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during my rehabilitation that I should not set my sights too high so as not be disappointed . That opinion permeated throughout the entire planet in so many ways . Early pioneers who pushed out in front of me did the heavy lifting , breaking the threshold of possibilities , because at that time , human rights did not really exist . Charters or legislative declarations and the Americans with Disabilities Act was still a fantasy in the seventies . Even when I left on my Man in Motion World Tour , there were still a lot of champions fighting upstream for that , and it wasn ' t until the 1990 ’ s that it happened . In the early 1980 ’ s Canada had an incredible constitutional commitment in our Charter of Rights and Freedoms , but the translation of those beautiful words of the Canada that we wanted , and the legislative framework that existed , was still a major mountain to climb .
Very significant levels of progress have happened in the decades since that original , early , crazy start of my Man in Motion World Tour . When you look at the way in which the United Nations has now embedded elements of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms , challenging countries around the world to sign in to the convention , to measure up and report back , this is the result of amazing champions , generations of people who just didn ' t accept the status quo but believed in equality and found opportunities to fully participate and contribute . They continue to chisel away , breaking down barriers one at a time . We ' re not fully there yet but I think a tremendous amount has been accomplished .
I believe the digital age has also helped immensely because the world is more connected and stories of ability , potential and examples of a world that we all strive for I think are more easily accessible . It ’ s becoming more commonplace to expect that it is possible and I believe that , plus actual tangible progress is creating an accelerating opportunity , and it is really an exciting time to be involved in this movement because there ' s tremendous hope for the future .
What do you think can be done to combat the lack of awareness ?
It is a large uphill battle for many countries - in Africa , the Caribbean and even in places like the United States or in Canada . There are still very entrenched pockets of resistance and part of it is fundamental , cultural beliefs and old paradigms that have been passed down and they remain rigid until such time as someone shatters that perception . These beliefs are perpetuated by lack of awareness , and the only way we