If you read ThisAbility #8: Condo Conundrum, you’ll know that I recently moved into a one bedroom condo. Since my former place was a one room bachelor apartment, it was time to fill my condo with some furniture. I wanted a one-stop shop, so I went to everyone’s favorite Swedish furniture self-serve community,IKEA, and suddenly […] More »

When Lenore Skenazy admitted, last spring, that she let her nine-year-old ride the subway alone, she set off gasps from many fearful and concerned parents. After all, her son Izzy was still single-digit age and the world is a “Dangerous place these days” and “Who knows what could happen.” I could call bull-shit on those […] More »

It has been a long time coming, but I’m finally back to my muck raking ways. Last week, I was packing in as much as I could during my last week on the westcoast, so ThisAbility fell by the wayside. Then, not wanting to overshadow the Obamascension activities on Blog This! yesterday, I decided to […] More »

As 2009 begins, I enter the new year brimming with optimism, especially when it comes to the essential goodness of my fellow man. This is because just yesterday (as we still battle the snow, and an apathetic city, here in Vancouver)my friend Kent and I were refused pick up by a local cab, only to […] More »

Forgive me for being so ominous less than two days from Christ’s birth. However, as a chill, unseen in years, strands most of the country for long stretches, I don’t care about stranded holiday travelers, annoyed, but warm in airports because I’m thinking about this man and woman and how easily they could be me, […] More »

This week I’m coming to you live from Morinville, Alberta snuggled around the fire with the aunts and uncles. It’s not as frosty as liquid nitrogen here, but at -30°C my body might as well be experiencing the final round of a Japanese game show. At least we have each other, right? While my body […] More »

Hey loyal readership, (here’s to hoping there are at least a few of you) I am in the midst of moving from my bed-bug-invested-cesspool-complete-with-ineffectual-management bachelor apartment into my first condo. (What? Disabled people can afford condos? With some subsidy, my friends — like Obama — YES WE CAN!) and the first question is always, “Where […] More »

As a follow-up to last week’s entry called Riddle Me This I got in touch with Michael Swan, the man in Toronto City Hall who can answer all your pressing Ontario Building Code questions. I had more than a few. Most of my questions pertained to buildings that feature some accessibility features like automatic door […] More »

Why does the Econo Lodge at 335 Jarvis St. have a push button automatic door with a handicap logo on it, but a single staircase that leads inside? Why does Bar Burrito on Yonge & Sheppard have a step leading into their restaurant, while the restaurant right next door is on level ground? Why does […] More »

I have a favorite Thai restaurant, here in Toronto, called Salad King. There’s nothing I love more than selecting how many chilies I want with my mango chicken, but I can’t take anyone I know there — or at least, not unless they can conquer the huge front step outside the front door. But in […] More »

The “Sorry Syndrome” is a phenomenon I know I’ll never fully understand. I don’t even know whether able-bodied people know what they’re doing or if it’s just an apologetic, ass covering default they go to in a moment when they don’t know what to do. It could be many things… I have my theories, but […] More »