February 2025 Issue
- Editor’s note
- Cover Story
- Inclusive Employment
- Inclusive Education - Medical School
- Inclusive Education - College
- Advocacy
- Entertainment
- Health and Wellness
- Veterans
- Feature Stories
- Autism Insights
- Recommended Book
- Deaf Insights
- Autism Insights
- Community Spotlight
- Families With Disabilities
- Voices Without limits
Editor’s note
By Debbie Austin
For too long, the world has tried to define disability as something to be pitied, overcome, or tucked away. However, people with disabilities are redefining what’s possible. Whether the world is ready or not, their stories are here to be seen, heard, and . . . it’s impossible to ignore. People with disabilities are not waiting to be placed in someone else’s story—they are writing their own and tearing up old scripts as they go.
Let’s step into that space with them.
Cover Story - Veterans
A historic first: The Invictus Games make their winter debut
The Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 will kick off in spectacular fashion on February 8, 2025, with a star-studded opening ceremony at BC Place in Vancouver.
This historic event will not only mark the first-ever winter edition of the Games but will also feature an electrifying lineup of performers, including Chris Martin of Coldplay, Katy Perry, Noah Kahan, Canadian legend Nelly Furtado, and Quebec’s own Roxane Bruneau.
Invictus Games: A mythic odyssey of the unconquered spirit
The Invictus Games are about medals but they are also about moments. The moment when a competitor crosses the finish line against every doubt, every scar, every day they thought they’d never stand, swim, or race again. Born from a vision to honor those who have given their bodies in service, the Games are a battlefield of a different kind, where strength is measured not in force, but in the refusal to quit.
Inclusive employment
Blossoming hope on Staten Island
What does it mean to plant roots? For the people with intellectual and developmental disabilities supported by CP Unlimited (CPU), it means literally putting vegetables into soil while simultaneously grounding their work to an expansive vision of inclusivity, independence, and purpose.
Inclusive Education - Medical School
Challenging Misconceptions: A future doctor on disability and inclusion in medicine
RJ Roggeveen is a 25 year old Metis, originally from Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. Growing up, he enjoyed science and helping people which made him gravitate towards a career in medicine. At 18, he moved to Halifax, Nova Sctia to study Medical Sciences at Dalhousie University.Mid way through his undergraduate degree, he sustained injuries from a roller-skating fall which was followed by a substantial loss of movement and coordination in his legs.
Inclusive Education - College
Camosun College: The transformative power of education
Armando is a person with an Intellectual and Developmental Disability (IDD), but his job at American Express Dining Department infuses purpose into his days which he approaches with passion and enthusiasm.
Advocacy
Bean Gill: Turning paralysis into power
What do you do when life serves you a plot twist that nobody could see coming? Benveet (Bean) Gill knows. In July 2012, a virus snuck into her spinal cord and left her paralyzed from the waist down. One minute, she was walking; the next, she wasn’t. But this isn’t a sob story. It’s a lightning bolt of a tale about flipping the script, breaking molds and proving that the rules we think we live by are optional.
Diane Paylor: From personal struggle to community advocate
Meeting Diane Paylor is like stepping into a whirlwind of energy and purpose. An author, editor, cancer survivor, advocate and yoga instructor—she’s also a force of nature, reshaping every challenge life sends her way into something positive. In a conversation, her words hit with precision and purpose, leaving you both inspired and introspective. Diane has a way of making you see your own life through a sharper, more generous lens. Today, her work is rooted in advocacy, health and community, but her influence extends far beyond labels or titles.
Entertainment
Disabled Lives Matter: How Hip Hop amplifies voices of
resilience in a crisis-driven world
By Danniel Swatosh
As I write this on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I reflect on how we can advance the work of building a society with equality, freedom, and justice for all. Dr. King’s words from his Letter from Birmingham Jail resonate deeply: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” (2020). Statement Against Racism from the Society of Urologic Nurses and Associates. Urologic Nursing, 40(4), 162.
Feature Stories
Leadership without limits: Ben Trockman’s historic role in Evansville Government
When Ben Trockman enters a room, it’s with purpose and determination that’s impossible to miss. A spinal cord injury at 17 may have altered his path, but it fueled his mission to redefine what leadership looks like. Now, voted in as Evansville City Council president in January 2025, he’s not just taking charge—he’s reshaping the very foundation of leadership itself.
Disability representation in media: Breaking free from stereotypes
Media can make or break the way people see the world. It builds heroes, shapes perspectives and paints
entire communities with a few strokes of a script. Yet for decades, disability representation has been a
mix of invisibility, pity, or cliché-ridden nonsense.
But the world is waking up. The call for better, richer and smarter portrayals of disabled characters isn’t
a whisper anymore. It has become an earthquake shaking the foundations of an industry that, for too
long, got it all wrong.
The evolution of accessible gaming
The gaming industry is undergoing a radical transformation, one that prioritizes inclusion over
exclusivity. Once a space dominated by rigid designs and unyielding control schemes, gaming is now
becoming a place where everyone, regardless of ability, can fully participate. Thanks to relentless
innovation, developers and tech giants are finally making accessibility a top priority.
Recommended Book
If you knew Suzy . . .
Jane Fischer’s story is one of resilience, love, and defying expectations. As a young mother, she was told her daughter Suzy would never walk, talk, or learn due to severe medical and developmental challenges. Refusing to accept this fate, Jane became Suzy’s fiercest advocate, immersing herself in the world of special education and championing inclusion for children with disabilities.
Deaf Insights
Bridging the Deaf and hearing worlds
By Angela Lynn
As we step into 2025, I am excited to reflect on the similarities between Deaf and hearing cultures worldwide. Though our methods of communication may differ, the values we share-respect for identity, storytelling, and connection, are universal. By exploring these commonalities, we can see how deeply interconnected we all are. Whether you are part of the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or hearing world, I hope this article inspires you to embrace the shared humanity that binds us all.
Autism Insights
Navigating love, family and connection on the autism spectrum
Love is not a language spoken the same way by all. For some, it is read in the spaces between words, in a glance that lingers, in the unspoken ease of an embrace. For others—especially those on the autism spectrum—it is a puzzle, intricate and fascinating, but frustrating in its unwritten rules. Relationships, whether romantic, familial, or social, are landscapes where the path is not always clear, the signposts often written in invisible ink. Yet, for those who walk this path differently, love is no less profound, no less real.
Community Spotlight
Navigating love, family and connection on the autism spectrum
In a city as dynamic as Vancouver, BC, Canada, there is a hub of energy that quietly transforms lives, reshaping what connection truly means for people with disabilities. That hub? It’s ConnecTra—bringing people together, amplifying voices and redefining what’s possible. Forget the ordinary. ConnecTra isn’t in the business of doing what everyone else is. It’s carving paths where there were none and turning ideas into life-altering initiatives. And it’s doing it with the kind of heart that makes a city proud.
Families with Disabilities
Debunking myths about disabled parents
Parenting is often seen as an act of love and patience, a role that demands a lot in the face of life’s unpredictabilities but is admired by society. Yet, when a parent has a disability, society’s perception shifts. The admiration for parenthood becomes skepticism. Can they handle the physical demands? Will the child suffer? Who will be the “real” caretaker? These whispered doubts and misplaced concerns form an invisible wall, built by stigma and reinforced by outdated myths.But myths crumble in the face of lived experience.
The Empowered Special Needs MAMA BEAR Journeys
As special needs mamas, our fierce love and determination become second nature. Facing our child’s diagnosis with strength and focus transforms us into formidable advocates and the most dedicated supporters and cheerleaders. Along the way, we take on what typically requires a team of multidisciplinary specialists—mastering medical terminologies, therapy techniques, and specialized care strategies—all to meet our child’s unique needs. Even when it doesn’t feel like it, we are doing an incredible job because whichever role we step into, our mission remains the same—empowering our children to thrive and reach their full potential.
Voices Without Limits
Spotlight on bloggers with disabilities
Spotlight on bloggers with disabilities breaking barriers, raising awareness, and redefining what it means to be a creator. From lifestyle and travel to advocacy and personal journeys, these
individuals are using their platforms to educate, inspire, and challenge societal perceptions.
In this section, we celebrate bloggers with disabilities. Whether they are sharing lived experiences, offering accessibility
tips, or building inclusive communities, their voices deserve to be heard.
