Join me as I share My Becker Muscular Dystrophy Story!

My name is Brad, a Canadian blogger and author living with Becker Muscular Dystrophy. Join me as I share my story openly and honestly in an effort to help raise awareness and understanding not only of Becker Muscular Dystrophy but about the issues those with disabilities face

My Beckers Story originally launched in 2009 and features stories from my childhood and teens all the way into my early forties living with BMD. It also features blog posts about adapting to the challenges posed by living with a rare disease. So please join me on my journey through life and living with Becker Muscular as I hold nothing back by sharing every victory and defeat while providing a few tips along the way.

I would also like to encourage you to check out my self-published book entitled Fighting Towards Victory - now available on Amazon. A book where I take a deeper look into my life and growing up with Becker Muscular Dystrophy.

If you are looking to learn more about Becker Muscular Dystrophy, dealing with a recent diagnosis or simply aim to find ways to overcome the challenges of life you will certainly benefit from reading a story about facing life's challenges head on and the ability to never give up no matter what comes your way. After all, a life lived with Becker Muscular Dystrophy can be challenging at times. Though that is not all I shed light on in this book as I also share the many ups and downs in life I have faced such as surviving childhood bullying to later in life suffering some devastating losses.

To order a copy of Fighting Towards Victory please visit

linktr.ee/fightingtowardsvictory

My main motivation behind my book Fighting Towards Victory is to help make a difference by raising awareness and understanding not only of Becker Muscular Dystrophy but our ability to overcome the challenges of life. So no matter what you are facing in life, always keep fighting towards victory. Even if sometimes that victory is just making it through the day.

To continue following along on my journey please join

My Beckers Story on Instagram & Facebook today!

Many cities not keeping up with accessible parking needs

Currently feeling the growing pains of a city that’s not keeping up with accessible parking needs. As our community expands, so does the need for more accessible parking spaces. Yet, it seems the focus is on EV charging stations (that often don’t work) rather than ensuring everyone can park safely. Have you ever noticed that EV charging places rarely offer accessible parking spaces? It’s a clear sign that the needs of people with disabilities are often being overlooked.

I know posts like this might not resonate with everyone, but I’m curious – is anyone else struggling to find accessible parking? While places like Wal-Mart do a great job, many plazas and busy malls are falling short. Don't they realize these spaces are crucial for our safety and independence. 

As our communities grow, it's essential that every city and business keeps pace with the accessibility needs of customers with disabilities. After all this is important in allowing those of us with disabilities to continue to move freely and confidentiality within our own communities.

Some people need to realize that accessibility isn't a one-time fix; it's an ongoing journey. Every few years, they must update and improve accessibility standards to meet the needs of those living with disabilities in their communities.

The most significant obstacle for people with disabilities during winter

The most significant obstacle for people with disabilities during winter is the sheer ignorance of those who refuse to salt or shovel snow from sidewalks and parking lots.

In many cities, residents are given eight hours after a snowfall to clear snow and ice. A more effective policy would mandate that by 8 AM, landlords, homeowners, and anyone responsible for a sidewalk or parking lot must begin clearing snow and ice. The primary cause of winter injuries is negligence.

If you see a parking lot or sidewalk that hasn't been properly cleared, report it to the city so the property owner can be fined. The era of tolerating these winter barriers is over. If you fall or injure yourself on someone's property, contact a lawyer immediately. Only when people are penalized for their inaction will they start to take our needs seriously and remove these barriers that many with disabilities face during winter.

The biggest flaw in my city is that when you file a complaint against a property owner, you must provide your name and number, and there's no guarantee the property owner won't find out and retaliate. During winter, anonymous tips should be allowed without requiring personal information, especially when it can result in someone getting a fine.

If property owners are aware that the city won't enforce snow and ice removal bylaws, what incentive do they have to comply?” Sadly, in many communities, people with disabilities are forced into hibernation during winter due to others' inaction.

All property owners need to step up and commit to proper snow and ice removal during the wintertime. Where I live, the parking lot will be a sheet of ice, while a business across the street will be completely cleared of snow and ice. That's what all properties should look like.

Celebrating the one-year anniversary of self-publishing my book "Fighting Towards Victory"

 November 1st marks the one-year anniversary of releasing my self-published book "Fighting Towards Victory". A book that explores the twists and turns of my journey growing up with Becker Muscular Dystrophy.

Today I simply want to thank everyone who has purchased a copy. Please know your support means the world to me. 

It really seems "Fighting Towards Victory" is connecting with readers as this is what a few people are saying.

"Hi Brad. I was recently diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy. I read your book and wanted to let you know that it made me feel a lot better about my diagnosis."

Excellent insight into MD life!

"I think this is a honest and clear story start to finish that will enlighten the general community! Definitely recommend."

"What an honest and inspiring story through many challenges and finding positivity through it all."

"I just read your book and enjoyed it! It was awesome to hear your story as it relates to me a lot and gives me positivity moving forward!"

If you'd like to order a copy of "Fighting Towards Victory" please visit this special link https://linktr.ee/fightingtowardsvictory

which I created providing links to Amazon Canada, USA, UK, Australia and more!

Authenticity in Disability Matters - Sharing Every Part of our Stories is Important in Inspiring Change

You know, sometimes it feels like the only thing people want to see from those of us with disabilities is us travelling and acting like everyone else. Then, we get called "inspiring" just because we're not letting our disability stop us. But what about those who can't travel and struggle daily? It seems like no one outside our community wants to hear about our struggles. And if we do share them, we're often labelled as complainers.

When we talk about disability income support programs, we're seen as lazy people living off the system. The truth is, some people with disabilities have the privilege of coming from wealthy families, while others are just trying to make ends meet. So, let's not just focus on the so-called inspiring stories. For some, having a disability isn't a great thing.

People talk about "disability joy," but I've never felt that. While my disability doesn't always stop me from enjoying life, what I experience most days is far from joy. The reality for many of us with disabilities is that we have days that almost break us and days when we get through tough moments with ease. This post is about embracing both sides of disability - the good and the bad - because both are equally important in helping to raise awareness and a better understanding of the issues those with disabilities face.

"Instead of concealing your struggles to impress or appease the general public, always share every aspect of your story. Transparency in your experiences is crucial and can provide valuable insights to those outside our community.”

Escooter Pilot Project causing frustration for many sidewalk users

In recent years, numerous cities have embarked on pilot projects to evaluate the impact of allowing vendors to rent out e-scooters for use on city streets. Residents are encouraged to submit concerns about the use or placement of these devices directly to the vendors. The vendors claim they are committed to responding to improperly parked or discarded devices within 15 minutes to an hour. During the first year of the pilot project, vendors adhered to this commitment, responding swiftly to complaints. However, this is no longer the case in the second year of the project.

Since the inception of this pilot project, e-scooters have been cluttering sidewalks, often parked in ways that block the path, forcing wheelchair and mobility scooter users onto city streets to navigate around them. After reporting seven different e-scooters, only to find a new one blocking the same portion of the sidewalk on the same street, it became evident that vendors are no longer adhering to their commitment to respond within 15 minutes to an hour. Now, responses to complaints can take anywhere from 24 hours to 3 days. One e-scooter remained blocking the sidewalk for over 24 hours. It's infuriating to think about how many people with disabilities had to deal with these obstructions during that time.

As a mobility scooter user, being forced onto the street due to an issue that neither the vendor nor the city seems to take seriously puts me and others with disabilities at risk. We already contend with inconsiderate individuals parking vehicles in driveways that block the sidewalk, and now we must deal with e-scooter users doing the same. In other cities, if a user parks an e-scooter in a way that blocks city sidewalks, the vendor imposes an extra charge to deter such behavior. This does not seem to be the case in my city.

It appears that both the city and the vendors are content to ignore this issue and do nothing to correct the behavior of people parking e-scooters inconsiderately. While designated spaces for parking e-scooters make sense, this would require the city to add cement pads adjacent to the sidewalk or possibly enlarge current bus stop waiting areas so that e-scooters can be parked without hindering anyone's ability to safely exit and enter the bus.

I am left wondering what, if anything, the city or vendors have learned in the second year of this five-year pilot project. Hopefully, they are exploring ways to prevent e-scooters from blocking city sidewalks.