By Brenna Mackay
At a time when many people felt like their lives had come to a halt, Megan Linton was the busiest she had ever been. Over the past year, the recent Carleton Master of Public Policy and Administration (MPPA) graduate was juggling research, writing and community activism, seeking to inform policy changes that impact people with disabilities.
During the pandemic, Linton helped track COVID-19 cases and outbreaks at institutions across Ontario, advocating for disabled individuals to be prioritized for vaccinations.
She helped present research to public health units, MPs, MPPs, policy makers, community organizations and the media, leading to a more accessible vaccine roll out.
These are among the contributions to disability advocacy that have earned Linton this year’s Dr. John Davis Burton Award from Carleton’s Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities.
Linton’s passion for activism was sparked when she became disabled as teenager and had to learn how to adapt to a world that was not built for people like her.
“It changed my life and brought me into this world that so many of us don’t have the privilege of being part of,” says Linton, who earned her MPPA last spring and started a PhD in Sociology at Carleton this fall.
“I’m so grateful for the disability community and want to do everything I can to support others, particularly those who have been routinely forgotten for so long.”