My QMS Story

BY SANDY PHILLIPS (STEPHENSON, ‘63)

The Founders of QMS, Miss Denny and Miss Geoghegan, accepted girls with developmental disabilities when I went to QMS in the 50s and 60s. So, when my own daughter, Stephanie, was born with Down Syndrome it was not a big shock to me as it would if I'd known no one with a disability. I made a vow to her the second day of her life that I would fight for her rights, never realizing that I would have to take on so many systems.

More important than her birth, was the fight for Stephanie's inclusion in school. Because of students with disabilities at QMS, I saw no reason why she shouldn't be in a regular class. I did a lot of research on this to make sure I did the right thing.

Stephanie started school in the 80s and resistance started from day one in kindergarten and progressed up to grade 12 even though I gave lots of support and adapted materials. Stephanie was the first child with a significant disability to be included in a regular class in our home district in BC because “they didn't want to set a precedent”. We were in Alberta for her grade 4 year, Kingston for her grade 5 and Saskatchewan for grade 10 and 11 and in each province there was resistance because they'd never done it before. In Saskatchewan where they were going to segregate her based on “how she looked”, she had an amazing 2 years once she was allowed into regular class. After this, teachers of regular classes were asking if they could have students from the segregated classes included in their classes. She was a pioneer and an ambassador, and other students following her have benefited from her inclusion. Our home district refused to let her graduate but she was invited back to Saskatchewan to graduate with those with whom she went to regular class.

As a result of her inclusion, Stephanie learned to read in grade two without the benefit of a special educator. She learned to speak clearly and well from her peers and her behaviour was typical.

In Saskatchewan I founded an organization to include children with disabilities in summer activities. After Stephanie graduated, she wanted to continue her education, so I founded an organization with other families to include people with disabilities in university as participating auditors. She went to the University of Victoria for 5 years and graduated with the cohort of one-year teachers. She got a job in a pharmacy and worked there for almost 10 years until COVID struck. She is now working in a hardware store. She moved out of our house two years ago and got married.

None of this would have happened had I not gone to school with girls with disabilities. Miss Denny and Miss Geoghegan gave me the vision and experience to make it happen.