The Icelandic Canadian - 01.08.2006, Qupperneq 11

Vol. 60 #2
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
53
Halldor Bjarnason
From Poster Child to Super Hero
by Angela Maida
Geography found me as the likely can-
didate to track down and interview Halldor
Bjarnason. I have been given the scarcest
details: Halldor Bjarnason (unable to
dodge the Icelandic hereditary police) was
spotted on National News rappelling a 16
storey Vancouver office tower clad in a spi-
derman costume to raise money for chari-
ty. (Rapelling for the uninitiated means one
is attached by a mere string, clipped into a
harness, flung over the edge of something
higher than a step ladder, then with grace
and dignity must lower oneself to the
ground). For the thrill junkies the higher
the better!
The other significant piece of data sup-
plied to me was that Halldor has a physical
disability. The connection between these
facts peaked my interest. I contact Halldor,
who being the good sport that he is, readi-
ly submits to an interview. We get off to a
hard start when our arranged meeting place
turns out to be mere cinders, factor in a wet
October evening in Vancouver where rain
is at maximum velocity, comes down hori-
zontally and can take a swift turn up ones’
umbrella. We are soaked when we finally
settle on an alternate location. Halldor
accepts all the last minute changes and cli-
matic challenges with apparent ease.
Halldor is impeccably dressed, he exudes
happiness and his great sense of humour is
immediately obvious. I am quickly at ease
in his company and blissfully unaware of
the list of accomplishments this interview is
about to expose.
Halldor, 42 has been living in
Vancouver since 1991 and is currently
working as a lawyer with the Access Law
Group. He has found his niche specializing
in estate planning for families with disabled
dependants. A role he cherishes in that it
feeds his admitted desire to" irritate
bureaucrats." Halldor has successfully cir-
cumvented existing estate laws to ensure
that disabled dependents continue to
receive disability benefits in the event of
their parent’s death. He loves his work,
which he finds challenging and mentally
stimulating. It fosters his need for a cre-
ative outlet and most importantly he is
thrilled to be able to make a positive differ-
ence in the lives of others.
Halldor was born with athetoid cere-
bral palsy, the apparent result of which is
slurred speech and impaired movement.
Halldor's struggles seem not to reside with
the disability itself rather from the miscon-
ceptions he must face from the those who
live their lives without the challenge of
cerebral palsy or any other disability.
Halldor is resigned but not bitter about the
times in his life where opportunities were
denied, it is obvious that these prejudices
fueled him to arrive where he has, ultimate-
ly driving him towards his success.
Halldor has a winning attitude and was
fortunate enough to be raised by parents
unwilling to see obstacles but rather sur-
mountable challenges. When Halldor was
a child, his parents Kenneth and Mildred
Bjarnason became involved with the
Society for Crippled Children. The expec-
tation was that Halldor would receive his
education through the Societies schools
designed to meet the needs of the disabled.
Mildred investigated their classroom set-
tings and did not feel as though the calibre
of the education offered by the Society for
Crippled Children was the same offered in
the public school system. She decided the
right place for Halldor was in their local
school, Isaac Brocke. The one setback she
felt she needed to overcome was that at the
age of four Halldor was still being pushed
in a stroller. Mildred felt that if her son was