BCIFV home > Newsletter > 2004 Archives > Spring 2004 articles

In Memoriam: Joan Meister

October 12, 1950–January 10, 2004

(From the DAWN Ontario website)

Courageous. Outspoken. Visionary. Spiritual. Joan Meister embodied all of these qualities and more. Encountering Joan was, for many of us who knew her in real time or virtually, a life-altering experience. A dialogue with Joan was never dull, ordinary, or mundane.

She never hesitated to voice her views on any issue that she felt was important and wasn’t properly addressed. Once you encountered her, you never forgot her. She glowed from within.

On Saturday January 10, 2004, Joan lost her courageous battle with cancer. Though she is gone, her rich and vibrant legacy lives on in all of us who were privileged to be touched by her.

She will be missed by many across Canada. We have all lost a gifted sister, fierce disability-rights advocate, passionate humanitarian, community champion, independent spirit, and honest soul.

Joan Meister was born on October 12, 1950. As a woman who lived with the effects of multiple sclerosis, Joan became actively involved in the disability community. Recognizing the need for a gender-based analysis in the disability-rights movement, Joan was one of 17 women with disAbilities who came together in 1986 to form a national, cross-disability, consumer-driven, feminist organization, DAWN Canada: DisAbled Women’s Network Canada. Joan was a strong voice for women, and for women with disabilities across Canada. She advocated fiercely for the idea that women with disabilities should be the ones to lead and speak about the work and research on themselves, and indeed should be paid to do so!

“We are the experts on our lives,” she would say. Together with Shirley Masuda (deceased) and others, she worked tirelessly to ensure that our voices would truly be those of the women with disAbility movement.

Joan was also Co-Chair of the Board of the BC Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health, Chair of ORW: Opportunities through Rehabilitation and Work Society, and Chair of the Society for Disability Arts and Culture.

Joan’s other loves were her friends and companions. As she put it herself: “Albert pre-dated my wheelchair and continued to love me in that completely honest way that cats have.” “My dog Sherman not only pushed me up the little hill of my front sidewalk (not an insignificant thing when a person has MS!) using his shoulders behind my manual chair and moving at a pretty good clip, but he also showed me how to maintain my sense of humour.” (Pets & Wellness, Summer 2001). More recently, Joan opened her home to Teaka, a large brindle (part Great Dane) with a huge heart, and Rottii, a Budgie she found on the side of the road, later joined by Camille.

Most of all, we all remember and thank Joan for her genuineness and personal, no-nonsense support, mentorship, sisterhood, and friendship.

Friend, sister, mentor, and comrade. We will miss you very much.

Donations may be made in Joan’s memory to a charity of your choice. For more information contact:

In BC: Pacific DAWN (Monika Chappell) Tel: 604-294-9958

In Ontario: DAWN Ontario (Barbara Anello) Tel: 705-494-9078

In Quebec: AFHM (Maria Barile) Tel: 514-725-4123

Read this memorial online at Source.
Sign Joan's Memorial Guestbook.

Pull Quote:

Once you encountered Joan, you never forgot her. She glowed from within.