The stage was set. The mood was celebratory.
Many colourfully-dressed folks were mingling and chatting as they served themselves food and refreshments. There was a friendly buzz in the air. (It didn’t feel like any AGM’s I’d ever been to!) A semicircle of elegant black-striped tables, with hot pink flowers in white vases, surrounded the stage in a church hall in Brockville, Ontario. And to my surprise, at each place setting lay a copy of Freeing Teresa, with its distinctive orange cover.
The chance to speak at BDACI’s AGM had come up unexpectedly. The Executive Director, Kimberley Gavan, heard us (Teresa, Bill, and me) speak on a webinar for Community Living Ontario—and she quickly reached out, asking us to share the story about Teresa’s fight for inclusion.
Their vision was right in sync with ours!
Family members of people with an intellectual disability founded Brockville and District Association for Community Involvement (BDACI) in 1956! Its overarching purpose was to “inspire new possibilities for people by supporting their learning of new skills, employment, housing, forming and development of relationships, and also by spreading a message of community and inclusion.”
Yeah! It was so aligned with my thinking and values that I quickly accepted the invitation to speak at BDACI’s AGM!
But the universe laughed: “Not so fast!”
Three weeks before the big event, I tripped. And hit the ground hard. (I didn’t know that a fall could hurt so much.) An ambulance took me to the hospital. X-rays confirmed that I had dislocated my shoulder. The doctors did an emergency adjustment and put things back in place. I was greatly relieved that I had not broken any bones. But also dismayed that the healing process is painful and takes months.
So I called BDACI with the bad news! Reluctantly, I told them that I couldn’t make their AGM in person. They were understanding. The journey from Vancouver, BC, to Brockville, Ontario, is a long one—over forty-five hundred kilometres.
Change plans. Reverse direction!
Nevertheless, inside I was quietly kicking myself. I was disappointed. I knew I was missing a great opportunity to share our story—one that I’d dreamt of for over ten years. Surely I could make the trip, somehow! My shoulder was still painful but missing the event made me feel worse.
With only a week to spare, I decided that my banged-up shoulder wasn’t going to stop me. I would shoulder on (pun intended). I emailed BDACI that I would be there to speak in person. They were thrilled. With the help of a pink cane and some air-flight disability services, I could make the trip. (The timing was too rushed for Teresa and Bill, so I went solo.)
I was ready to fly!
The big moment arrived. A BDACI staffer kindly lent me their arm to climb the stairs onto the stage. And then I looked out at the audience, and I was glad that I’d made the trip. This felt like a community celebrating their long friendships and deep bonds. There were people with intellectual disabilities, their parents, their siblings, and many support workers.
As I told Teresa’s roller coaster story, I could feel the audience’s reaction, which rose and fell hearing the struggle Teresa went through. Everyone lit up when Teresa got her freedom back. And then, audibly gasped when the police came with a Missing Person order to take her back to the nursing home.
Towards the end of my story, I found myself getting teary. This was a moving experience for me. My voice quavered as I told the audience of our big decision to leave our home and buy one-way tickets to the other side of the country.
Teresa and World Down Syndrome Day
When we landed in British Columbia on March 1, 2014, one of Teresa’s first actions as a self-advocate was to launch a petition on March 21st, 2014—a very significant day as it marks the international World Down Syndrome Day. In the petition video, Teresa asked the government to say sorry for putting her in a nursing home! She walked along with a confident stride, saying that she’s a female, and she’s got Down syndrome and she doesn’t want to be in a nursing home. The video is beautiful. Thankfully 25,000 people thought so too, and signed the petition. There was a huge outpouring of support for Teresa and her plight. But that wasn’t enough for the Ontario government. It took another two years (and a major campaign) before Teresa got a government apology.
I showed our new trailer for the Freeing Teresa audiobook.
As I looked out at the crowd, I knew that many of them have faced (or will face) the same difficult dilemma my family faced: “Where will my loved one with an intellectual disability live?”
And I knew that sparking that conversation was why I was there.
I managed to get off the stage without crying.
Then the crowd stood up and started clapping! And clapping. Wow! It was a standing ovation. Their applause buoyed my spirits. I was so glad I was there in person. I felt grateful to everyone present for listening and giving me a chance to share our story.
“Truly inspiring! Franke James’ presentation left a profound impact. Her presentation was a reminder of the power of storytelling and its ability to ignite change and uplift spirits.” Kimberley Gavan, Executive Director, BDACI