Technology levels field for persons with disabilities (4 photos)

When Andrew Olivier broke his back 20 years ago, he didn't have time to feel sorry for himself.

“When you keep yourself busy, life just keeps going,” said the self-employed consultant and former Liberal Party candidate.

On the eve of his 15th birthday Olivier, who was an avid hockey player at the time, lost his balance during a game and crashed into the boards head first.

The impact fractured his spinal cord and paralyzed him from the neck down.

After a year of rehabilitation, Olivier returned to school, but he had to expand his personal horizons, now that a hockey career was no longer possible.

“When you're a kid, you don't really think of too much else. I had to grow up pretty quickly,” he said at the sixth annual International Day of Persons with Disabilities Breakfast, organized by Independent Living Sudbury Manitoulin.

Olivier was the day's keynote speaker.

In an interview with NorthernLife.ca, he also weighed in on Sudbury's upcoming provincial byelection.

In the general election, Olivier lost to NDP candidate Joe Cimino by less than 1,000 votes.

Now that Cimino has stepped down for personal reasons, Olivier said he plans to run for the Liberal candidacy a second time.

With a Liberal majority at Queen's Park, he said he feels confident about the party's chances in Sudbury during the byelection.

“We need to have someone at the bargaining table,” Olivier said.

As for rumours that former mayor Marianne Matichuk might also considering running for the Liberals, Olivier said he welcomes all entrants.

“You can't fault too many people considering it's a Liberal majority,” he said.

At Tuesday morning's event, new technologies were the main theme.

Olivier said accessible technologies have levelled the playing field for people with disabilities, allowing them to be more independent and expand their opportunities for employment.

Rob DiMeglio, executive director of Independent Living Sudbury Manitoulin, said accessible technologies have made his life much easier and relieved him of anxiety.

DiMeglio is legally blind, and said he relies on voice technologies every day. His smart phone, for instance, can read out the date and time for him, and tell him about his appointments.

New technologies have also made transportation much easier for him. City buses now have software that reads out upcoming stops.

“I know exactly where I am in the city,” DiMeglio said. “It's a life-changer.”

Before he had to rely on the kindness of strangers to inform him when his stop was coming up, or memorize every turn and bump on his bus route to make an educated guess.

Last year's disabilities breakfast helped raise more than $30,000 for Independent Living. The money helped the downtown centre purchase accessible equipment and set money aside to build an elevator, which would make the basement and second floor more accessible.