PROUD has a lot of exciting news to share since our last blog post in November, 2023.
Phenomenological Analysis of Disability and Employment
Our last blog post focused on our Phenomenological Analysis of Disability and Employment in Belgium, Canada, France, the UK, and the USA, which has since been completed!
As researchers, we want to know how individuals and organizations successfully hire and integrate individuals with physical disabilities. We want to interview 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.
The scope of this project covers five different countries: Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Belgium. Taking a multi-country approach will allow us to understand the experiences of disabled employees under different policy environments and cultures. The research will compare these experiences and suggest best practices for organizations. Finally, the rich data that we gather from many different participants will allow us to contribute to government policy discussions regarding inclusiveness, equity, and diversity for persons with disabilities in the workforce.
Interviews have been completed in Canada, the United States, France, and Belgium. Chloë Atkins (Co-Executive Director) and Isabelle Avakumovic-Pointon (Research Associate) are currently finishing interviews in the United Kingdom, analyzing the data, and drafting articles based on the research conclusions.
Intersectional Accessibility Mapping Project with Occupational Therapy Students
Imagine planning to join a group of friends at a bar you have never been to after work to celebrate a birthday. The location and time of event are key information for you to decide if you are able to attend. Now, imagine the same scenario, but you use a wheelchair, have epilepsy, have a urine catheter, and also have a service dog. What information do you now need to make the same decision? How would you find the information? Perhaps Google Maps? The bar’s website? How would this information (or lack thereof) impact your decision to go?
In the fall of 2024, PROUD collaborated with the University of Toronto’s 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’s Aruna Mitra (Co-Executive Director) and Atticus Hawk (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.
The MScOT students took Toronto’s Church and Wellesley Queer Village as their area of interest. Using an intersectional approach, the students analyzed the physical, sensory, cognitive, social, and identity barriers limiting day to day participation relevant to people who 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 locations 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.
These prototype maps provide a level of detail that is useful for people who face a variety of barriers impacting their ability to participate in environments important to them, such as a birthday celebration! However, locations are rarely “fully accessible” unless they are purpose built; for example, a location may have an automatic door at the entrance however, 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.
The students also were oriented to the Toronto Transit Commission’s (TTC) Travel Training Program, and additionally developed detailed maps of three of the TTC’s downtown subway stations: Yonge, Wellesley, and College, which included details such as location of elevators, distance to exits, and number of steps within the stations.
A wonderful side project also emerged from this work, developing a comprehensive map for the Toronto SafeCity AED Registration Program, where all of the available AED are now trackable from one list.
Our connection with UofT’s Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy will continue to grow as we continue to explore the possibilities of mapping accessibility across Toronto. We want to acknowledge the tremendous commitment from OT Students: Jillian, Sally, Parnahan, Taylor, Emily, Denica, Hailey, and Abby. An additional thank you to faculty members Naomi David-Brumer and Beth Crunchley for welcoming PROUD to be part of the Occupational Therapy program.
To learn about this project from the perspective of one of the OT students, watch this Instagram video where Sally discusses her experience here.
Broadcastability
Season two of Broadcastability is in full swing with eight episodes having been released. Listen to them through the tab on our website, or here.
Publications
In 2024, Co-Executive Director, Chloë G. K. Atkins, co-wrote an article which was published in the Chest Journal entitled, “COUNTERPOINT: Is It Ethically Permissible to Use Frailty Scoring to Determine the Allocation of Medical Resources Under Conditions of Scarcity in the Medical ICU? No.” The link to the article can be found here.
PROUD Research Fellows
In 2024, PROUD awarded five inaugural fellows whose disability-research will be supported by buy PROUD. To learn more about each fellow and their research, navigate to our “2024-2025 Fellow” tab under “About Us,” or check out our social media.
Presentations
In November of 2024 Chloë G. K. Atkins spoke at the McGill Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism talk entitled, “Medical Assistance in Dying and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Justice, Autonomy, Equality, and Ethics.” If you missed this talk but are interested in keeping up with upcoming events, follow us on social media!
Additions to Staff
Finally, PROUD welcomed two new staff members in 2024: Keegan James (Development Officer) and Lark Huska (Social Media Administrator). We are excited to see how they will continue to positively contribute to our efforts throughout 2025.
Looking Forward
The PROUD Project is eager to see what 2025 has in store for our research as we continue to inquire into disability and employment, anti-ableism, health equity, and disability rights and justice.
If you are interested in getting in touch or supporting our efforts through a monetary donation, please contact us at [email protected]