May 25–31 is National AccessAbility Week (NAAW)! Each year, beginning on the last Sunday in May, Canadians celebrate the disabled community and highlight the importance of accessibility and inclusion. This week is an opportunity to draw attention to the experiences of disabled people and the areas in which accessibility barriers continue to be upheld.
Saturday, May 17, is International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia, a day to acknowledge the harassment and discrimination that people with these identities face and to campaign for sexual equality.
Global Accessibility Awareness Day falls on May 15 this year and encourages people around the world to think and learn about digital access and inclusion. It is important to recognize those who live with disabilities and impairments and how inaccessible web content can be a barrier to their knowledge and access.
Tourette’s Awareness Month is an international celebration that takes place each year from May 15 – June 15. This month of awareness was initiated by various Tourette’s awareness and advocacy organizations. The common goal of this month is to raise awareness for Tourette’s syndrome through education, advocacy, and community building.
In February 2025, the Centre for Community Based Research launched their Certificate Program in Community Based Research. This month they are offering their new Principles and Strategies for Community Engagement course, starting May 14.
Join the Live Work Well Research Centre (LWWRC) and the Canada Research Chair in Critical Community Engagement and Public Policy on Monday, May 12, 2025, from 12:30pm to 2:00pm ET for an engaging panel on Countering Policy Exclusions: Canada, disability, and international commitments Part 2. The event will be held virtually via Zoom. Registration is required.
National Caregiver Day on the first Tuesday in April of each year aims to recognize caregivers’ importance in society and to celebrate and thank caregivers for their work amid the challenges involved. Although caregivers are essential to healthcare and enhance the quality of life for those needing care, many difficulties impact their ability to provide this service for others.
Join the Live Work Well Research Centre (LWWRC) and the Canada Research Chair in Critical Community Engagement and Public Policy on Thursday, April 10, 2025, from 12:30pm to 2:00pm ET for an engaging panel on Countering Policy Exclusions: Centring accessibility to advance the right to housing. The event will be held both virtually via Zoom and in person at the University of Guelph in MacKinnon Room 019. Registration is required.
In Canada, March is Developmental Disabilities Month, a time when we recognize the unique skills of people with developmental disabilities and the challenges they continue to face. During this month, we spread awareness for those living with disabilities such as autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and any form of a learning disorder.
Vanessa Bonham is a fourth-year undergraduate student pursuing an Honours English degree with a minor in Creative Writing and works part-time with the Live Work Well Research Centre as the Communications and Research Assistant. She uses her writing as a medium to explore autism advocacy for late-diagnosed girls. She recently published an article outlining the challenges of using public transit, and in this blog she is exploring the barriers of going to university and being autistic.