By: Sue Hutton

Most people around self-advocacy circles have heard Peter Park referred to as the Godfather of Self-Advocacy in Ontario. It was 1978 that Peter started getting seriously engaged in creating the Self-Advocacy movement in Ontario. That very same year, Nelson Raposo was born. Little did Nelson realize as a babe in his mother’s arms that he would grow to learn from and follow in the footsteps of Peter Park in the world of self-advocacy. Peter, Co-founder of People First of Ontario, has been instrumental in helping the Self-Advocates Council learn to speak their minds and put human rights at the centre of their advocacy work. The two sat down and talked recently about the nomination.

Nelson shares: “I nominated Peter Park because he’s been doing advocacy since I was a little tyke. I watched the People First History video, and Peter Park made national news doing self-advocacy. I watched a woman not being allowed to have a baby, and Peter fought for her right to have a kid. (Nelson is referring to the famous Supreme Court of Canada “Eve Case”, in which Peter advocated for a woman’s right to make decision about her own health care; not to be sterilized against her will). I was speechless after I watched that video. I felt so moved because Peter spoke for us. He made the national news standing up for the rights of people with intellectual disabilities. He did that for all of us. That was amazing.”

Peter: “I have always been fighting for people to have equal rights. That could mean people having the right to give birth, in the case that Nelson’s talking about. Whether we are labelled or not, we have feelings and emotions.”

Peter shared what it was like being in the Supreme Court when he was supporting Eve. “Being in the Supreme Court was a different feeling, partly because, I was pushing someone in a wheelchair as we entered. The wheelchair entrance was through the Supreme Court judge’s chambers. It was important work and had to be done.”

Nelson: “Peter is a great advocate – he taught me that advocacy doesn’t happen overnight. It takes some patience and some pulling teeth. It takes knocking down a few walls. I learned to be patient from Peter. Peter’s been doing this work since I was in diapers. That’s why we call him the godfather. The nickname suits him. Without Peter Park, advocacy would not be born”.

Peter: “I would like to think that it would be going, regardless of me. Sometimes part of advocacy is learning to let things roll off our shoulders. We have to have broad shoulders and stick up for the things we believe in. I know I’m going to continue doing advocacy. I hope I’m going to be going in the right direction and doing something positive”.

Peter: “I was nominated by Nelson Raposo and Paul Cochrane and that’s why I accepted the award. It was because self-advocates nominated me that I accept it. It’s important that our voices are heard, and taken seriously. The fact that the Self-Advocates Council want to offer me this award is what makes it powerful. It’s for the self-advocates that I accept this award”

Learn more about the Eve Case: http://www.peoplefirstofcanada.ca/priorities/legal-and-political-issues/

Peter’s article on Social Role Valorization: http://www.ijdcr.ca/VOL03_01_CAN/articles/park.shtml