Bruce Mesman

Bruce began his journey in higher education and disability services when he attended the first NEADS conference here in Ottawa in 1986, and the inaugural board meeting a few months later in Calgary. It was during this meeting that he assumed the role of the Western Rep and board secretary. He continued with NEADS and the board for two terms, during which time he completed his Associate’s Degree in Therapeutic Recreation. During this period he was also the co-founder and president of BCEADS, a provincial organization that focused on disability-related access to post-secondary education. While working in the post-secondary system as a disability coordinator/advisor, educational advisor, faculty member and course designer, Bruce completed his Masters Degree in Education and an Instructor’s Diploma in Adult Education. Bruce is currently working as a technology coordinator, facilitating technology assessments for individuals needing assistive technology on the job or in an academic environment.

Remarks

Bruce Mesman reflected on his original reasons for attending his first NEADS conference in 1986 by saying “to be honest, it was to party.... I did not really realize what else I was going to experience at that conference.” In fact, he was to become a board member and the western representative for NEADS, and he would go on to play a role in many other professional and non-profit organizations.

Mesman recalled that, as a NEADS board member, he had significant influence on policy. NEADS has played a big role in the development of Canada’s legislation regarding the duty to accommodate, which in turn has helped to shape today’s services and programs for people with disabilities in the post-secondary environment. “My own selfish needs as a person with a disability were part of a much larger picture of universal access for most people,” he observed.

Furthermore, “NEADS was to give me leadership qualities, [such as] taking responsibility for my needs, and educating myself and others,” continued Mesman. NEADS also helped him acquire the virtues of courage and humility, gave him a platform to try new things, and provided a boost of security in the professional world.

“I was to become a role model,” said Mesman—adding that, as a person with a head injury, he believed that “the last thing I could do was take notes.” But he then became secretary of the board.

Reflecting on twenty years of NEADS and its impact, said Mesman, “means you [the audience] will leave this conference as leaders in your own right, as ambassadors to your own universities and colleges.” NEADS is there to initiate and influence change, he said. As ambassadors and leaders, “you’ll reshape what culture means today, for tomorrow.”