Dan Thompson
President and CEO
of DeeGee Rehabilitation Technologies
- Registered Rehabilitation Professional
- Registered Vocational Professional
- Certified Life Care Planner
Background
An automobile accident in 1980 changed Dan’s life forever and left him with C4-C5-C6 quadriplegia. The ambulance attendants had walked him from the vehicle to the ambulance and appropriate protocols had not been followed. As a result, he went into shock and his unrestrained movements led to complete quadriplegia and permanent disability.
Before his accident, Dan had some prior knowledge of what life was like for people with disabilities. He had worked for an individual who, even though he had severe polio, still managed to operate a 500-acre farm in Southern Ontario, Canada. Dan also had a high school friend with muscular dystrophy who became a great inspiration and support to him after his accident. These connections were of invaluable support to him in both understanding and coming to accept his injury.
For Dan, acceptance didn’t mean becoming a victim. During his hospitalization, he became acquainted with many other people who had sustained spinal cord injuries that taught him how to navigate life from his “new normal”. To this day, the lessons he learned from them are incorporated as part of his daily existence. Such simple things as requesting that the chef or a serving staff member at a restaurant cut the food to save any companion having to do so were immensely helpful behaviours to incorporate.
Path To Success
Dan watched some people with disabilities succeed in life while others did not. He set about dedicating his efforts to improving the quality of life for people with impairments to ensure that collectively, people with disabilities would have the economic clout to change societal views.
When he was discharged from rehabilitation after a year, he was inspired to found the London & District Sports Association. During his tenure there, he wore many hats that developed his business acumen. For example, he met the challenge of Treasurer of the organization and had the privilege of organizing several fundraisers to support the Association’s many endeavors.
The Association also provided an avenue for him to play wheelchair rugby. He eventually became the coach of the Ontario Wheelchair Rugby Team, which ended up winning the Canadian Championship. Coaching and playing wheelchair rugby gave Dan the opportunity to travel throughout North America where he was exposed to all the logistical issues that travelling with a disability presented. These first-hand experiences created a desire in him to be part of a solution to support normalized life for those with disabilities. After his stint with wheelchair rugby, Dan became a Disabilities Initiative Job Broker for the Ontario Provincial Government’s two largest Ministries: Community, Social Services and Health. He handled over 450 potential job applicants. In the mix of candidates, there were a significant number of highly educated people who, despite having PhDs and Masters degrees, still required Dan’s assistance to obtain employment.
Innovation and Re-invention
In the 1990s, Dan co-founded Kolvox Communications, which was, at that time, Canada’s sole developer of voice recognition software technology. Dan helped perfect voice recognition applications in offices by working with both disabled and able-bodied individuals. Eventually Kolvox went public, merged with Pure Data and became Wild Card Technologies Incorporated.
After Kolvox, Dan returned to his private practice as a Vocational Rehabilitation Consultant and added to his credentials by becoming a Registered Rehabilitation Professional (RRP) in 1996, a Registered Vocational Professional (RVP) in 2006. He graduated from Capital University Law School’s LCP Certification Program with highest honors in 2008.
Over the past 12 years, Dan has worked on hundreds of cases that required Life Care Plans, Vocational Reports, Case Management Services, Rehabilitation Plans and Housing. He has helped individuals across North America who sustained a variety of injuries including burns, amputations, brain injuries, orthopedic injuries, spinal cord injuries and congenital disabilities to find appropriate support.
Deegee Rehabilitation
Creating and building DeeGee Rehabilitation has been a challenging endeavour for Dan. As his practice has grown, he has gathered a team of Research Assistants and Rehabilitation Experts who assist him on specific cases and projects. Through all the years, his work has been fulfilling and has offered the opportunity to make a difference and be a source of life-affirming support for others.
As a quadriplegic himself, he intimately understands the problem solving necessary to succeed despite having a disability. As a Life Care Planner and Rehabilitation Expert, he has the knowledge and capability to assess the depth and breadth of the needs for injured individuals.
His extensive experience working within the litigation arena for over 12 years, as well as dealing with his own injury for over 30 years, has given him the skills, intelligence and discernment to offer an unbiased and truthful assessment with regard to damages.
