Doug Mowat was a Canadian

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 politician, who served as a Social Credit

British Columbia Social Credit Party

The British Columbia Social Credit Party, whose members are known as Socreds, was the governing political party of British Columbia, Canada, for more than 30 years between the 1952 provincial election and the 1991 election...

 Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia

Legislative Assembly of British Columbia

The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is one of two components of the Parliament of British Columbia, the provincial parliament ....

 from 1983 to 1991, representing the riding of Vancouver-Little Mountain

Vancouver-Little Mountain

Vancouver-Little Mountain was a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It first appeared on the hustings in the general election of 1966 as a two-member seat....

. A quadriplegic following an accident playing rugby

Rugby football

Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...

 at age 17, Mowat was the first wheelchair

Wheelchair

A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...

 user elected to a legislature in Canada.

A founding member of the BC Paraplegic Association

BC Paraplegic Association

The BC Paraplegic Association is a not-for-profit organization that helps people with spinal cord injuries adjust, adapt and thrive by providing answers, information and community experiences in the Canadian province of British Columbia....

, he was the organization's executive director from 1962 until his death. He first entered elected politics as a Vancouver Parks Board commissioner, and subsequently was elected to the legislature in 1983.

He was named a member of the Order of Canada

Order of Canada

The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...

in 1982 in honour of his work on behalf of people with disabilities.