Biography

Tracy Odell is a life-long advocate for independent living and the right of people with disabilities to live in the community due to being forced to grow up in a hospital-school residence from age 7. She assisted in founding supportive housing programs with attendant services in Toronto, and was the impetus for “Nurturing Assistance” funding.  Tracy has published articles and appeared in videos to raise awareness of issues relating to disability since the 1990’s. Her B.A. and B.Ed. were in English and Special Education, and her Master’s degree was in Critical Disability Studies. The Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD) honoured Tracy in 2009 with their “John Lord Participatory Action Research Award” for her master’s research paper, “Not Your Average Childhood”.

Since then, Tracy has hired and trained her own cadre of attendants, funded entirely by the Centre for Independent Living in Toronto’s “Direct Funding” (DF) program. DF is funded in turn by the Ontario Health Ministry. She continues to advocate for disability rights through Citizens With Disabilities – Ontario, CCD and the Accessible Housing Network.

Tracy lives in Scarborough with her husband of 35+ years and a juvenile pet dog. They are proud of their two grown daughters (who have inherited the advocate gene) and their beautiful granddaughters.