Able Sail Toronto for the past 4 years and hope to continue for as long as possible. I’ve blogged about Able Sail before, but in case you forgot I will give you a quick rundown of what they do and how they work. Able Sail Toronto provides people living with a physical disability the opportunity to enjoy sailing. Able Sail has boats that can be easily adapted for the sailor’s ability. They even have electronic lifts to help support sailors getting transferred in and out of boats! 

    The second thing I’m doing is going back to Camp Merrywood again. This camp is for people who are part of this community, and is in Perth Ontario, on a beautiful peninsula stretching out into Big Rideau Lake.

    Some of the good things about going back to camp are I get to meet up with some of my friends from previous years, make new friends and do things I can’t do at my cottage, like go down to the water for a paddle or swim because the waterfront is not very accessible  

    Finally, my parents, my dog and I are doing something totally new and different this summer. We are doing a driving trip to the east coast, more specifically Nova Scotia. For this trip, I decided to make an itinerary like always, but this time I collaborated with my Dad since he booked all the accommodations and  did all the research. However, I put my own personal touch on it, of course. I  have lots to look forward to this summer, and maybe when it is all over, I’ll create a post about how it all went.

    Happy summer everyone! 

  • Accessible seating at city venues

    In the year of 2025, my family and I started really getting into the sport of baseball. We’ve gotten to know the team quite well and have really understood the rules of the game. As a result, we’ve all wanted to see a game at the Rogers Center for a long time now. 

    With this scenario on our minds, we decided to try and get tickets. Getting tickets for a live event for someone who has a disability is a different process, than just getting tickets for the average person.

    In order to start this process, you often have to talk to someone who deals with anything related to accessibility needs. From what my parents have experienced in the past, buying tickets over the phone is easier than going online and doing it that way. It’s most often the case that the accessible seats are taken by people who don’t use them appropriately by not being disabled or elderly. One other reason my family and I haven’t gone to a baseball game is due to high ticket prices. Sometimes you can get and find a deal, but not very often. We are still in the process of trying to get to a game.

    If you have a disability, you have the option of getting an Access Card. This card provides people with disabilities the opportunity to go and visit certain places and venues for free. Some of the places where you can use Access Cards include the Toronto Zoo,  the CN Tower, the  CNE and many  more! I have an  Access Card myself, and I find it really useful. 

    Getting to a live event like a baseball game can be challenging when you’re someone who lives in the middle of the downtown core. You always have the option of driving your own car to the event, but sometimes you want an alternative because it’s easier and you can hopefully avoid city traffic that way. 

    You can choose to take public transit like the subway, streetcar or go train or if you like me and have a disability, you have the option of taking Wheel-Trans to get where you’re going.  Wheel-Trans, is Toronto’s  accessible, door-to-door transit service for people who are part of the thia community.   Going to a live event is always fun, as long as you plan accordingly. 

  • My staycation in Downtown Toronto in 2026

    There is so much to see and do in the city of downtown Toronto, and from what I’ve experienced personally, Toronto is one of the more accessible places to visit when you’re someone who is part of the disabled community.  You  always have so much to choose from, it’s hard to know what places to visit first. You can go to places like the CN Tower, Ripley’s Aquarium, St. Lawrence Market, AGO, Eaton Centre as well as the R.O,M,along with many others.

    Even though I have visited many places in Toronto, there are always new things to discover, and what better way to do that. than taking a staycation by yourself or with others. If you’re not familiar with what I’m talking about, let me catch you up. A staycation is simply being away from home and exploring what your area has to offer, instead of traveling far away to other locations. It can sometimes include staying in a hotel for a few days that’s close to places you want to visit and explore. 

    Going on your own staycation has many benefits including getting out of your daily routine, saving money on air fairs and getting the opportunity to explore your city from a totally different perspective..That’s why I chose to take one this past March. My Mom, a support worker  and I thought it might be fun to go on a staycation for a few  days in downtown Toronto.  So, after some consideration we all agreed to move forward with the idea.

    The first step in this entire process was finding a hotel that would work for my support worker and I. We ended up staying at the Hilton near the downtown core and were able to get it for a really good price. After the hotel was booked, I took the initiative to make an itinerary for our staycation since I often do the same when my family and I go on trips. 

    On the first day we arrived at the hotel using Wheel-Trans, Toronto’s  accessible, door-to-door transit service for people with disabilities  After settling in we decided to watch a show on my support workers’ Apple TV Then it was time to have dinner at the hotel, we were going to go out, but we were too tired. We spent the rest of the night in our hotel watching the Out of my Mind film on Disney+ and playing my favourite card game Uno! 

    The following morning, we ate something at our hotel for breakfast before heading out for a walk to the Eaton Center. We window shopped a bit before finding a t-shirt I wanted to buy as my souvenir for this trip. As time passed, we were both getting hungry for lunch so we stopped by the food court and had some sushi. After eating we headed back to our hotel before having an early dinner, because my support worker and I were going out to see a show tonight. 

    We went to see the Second City comedy festival. I had never seen a Second City show before, so I was looking forward to it. The performance was a mix of improv and comedy. I would probably say seeing Second City was my highlight of my whole staycation.

    The next morning we had breakfast at a restaurant and then took Wheel-Trans back home. We were going to go see the wildlife photography exhibit at the R.O.M. when we got home, but decided to save that part of the adventure for another time when we had more energy. I had a great time and would definitely do a staycation in  the city of Toronto again sometime!

  • Accessible Swimming Pools in Toronto

    Everyone should try to get some sort of physical activity in their routine every day, as it helps not just a person’s physical health but their mental state as well. If you’re someone who is part of the disabled community like me, it can sometimes be hard to get our daily exercise because of the types of disabilities we have. 

    Personally, my disability impacts my ability to do most physical activity on my own. So, I mostly have to rely on personal support workers to help. My parents used to help, but as I’ve gotten bigger and heavier, they couldn’t do it themselves anymore.

    The main way I choose to be physically active is by going swimming. This is one of my best ways to be physically active because it gets my whole body moving while at the same time, relaxing my tight muscles because of my Cerebral Palsy. I can’t just use any pool when I swim. The most important thing to keep in mind when choosing a pool, in my opinion, is my physical needs, along with a lot of other things. 

     Over a significant period of time, my Mom, a support worker and I have tried and tested many swimming pools across the city to see if any pool is comparable to Holland Bloorview. I was going to Holland Bloorview’s therapeutic swim. The main reason I went there was because it had an adult change table with a lift and ramp into the pool, which is exactly what we were looking for. The pool is also 92 degrees every time I swim, which is the perfect temperature to help my muscles relax. During this process, the 3 of us visited many pools in our area, including York Recreation Centre, Mary McCormick, Variety Village, Memorial Swimming Pool, Wallace Emerson, and many more. But if one pool has one piece of equipment I need and can use, they don’t have another, which is really frustrating and inconvenient.

    Another big reason we wanted to go through this process was because my support worker has limited time slots where she can support me with swimming. So we were trying to find a swim time that would work with her schedule, while at the same time searching for a pool that had all the amenities that I required to be able to enjoy going swimming and being in the pool as much as possible.

    Overall, this process was tough, eye-opening, and a good learning experience for all involved. After this process was over, my Mom, my support worker and I all came to the conclusion that Holland Bloorview is the best place for me to go swimming, and that my support worker will just have to make the swim time work with her schedule. 

    On top of that, we were all joking that my support worker or someone else needs to build another facility just like Holland Bloorview for older disabled adults who are past the age of 18. But that may be wishful thinking however, you never know!  

    There is some good news coming out of all this, though. Recently, my Mom went to  Wallace Emerson and talked to someone who is involved with the redevelopment of the Wallace Emerson Community Centre, and it was communicated that there will be a new swimming pool built there. With this good news, my Mom made the decision to share the experience of trying to find a pool that would work for me.  The person she was talking to was interested in this information and said they would pass it along to whoever they need to in order to make the changes happen! So, long story short, there is some hope that things will improve for the better in the near future.  

  • Happy Easter!

    Happy Easter!

    I just wanted to hop on here and wish my viewers a happy Easter if you’re celebrating this long weekend. Go ahead, buy and eat all the chocolate you want!

    I also wanted to let you guys know that there are more posts coming your way! One about accessible swimming pools in Toronto and another about my recent staycation in  Toronto. Lots to look forward to!

  • Movies and shows that represent people who have disabilities 

    I have wanted to write and post about this topic for quite a while, but haven’t had the courage, however I think it is really important and interesting to talk about. The topic is representation of the disabled community  in TV, movies and social media .

    From my perspective and the types of things I see on TV as well as social media,  I think the disabled community is under-represented in many ways. To this day, one of the things I’m still trying to figure out is why this is the case

       To be completely honest, these situations make me feel sad, frustrated  and that this type of -representation doesn’t matter.   The disabled community should always be treated like any other person and have equal opportunities. 

    For example, if someone wants to make a movie or TV show about what it is like to be disabled, they have to choose whether  they want to use someone who is actually disabled, or if they rather represent being disabled in a different way, by using someone who is not disabled and teaching them how to  act disabled just for the purpose of  the role. Both are good, but if I had to choose, I would go with someone who is actually disabled in real life. That way the movie or TV show is more realistic and easier to connect with.  

    Some of the movies and TV shows I’ve seen that represent people who have disabilities include Crip Camp, Fundamentals of Caring, Crip Trip, and more recently Out of my Mind. Out of my Mind is one of the most memorable movies I’ve seen in a while because it follows Melody Brooks, a student  with Cerebral Palsy who uses a wheelchair and is non-verbal. Despite being underestimated by others, she uses technology to find her voice, joins a regular classroom, and proves she is just as capable as her peers. 

    One of the TV channels I sometimes watch is the A.M.I channel which stands for Accessible Media Inc .It is a multimedia company made for people with all types of disabilities. This channel explores topics such as lack of employment opportunities for people who have disabilities, different types of exercises someone can do if they have low vision or  more generally focusing on issues that impact the disabled community as a whole. 

    I think our community needs to put themselves out there more, showing we as disabled people deserve to be in films, social media and TV shows as much as others. The more we do that, the more people will want to hear from us because  we have unique experiences and perspectives to share. For example the types of barriers we face in everyday life or how we think and feel about certain issues. It’s time for change, representation matters!  

  • Why do people who are in the community always ask disabled people if they need help?

    For some people with disabilities getting out in their community can be challenging for many reasons.

    A big part of my daily routine is getting out in my community and meeting people. My  parents and I like where we live because we can walk to most places that we like going to.  It’s most often the case when I’m out with my parents that they choose to leave me in front of stores for 3 main reasons. 

    Either the store is not accessible, there’s too many people in the store, or it’s just faster and easier for them to go in on their own. This is most often when people come up to me and ask if I need help, or they just automatically hold the door open and expect me to go into the store. My answer most of the time is “no, I’m fine thank you.” This type of situation can happen multiple times when my parents are in stores. Don’t get me wrong, meeting people in my community is good but it also leads to many weird and awkward  interactions which can put me in a frustrating and strange situation, 

    For a real-life example, one time my Mom and I were walking to the corner store and an older man rolled down his car window and randomly handed my Mom a 50 dollar bill. The person said she can use it to get better. After that my Mom and I didn’t know what to say, so we took it and continued with our day 

    Is that doing something kind for somebody else or just weird? 

  •  Why do people who don’t need disabled wheelchair permits use them?  

    BY PERMIT ONLY - Regulatory Accessible Parking Permit Signs

    I’m here today to talk about a topic that is often overlooked in the everyday disabled world, people who don’t need disabled parking spots using  them…

    Hello, I am a 24 year old young adult, and I have Cerebral Palsy which impacts my ability to function every day. Every person who is part of this community needs support with a variety of tasks, but for myself the support is mainly related to physical tasks such as transferring from my wheelchair to bed, toileting, eating, going for walks or dressing for everyday life. 
    Regardless of everything, I like getting out in my community and doing as much as possible. Most of the places I go to are easy to get to by walking, however sometimes my parents and I have to take our converted wheelchair accessible car to our destinations.  When we reach our destinations, we often try looking for a disabled parking spot because we need room to get my power chair out of the car safely.

    When my parents and I go looking for disabled parking spots we often have a hard time finding one, and sometimes can’t even find one at all! More often than not the spots are taken by people who are able bodied and have wheelchair permits, even though they don’t need them! I think people like using them because they often think it’s more convenient and will make it easier to get where they’re going, 

    Yes, these facts are true and my parents and I hear things like that all the time, but speaking from experience, I find these types of situations unfair, upsetting, disappointing and stressful.  I think there are 2 groups that should not be excluded when addressing this issue, elderly people who often use mobility devices to get around and people like me who use power chairs and other mobility aids in their everyday life.  
       
    In conclusion, I think using wheelchair permits when someone  doesn’t  need one shows that people try to take advantage of the populations that know how to use wheelchair permits and parking spots properly  So, the next time, you’re somewhere and need a parking spot, I want you to stop, consider and question whether you absolutely need that spot, or would it be better to keep it open for elderly people and those who use wheelchairs, who could put that spot to better use. 

  • Happy New Year!

    Happy New Year everyone! Wishing you all the best in the year to come!

    I want to take time to thank you for being there as I entered my newest experience. Blogging. Back when I first had the idea, I wasn’t sure what I was going to write about, what disability positivity would stand for, or how much interest I would get. However, at the end of 2025 my site has been very successful and has way more action then I ever thought possible. I wouldn’t be where I’m today without the great support from this community. 

    In the coming year, I hope to continue writing posts that help people shift their perspectives, make people who are part of this community feel not so alone and help others feel like they have a space where they can connect, express feelings and be themselves!