A second chance.

Dustin Paul, Alumnus

At the age of 19, Dustin Paul’s world was turned upside down. A motorcycle accident left him a quadriplegic, with no motor function in his wrists and hands. After a difficult three years trying to adapt to his new reality, Paul realized he had to move on with his life, and decided to enroll in the Criminal Justice Program at Langara.

The decision left him with a fresh set of issues to contend with.

“How would I get there in time for classes each morning? How would I take my coat off? How would I eat lunch? How would I take notes? I soon discovered that most postsecondary institutions in BC have a disability resource centre, and I immediately began to work with Langara’s to find answers to my questions. To my surprise, the centre had all the bases covered—from note taking and scheduling, to in-class accommodations and even attendant care. Before I knew it I had a fresh new laptop and was in the front row of a class of 30 strangers listening to a lecture…. Then something shocking happened. I began to enjoy myself.”

Paul quickly rose to the top of his program with a 4.0 GPA, eventually completing his B.A. at Simon Fraser University and his law degree at the University of British Columbia. Along the way, he earned an array of scholarships and awards, including the 2010 Terry Fox Gold Medal. Currently he is articling at a prestigious downtown firm, putting his legal education to use to help alleviate barriers for people with disabilities.