Another Chapter In Lindy鈥檚 Life

April 21, 2015

Computer Comfort participant, LindyLindy was born with severe . She also has , poor balance, and poor speech. Originally from , she immigrated to Canada in 1990. 鈥淚t was not easy for me to give up everything and start again in a new country,鈥 says Lindy. 鈥淚 felt lonely and stayed at home for one year because I didn鈥檛 know of an agency to contact to assist me.鈥 Slowly, Lindy began to build a new life. She connected with the (formerly the Neurological Center), which provides services to adults with such as cerebral palsy. She began studying English and then concentrated on developing her artistic skills, because it was something that she really enjoyed. It was her 鈥渃ompetitive nature鈥 that led her to start taking courses in , and it wasn’t long before Lindy was well known throughout the , for both her quality watercolors and her drive to succeed. In 1999, Lindy received a scholarship to study at the (formerly the Emily Carr Institute of Art & Design), and she would go on to become the first student with cerebral palsy to study there. She has received countless accolades and awards for her work over the years.

Lindy's Art

Lindy's Art

Lindy worked part-time at the at Kingsway and Joyce. Even in bad weather, she could be found sweeping outside and chatting with customers. However, she was forced to quit her job in 2013 due to increasing muscle tightness from her cerebral palsy, and by this point she had also given up her聽art. Aging has made her cerebral palsy more severe and she is often writhing in agony.

The provided Lindy with a , an , a , and a . They also connected her with the and she enrolled in their Computer Comfort Program in November of 2013.

Lindy's Art

Back in 1990, when Lindy arrived in Canada, the internet wasn’t yet widely used, and her communication with friends and family back home was through the form of letters. Lindy taught herself how to connect with friends using her computer. She taught herself how to type, how to use email, and how to watch movies and listen to music. When it came to the more advanced programs, like Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint (new window), the Computer Comfort Program was able to help out. 鈥淓nglish is my second language so people are very hard to understand鈥, says Lindy.聽She appreciates that the Computer Comfort Program is taught one-on-one by a volunteer, 鈥淚 can understand the program more clearly step by step while I am learning. The volunteer, Fraser, is very patient,鈥 she adds. Lindy is proud that she has learned how to use Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and she is now off and practicing her new found skills. 鈥淚 very much enjoyed the study time at the 今日吃瓜51.鈥