4 Wing Defence Advisory Group for Persons with Disabilities (DAGPWD) Champion Major H.A. Choudhary (left) speaks while 4 Wing Deputy Wing Commander LCol Alain Gagnon looks on at the discussion marking International Day for Persons with Disabilities held at Hangar 1 on December 1st – All photos by Mike Marshall / The Courier News
Members at 4 Wing were able to have a frank and open discussion about living with disabilities at a recent event at Hangar 1.
On December 1st, the 4 Wing Defence Advisory Group for Persons with Disabilities (DAGPWD) invited a number of members to come and discuss what barriers may face a person with disabilities, be it physical, mental-health-related, or other barriers.
MWO Garrett Powers, a firefighter with the 4 Wing Fire Service, amputee, and participant in the Invictus and Warriors Games, shared his story of dealing with disability and overcoming obstacles. Others also shared testimonies of personal experience. Attendees could also take a wheelchair around the lower level of the hangar, specifically to the bathrooms, to experience the barriers that may restrict a person with disabilities in their day-to-day operations.
December 3rd marked the International Day for Persons with Disabilities (IDPD). The United Nations started the day in 1992 as a way to “promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development, and to increase awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.”
The DAGPWD theme for IDPD 2022 is “Courageous Conversations for a more Equitable, Diverse, Inclusive, and Accessible Future”.