My Story

A photo of a woman in a power wheelchair. Se is in a plaza covered in autumn leaves, and a tree full of bright yellow and orange leaves. She is wearing jeans and a black jacket. Her hair is blond a cut in a pixie. She is smiling.

I am a disability advocate and community leader with more than twenty years of lived experience as a wheelchair user. In 2005, a terrain park accident changed my life overnight — not only physically, but in how the world responded to me. At the time, I was a single parent, a business owner, and deeply engaged in my community. I quickly learned that assumptions about disability can be as limiting as disability itself.

Almost immediately, people spoke over me, questioned my capacity to make decisions, and used language that was infantilizing and dismissive. My family was advised to begin looking for a care facility where I could live. I didn’t yet have language for what I was experiencing, but it was ableism. That moment shaped my long-term commitment to challenging exclusionary systems and advocating for communities that recognize disabled people as whole, capable, and valued.

Since then, I have served two terms as a town councillor, led a non-profit organization, run for provincial office, and held a range of governance roles. I have spoken about ableism and access with Senators, MPs, MLAs, health leaders, researchers, government agencies, and community organizations, as well as in national and local media.

My governance work includes seven years as a Board Director with Interior Health, where I focused on person- and family-centred care, health equity, and psychologically safe workplaces. I currently serve as Co-Chair of British Columbia’s Provincial Accessibility Committee, advising government on the implementation of the Accessible BC Act and supporting practical, accountable approaches to identifying and removing barriers across the province.

Professionally, I work as a Regional PLEX Engagement Liaison with Praxis Spinal Cord Institute, collaborating with the spinal cord injury community, researchers, clinicians, funders, and policy leaders. My work centres lived experience, equity-informed research, knowledge translation, and innovation in medical devices, including wheelchairs.

I am a frequent speaker and educator on disability, ableism, medical systems, and Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD). My approach is grounded, direct, and rooted in lived experience. I ask hard questions, challenge the status quo, and believe deeply that systems function better when those most affected are meaningfully involved in shaping them