Panel agenda (PDF)
In the News – Deadmonton mysteries from local author inspired by advocacy of people with disabilities
Published by the Edmonton Journal – Mar 05, 2021 Murder, mysteries and advocacy make strange bedfellows. Edmonton author Emma Pivato has made it her goal to combine her love of mystery novels with a lifelong passion of advocating for individuals with disabilities. Her protagonist, Claire Burke, calls Edmonton home and locations within the city play host to benign backdrops and …
And Along Came Alexis
To be published in the fall of 2021. This book tells the story of our family’s journey to date with our 41-year old daughter, Alexis, and how together we have grappled with the profound challenges that she faces in order to make a satisfying life for her and for us.
The Story of the Wheelchair Project
The Early History: Our daughter, Alexis, cannot see, talk, sit independently or use her hands functionally. Therefore, we have been unable to develop any formal communication system with her and need to attend to all her personal needs. Although Alexis can do nothing else for herself or show us in any other way that she understands us and act or …
A Tasty Vegetarian Dish
Cleanliness in food preparation is always important but when working with puree that is doubly so since there are so many more food surfaces to provide a welcome host to germs. Disposable food preparation gloves are readily available and should be used whenever direct hand contact is required, as in deboning chicken for example. Otherwise, just follow normal hygiene practices: clean apron, short, …
Gourmet Puree: What to do when you can’t chew!
Why should I write a cookbook? I don’t even consider myself a particularly good cook – although some people would disagree. Well, for one reason, I do like to cook. Mostly, I like to experiment. But the main reason is because of my daughter. Alexis does have a good palate, even though she can’t see, talk, chew or sit up independently. Also, she can easily choke when she eats –and particularly …
Alexis at 40
Who knew that a daughter born with such multiple challenges and crippling epilepsy could live this long – certainly not the many specialists we have contacted through the years. Who knew that by taking such good care of her we would continue to enjoy the pleasure of her company on a daily basis in our old age? Certainly not us …
What is it to be human
What is it to be human? Aristotle defined ‘man’ as s a rational animal. And the French rationalist philosopher, Rene Descartes (1596-1650), opined that only humans have souls. He suggested that animals, by contrast, are mere clockwork automatons preprogrammed through instincts and impulses. John Locke, a 17th century empiricist and an important enlightenment thinker, picked up Aristotle’s tabula rasa concept, stating that human …
How to make lemonade out of lemons – even when the lemons are bitter
My goal for this blog is to share tips and ideas discovered or developed over the past 35 years to enhance the quality of life for my daughter and others like her. My best moments are when I see the beautiful smile on her face that tells me I have succeeded. But then again I don’t really want this to …