This is a day to amplify the leadership of persons with disabilities and allies working towards an inclusive future

‘Nothing about us, without us’ is a fundamental principle and practice in equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility (EDIA) work, but many may be unaware it was disability activists in the 1990s who re-popularized it. At the time, disability scholars and activists who stressed ‘nothing about us, without us’ or ‘not about us, without us’ were experiencing a deep fatigue from being excluded from policy decisions that affected them, their lives and livelihood. At UCalgary, the principle is embedded in the work of the university’s Dimensions EDI Action Plan and the ongoing work of the Presidential Task Force on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and signals an institutional commitment to meaningfully engage persons with disabilities in decisions related to them.

Dec. 3 is UN International Day for Persons with Disabilities and this year’s theme is centred on amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for a more inclusive, sustainable future. It’s not just timely; it’s a theme that is critically needed to ensure disabled people are seen, heard and equitably included.

“As UCalgary continues its work toward inclusive excellence and a more fair and equitable campus for everyone, International Day for Persons with Disabilities provides an important opportunity to take stock of where we are, the work we have done together, as well as the ongoing work needed to debunk myths and misinformation, and to dismantle systemic attitudinal barriers that impede access to, and success within, the university for disabled people,” says Dr. Malinda Smith, vice-provost and associate vice-president research (equity, diversity and inclusion). 

“Transformative EDI work demands evidence-based decision-making alongside ethical relationality, an intersectional lens, and an understanding that one size does not fit all — we need to amplify and centre the voices and lived experiences of people with disabilities to ensure we are building a community that equitably includes everyone.”

Like other communities, people with disabilities are diverse, with a wide range of similarities, differences, needs and aspirations. Disabilities can be visible, invisible or unseen, and may affect people in different ways, even if when they share the same type of disability.

It’s because of this diversity that transdisciplinary teaching and research, policies, processes, and strategies need to meaningfully engage community, be participatory, collaborative, and co-created with persons with disabilities. Disabilities also need to be examined within the social and cultural constructs that have been shaped by systemic barriers and ableist attitudes. 

UCalgary’s research and scholarly community includes faculty, staff, students and administrators advancing this work, with specific projects that are tackling disability studies from diverse perspectives.

Ability judgments as a cultural dynamic

For Dr. Gregor Wolbring, disability studies is a lived work. He is a professor in Community Rehabilitation and Disability Studies in the Cumming School of Medicine, academic director (disability and accessibility) with the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (OEDI), and a lifelong wheelchair user. He classifies himself as an ability studies scholar, including eco-ability studies, disability studies, sustainability studies, and science and technology governance studies. He published his first paper on climate change and disabled people in 2009. 

Disabled people are a main target of ability judgments. However, Wolbring frames ability judgments as a general cultural dynamic that not only define disabled people, but also humans-humans relationships, humans-animals relationships, humans-nature relationships, and humans-machine relationships. 

“Ability judgments are used to justify many negative ‘-isms’ beyond disablism, such as racism, casteism and sexism, and play themselves out in many areas such as climate change, sustainability and EDIA,” he says. Wolbring sees the ability judgment lens and the rich ability judgment related knowledge generated in disability studies as an opportunity to question attitudinal barriers and other negative social dynamics that impact not only disabled people, but other marginalized groups.

Wolbring co-chaired the UCalgary Dimensions pilot program working group on disabilities with Dr. Aruna Srivastava, which was part of the process that led to UCalgary receiving the first-ever Dimensions Construction award in 2023 and identified many action items for inclusive excellence of disabled people. His work with the OEDI has focused on shifting attitudes and increasing literacy around disabled people through workshops and other outreach. 

“Beyond being thought leaders and influencers of discussions that impact them, there is another reason why amplification of disabled people is so important. To have cultural and organizational changes, disabled people also must shape the culture and organization itself by being in leadership positions, with support for their visions.”

According to Statistics Canada, only 0.6% of disabled women and 0.8% of disabled men are in workplace executive positions. Data has also shown that disabled postsecondary faculty and researchers in Canada often experience unfair treatment, with 37% experiencing unfair treatment or discrimination and 47% subjected to at least one type of harassment in the past year. 

“There might be more disabled people in executive positions, but they simply do not want to out themselves given the negative workplace reality. That by itself tells one that there is a problem,” Wolbring says.

Unseen disabilities in the workplace

While some people choose to keep their disabilities a secret, many disabilities are unseen or ‘invisible’. Alex Paquette is the student engagement specialist with the Work-Integrated Learning for Neurodivergent Students (WIL-ND) Initiative, developing resources and supports designed by and reflecting the neurodivergent student experience. Paquette also self-identifies as a neurodivergent person. 

“My own experiences of challenges drive my passion for making all elements of learning accessible for students,” says Paquette. “Rather than asking persons with disabilities to adapt to an inaccessible space, I work with them to change the environment to be more neuro-inclusive and accessible.”

The WIL-ND Initiative launched in 2022, thanks to a generous donation from the Sinneave Family Foundation. It builds on other important activities that support equitable pathways for neurodivergent students and has grown to offer communities of practice, toolkits, events, workshops and numerous resources. 

Paquette notes that ‘invisible’ disabilities have their own unique challenges, because people may feel the need to constantly disclose to receive accommodations or supports. By making simple shifts, like asking how someone works best instead of a specific medical diagnosis, people can create space for conversation without a need for disclosure. 

“Inclusion is not relying on people disclosing their disabilities to access support. Inclusion means systems are designed to be universally accessible, so that regardless of diagnoses, identities, or experiences, the world is accessible to them,” he says. “Even if this isn’t where we are today, I believe that incremental progress, intersectionality, and challenging our reliance on categorizing people can make inclusion a reality.”

Accessibility makes a better world for everyone

“I wish people recognized that creating accessible spaces is a shared responsibility. Accessibility isn’t just a matter of individual accommodations; it’s about building cities and communities where everyone can participate fully,” says Dr. Victoria Fast, associate professor in geography and lead of the Accessible Mapping and Mobilities Research Lab. 

“A collective mindset shift not only makes spaces more inclusive but also enriches our shared experiences and makes our cities more vibrant and interesting.”

Her work focuses on integrating accessibility into cities, data, standards, maps, and curricula, to help create cities and societies that are accessible, inclusive, and supportive of everyone’s well-being. Within physical and digital spaces, there are barriers that prevent people with disabilities from fully participating. 

“Disabled individuals bring unmatched insights into accessibility challenges and solutions,” she says. “By partnering with disabled communities, industry, and policymakers, we can co-create solutions that truly meet diverse needs and turn research into real-world action,” she says. 

Fast is working with the University of Calgary Accessibility Network (UCAN), a new initiative aimed at fostering collaboration and innovation in accessibility and disability research across the university. 

“We’re planning to host an event in winter 2025 to bring together community members and scholars — everyone is welcome to get involved.”

Addressing ‘taboos’ to create spaces for intimacy and pleasure

Dr. Alan Martino is an assistant professor in the Community Rehabilitation and Disability Studies program in the Cumming School of Medicine, whose research explores an often ‘taboo’ space: disability, gender and sexuality. 

“My work places the experiences and voices of persons with disabilities at its core,” says Martino. “I aim to amplify these voices by conducting participatory and inclusive research, often in collaboration with disabled individuals, families, and organizations.”

His current project is co-creating sexuality education resources with Autistic individuals through arts-based research methods, challenging assumptions and creating spaces for disabled people to explore intimacy, desire, and pleasure. 

“Disability is not a monolith—there is immense diversity within disability communities, and intersectional experiences of race, gender, sexuality, and class, just to mention a few, deeply influence how disability is experienced,” he says. 

“By shifting the focus from ‘fixing’ individuals to addressing societal barriers, disability studies is about advocating for systemic change and the realization of true equity.”

Launch of the Disability and Accessibility Knowledge Hub

Marking the 2024 International Day for Persons with Disabilities, the OEDI has launched a new Disability and Accessibility Knowledge Hub for the campus and wider community. Cultural and sustainable change begins with each of us, but it also requires an accountability framework for institutional leaders to monitor the status and experiences of disabled people to ensure progress towards equitable inclusion.

Led by Dr. Malinda Smith, vice provost and associate vice president research (EDI) and Dr. Gregor Wolbring, academic director (disability and accessibility), the team included undergraduate student and Equitable and Inclusive Leadership Intern Tsion Bere, Amanda Shevalier, and features web development led by Tracy Garrick, OEDI operations and program coordinator.

The 2024 theme is amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future. At UCalgary, Smith shares this can be done in several ways.

“From actively and meaningfully promoting the leadership of persons with diverse disabilities, meaningfully engaging and ensuring the equitable inclusion of persons with disabilities on campus and in the wider community, actively including persons with disabilities in institutional decision-making and action planning and recognizing and celebrating the contributions and achievements of disabled people, we can all take action in our own spaces,” says Smith.