Editor’s Note: I originally wrote this post for the InsideVancouver blog, as part of special coverage of Vancouver’s Paralympic Games.

Disability rights activist Catherine Frazee curates Out from Under, an exhibit in Robson Square on disability in Canada.

Perennially ranked among the world’s most liveable cities, Vancouver also enjoys a lesser-known distinction: It’s one of the most disability-friendly places on the planet. Buildings and attractions are largely wheelchair accessible and the public transportation system – from buses to subways to taxis – has been designed to embrace all users.

I was reminded of how progressive Vancouver is this afternoon while talking with Catherine Frazee, who is in town during the Paralympics as a curator of Out from Under, a special exhibit in Robson Square on the history of disability in Canada. Catherine, who directs disability studies at Toronto’s Ryerson University and uses a motorized wheelchair, has had her share of access issues (Just to get to Vancouver, she had to detour through the US after Via Rail was unable to accommodate her wheelchair). But she had nothing but praise for the city. “In my view, Vancouver is unparalleled in terms of accessibility,” she said to me. “It’s nice to be in a place where you don’t have to book taxis hours or days in advance.”

Inside of the exhibit, which is housed on the ground floor of the UBC building in Robson Square, the displays are powerful and often disturbing. Read more on InsideVancouver.