Emma Pivato's Blog

  The Story of the Wheelchair Project The Early History: Our daughter, Alexis, cannot see, talk, sit independently or use her hands functionally.  Therefore, we have been unable to develop any formal communication system with her and need to attend to all her personal needs. Although Alexis can do nothing else for herself or show us in any other way that she understands us and act or think independently of us, there is one area of exception.  From nine months of age Alexis showed some understanding of the toileting process and by 18 months she was quite reliably trained. This training process gave us a way of connecting with her, valuing her, feeling close to her and we could see by her responses that it pleased her to please us.  One could say that we bonded with her around her toileting successes, strange as that might sound. When she was a baby and a young child, I could lift her easily, place her across my knee to dress and undress her and hold her on her little ...

And Along Came Alexis To be published in the fall of 2021. This book tells the story of our family’s journey to date with our 41-year old daughter, Alexis, and how together we have grappled with the profound challenges that she faces in order to make a satisfying life for her and for us.  

  In the News – Deadmonton mysteries from local author inspired by advocacy of people with disabilities Published by the Edmonton Journal – Mar 05, 2021 Murder, mysteries and advocacy make strange bedfellows. Edmonton author Emma Pivato has made it her goal to combine her love of mystery novels with a lifelong passion of advocating for individuals with disabilities. Her protagonist, Claire Burke, calls Edmonton home and locations within the city play host to benign backdrops and dangerous locales. But it wasn’t a fascination with murder or crime that inspired Pivato to kick off her publishing career. Instead, it was a desire to bring representation to a cause close to her heart, support for individuals with disabilities. Read the full article here –>

  Author event: Word Up Barrie, July 8, 2021