'She was a force against ableism': Tributes pour in after sudden death of former Paralympian Arley McNeney
B.C.-born former Paralympian Arley McNeney died suddenly last week, her family revealed Tuesday.
She’s being remembered as a passionate advocate for social justice, equality, accessibility and inclusion—as well as a devoted mother to her daughter Dottie.
“I can’t put words to the love Arley has for Dot,” Denver McNeney wrote in a tweet announcing his sister’s death.
Born in New Westminster, McNeney, who also went by Arley Cruthers, played for Canada’s national wheelchair basketball team from 2001 to 2007—winning two World Championships and a bronze medal at the 2004 Paralympics.
She later went on to win two U.S. national championships with the women's varsity wheelchair basketball team at the University of Illinois, where she earned a master of fine arts degree in creative writing.
McNeney has written two novels, worked as a communications consultant for several wheelchair organizations, and taught communications at Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s business school for over seven years.
“Arley accomplished an amazing amount in her 40 years, but Arley believed that the measure of a person was how they lifted up those around them,” Denver McNeney said.
Arley McNeney’s death has triggered an outpouring of grief online, as people from various communities share their stories and memories of her.
AN 'IMMEASURABLY RICH' LEGACY
In a statement issued Wednesday, the Melville School of Business at KPU described McNeney as a highly respected, tireless scholar who was beloved and incredibly generous.
“Arley’s legacy is immeasurably rich and will continue through the inspired work of her friends and colleagues, and the thousands of students she taught,” Dean pro tem Heather Harrison wrote in an email to CTV News. “Her expertise, and the generosity with which she shared it, are irreplaceable.”
Harrison also highlighted that McNeney was the inaugural recipient of KPU’s Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion award in 2021.
She also earned an award for Excellence in Open Education from BCcampus in 2019.
“I consider it one of the great privileges of my life to have worked closely with her during my time at KPU,” her friend and colleague Dr. Rajiv Jhangiani wrote on Twitter.
Gabrielle Peters, a disabled writer and policy analyst who frequently collaborated with McNeney, told CTV News that her friend was “nothing but good.”
“She was just someone who you immediately trusted. There was no other motive, she was just there to help to create good things in this world, to be a source of light, and she had so much talent,” Peters said.
McNeney designed artwork based on disability slogans coined by Peters, with all proceeds going to the pair’s mutual aid project Crip Care.
“She loved doing the art, and she did it in such a way—she took those words and brought them to life with her art—but the thing that excited her the most was the giving away of the money,” Peters said.
To honour her legacy, Peters hopes that Marpole Adaptive Soccer, an accessible program for youth with disabilities that McNeney co-created, will adopt a “no Applied Behaviour Analysis policy.”
“She just wanted a program where children with developmental disabilities could just show up however they are—run, kick a ball, feel loved and included—without any sort of effort to change their behaviour."
THE TITLE MOST IMPORTANT: MOM
A woman with many different roles—artist, activist, Paralympian and community organizer—those who knew her agree that the title most important to McNeney was mom.
A fundraiser has been set up by McNeney’s family online, with any money raised going towards Dottie’s “future development and education.”
“We would be equally grateful for your stories or memories of Arley,” the fundraising page reads.
Denver McNeney says more details will be available in the coming days regarding a celebration of life and place to memorialize his sister “where Dottie can learn about her mother’s impact on the people around her.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
'Tactical evacuations' underway near Fort Nelson, B.C., as wildfires encroach
The BC Wildfire Service says 'tactical evacuations' began Friday near Fort Nelson, B.C., due to an out-of-control wildfire that has grown rapidly since it was discovered earlier in the afternoon.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.