Notes from the Field

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.   

The Live Work Well Research Centre prioritizes making content accessible on the web. But what do we think you should know about apps that are specifically designed for the disabled community? Below are four apps we think should be on your radar, either as a member of the disabled community or not.  Each of these apps is available via iOS on the App Store and Android through Google Play.   

January is National Poverty Awareness month, an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the systemic challenges that perpetuate poverty and homelessness. It’s a time to rally together as a community to raise awareness. It’s also a time to recognize that we are all connected and have a role to play in ensuring everyone in our community can not only meet their basic needs but also live with dignity and thrive. 

We come together to remind everyone of the importance of Canada’s National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women on December 6. Considering the meaning of the day, which serves as a call to action in empowering survivors and preventing and reducing gender-based violence (GBV), we want to take a moment to recognize the important research being conducted at Dr. Paula Barata’s Supporting Survivors and Gender Equity Lab (SSAGE Lab).

Lorelei Root works as an accessibility specialist, with a focus in game development and making digital content more accessible to people with disabilities. She is the chair of the City of Guelph’s Accessibility Advisory Committee and a board member for the Canadian Centre for Disability Studies, and serves on a number of other boards and committees in an accessibility advisory capacity.

November 25 signifies International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and marks the start of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) campaign.

Sharon Findlay was featured on Season 3 Episode 2 of Dispersion, a Podcast by the Zoryan Institute, on the topic Expectations of Motherhood: You Can’t Just Leave it at the Airport. We wanted to find out more about how Sharon’s work on migration, oral history, and motherhood intersects with the work of the LWWRC on livelihoods.  

Sakhi Sanghvi completed her winter 2024 Co-op Work Term with the Live Work Well Research Centre. This was her experience.   

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.