My Disabilities Page
Updated April 27/2009
Hello, welcome to my Disabilities Page. My name is Bonnie Briggs and I am a disabled person living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. On this site, I have listed my many disabilites, will update visitors on my daily life on Disability which is known in Ontario as The Ontario Disabilities Support Plan, (ODSP), will share information about the two ODSP Recipients' groups I belong to, as well as post news about the struggle of disabled people in Canada. I also invite comments from other disabled people in Canada and around the world.
Here is a list of my many disabilities.
1) ears - left ear badly damaged, needs hearing aid in right ear, sensitive to high-pitched sounds
2) foot problems - walking
3) knee problem - 2 loose kneecaps, has had a dislocation in one knee, also arthritis in both knees
4) decreased vision, wears glasses
5) learning disability diagnosed in 1990
6) uses a walking stick
7) heart problems, heart murmur and leaky valve
8) motor behaviour
9) Reynaud's Syndrome
Webmaster's Notes: Urgent!!!
Geocities is closing later this year and they will have no more free website space. This means that I will either have to move this site or start paying for it, which I really don't want to do, especially considering I have multiple websites. I will be getting more information later on in the summer, I'll share it wih you when I get it.
Update; February 21/2006
Incident on Toronto TTC streetcar
I want to tell you guys what happened to me on the streetcar on February 13/2006. I share this to highlight the discrimination that still goes on against people with hidden disabilities.
I got on the Queen streetcar at Queen and Sherbourne on February 13/2006 around 6:45 PM to go to a meeting in the west end. As the doors opened, I looked up and could see that the disabled seat, the one across from the driver was empty. I try to get that seat whenever I'm on the streetcar or bus. I find it's easier for me to get up from that seat as well as being able to see where I'm going. Because of being disabled, I use a wooden walking stick and I'm usually a little slow going up the stairs. As I came up the steps into the streetcar, a young, white, woman grabbed the seat which a moment previous had been empty. As I stood beside the driver pulling my Metropass ( bus pass) from my coat pocket, I first gave this woman a dirty look. After showing my pass to the driver, I told this woman that those seats are only for disabled people. She started screaming at me that I was not disabled. She said, "you're walking around OK, you're not disabled." By this time, we were both yelling at each other. I yelled at her that I was disabled, and that I could show her a doctor's note to prove it. She was just as adamant that I wasn't disabled, and was calling me all kinds of names, "f***ing bitch, old hag, bag, senior, etc" The driver finally got her to move, but this wasn't the end of it. As I sat down, she said that I looked like I was 95 years old, even after I told her that I'm only 52. The driver told her that he had little kids in the back of the streetcar and to stop her swearing, but she didn't, she just kept right on. Mercifully, she got off at the Yonge subway, she stood over me and was right in my face with, first her pointing finger and then her water bottle, which I thought she was going to hit me with, continuing to scream at me. I had to put my hand up in front of my face to protect myself. I knew she could be capable of anything, and if she had hit me, because of where I was sitting, I had no way to get away from her. I was really scared at this point, I don't like people hanging over me. As she went down the steps to get off the streetcar, she swung her hand at me and hit my hair. I think she was trying to hit my head. The last name she called me was "dog". I was in tears from there right over to Sorauren where I had to get off to go to my meeting. I met my husband at the meeting and told him what happened. I had to leave halfway through the meeting and go home. I was just too upset to stay.
It's not only the visibly disabled who are discriminated against, but also those of us who have hidden disabilities. We are discriminated against and attacked too. Too often, we are forgotten whenever programs are drawn up for disabled people. How do we raise the focus to people with hidden disabilities? How do we tell people that we are just as disabled as someone in a wheelchair? Why do we always have to prove that we are disabled? Time was when a man's word was enough. How do I prevent this from happening again? One way I'm going to try is I'm going to copy this to Rick Ducharme, the head of the TTC. I'll let you know what he says.
I have sent that letter to Mr. Ducharme and have not heard back from him. I also contacted ther Toronto Star with the same results. If I do get any responses, I will post them here. If you would like to talk to me about this, please use e-mail link below. Thanks.
Update on Streetcar Incident; April 14/2006
I never got a response from Rick Ducharme, or anyone for that matter, except from the Toronto Star. They didn't feel that it was worth an interview. So, I guess disabled people aren't very newsworthy. Any comments?
If you want to talk to me, just 
E-Mail link courtesy of Caravan
Updated; May 28/2008
Toronto Region ODSP Action Coalition
May 30/2008
1:30 PM-3:30 PM
The 519 Church Street Community Centre
one block north of Wellesley Street, on Church Street
Agenda
Houselink
Poverty Reduction Program
Next meeting: June 27/2008
RSVP: Sharon Deaver
(416) 760-2941 (voice mail)
Or just show up!!!
Sign Guestbook View Guestbook
To learn more about me, just go to my home page
One of the ODSP groups I belong to is The ODSP Recipients' Support Group
The other one is the 
Background courtesy of Ozones
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