Who were the disabled people killed in Tokyo?

Last night I saw a social media link to a story that included photos of people killed in recent mass shootings. I clicked on it, thinking for a second that it might include photos of the 19 adults killed in a Tokyo home for people with multiple disabilities while they slept in the early hours of Tuesday Tokyo time. It didn't. A quick search showed that when 49 people were killed in a gay nightclub in Orlando on June 12,...

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Common brain changes found in kids with autism, ADHD, OCD

By Louise Kinross A team of scientists at Holland Bloorview, CAMH and SickKids have found similar changes in white matter in the brains of children with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).  In a study of 200 children with autism, ADHD, OCD or no diagnosis, the researchers found impairments in white matter in the corpus callosum in the children with autism, ADHD or OCD. The...

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Care tip: Water safety for kids

This adorable child is Scarlett, 7, who has cerebral palsy and is wearing a personal floatation device at her cottage. You may have seen our new care tip column in the last BLOOM e-letter. This is the first care tip on our blog.Care tip: Water safety for kidsSummer is in full swing, and for many families that means time in the water—swimming, boating and playing. A 2016 study by the Drowning Prevention Research Centre in Canada found that drowning...

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How to travel Europe by piggyback

By Louise Kinross  In April we told you about Kevan Chandler, who was planning a summer trip across Europe with friends who would carry him on their backs when places didn't accommodate his chair.  The itinerary included hopping over stiles in the British countryside, climbing up 600 rock steps to an Irish monastery, and checking out the underground cemetery in Paris. Kevan and his friends raised over $26,000 to fund...

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'Superhumans' ad takes the fragility out of disability

By Louise Kinross My husband loved this 'We're The Superhumans' ad about the British Paralympics team as well as everyday folks with disability. It was produced by UK broadcaster Channel 4. I wanted to like it, I really did. But while I got caught up in the Broadway style show and the catchy "Yes I can" cover, something about the "I can do anything" lyrics, when paired with elite athletes as well as regular folks with disabilities, who just happen to be independent, didn't sit right with me.  Most of the adults and children...

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'Do what you love'

By Megan JonesThis summer, 17-year-old Jeffrey Beausoleil (centre) will crawl through mud, scale eight-foot walls and jump over fire. The young athlete has become a regular competitor in Spartan races—running competitions in which participants battle their way through grueling obstacle courses. Unlike most participants, Jeffrey was born without his right hand and leg. Still, the Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., resident has completed six Spartan...

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