Citizen Walk About raising awareness of people living with disabilities held in Lethbridge

Around 75 community members walked from City Hall to Galt Gardens today raising awareness for people living with disabilities and to promote equality. The 11th annual Citizen Walk About was put on by South Region Self Advocacy Network. This year’s theme was Our Disability Journey. 

Executive Director, Southern Alberta Individualized Planning Association, Mark Davids, says the goal is to bring awareness of the challenges people living with a disability face on a daily basis. 

The walk is being put on by three local organizations including Southern Alberta Individualized Planning Association (SAIPA), Southern Alberta Community Living Association (SACLA) and South Region Self-Advocacy Network (SRSAN). 

According to both SAIPA and SRSAN, the walk follows the lawsuit of a Calgary woman who sued the Government of Alberta in 1995 after being sterilized while institutionalized at the Provincial Training Centre in Red Deer. They used her low IQ score as sufficient grounds for sterilization. Since her case, the province has apologized for sterilizations of over 2,800 people. 

The walk featured speeches and stories from community members, music and Indigenous dancing.