Hope grows for disability reform

Valerie Docherty and Robert Ghiz

Winter comes and goes this April on PEI: mostly it hangs around denying us spring. It was cold outside St. Peter’s Anglican Church. We were handing out Disability on PEI – Campaign of Hope flyers at Liberal Richard Brown’s nominating convention. Richard is the first politician on PEI to work on the DSP Scandal, the cut backs and abuse.

Richard is running in the new riding of Charlottetown Victoria Park which spans everything south of Brighton Road, Euston Street and Longworth Avenue from the playgrounds of Victoria Park to just shy of Hawthorne Ave. He used to be in Charlottetown Kings Square which is logically the area he grew up and lived in all his life. Now Richard has to woo West Enders as well. Hence the voter outreach program into the lower parts of Brighton. I suggest a second event as a community party at the Basilica Rec Centre since most of the East Enders stayed home.

This was like Old Home week for us. From living and working in the neighborhood Michael knew almost everyone and I knew the rest. There were my neighbors Shawn Murphy and Sean Casey, just like neighbor Wes MacAleer was at Chester Gillan’s last Saturday.

Last Saturday – don’t remind me. I got whacked by Buddy and his buddy Chester Gillan. Yesterday I got hugs and kisses from Keir Kenny and Kathleen Casey. Keir was trying to cover his tracks for giving Michael’s wife an affectionate greeting. I’m not sure what Kathleen was up to but it sure felt good.

Being non-partisan in our advocacy of Islanders with disabilities has its drawbacks. We didn’t go inside. I see from the internet that Valerie Docherty was there. She was the computer contact for the Food Tech Centre, a customer of my company. I remember her as one of the kindest, most gracious and courageous people I’ve met. You come across a lot of people in life: she is one of those that standout.

There are 8 comments about Richard Brown on the Guardian website, most of them positive. Let me add my two cents worth having known him since the mid-80’s. Forget the partisan politics for a minute.

Richard is a tireless worker for his constituents and for others especially on social justice issues. He was the first politician on PEI who cared about Islanders with disabilities enough to put the government in the hot seat. I approached others first. The government response varied from indifference to the Three Denials of Chester Gillan. Only Richard responded. The evidence is in Hansard last year and the videos that are on this site.

He helped us then and he is still helping today. On the opening day of this session of the legislature he spoke about Islanders with disabilities.

I’ve never voted for Richard. He lives in another riding. But if I could I would. I’m sure he cares about Islanders with disabilities. Try to make sure you understand where your candidates stand on the disabled.

The video’s of Richard’s questions in the Legislature last year are in the right column of this page, at the very end.