Canadian researchers seek polio survivors to tell their stories

From the researchers:

Voicing Canadian Disability History

We are looking for people who want to tell their stories of living with polio.

If you…

1. came down with polio between 1927 – 1957 and before your 19th birthday
2. lived in Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, British Columbia, Nova Scotia or New Brunswick during that time and
3. used any assistive devices during that time

We would like to hear from you!

We are interested in knowing about your experiences of growing up with the effects of polio and any of your stories that challenged accepted thinking and practices at that time.

We are especially looking for people who are reflective of the diversity of our communities – people with different experiences of disability and impairment, people of colour, Aboriginal people, LGBTQ people, people living in rural and urban communities, etc.

The Voicing Canadian Disability History research project is documenting the ways that people have experienced the effects of polio and how it may have influenced your participation in the disability rights movement in Canada. It is an oral history research project; we are conducting interviews as well as asking participants to share with us any significant material objects from childhood. Together, the stories and objects will help to create an archive to document this important aspect of Canadian disability history.

We are conducting interviews across Canada during the spring and summer of 2010.

A small honorarium will be provided to research participants.

Please contact us! For more information or to participate, contact:

Susan Ferguson (Research Coordinator) at sferguson@oise.utoronto.ca.
Dr. Karen Yoshida (Professor, Principal Investigator) at 416.978.6589.