Jeremy Bray, a data consultant with the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ (ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½), addressed members of the School and Classroom Support Team on Tuesday. He shared his experience navigating the education system as a student with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). It took Data Strategy Officer Marnie Wilson to bring up the incredible work Bray has done for the division. The “very humble” Bray didn’t bring it up himself.
Over the past three years, Bray has emerged as a leader in the division's backend data services, developing critical tools that directly support how ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ serves its students. He helped design and build the Student Services Resource Allocation Framework data app, a power app that helps frontline staff make informed decisions.
He has also contributed to numerous Power BI reports, including attendance data dashboards and student achievement analytics. His fingerprints are on systems that staff use daily.
Wilson praised Bray's work ethic and problem-solving approach. "When we find a data error, Jeremy has this way of asking the right questions at the right time to get us down to the problem," Wilson said. "He translates complex technical concepts into plain language, so the rest of us can understand the implications."
But Bray focused on sharing his lived experience on Tuesday. Having gone through school in small-town Manitoba, Bray offered important insights about creating inclusive environments. He recalled his elementary school years warmly, describing a phys-ed teacher who adapted activities so he could participate fully and competitively alongside his peers. "I was able to participate in a way that felt equitable," Bray said.
Those activities helped forge lifelong friendships and build confidence, he said.
Bray also praised the educational assistants in his school. He said he was lucky to be able to work with the same person from Grade 2 to 12. "It's a major stress to develop trust when hiring or training other support workers."
Bray acknowledged this level of continuity might be more difficult to achieve outside of a rural context.
When asked what schools need to know about inclusion, Bray urged staff to immerse students with disabilities in classrooms with their peers and to ensure they can participate in the same activities as other students. Participation builds confidence, connection, and belonging, he said.
Bray spoke at a time when he is navigating a personal health challenge related to accessing treatment for his progressive condition. Currently funded by a pharmaceutical company, the treatment has halted his disease progression and improved his energy levels and overall function—but that coverage is set to end.
Bray and his family advocated that provincial government officials extend public funding for the medication. Division leadership expressed support for Bray in a letter that underscored the immense value of Bray’s work within the division.
Just hours after Bray spoke to his colleagues, CBC reported that Premier Kinew said the province had agreed to extend coverage for the treatment, “probably for another year.”
ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ is truly lucky to have a person of Bray’s calibre working behind the scenes and sharing his expertise with colleagues. A big thank you to you, Jeremy!
