A Nova Scotia man, who has led a tireless fight on behalf of disabled Canadians, will be honoured by the Governor General in July.
When Paul Young, who is 72, receives the Meritorious Service Cross on July 13 in Halifax, it will mark an honour hard won.
As a child, Young was as mistakenly diagnosed as mentally impaired and says his father doubted he would live past infancy because of his seizures.
Later, he was placed in a segregated class in school and insulted.
But living through cerebral palsy and intellectual disabilities did not stop him from moving forward.
While working as a radio technician for–among others–the CBC, he fought for improved care for the disabled and for closing large institutions.
In the 1990’s he founded People First Nova Scotia and later People First of Canada.
Young says he always sought to show that disabled people can move away from a “cocoon of impossibility” and that “it’s far better to empower people rather than just look after them.”
Young, a former chair of the Council of Canadians with Disabilities, has been recognized for his advocacy work on numerous occasions, including the Queen Elizabeth ll Golden Jubilee Medal for significant achievement and contributions to the community.
He lectures at Holland College in Prince Edward Island and has addressed meetings across Canada as well as in the Netherlands, Brazil and Thailand.
“You don’t know if you’re touching people or not,” he says. But if you’ve touched one person in one presentation, you’ve been a success.”
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