Pond Inlet woman advocates for accessibility on world stage

Zoe Elverum joined the United Nations conference for rights for people with disabilities

Pond Inlet’s Zoe Elverum was the only youth delegate from Canada’s territories at the United Nation’s 15th session of the Conference of States Parties on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. (Photo courtesy of Zoe Elverum)

By Mélanie Ritchot
Special to Nunatsiaq News

Pond Inlet’s Zoe Elverum recently joined delegates from around the world as a youth representative in a conference on rights for people with disabilities, organized by the United Nations.

This year’s conference, with the theme of building societies that not only include people with disabilities but allow for their participation, wrapped up June 16.

She took part virtually, and was the only Canadian from the territories to participate and one of three youths in the country’s delegation.

Zoe Elverum (bottom) met federal Minister of Diversity Inclusion Carla Qualtrough (top right) at the UN conference in mid June. (Photo courtesy of Zoe Elverum)

Elverum, 19, who has dwarfism, grew up in Pond Inlet and said any accommodations she needed throughout her school years were just a given.

“In Grade 2 when we played baseball at school, when it was my turn to go up and bat, all the kids would get on their knees so they could be at my level.

“The community raised me, and without them I wouldn’t have been able to participate in the conference,” said Elverum, who works for the Government of Nunavut’s Department of Economic Development and Transportation.

She’s also part of the group Disability Without Poverty, which is working to see a disability benefit created that would be available across Canada to support higher living costs often associated with having a disability.

Through her involvement with that group, she was nominated to take part in the UN conference.

Elverum participated virtually in about eight webinars, which she chose based on their relevance to Nunavummiut.

“I wanted to raise awareness and share the experiences of people here, but also take notes on issues affecting the territory and how Nunavut can improve,” she said

In one webinar, a session on telehealth held by the World Health Organization, Elverum said the information seemed only relevant for places that already have infrastructure in place for telehealth to run smoothly.

In Pond Inlet, she said, the health centre offers telehealth appointments, but the internet connection is unreliable. Plus, it can be difficult to get inside the building for someone with a physical disability.

When she asked questions about these barriers, which remote communities on other continents also experience, she said there didn’t seem to be an awareness of the challenges in setting up telehealth services.

At the conference, Elverum met Carla Qualtrough, Canada’s minister for employment, workforce development and disability inclusion, who she said she hopes to have more discussions with.

She has also reached out to various GN departments to share what she learned at the conference.

Overall, Elverum said, disability advocacy needs to focus on things that would benefit everyone.

“I think that issues that really need the spotlight are issues that affect us all, but ultimately affect us and people and people in Nunavut with disabilities, even more,” she said.

For example, food insecurity and high food costs.

“If a person with a disability has limited eating capacity, how do you get the proper food at a good price to provide for them, or how do they get to the store to get that food?” Elverum said.

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(1) Comment:

  1. Posted by ChesLey on

    So cool, it is a great time to be a young activist.

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