Dave Dame

There is a financial side to disability that most people never see. It is not dramatic. It is not loud. It is not something you can easily point to. It is the steady drip of extra costs that shape everyday life. I call it the financial disability tax. It shows up in places most people never think about. It quietly climbs into the budget and stays there. And even though it is unfair and exhausting at times, it is the cost I choose to pay to live the life I want.

Today was a cool milestone for me. I travelled to the Rogers Centre completely on my own to meet a couple of good friends for a Jays game. I have *never* been there on my own. I got to the subway filled with discovery. When I got off the subway I saw a family with a girl in a power chair all dressed in Blue Jays gear.

Most people count you out when you are born  in the 70s with a perceived short life expectancy and physical limitations. This motivates you to exceed those expectations. My life was focused to being able to wake up another day, establishing myself professionally, and/or meeting the next goal or challenge I set for myself. Life was focused on proving them wrong. I have fought hard to overcome daily pains and logistical challenges to continue to get up each day.