Michelle Hewitt

“I try to use the time I have available each day to help others” says Michelle, as volunteering is very important to her.

A former public school principal, Michelle was diagnosed with aggressive multiple sclerosis in her early 40s, and is a full time power wheelchair user. Fatigue limits the amount of time she spends out of bed each day to less than 8 hours. 

“We have a large chunk of disabled people who already live in poverty, and a large chunk of disabled people who are very close to living in poverty,” Michelle says. “This shouldn’t be happening in Canada.”

She says it’s important that the Canada Disability Benefit is designed by people who live with disabilities and know how it could improve their lives. The benefit is “the first step” to improving the financial situation for Canadians with disabilities, she says. “It’s definitely complicated work, and we’re up to the challenge. We’re not backing down just because it’s hard.”

In addition to being the chair of the board of DWP, Michelle volunteers on local and provincial disability committees. She is a PhD candidate at UBC-O, where her research focuses on younger disabled adults who have no other option than to live in long-term care institutions.

Michelle lives in Kelowna with her husband, her service dog and their cat.