Notes from the Field

Being a parent is a challenging full-time job with no vacation, sick leave, pay, or benefits, and guaranteed night duties and extra shifts. Combined with the academic challenges of pursuing a university degree, the job becomes even more daunting. Despite all the hardships, the mom guilt, and the exam stress, the experience of being a student-parent is a rewarding one. Having a child has given my life a lot of meaning and purpose. Education is something that enriches my mind while parenthood is a selfless occupation that nourishes my soul.

Being an ally does not have one uniform definition.  

When pursuing co-op positions as part of an undergraduate degree, many students believe that their employment options are limited to administrative positions consisting of monotonous work that does not seem impactful in the larger scheme of things. Working at the Live Work Well Research Centre (LWWRC) as part of my BA in both Political Science and Philosophy, I was excited to learn that the initiatives I supported were actively used to help equity-deserving groups claim representation in social and political life.

In honour of September being Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, we are sharing strategies commonly referred to as redirection and insights for interacting with persons living with dementia from a Canadian woman with lived experience. Myrna Norman is an advocate, author, speaker, mother, wife, and grandmother who was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2009. Her diagnosis has since shifted to Alzheimer's, Lewy body dementia, and most recently, to mild cognitive impairment.  

When applying for co-op positions during the Winter 2021 semester, I remember being excited about the possibility of getting a research assistant position because I had never done that kind of work before. I had always wondered what exactly a research position as an undergraduate student entailed, particularly because I am still exploring what interests me career-wise. As such, I was thrilled when I received an offer from the LWW Research Centre.

“Young people are on the frontlines of the struggle to build a better future for all. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the dire need for the kind of transformational change they seek – and young people must be full partners in that effort.” - UN Secretary-General António Guterres

The relationship shared between siblings is experienced by many. However, when one of those siblings has a developmental disability, it becomes something unique entirely. My older brother, Kyle, the oldest of four siblings, has a rare genetic syndrome known as Nicolaides Baraitser Syndrome (NCBRS).

On June 21st Canada celebrates National Indigenous Peoples Day as a way to honour the heritage, customs and contributions of Indigenous people’s native to these lands. However, fast forward 10 days and you will find a day dedicated to commemorating Canadian confederation and patriotism. Canada Day (July 1st) is a statutory holiday that is rooted in and often ignores the colonialization of the very peoples and cultures that were celebrated only 10 days prior.

Since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission released their Final Report in 2015, institutions such as the University of Guelph have started to incorporate land acknowledgements into their practices, such as at the beginning of meetings or presentations. Individuals might include an acknowledgment in their email signature or at the beginning of a class they are teaching. Acknowledging the traditional territory we are on is important and can be a good step in learning about the history of the region. However, land acknowledgements run the risk of being insincere if no action is taken or if people aren’t speaking from an informed place, especially if they don’t acknowledge or do anything about their ongoing contributions towards land theft and erasure.

Nothing really prepares you entirely for being a father, let alone a father of a child with a disability.