Remembering an advocate for the disabled
Hamilton man also supported environmental causes, helping the poor
Susan Hampson-Strabac was out on a walk with her brother Michael awhile back when they came to one of those new water stations for dogs. Michael Hampson had been disabled since 2000 due to the removal of a tumour from his spine. He needed a wheelchair to get around and he noticed there was no way he could access the station to fill up the bowls for his two dogs. He started talking right away about how he would have to get the city to change that for the disabled. After all, through his efforts the city put a pad for wheelchairs in the dog park on Birch Avenue.
“He said, ‘I’m going to have to make sure these hydra-stations get changed,’ ” his sister recalled him saying, not doubting he would be successful.
Hampson was not only a wellknown and tireless advocate for the disabled, but was also involved in efforts to halt the Red Hill expressway, fight air pollution, preserve the environment and help the poor.
In one instance, he believed the province had found a way to help the poor. He was one of the 1,000 local recipients of a guaranteed income of $17,000, more than what he would receive under his Ontario disability support pension. He said the threeyear pilot program, started by the Liberal government in 2017, had changed his life.
The Progressive Conservative government, despite a campaign pledge to maintain it, killed the program after it was elected in 2018. That involved Hampson in more advocacy to unsuccessfully reverse the cancellation.
Hampson died at age 58 on Jan. 22. His sister said he had been in and out of hospital for a blood infection for the past three years.
His death was noted by provincial leaders. “Michael Hampson gave hope and voice to so many in Hamilton,” said Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath in a tweet. “He was a champion for basic income and his advocacy will have an impact for years to come.” “Michael Hampson was a fighter, an advocate for people with disabilities and he loved his dogs,” said Tom Cooper of the Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction in a tweet. Hampson founded his own disability advocacy group and one of his ways to highlight the plight of the disabled was a “crawl-in.” He would leave his wheelchair and crawl to a podium to make an address.
Hampson went with others to Queen’s Park in August 2018 to meet with Opposition leaders and the media to talk about the merits of the basic income pilot. His sister said losing the basic income “broke” her brother.
“He said, ‘Susan, I had such dignity,’ ” she recalled. “When he lost it, he was so worried about finances. I was really proud of him. He spoke his truth. He was trying to do the best he could with what he had.”