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In The News: Remembering Dr. Tanis Doe

Barbara Anello

It is with deep sadness that I report the passing of Dr. Tanis Doe, advocate and educator. Tanis passed away in her home in Victoria, British Columbia late Wednesday, August 4, 2004 due to a pulmonary embolism. As a Métis (Ojibway/French Canadian) Deaf woman with other disabilities who was active in disability, queer, and feminist movements internationally, she was widely respected as a disability-rights advocate and as an educator. Tanis is survived by her daughter, Ann Marie, and a loving community of friends, colleagues, mentees, lovers, dance partners, and family in every sense of the word.

Tanis began her teaching career in Jamaica in her late teens. It was at that time she adopted her daughter, Ann Marie. Tanis was a professor of social work and disability studies at the University of Victoria, and in recent years also taught at Royal Roads College, Ryerson University, and the University of Washington. In 2003, she was a Fullbright Scholar in Bioethics at the University of Washington.

In addition to her teaching accomplishments, she has been the principal researcher in many projects, including projects at the Canadian Association of Independent Living Centres, California Foundation for Independent Living Centers, Disabled Women’s Alliance, University of Washington, and the World Institute of Disability. Tanis was an innovative and influential researcher. She brought together diverse Deaf, disability, and people-of-colour communities in research; conducted pioneering research with Dick Sobsey on violence against people with disabilities; and developed national and international peer-training models for Deaf and disabled people. Her writing, training, and research in areas such as gender equity, assistive technology, education, employment, parenting, bioethics, violence and sexual abuse, independent living, community organizing, and disability rights have created a legacy of work that will inform our community for generations. She was a prolific writer both under her given name and the pen name “Vicky D’aoust.” In addition, Tanis was a lover of ballroom dancing, and competed in competitions and exhibitions around the world.

A memorial webpage with a guestbook has been set up by DAWN
at http://dawn.thot.net/tanis/. Please visit the web page to read more about Tanis, enjoy some snapshots of her life, and make memorial contributions. In the meantime, drink a Snapple and plant a sunflower to remember and honour Tanis.
For inquiries, please contact Carrie Lucas at clucas@disabilitypride.com.

Barbara Anello is Acting Chair of DAWN Ontario. She can be reached at anello@vianet.ca or through http://dawn.thot.net.