The November page from the Agenda published by Second Story Press

Inclusion Activist and Social Inventor

Judith Snow


When Judith Snow was six years old, her father gave her a rather harsh introduction to the world. He told her that when he was growing up in rural England, children who, like Judith, had severe physical disabilities were put to death; because they could not farm the land or produce food, they were considered too great a burden to bear. Judith asked why she was kept alive. Her father replied that perhaps she would be "the one to find the answer."

These grim words didn't scare Judith (she knew her parents loved her), but they did resonate. She realized that she would face many social challenges - in addition to the physical ones she already endured. She also learned that "the way to gain acceptance among strangers was to contribute to the well-being of the community."

Born in Oshawa, Ontario, in 1949, Judith was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy, a form of muscular dystrophy, when she was seven months old. The disease left her a quadriplegic and vulnerable to respiratory infections; doctors initially predicted that she would not live past the age of four. Though she would go on to prove this prognosis wildly inaccurate, growing up was not easy for Judith. Being physically dependent on others meant she was often at the mercy of their perceptions as well. Labeled as "disabled," she found herself defined by what she lacked rather than by what she had to offer.

Her parents, however, thought she deserved the same opportunities as her siblings, so, after her mother spent two years searching for a sufficiently accessible school, Judith enrolled at York University in 1968, where she went on to earn her Bachelor's degree in Mathematics and Psychology and\her Master's in Clinical and Counseling Psychology. It was here that she first began to recognize - and use - her ability to effect positive change. Over the course of her studies, she'd met a number of students who also contended with physical challenges. She saw that having resources available on campus to accommodate their various needs would not only make their lives easier, hut also would allow them to devote more time and energy to the work that really mattered to them. So, in 1976, Judith applied for a grant from the Atkinson Charitable Foundation, which she used to establish Canada's first learning support center for students with disabilities. Such centers have since become a standard fixture on every college and university campus in the country.

But even while she was busy running the support center, and helping others, Judith battled major setbacks in her own life. Unable to afford an apartment or the attendants she required, she had been forced to live in a chronic care hospital amongst the critically ill and dying. Her own health and morale were flagging. It took four long years, but, with the support of friends who believed in her, Judith eventually regained her freedom and, in 1980, set another precedent as the first person in Canada to receive individualized funding from the government. It was a significant victory, giving her the means to hire assistants to help her while she carried on with the business of working and living as a contributing member of society.

And, as it turns out, Judith has had quite a lot to give. Following the landmark decision that granted her the right to manage the assistance she receives, she chaired the Attendant Care Action Coalition and designed a direct-funding model, helping hundreds of others in Canada achieve the same goal. Since then, she has undertaken a wide range of initiatives aimed at building inclusive communities and empowering those who have been marginalized by physical and intellectual disabilities: she has lent her expertise to the development of an integrated housing cooperative in Toronto; started the Laser Eagles Art Guild, an innovative program that enables those with limited mobility to express their creativity; written and co-written books, including What's Really Worth Doing and How to Do It; founded the International Association for Inclusive Citizenship; and led workshops and education programs across Canada, the US, the UK, Europe, and the Caribbean. She also consults with and advises many organizations, including the Atkinson Charitable Foundation, the same foundation that funded her first inclusion project back in 1976.

Because she has done so much work on behalf of those labeled disabled, Judith is often referred to as an "advocate" for the community. But that's a term she prefers not to use. "It is not so much that we need advocates, as that we need listeners, since even those who have no voice are very good at communicating and even better at contributing.' In her ideal - and inclusive - world (which she still can envision, though there is a long way to go), everyone would be encouraged to do their part within it and would be respected "just as they are." Someone in need of assistance or support would not be considered a lesser person for that fact - because, in reality, everyone lives in relation to others. Independence does not equal power or fulfillment: "It is not more separateness that leads to vibrant lives of contribution, it is a better quality of relationship and cooperation."