<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hello!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It has been a long time since I have updated this blog.\u00a0My last posting was in 2018, announcing the initiation of The PROUD Project<\/a>\u2014now fully actualized! Below you will find a detailed breakdown on what I have been working on these past years with PROUD.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n PROUD is an anti-ableist, bilingual<\/a> research and advocacy hub focused on social justice and health equity.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, we have six team members: Aruna Mitra and I are both Executive Directors of PROUD; Isabelle Avakumovic-Pointon is our Research Associate while she completes her PhD in history at the University of British Columbia; Lark Huska is our Social Media and Communications Officer; Charlotte Flameng is our bilingual Research Assistant; and Zephyr Mitra generously serves as our Secretary of the Board. Our Board of Directors is currently composed of myself, Zephyr, Bonnie Severin as the Board\u2019s Treasurer, and Board Member Negar Hashemi. We are currently looking for a new board member.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In its eight years of existence, PROUD has completed a wide array of research accomplishments. To learn about what me and my team have been up to, keep on reading. To stay up to date with what PROUD is up to, follow The PROUD Project on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, LinkedIn, and Bluesky. To get in contact, reach out to info@theproudproject.ca<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Broadcastability<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Firstly, we have a podcast! Broadcastability is a bilingual podcast by, for, and about persons with disabilities. We currently have three published seasons, with our most recent one focussing on researchers doing anti-ableist work. Find episodes at Broadcastability.ca<\/a>, Apple, Spotify and YouTube<\/a>, or on most major streaming platforms. We are planning the fourth season which will drop in the fall of 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Five Nations Study<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Our biggest research project to date has been our Phenomenological Analysis of Disability and Employment in Belgium, Canada, France, the UK, and the USA. In this study, we interviewed physically disabled employees; employers who hire people with physical disabilities; and co-workers who work with disabled colleagues so that we can more fully understand the conditions which foster the integration of qualified adults in the workplace. As researchers, we want to know how individuals and organizations successfully hire and integrate individuals with physical disabilities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The scope of this project covers five different countries: Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Belgium. It was a multilingual effort. Taking a multi-country approach allowed us to understand the experiences of disabled employees under different liberal democracies and cultures. The research compares these experiences and has created a set of findings from the materials. Finally, the rich data that we gathered from many different participants will allow us to advise and contribute to government policy discussions regarding inclusiveness, equity, and diversity for persons with disabilities in the workforce. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We are currently writing up the results of this study in both French and English. A large summary article of our research is currently under review at Disability and Society. We are producing smaller, more focused articles that highlight each of the 5 nations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We are planning research which evolves from this work. We are taking our findings and want to test them for reliability. We also want to expand our investigations to verify and augment what we learned from our work in Canada, the UK, the US, France, and Belgium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Intersectional Accessibility Mapping Project with Occupational Therapy Students<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In the fall of 2024, PROUD collaborated with the University of Toronto\u2019s Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, offering a unique fieldwork placement for Masters of Occupational Therapy students. Fieldwork placements provide an opportunity for occupational therapy students to integrate theoretical and practical knowledge and develop professional behaviours and clinical skills as a requirement for professional qualification. PROUD\u2019s Aruna Mitra (Co-Executive Director) and the Research Project Manager jointly supervised eight students over the seven-week LEAP placement: Leadership Emerging\/Enhancing, Advocacy, Program Planning and Evaluation. The goal of LEAP was to identify and map daily accessibility barriers faced by disabled individuals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The MScOT students took to Toronto\u2019s Church and Wellesley Queer Village as their area of interest. Using PROUD\u2019s innovative intersectional approach to understanding accessibility, the students surveyed the neighbourhood\u2019s external and internal spaces. They analyzed the physical, sensory, cognitive, social, features of an environment that influence disabled persons\u2019 ability to live, work and socialize in the area. The MScOT students researched accessibility features in specific locations such as restaurants, bars, retail stores, a community centre, and the LGBTQ2S archives. The goal was to map each location’s features using a mapping software (ArcGIS) as a prototype for creating a map containing accurate and relevant information which would be useful with functional limitations. Through interacting with the physical space, the MScOT students developed detailed data collection surveys for each location, documenting external and internal accessibility. Details included entrance doorway width, the number of steps, alternative accessible entrances, length, width, and elevation of ramps, interior layout, location of restrooms and features included. They also documented other accessibility features not commonly captured in accessibility surveys such as noise level, lighting features (e.g. strobing) and automatic external defibrillator (AED) locations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These prototype maps provide a level of detail that is useful for people who face a variety of barriers. For example, someone wanting to celebrate a birthday who has a mobility impairment and who has a friend who uses a guide dog and hearing aids, needs to know about more than \u201clevel access.\u201d PROUD\u2019s maps indicate the layout of tables and chairs, the noise levels, and areas for the dog to relieve itself. Locations are rarely \u201cfully accessible.\u201d For example, a location may have an automatic door at the entrance but this does not necessarily mean that the location is fully barrier-free. By taking this granular approach to mapping the accessibility of spaces, PROUD hopes to demonstrate that accessibility is rarely a binary issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Interact with the Accessible Mapping Project here<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n PROUD Fellowships<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2024, we introduced the PROUD fellowship program. During the 2024-2025 round, we took on five fellows: <\/p>\n\n\n\n This year, we have a new fellow, Jennifer Fane, PhD at Signal49 Research in Vancouver, B.C. Hello! It has been a long time since I have updated this blog.\u00a0My last posting was in 2018, announcing the initiation of The PROUD Project\u2014now fully actualized! Below you will find a detailed breakdown on what I have been working … Continue reading \n
Currently, we are working to produce more episodes of Broadcastability, expand our Accessible Mapping Project, and publish our findings in journals. Please feel free to visit www.theproudproject.ca<\/a> and get in contact!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"