July 14, 2000
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THE UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA July 14, 2000 |
 Doug Ottenbreit is the first to admit he’s not a “conventional” grad.After completing a year of political science studies at UVic in 1983 he was absent from campus for nearly 15 years before returning in 1997 to complete his degree. In between, the lifelong activist worked for governments in Ontario and B.C., lobbied for affordable housing on behalf of Victoria’s poor and, as president of B.C.’s Human Rights Coalition, took a sexual harassment complaint all the way to the B.C. Supreme Court. “We won too,” says Ottenbreit with satisfaction. “Social justice work doesn’t pay much in terms of making a living, but in terms of bettering society, it’s very fulfilling.” It also added some depth to Ottenbreit’s contributions when he did return to the classroom. “My life work had an impact on discussions with fellow students. They only had the theory. I was able to enlighten them to the realities of government and how life works outside of the classroom. We had interesting discussions on how life was and how it should be.” It was life’s realities that eventually drove Ottenbreit back to the books. He attended Camosun College for a year but increasingly found himself turned down for jobs because he lacked a degree. Frustration “turned the tide” and convinced him to return to university. The UVic of 2000 is much better than in 1982 in terms of access and services provided to students with disabilities, says Ottenbreit, who was born with cerebral palsy and uses crutches to get around. “Are we all the way there? I think the university still has a lot to learn about access and promoting people with disabilities within the faculties.” He’d like to pursue a master’s in public administration or law studies, but not until he completes a stint as constituency assistant to Victoria-Beacon Hill mla Gretchen Brewin. Ottenbreit is eager to apply future studies to future causes. “Administrative law deals with tribunals, workers’ compensation and interpretations of government legislation. It fits right in with the things that interest me the most. Health care policy in Canada is at a crossroads right now and we’ve got a lot work to do to ensure its benefits keep coming to future generations.” |