Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/126959
The first landed a job at BC Ferries. quadriplegic to Soon after, feeling the loss of com lete the p competitive sports in his life, West Coast Trail he began coaching boys' (above), Brad's high school basketball (lead- done a lot to break down ing to eight city championbarriers, says former Vancouver ships so far). He then went to mayor Sam college to study broadcast Sullivan. journalism and from there to his current full-time job as peer program coordinator with Spinal Cord Injury BC, helping the 500 British Columbians who suffer a spinal cord injury each year establish their own new normal. He gave back, too, hosting a weekly family support group at GF Strong called Rehab Rap for those with new injuries. And he supported Vancouver's False Creek Aquabus and other local businesses in their efforts to help wheelchair users better access public buildings and transit. "I've travelled a lot, and Vancouver is one of the most accessible cities in the world; the Lower Mainland is epic as far as accessibility goes," says Jacobsen. "Still, you can't expect your community to be accessible if you don't ask for change." Many with spinal cord injuries also live with secondary issues such as chronic pain, says Jacobsen, which means they have trouble working, often live on disability benefits, and rely on public transit to get around. The idea of riding public transit for many is intimidating, says Lawrence. "You think, 'People will stare at me,' or 'It's too hard,'" he explains. "So Brad made a game of it." Inspired by CBS's The Amazing Race, Jacobsen created Bus Stop Hop, an annual event sending teams of four — two in wheelchairs, two able-bodied — in a race across Metro Vancouver using accessible transit. "At the end of the day those who were so afraid of the bus are saying, 'Oh my God, look what I accomplished!'" says Lawrence. Next, Jacobsen moved onto a more personal challenge: to explore a stretch of 22 W e s t w o r l d p20-23_Profile.indd 22 >> Summer 2013 courtesy Brad Jacobsen 13-04-26 10:50 AM