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Grande Prairie Mayor Bill Given giving a speech at the IDPD Grande Prairie event (Photo: Emily Keller)
By Emily Keller
International Day of Persons with Disabilities

International Day of Persons with Disabilities luncheon held Tuesday

Dec 4, 2019 | 10:04 AM

The International Day of Persons with Disabilities Grande Prairie planning committee’s annual event went Tuesday, December 3.

The event was a luncheon and featured two speakers to discuss disabilities and the topics of accessibility and inclusivity. The day is held to recognize and celebrate disabled members of the community and their allies.

Scott Hagarty, who works for the City at the Grande Prairie RCMP detachment, was a keynote speaker at the luncheon as well and has first-hand experience as a former officer.

“A lot of first responders have severe injuries, whether they’re operational stress injuries or injuries that they’re afraid to show because it impacts their work, so days like this where people can recognize that just because you’re injured, doesn’t mean you’re weak, or just because you’re suffering, it doesn’t mean you’re weak, it just means you’re injured.”

Hagarty left the position of officer in 2005 after being injured on duty. He continues to work as Civilian Forensic Video Technologist for the RCMP.

Larry Gibson, who was the second speaker at the event and is also the president of the local Muscular Dystrophy chapter in Grande Prairie, says events like these are important.

“When we’re looking at inclusion, a lot of times we lose our focus sometimes on making our buildings in our communities more accessible to people who are either confined to a wheelchair or have a disability, so having events like this to bring out awareness and get the messages out to a larger part of our community is always beneficial.”

Gibson says something he’d like to see improved are housing supports and accessibility for those with disabilities.

“There’s a lot more expense and rigor that has to go into, life basically, when you’re dealing with disabilities, so programs that can support that and make it a lot easier and less time consuming for individuals so that they can lead more fulfilled and productive lives.”

The International Day of Persons with Disabilities was officially proclaimed in 1992 by the United Nations.

by Emily Keller