Meister, Joan Patricia

Joan Patricia Meister came into the world on October 12, 1950, in Vancouver, BC, the third and youngest child of Eric and Helen (Krahn) Meister. She earned an honours BA in English at Simon Fraser University in 1977, writing a thesis on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and she worked both at the university library and as the staffer for her union, the Association of University and College Employees, Local 2 (now CUPE 3338). In 1980, multiple sclerosis began to interfere with her ability to walk, and in 1981, she got her first wheelchair at GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre.

Joan was already an active participant in her union, the left and the women’s movement, and when she started using a wheelchair and had to leave her job, it was important for her to continue to do political work. The women’s movement wasn’t very accessible and neither was the left nor the labour movement. She joined ORW: Opportunities for Rehabilitation and Work Society to try to address some of the important issues of concern for workers with a disability. She continued to work in the women’s movement and became the Secretary of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women.

She got involved with the disability community but discovered that in the same way that the women’s movement wasn’t very accessible, the disability community wasn’t interested in women’s issues. Women with disabilities, that is. An invitation to a meeting in Ottawa for the first ever national meeting of women with disabilities arrived. DAWN Canada: DisAbled Women’s Network Canada was born and Joan became the first national Chair. DAWN BC (now Pacific DAWN) followed soon after. DAWN is made up of women who are disabled, feminist and pro-choice. For many years, Joan worked very hard within DAWN on issues of particular concern to women with disabilities, including violence, parenting, employment, self-image, health, sexuality and technology.

Joan’s accomplishments are many. Since 1999, she has been the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Society for Disability Arts and Culture, which produced the “kickstART! Celebration of Disability Arts and Culture” in 2001, in Vancouver. She has served since 1996 as the Chair of the Board of Directors of the BC Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health, a six-year federally funded project under the sponsorship of BC Women’s Hospital. From 1994 to 1996, she worked as a member of the BC Consortium for Women and Health, a group of community, medical and educational women who came together to achieve funding for one of five federally funded Centres of Excellence for Women’s Health. From 1985 to 1995, she served in a variety of capacities on the board of Directors of DAWN Canada: DisAbled Women’s Network Canada; for example, she was a member of the National Steering Committee, the Founding National Chairperson, the Past Chairperson and the Supervisor of the SAFETY NET/WORK Projects. She also worked to found and to sustain DAWN BC, now Pacific DAWN.

In addition, Joan has served as President (since 1991), of the Board of Directors of ORW: Opportunities through Rehabilitation and Work Society, and as a member (from 1993 to 1995) of the Premier’s Advisory Committee on Disabilities, a two-year BC Cabinet appointment; and from 1986 to 1994 as the Secretary of the Board of Directors for the Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work (CCRW), based in Winnipeg. From 1992 to 1993, she was the Secretary of the Board of Directors of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women (NAC), in Toronto. From 1992 to 1993, she also worked as a member of the Advisory Committee for the Women’s Health Centre at the University Hospital, Shaughnessey Site, in Vancouver; and from 1992 to1993, she was a member of the Steering Committee on Sexual Abuse and Young People with Disabilities Project for the McCreary Centre Society, in Vancouver. From 1991 to 1992, she was a member of the Advisory Committee to the Canadian Panel on Violence Against Women, in Ottawa; and from 1990 to1992, she served as a member of the National Advisory Committee, as the Chair of the Media and Marketing Subcommittee, and a member of the International Committee of Independence ‘92: Self Determination for Persons with a Disability (an international congress and exposition on disability, April 1992, Vancouver).

Recently, Joan has also fought for the rights of transsexual and transgendered people.

Joan passed away peacefully on the morning of January 10, 2004, after a long and valiant battle with cancer. She is predeceased by her mother Helen (1957), her father Eric (1983), and her older sister Marilyn Reuter (1996). She is survived by her brother, James Meister, her two nephews, Simon and Lucas Reuter, and many aunts, uncles and cousins. Joan Meister was well loved by many people, and she will be very sorely missed.

A community-based celebration of her life will be announced shortly.