Latest News

On June 5, Deborah Stienstra of the Live Work Well Research Centre (LWWRC) joined fellow authors and editors to celebrate the virtual launch of the book "Intersectional Colonialities: Embodied Colonial Violence and Practices of Resistance at the Axis of Disability, Race, Indigeneity, Class, and Gender." Editors Robel Afeworki Abay and Karen Soldatić (Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Health Equity and Community Wellbeing) hosted the event on Zoom.  

Deborah Stienstra, Director of the Live Work Well Research Centre, is offering a new Fall 2024 course to explore The Politics of Disability. Drawing on research and experiences from Canada and the global South, the course will help to address the historic neglect of issues of and people with disabilities in politics and policy. It will also use an intersectional lens and a cross-disability/impairment approach to consider how various experiences of disability and ableism intersect with other experiences of oppression including gender, race, Indigenousness, class, age, and sexuality, among others.

Congratulations to Leah Levac and Deborah Stienstra on their chapter in a recently published book Counting Matters: Policy, Practice, and the Limits of Gender Equality Measurement in Canada, edited by Christina Gabriel and L. Pauline Rankin. This book investigates how the rise in gender equality measurement contributes to, and falls short of, effective gender equality policy implementation. Leah and Deborah's chapter, with Petrina Beals and Jessica McCuaig, is called "Advancing Intersectional Considerations in Measuring Gender Equality: A Community Vitality Index in Labrador."

On June 12th, Dr. Deborah Stienstra will be presenting at the Canadian Political Science Association conference with Kathryn Reinders on their paper “Using a Feminist Intersectional Livelihoods Analysis to understand experiences of historically marginalized women and girls with disabilities in Canada.” This research is from the work of the LWWRC’s EDID-GHDI (Engendering Disability-Inclusive Development) partnership. 

On April 9, 2024, Dr. Deborah Stienstra attended the Institute for Work & Health (IWH) Speaker Series to present her research to IWH scientists and staff. This work relayed the experiences of women with disabilities to understand why it’s essential to move past focusing on jobs as the experience of work and health for women with disabilities and instead move towards a livelihoods approach.

April is World Autism Month, which is intended to promote connectedness with and inclusion of autistic people. It was previously known as "Autism Awareness Month," and some organizations still refer to it that way. However, autistic-led organizations and communities have long called for a shift toward "Autism Acceptance" or "Autism Appreciation" to reflect their understanding of autism as a lived experience, not an illness or condition.

The College of Social and Applied Human Sciences is hosting a conversation with an Afghan female judge. Moderated by an Ontario Superior Court Justice, Escaping the Taliban will discuss the impacts that the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan has had on female judges. 

This event is being held on Thursday, March 28, from 11:30 am -12:45 pm in Rozanski Hall, Room 103. No registration is required. 

The Live Work Well Research Centre is hiring a part-time Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) from May 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025. The position will provide support for the Engendering Disability-Inclusive Development partnership's knowledge mobilization hub for up to 7 hours a week. The deadline for applications is March 17.

Read more about the position and how to apply at https://liveworkwell.ca/connect-centre/student-postdoc-opportunities

Neurodiversity Celebration Week, in partnership with Lexxic: Empowering Diversity, offers two dozen free events throughout Neurodiversity Celebration Week to celebrate and educate individuals on neurological differences. 

Check out this recent article on innovative library programs for Autistic individuals. “Unlocking Potential: Innovative Library Programs Enhancing the Lives of Autistic Individuals,” written by Kelly Davis, provides information and resources for creating an inclusive and welcoming space for Autistic individuals visiting public libraries.