This is an image of Pat Danforth seated in her wheelchair, draped in a colourful patterned blanket. She smiles warmly, wearing glasses, with curly grey hair. Behind her is a backdrop featuring DAWN Canada’s “40 Years – Still Rising!” anniversary logo. The image conveys a joyful and celebratory moment.

Pat Danforth smiles adoringly after being honoured with the Women on Wings Award. She is draped in the Connection Blanket, a symbolic gift presented to each award recipient. Designed by Emily Kewageshig, an Anishnaabe artist and visual storyteller from Saugeen First Nation No. 29, the blanket represents resilience, connection, and renewal. Its design reflects themes of birth, death, and rebirth, rooted in Anishnaabe teachings and Kewageshig’s lived experiences.

As part of its 40th anniversary celebrations, DAWN Canada proudly presented the 2024 Women on Wings Award to Pat Danforth, a trailblazer in disability rights and one of the founding mothers of the organization. Pat was among the seventeen women who gathered in Ottawa 40 years ago to form what would become DAWN Canada.

With more than five decades of leadership in advancing the rights of people with disabilities, Pat has made lasting contributions through policy, governance, and grassroots activism. She has held key roles with the Council of Canadians with Disabilities, Disability Alliance BC, and the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission, and continues to serve on multiple committees focused on accessibility and human rights. Her lifelong commitment has helped pave the way for greater inclusion, equity, and systemic change across Canada.

The Women on Wings Award, a board service award, also honoured the late Judi Johnny, a powerful advocate for Indigenous women with disabilities. She was posthumously recognized for her contributions, and the award will be presented to the Victoria Faulkner Women’s Centre in Yellowknife as part of their 50th anniversary celebrations.