Steven Estey - Saint Mary's University

Feature Article
THE FaCES oF
Steven Estey
By Suzanne Robicheau
HuMBlE HuMaN RIGHTS HERo
8 MAROON & WHITE I SAINT MARY’S UNIVERSITY
Feature Article
Steven Estey’s eyes light up when he enters Saint Mary’s new Atrium.
The campus was a very different place when he arrived in 1990 to do a Master’s
Degree in International Development Studies. And though he had visited many
times since, he had never seen the living wall.
“Isn’t this something?” he says, craning his neck for a closer look.
The Executive Director for Disabled Peoples’ International, Saint Mary’s
alumnus Estey is a study in contrasts. Small in stature, he has a sizable presence
and a commanding voice.
“I’m like the Wizard of Oz,” he says wryly. Although he is deaf, he is a natural
communicator, and despite working in the serious field of disability rights, he
has a flawless sense of comedic timing that emerges full force when he describes
his personal life.
“Anne wears the ears in our family,” says Estey of his wife, Anne MacRae, who is
executive director of the Nova Scotia Disabled Persons Commission. Speaking
of their 14 year-old adopted son, Isai, who has cerebral palsy, Estey is equally
droll. “He’s the perfect kid for me. I can’t hear, and he can’t talk.” Even Sam, the
13-year-old family dog is fair game. “What breed is Sam? He’s a Strooch. His
father was a stray, and his mom was a pooch.”
MAROON & WHITE I SAINT MARY’S UNIVERSITY 9