Announcing our CFDC Narrative Report and Videos of Testimonials and Presentations!

The Canadian Feminist Disability Coalition (CFDC) is a bold initiative and network , placing women with disabilities at the forefront of disability action and change. Not only can women with disabilities participate in this change, but they can also advocate for and lead the mission for increased inclusion in areas like healthcare, employment, public life, and childcare.  

The Live Work Well Research Centre developed the CFDC project from 2021–2024 alongside key partners, Disabled Women’s Network of Canada (DAWN-RAFH Canada), Indigenous Disability Canada/British Columbia Aboriginal Network on Disability Society (IDC/BCANDS), and the Disability Justice Network of Ontario (DJNO).  

Funded by the federal department of Women and Gender Equality Canada, the CFDC project identified gaps in inclusion and access for disabled women. Through networking and collaboration with stakeholders in the community, the CFDC developed a 10-member advisory group as well as regional hubs in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic Canada.   

Additionally, the CFDC organized a National Meet and Greet on May 31, 2023, to bring together the CFDC team, Regional Coordinators, and their hub members; a Facebook group and monthly workshops; and a five-week digital workshop series where participants could share their story in final digital storytelling project.  

Over the course of CFDC’s work in the LWWRC, development was overseen by Director Deborah Stienstra, Project Manager Sharon Findlay, Project Coordinator Siobhan Grant, as well as DAWN Partner Representative Bonnie Brayton, and Regional Coordinators Tamara Medford-Williams and Evelyn Huntjens. 

In March 2024, the CFDC project was transferred to DAWN-RAFH Canada, where it was relaunched as the Hummingbird Feminist Disability Coalition (HFDC). Since then, the LWWRC has been working to compile a series of resources to summarize the development CFDC project and national network of women with disabilities. 

• Our Narrative Report on the CFDC is a powerful summary of the LWWRC’s 30-month journey to build a national network for women with disabilities. This report details the project from initial inspirations to potential ideas for the new hosts of the project. (Une version française du rapport narratif de 2024 est également disponible.) 

• The Hummingbird Feminist Disability Coalition: Presentations video* was recently added to the LWWRC YouTube. At the HFDC launch in March 2024, organizers of and contributors to the CFDC project were given the opportunity to talk about their experiences and the impact they feel the project has had on access and inclusion for disabled women across Canada.  

• The Hummingbird Feminist Disability Coalition: Testimonials video* turns to the women impacted most by the project to learn about their impressions as well as new connections and perspectives.  

The LWWRC cherishes our time working with the individual participants and partner organizations to develop this impactful Canada-wide network, and we look forward to seeing how DAWN-RAFH Canada will continue to grow and foster inclusion and access through the Hummingbird Disability Feminist Coalition project. 

*For both videos, the audio is in English, with the option of selecting captions in either English or French / Pour les deux vidéos, l’audio est en anglais, avec possibilité de sélectionner les sous-titres en anglais ou en français.