News

Stories have the power to make change; this is a driving idea behind the Storied Lives project, a SSHRC-funded research project hosted by the Live Work Well Research Centre, the Community Engaged Scholarship Institute, and the Guelph-Wellington Task Force for Poverty Elimination, that aims to improve peoples’ understandings of the complex experiences of individuals living with poverty in Ontario and beyond. At the heart of Storied Lives is a series of four podcasts, each telling a composite story.

Dr. Deborah Stienstra, Director of the Live Work Well Research Centre, was recently featured on the Developmental Disabilities Association (DDA) podcast to discuss the current disability rights landscape in Canada and her book, "About Canada: Disability Rights, Second Edition". The book examines the evolution of disability rights in Canada since 2012, when Dr. Stienstra wrote the first edition.

You say your future was stolen.

Taken from you in the middle of the night when you were least expecting.

And it was precious.

Carried down in your family from your ancestors, all the way to you.

You say you were going to live it brilliantly.

After more than two years of living and working amidst the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Engendering Disability-Inclusive Development - Genre, handicap et développement inclusif (EDID-GHDI) partnership team came together in person and online in Ottawa from June 21^st to June 23^rd for our first Partnership Team Meeting.

During June, it is common practice for corporations and businesses to bring out the Pride Flag colours and flaunt their support of the LGBTQ2SIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Two-Spirit, Intersex, Asexual) communities. Universities and institutions of higher learning are not different in this regard as June becomes centralized on the work being done on university and college campuses to cultivate more inclusive environments for queer and trans students, faculty, staff, and community members.

On January 24th, 2022, our research team gathered in the virtual space of a Microsoft Teams meeting. Rectangular glimpses of our home/workspaces framed our faces: some backgrounds blurred, some messy, some carefully curated with books, plants, and art. On this day, our team – which consists of an associate professor, a postdoctoral research fellow, and four graduate students – met from the relative comfort (and isolation) of our homes to discuss what it means to be a feminist research team.

Being a parent is a challenging full-time job with no vacation, sick leave, pay, or benefits, and guaranteed night duties and extra shifts. Combined with the academic challenges of pursuing a university degree, the job becomes even more daunting. Despite all the hardships, the mom guilt, and the exam stress, the experience of being a student-parent is a rewarding one. Having a child has given my life a lot of meaning and purpose. Education is something that enriches my mind while parenthood is a selfless occupation that nourishes my soul.

Being an ally does not have one uniform definition.  

We published our Spring 2022 newsletter! Check it out by clicking here!

The Live Work Well Research Centre is excited to share the projects our team have been working on, news, upcoming events and more with you through our newsletters.

We publish and distribute our newsletter four times each year, with collaboration and input from diverse families, organizations, and communities.

We published our winter 2022 newsletter! Check it out by clicking here!

The Live Work Well Research Centre is excited to share the projects our team have been working on, news, upcoming events and more with you through our newsletters.

We publish and distribute our newsletter four times each year, with collaboration and input from diverse families, organizations, and communities.