My Beckers Story

Monday, May 28, 2012

A look at: The Abilities Centre - Whitby, Ontario

The Abilities Centre - Whitby, Ontario

The Abilities Centre is a fully accessible, state of the art athletic and performing arts facility that was created to be fully accessible to people of all ages and abilities. The mission of the Abilities Centre is to enrich the quality of life for individuals of all ages and abilities through an inclusive environment. The Abilities Centre will serve as an International Centre of Excellence in providing the framework for changing the social fabric of society and the way in which we view the integration of people of all abilities. They aim to provide an environment of equality and understanding, enhancing the lives of people of all abilities.

The Abilities Centre - fully accessible

This state-of-the-art facility will house three full basketball courts surrounded by a 200 meter, five-lane track. Fully equipped and universally accessible cardio/fitness and weight and sensory rooms offer unparalleled opportunities for physical activities for people of all ages and abilities. The Centre also features a performing arts theatre, music studio, library, and life-skills rooms. Abilities Centre will offer signature programs that cover a full spectrum of needs and embody the ideals of the Centre. These programs and services will be inclusive and adaptable.

The Abilities Centre has worked with world-class institutions to develop programming that meets the needs of people of all ages and abilities to help them reach their potential in the areas of sports/fitness, arts, life skills, research and education. The Centre’s state of-the-art amenities and world-class partnerships make for limitless programming opportunities.

Memberships

Memberships grant you access to the facilities, equipment, programs and services. New members are welcome!

Fee-Based Programs

Examples of fee-based programs include the following: - Seasonal camps (March and Christmas break, school PA days, seniors/adults) - Sports and fitness (basketball, cardio, spin classes, badminton, yoga, and volleyball) - Performing Arts programs (art, writing, music, dance, employability skills) - Life skills (facilities provided to assist with physical and cognitive based life skill instruction) - Research and education (participation and inclusion research, internships and cooperative education opportunities)

Program Area Space Rentals

Abilities Centre offers year-round program space rental for a variety of events. Members will be given facility usage priority. Resource and meeting rooms will provide space for the creation of knowledge hubs, services, program information, participation and inclusion research and fully integrated community capacity building.

Conferences and Special Events

Abilities Centre can accommodate regional, national an international meetings, conferences, conventions and other special events.

If you require more information about memberships or other programs, please visit the AbilitiesCentre website or contact the Centre’s office.

Location

The Abilities Centre is ideally situated within one kilometre of the Greater Toronto Area’s mass transit corridor (Hwy 401), next to the Whitby GO Train Station, and is easy to reach by public transit, making it accessible for most of southern Ontario.

As a local resident I truly believe that Abilities Centre will be a great addition to the Durham Region and I look forward to their grand opening which is on June 2nd, 2012.

Please check out the Abilities Centres webpage at:

http://www.abilitiescentre.org/

You can also follow the Abilities Centre on Facebook & Twitter

Sources: the Abilities Centre & Abilities Magazine

Friday, May 25, 2012

Accessible Parking: Some people just don't get it!

Accessible Parking

When it comes to accessible parking I am always surprised by the amount of people who use these spaces incorrectly. In today's post you will find a few examples of those who seem to be having a bit of difficulty understanding how to use accessible parking spaces. The one thing that bothers me the most is those who seem to think their accessible parking permit gives them the right to park their vehicle any way they choose. The Dodge Ram pictured above is the perfect example of someone who parks their vehicle however they please without a concern for other’s.

Then there are those who seem to think it is ok to park on the crosshatch/grid lines between two accessible parking spaces as if this area has no purpose. I can’t believe they don’t understand that this area was created to provide drivers and passengers with disabilities the room they need to exit their vehicles safely. Those who do this either don’t care or just don’t get it. Maybe part of the problem is a lack of enforcement. I really believe it is time to start cracking down on those who park illegally in these spaces along with those with accessible parking permits who are not using them properly. No one should be parking their vehicle like this in any accessible parking space.

Here's a few more examples of how not to park in accessible parking spaces.

If you have pictures of accessible parking abusers please feel free to post them on

The My Becker's Story Facebook page at:

www.facebook.com/mybeckersstory

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

My Becker's Story meets SeRVe Photography

The other day I met up with an old friend Scott Vaughn who happens to be the owner of SeRVe Photography here in Oshawa. About a month ago he approached me offering to complete a mini-shoot to help me update the photos I currently use here at
the My Becker’s Story blog.

My Becker's Story

On the day of the shoot we couldn’t have asked for better weather conditions. During the photo shoot it was nice working with a photographer who understood what my limitations were. Scott was very professional during the whole shoot and was kind enough to make sure he wasn’t asking too much of me. I really appreciated his professionalism in finding a place to shoot that was fully accessible. I have to thank Scott for this opportunity and I look forward to working with SeRVe Photography in the future.

To view more photos from my day with SeRVe Photography please visit:

www.servephotography.com/blog

I also would like to encourage you to visit SeRVe Photography at:

www.servephotography.com

You can also join SeRVe Photography on Facebook & Twitter

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

The My Becker's Story blog publishes it's 100th blog post!

Just a few weeks ago the My Becker's Story blog published it's 100th blog post. An accomplishment at time's I thought I might never achieve. But thanks to the support of people like you reaching our 100th blog post was possible. So I have to thank everyone who supports the My Becker's Story blog. You see when I first started the My Becker's Story blog I had no idea what kind of an impact it would have on the lives of other's as well as myself. What I am most thankful for is having the opportunity to connect with so many great people from around the world. I truly hope you understand what a positive impact you all are having on my life. That is why I have to thank everyone who has taken the time visit the My Becker's Story blog over the last few years.

When it comes to the My Becker's Story blog I have to thank so many people who have joined me in my efforts to raise awareness about living with Muscular Dystrophy. First I have to thank Muscular Dystrophy Canada for reaching out to me and inviting me to become a member of the Durham Region Walk for Muscular Dystrophy planning committee. Being involved in such an important community event means a lot to me. I also have to thank them for supporting the blog through social media and most recently with my guest post on Muscular Dystrophy Canada's blog page. Next I have to thank the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign in the UK for all their support. I really enjoyed the opportunity of having the blog post Dan and I worked on published on your web page as well as the mention in your magazine, again thank you. I also have to thank Dan from the Life with Muscular Dystrophy blog for reaching out to me it meant alot to me to have your support and I really enjoyed writing the Muscular Dystrophy Prospective blog posts with you. I would also like to thank Disability Horizons for featuring my blog post Disability, Differently Abled or Abilities on their web page. I would also like to thank everyone for your support on Twitter thank you for all the re-tweets. I truly wish I could thank everyone so to those who I may have missed thank you for supporting the My Becker's Story blog and helping us raise awareness. I would also like to thank everyone who follows us on Twitter and on Facebook your support means a lot to me. I am so glad that we are able to join together to make a difference and raise awareness about Muscular Dystrophy in our communities.

The biggest surprise over the last few years has been the opportunity to involve my passion for cars into the My Becker's Story blog. Not only has this turned into a great opportunity to raise awareness about our needs but it has also helped me in pursuing a career in automotive journalism. That is why I have to thank Autos.ca for allowing me to complete the Top 10 vehicles for people with disabilities article. This opportunity not only allowed me to raise awareness about the needs of those with disabilities but Muscular Dystrophy as well. I would also like to thank Peter Grande for giving me the opportunity to review the MV-1 a first of it's kind factory built accessible vehicle. This led to my second published article on the Autos.ca web page. I am so thankfully for the opportunity that Autos.ca gave me to write both these article as it allowed one of my life long dreams to come true. I also have to thank everyone who has helped me along the way including Nissan Canada who shared my review of the Nissan Juke on their Facebook page. Next I have to thank Scion Canada for loaning me a Scion xD for what was one of my very first car reviews. Then there`s Mills Motors in Oshawa who invited me to take part in the Buick Challenge a moment

in my life I will never forget.

If there is one thing I have learned over the last few years it`s to always pursue your dreams and thank everyone who has helped you out along the way. So thank you to everyone for being a part of The My Becker's Story blog reaching it's 100th blog post.

Friday, May 18, 2012

The Red Gloves Campaign

Red Gloves Campaign

The Red Glove Campaign is a photographic project aimed at raising awareness about Muscular Dystrophy and educating the public about the importance of raising funds to support Muscular Dystrophy Canada’s ultimate mission: finding a cure.

Today, there are over 50,000 Canadians living with Muscular Dystrophy and that number continues to grow. Muscular Dystrophy is an umbrella Term used to describe a wide range of neuromuscular disorders that cause progressive weakening and wasting of the voluntary muscles. Some forms of Muscular Dystrophy can be mild, while other forms are aggressive and fatal.

The Red Gloves Campaign was an idea first introduced by Christina Massad. She’s one of the 50,000+ Canadians who have Muscular Dystrophy. Despite having been an active child, Christina was diagnosed with Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy at the age of 13. Although it took her most of her high school years to understand and accept her disease, Christina has grown to become an advocate for Muscular Dystrophy Canada (MDC) and is the Chairperson of the annual York Region Walk for Muscular Dystrophy.

The Walk for Muscular Dystrophy is a nation-wide signature event for MDC and has helped to raise money to support Muscular Dystrophy Canada’s mission. And while the funds raised are making an impact, a cure has yet to be found. The main objective of the Red Gloves Campaign is to promote the Walk for Muscular Dystrophy in hopes of reaching more Canadians who have yet to lend their support to the cause.

Firefighter's joining the fight

Much like a boxer’s duty is to fight, the Red Gloves Campaign believes that it is our duty to enter the ring and fight too. Canadians with Muscular Dystrophy are fighting a weakness; they’re fighting a disease so strong that it can only be defeated with a cure; they’re fighting to raise enough funds with the hope that only day all neuromuscular disorders with have a cure. But fighting our worst enemy is no easy task. The Red Gloves Campaign needs your help and support to fight this monster so that no one else gets forced in to a ring with an opponent as powerful as Muscular Dystrophy.

To find out how you can support the Red Gloves Campaign please visit:
www.redglovescampaign.blogspot.ca