Welcome to 1800wheelchair.ca Scholarship Home Page

Now Accepting Entries for Winter 2023!

1800wheelchair is now accepting entries for its Winter 2023 Scholarship Award Contest! Keep reading to learn more.

New Scholarship Award

Established in 2009, the 1800wheelchair scholarship fund now bestows one or two $500 awards each year. In the past, we've asked applicants to explore mobility issues on campus, overcoming personal challenges, and much more.

To enter the scholarship students must follow the guidelines below:

Participants must meet the following criteria:
  • Enrolled at an accredited high school, college, or university in Canada
  • Enrolled at the undergraduate level or your final year of high school
  • Aged sixteen (16) years or older
  • Carry a status of "good standing" (i.e. currently enrolled)
  • Maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 (or equivalent)
  • Postmarked by December 31, 2023
Please note:
  • There is no formal printed application from 1800wheelchair, all necessary information is on this page
  • There are no requirements in terms of physical disability or ability. All applications are welcome
  • We do not accept fax or email applications
  • Please send your application via traditional mail; express mail will not be accepted
  • No need to print this page; just send your written response and contact information
  • Do not send any CD ROMs, letters of recommendation, tax returns, bank balances, resumes or CVs
  • Please keep a digital copy in Word or Google Docs. We'll need a copy to put up on our site.

Scholarship Topic

Wheelchairs are an important tool for people with mobility impairments, but they can also be a source of frustration and isolation. In this contest, we want you to use visual poetry to explore the challenges and triumphs of wheelchair mobility.

Your 'visual poem' can be about anything related to wheelchairs, such as:

  • The beauty and diversity of the wheelchair community
  • The physical and emotional challenges of using a wheelchair
  • The ways in which wheelchairs can empower people with disabilities
  • The stigma and discrimination that people with disabilities face
  • The realization of a joyful life through wheelchair mobility

You can choose to represent words, images, or both. It can be abstract or representational. Your poem should be visually appealing and thought-provoking.

Limit your 'visual poem' to materials or techniques that can be applied to an 8.5in x 11in piece of paper, such as:

  • Photographs
  • Illustrations (physical medium or digital)
  • Collages

Please include a personal statement that gives us an idea of (1) who you are and (2) how your visual poem relates to a challenge or a triumph you've experienced, or a challenge/triumph through which you've supported someone else. The visual poem and statement (combined) should be between 500 and 1,000 words, but feel free to write a little more or less.


Note: We will not be able to return any submissions.

Send all materials to:
1800wheelchair Canada Scholarship
8171 Yonge St
Suite 274
Thornhill Ontario, L3T 2C6

 

Your application should include:

  • Typed copy of your submission (make sure to save a digital copy, so we can publish it, in the event that we decide to publish it.)
  • First & last name, email address & phone number printed at the top or back of each page
  • Statement or transcript of your Grade Point Average (GPA) - unofficial transcripts accepted
  • Students submitting their work should follow us on Instagram and/or Facebook @1800wheelchair

 


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Winter 2023
Scholarship Award Winner

Winner to be announced by March June 29th, 2024
To Be Announced
by March 29th, 2024
View Spring 2017
Scholarship Award Winner

Melanie Oakes
Lakehead University
View Fall 2016
Scholarship Award Winner

RuiLin Guo
Western University
View Winter 2015
Scholarship Award Winner

Jaymes Bowman
Emily Carr University of Art + Design
View Winter 2014
Scholarship Award Winner

Ke Fan Bei
University of Toronto for Life Sciences
View Spring 2013
Scholarship Award Winner

Emily Mitchell
Lakehead University
View Winter 2012
Scholarship Award Winner

Paige O'Neil
McMaster University
View Winter 2011
Scholarship Award Winner

Ryan Gibson
University of British Columbia
View Spring 2011
Scholarship Award Winner

Melody Thomas
University of Toronto
View Winter 2010
Scholarship Award Winner

Borris Spassov
William Lyon Mackenzie C.I.