About Us
Wallace Upper (aka Randy, as work necessitates its use) has a Master of Social Work degree and is a Registered Social Worker. He is currently working as a Clinical Research Associate with a focus on spinal cord injury (SCI) and other acquired neurological disorders. Wallace is also working with Sherry Maxwell and Associates Counselling Services, providing virtual therapy on a part-time basis, supporting people in the disability community and those who have experienced trauma.
As a person with a t6 complete spinal cord injury (SCI) and mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), Wallace lives his life to the fullest. He sustained his injuries in 1988 at the age of 20. Although the event changed the trajectory of his life, he would argue that it was for the better. After the accident, Wallace learned that he had an undiagnosed learning disability. This knowledge enabled him to get the supports needed to be successful in school. He would also admit that aging with a spinal cord injury is a real kick in the pants. But he’s up for the challenge.
Melanie Earle has a Bachelor of Arts… with a focus on English and Gender Studies. From an early age, she has been interested in topics of social justice. For a time, she supported herself and her daughter by working as a Human Resources Professional. When she and Wallace united as a team, she was able to focus on her passion for working with people and making connections, centring people whose voices are often silenced or dismissed.
As a person with an invisible disability, Melanie also lives her life to the fullest. She would also argue that her disability has positively shaped her life and its path (forks, bumps and pits included), and has led her to here – exactly where she wants to be.
Together, this interabled couple are using their knowledge, skills, and experience to keep the conversation going with their peers in the disability community. There is a vast amount of untapped peer knowledge and experience out there. They would like to gather and share these resources as a means of serving those within the disability community. They also firmly believe that every Saturday night should be a wild karaoke party, sharing snacks and good cheer with others. They live in southwestern Ontario, Canada, but they spend as much time travelling across the country as they can, so they can connect with others.
To dispel myths, illuminate truths and share as a community, Wallace and Melanie also need to acknowledge the privilege they have as settlers of European descent. They are committed to learning more, including how they can acknowledge land rights in a meaningful way, and how they can establish and further an anti-racist mandate through intentional intersectional inclusion of various lived experiences. They both recognize that to learn and grow, they must watch for and address the biases they have internalized. This includes, but is not limited to race, disability, class, gender identity, and sexual orientation. They acknowledge that their personal experience in these areas is narrow but are committed to widening their lens by intentionally seeking other points of view.