Bringing the Carrie-Ann Bugden Story to a close (and a message from Carrie-Ann)

Note: For anyone who is new to reading my BLOG, to see the Full story on who Carrie Ann Bugden is, I invite you to Click on this Link here https://worthmatters.blogspot.com/search/label/Carrie-Ann

 

Dear readers,

This will be my final BLOG post on the Carrie-Ann Bugden story. I am writing this as an FYI to my readers who get in touch with me sometimes wondering how Carrie-Ann Bugden is doing while living back at home in Newfoundland. Also, for those of you who are wondering if she will ever return to Halifax, it is uncertain. She needs to return to finish her education, but she cannot return to living on campus and all the one-bedroom, wheelchair-accessible apartment rents cost $100 or $200 above what she can afford. Also, a lot of these places still have accessibility concerns.

One thing I have learned from doing the Carrie-Ann Bugden story is that my BLOG is supposed to be about advocating for many people living in Halifax, not just advocating for one person. Back in August, I originally agreed to take this story on because Mount Saint Vincent University, where she attended, was requiring her to move from Westwood to Assisi Hall to continue studying in the 2023/2024 academic year. 

Carrie-Ann’s story is important because it deals with disability issues, housing issues, access-to-education issues, social issues, discrimination and funding issues. It is extremely relevant to the people I advocate for in my BLOG. 

I would like to see someone held accountable for what has happened to Carrie-Ann, who has been treated unfairly and fallen through so many cracks - but who? 

 

• The students who don’t want a disabled person on campus? 
• Or the staff of the university, who didn’t handle the situation properly and help her resolve the problem? 

Even though Carrie-Ann’s Story is related to the community of people I advocate for through my BLOG and from a disability community stand-point, continuing to advocate for Carrie-Ann has become stressful for me recently. This is why I have now decided to move on and reconnect. 

I care for Carrie-Ann as a person and people who find themselves in similar situations. Ending this story is not because I have lost interest in her story, or because I don’t care. It is the opposite. It is time to turn my focus back on the general issues and everyone who is struggling living with a disability in Nova Scotia and who can’t afford the solutions they need.

I hope back home in Newfoundland Carrie-Ann gets all the support she needs. If the day ever comes that she is back in Nova Scotia, I can look at being a support person for her again. Especially while she is living in Newfoundland, I am limited in how I can help. Of course we will stay in touch. 

Thank you to all of my readers who have kept up with my BLOG posts. I hope that Carrie-Ann’s story has helped demonstrate some of the issues I write about. Her situation shows us why we must support people with disabilities and why inclusion really matters. Most importantly, thank you to Carrie-Ann for letting me cover this important story. 

MESSAGE FROM CARRIE-ANN: PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

If anyone knows how I can get help with this post, I would really appreciate it:) Completely at my witts end Nova Scotia is not without its deficits, one of its most notable being the lack of inconsistency and transparency when receiving disability-related support. Essentially, there seems to be an inherent disconnect, arrogance, or lack of knowledge and understanding of what it is to live with a disability and have a genuine need for services. Strangely, there is no collaborative effort between these organizations to work with one another, and consequently do not seem to be informed about one another within the same area. There also appears to be a significant discrepancy between the information provided and information known between departments and organizations across the province. Multiple examples of government officials giving me inaccurate information before entering the province despite having inquired about it before leaving Newfoundland. I was also not provided any information in writing. Officials gave me information they either weren’t privy to, had no prior knowledge of or completely ignored my requests and did very little to foster a sense of belonging, as a result, several questions remain despite being routinely passed back and forth on multiple occasions. These concerns are:

• What exactly is involved in becoming a Nova Scotia resident? If it is a year following graduation, what services can I be eligible for, and what am I ineligible for?

• Who can help me advocate for these services if the province does not currently employ anyone to do this if Independent Living Nova Scotia (ILNS) is not responsible for individual case management? (advocation)

• If there is no help as described above, how are people with disabilities meant to live in Nova Scotia?

• Confusion over what is considered a fixed address and what is not, i.e., a tent over a university campus or a car.

These questions indicate a dire need for legitimate individual advocacy services for people with disabilities in Nova Scotia, particularly in organizations such as ILNS, where the need is especially salient. While I am a firm believer in the person-first ideology, I also assert that the onus should not be placed solely on the person with disabilities themselves to access information and resources, rather that it should be a collaborative effort and is sometimes required to achieve success. My supporters have also asked me to compile a list of what I would need to be successful in Nova Scotia. Sheltered, small options and tent living are not negotiable. These include but are not limited to:

• Full/partial rental subsidy with accessible and affordable housing MAX BUDGET $900-1500consisting of a safe, clean, and crime-free area of the HRM on a fixed bus route

• Barrier-free, above-ground entry with ramp if necessary

• Accessible kitchen appliances with front-end switches for ease of use

• Accessible laundry facilities

• Accessible bathroom facilities with a standard left-sided toilet with a corresponding facing wall for installation of appropriate grabrail and pedestal style sink (presence is required for installation of safety grab bar)

• Doorways that can accommodate a standard-size motorized wheelchair (dimensions 33 inches in length and 26 inches in width) *areas must have appropriate turning radius and space*

• If roommates are an option, I must verify them; additionally, I must preapprove the apartment before lease signage.

• Per my questions above, I also require these services to return to Nova Scotia.

• Regular PT/OT services to help with my return to the province and transition back to a new environment

• A list of all funding sources to secure repair, maintenance, or eventual replacement of my motorized wheelchair (currently covered under Newfoundland and Labrador Health Authority Department of Community Services, not through traditional medical insurance.) 

NOTE: The Program does not offer preventative and routine maintenance and only covers damage that has already occurred. Underneath this current framework, my return to the province cannot happen until June-July 2024 or until my wheelchair has been fully serviced or replaced.