Accessibility and Organizing

Accessibility
and Organizing

This resource was developed by Kate Welsh and Dev Mari Ramsawakh of C.R.I.P.
in partnership with LGBT YouthLine. LGBT YouthLine provides peer support and
youth leadership opportunities to 2SLGBTQ+ youth across Ontario.

This resource is meant to lay the groundwork for organizing in an accessible
and inclusive way. Ableism and its intersecting oppressions are complex and
this resource is not meant to be a complete resource. The concepts covered
in this resource use social justice theories and the work of disability activists
to explain the social barriers the disabled community faces. Understanding
these barriers will help to engage with and include disabled members of your
community to join and lead your movements.

The final section of this resource will have more practical resources, including
checklists, that can be used when organizing.

Who is C.R.I.P.?

C.R.I.P. (Community.Resistance.Intimacy.Project) is a Toronto-
based collective made up of queer disabled artists and
facilitators using arts and education to facilitate connections
within the disabled community. Our work is intended to be
done through a disability justice framework that goes beyond
individual rights and centres the most marginalized in our
community. We provide workshops that cover the concepts that
this resource will introduce. Our goal, including with this resource, is to generate
the necessary conversations that will lead to welcoming and celebrating of
disabled community. Check out criproject.com for more details.

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Introduction

The Accessibility for Ontarians with The AODA principles:
Disabilities Act (AODA) outlines
a series of underlying principles, • Dignity • Integration
however we wish to expand on
these and include our own. • Independence • Equal Opportunity

Our underlying principles

Equity and Liberation

Although this image is a very simplistic view of the possibilities and
differences between equity and liberation, we think it demonstrates the
essence of our first principle well, especially when comparing to ideas of
“equal opportunities”.

Awareness

Awareness tackles the concept that without being
aware that disability comes in many different forms,
it is hard to apply other concepts such as equity.
Disability looks different on different people; it is
important to be aware that disability includes invisible
disabilities and mental health disabilities and that
disability affects people of all age, race, gender etc.

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Intersectionality

Intersectionality is a term coined by Kimberlé
Crenshaw in 1989. Intersectionality was originally
coined to describe the experience of being both black,
and a woman and experiencing an intersection of
oppression in those two identities. Intersectionality
is the concept that oppressions do not work in silos
but rather oppressions and identities overlap. This
concept is especially important when thinking about
disability and inclusion - racialized queer disabled
people encounter more complex and higher rates of
discrimination than their white straight peers.

Interdependence

Although our capitalist neoliberal society holds up
independence as the highest, best form of being, the
idea that anyone is independent is a myth. As humans
we rely on each other and nothing is truly independent.
We rely on other people to make the roads we drive
on, to grow our food, to invent our technology etc.
Interdependence is part of being human and knowing
this can support us in reframing needing help and
care as being part of what it means to be human.
Interdependence relies on community care instead of
self-care.

Knowledge Exchange

We believe that lived experience leads to being an
expert and that college/ university degrees can lead
to knowledge elitism. In order to build communities of
accessibility, information needs to be readily available
and use plain language so that many people can
engage. 

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Unpacking Ableism

Key terms: ableism, invisible and episodic disabilities, intellectual and
developmental disabilities, social vs medical model of disability.

What’s wrong with definitions of disability? Often definitions
of disabilities are very problematic. So many definitions exist,
but tend to exclude different groups, aren’t nuanced, often try to
label people, focus too much on diagnosis (which are not always
accessible to all disabled/chronically ill/mad people, especially
racialized folks) and focus too much on deficits. This is why are we
are not defining all disabilities and are instead focusing on some
key concepts we would like you to know.

Ableism Invisible disabilities

attitudes in society that is an umbrella term that includes a whole
devalue and limit the range of disabilities. Invisible disabilities may
potential of persons not be outwardly apparent to others. Invisible
with disabilities … disabilities may include chronic illnesses, vision
analogous to racism, loss, hearing loss or developmental disabilities.
sexism or ageism, 
sees persons with Episodic disabilities
disabilities (visible/
invisible) as being less are long-term conditions that are characterized
worthy of respect and by periods of good health interrupted by periods
consideration, less of illness or disability. These periods may vary
able to contribute and in severity, length and predictability from one
participate, or of less person to another. Some common examples of
inherent value than episodic disabilities include multiple sclerosis,
others. (ohrc.on.ca) arthritis, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, chronic
Ableism is systemic, fatigue syndrome, migraines, chronic pain,
institutional as well as some forms of cancer and mental illness.
interpersonal and is (edencanada.ca/)
often internalized.

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Intellectual and Developmental disabilities (IDD)

are a category of disability that includes cognitive disabilities that may affect
many body parts and systems. Often these disabilities are apparent since
childhood. 

Social vs Medical Model of disability

The medical model of disability views impairment of the individual as the
problem. Disability is something to cure, fix, hide, or manage. This model has its
roots in the biomedical model of the body and links diagnosis to disability, with a
need to fix it in order to fit into ‘normative’ ideals.

Disabled activists created the social model of disability as a theory of disability
in the 1980’s in the UK. The social model focuses on barriers created by society,
both physical and attitudinal, that contribute to the disability of people with
bodily differences. These two models of disability are important to know as
organizers, knowing that we can create spaces where disabled people do not
feel the need to disclose diagnosis and feel welcomed and safe.

Intersectionality As with any axis of oppression, disability may be
only one aspect of someone’s identity. Their race,
gender, sexuality, class, and other factors may
impact their experience of disability. This is the
basis of the concept of intersectionality, which
was originally coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw.

Magic Wand poem performance Poem Visual

http://www.lynnmanning.com/images https://www.tandfonline.com

/26.The_Magic_Wand.mp3 /doi/abs/10.1080/1360311090

3046069?journalCode=tied20&

Different identities experience different forms of discrimination. People who hold
multiple of these identities experience unique barriers and challenges that are
different than those who experience only one axis of their experience.

Everyone experiences disability different because of their different identities. We
can’t create accessibility without understanding the different needs of communities.

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Why intersectionality matters
• There is a history of police violence towards queer community, especially

BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) and/or trans and/or disabled
people that is still ongoing (Stonewall, Operation Soap, Project Marie, etc)
• Racialized and people of marginalized genders often go misdiagnosed or
undiagnosed, creating a gap in their ability to access resources
• Multiply marginalized identities are more vulnerable to abuse because of
poverty, power dynamics, and discrimination

www.katewelsh.ca/

Reflection Question
How can we support disabled community when they don’t have official
diagnoses or access to the language?

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Universal Accessibility
Design & DIT
(do-it-together) access refers to the design of products,
devices, services, or environments for
Universal design and Do-It-Together people who experience disabilities.
access are concepts important in
organizing from a disability justice accommodations
lens, universal design refers to
how the environment, products not always related to employment,
and services are initially designed adjustments to the environment to
with accessibility the goal, while improve quality of life.
DIT access is working with what
we already have (that may not Do-It-Together (DIT)
be accessible) and modifying it
to make it welcoming to disabled similar to the idea of DIY, DIT puts an
folks. Do-It-Together access is a emphasis and the onus on the community
concept coined by Bricks and as a whole, rather than on the individual.
Glitter Care Collective in Toronto.

Community Care

an alternative to self-care, community care is how our communities take care
of the people that are a part of them. Ex. getting groceries for people who can’t
afford them, providing services for those who need them, etc.

Universal Design

“An environment (or any building, product, or service in that environment) should
be designed to meet the needs of all people who wish to use it. This is not a
special requirement, for the benefit of only a minority of the population. It is a
fundamental condition of good design. If an environment is accessible, usable,
convenient and a pleasure to use, everyone benefits. By considering the diverse
needs and abilities of all throughout the design process, universal design creates
products, services and environments that meet peoples’ needs. Simply put,
universal design is good design.”

From the Centre of Excellence in Universal Design.

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DIY Access

as we mentioned, as queers we have to work with what’s already available due to
budgets and lack of resources.

Communication flexibility

if your space is not accessible, when new circumstances or issues
make sure you communicate that. arise, be willing to make changes and
Clearly outline different accessibility work with what you’ve got to handle
information as much as possible (scent, them. (Ex. organizers have moved
getting into the building, bathrooms, events to the lobby when elevators
quiet spaces, types of seating, ASL or break down, teaming up with a
closed captioning, finances, etc) it lets neighbourhood spot with accessible
people know you didn’t forget about bathrooms, etc.)
them completely.

Welcoming vs Tolerating what is the difference?

Tolerating accessibility is when accommodations can be made, but require labour
or justification to access (Ex. ramps at the back of buildings, requiring doctor’s
notes, etc.)

Whereas being welcoming includes thinking about accessibility from the start
without having to be asked about it. Universal access leads to inclusion.

Reflection Questions

• What are ways you have created access in your own spaces?
• How can you actively demonstrate that your space is welcoming disabled

people and not just tolerating them?
• If your space is inaccessible for this event, how will you adjust for your next

event?

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Being an Ally Being an ally is an ongoing process that takes
time and a lot of work. There is no ONE action
that makes you an ally; you are only an ally for
as long as you are actively doing the work.

Stigma and Isolation

Deaf and disabled people face a lot of stigma based on
productivity and worth to our community, which can lead to
social isolation and higher rates of depression and anxiety. It
is all of our responsibility to pushback against that stigma. 

Language

Language is impactful. It is important to remember that the
words that we use can be violent or hurtful. There are lots
of resources online where you can see replacement words
for common everyday ableist language that people often
use. Remember: there are many ways you can be harmful
towards physical, sensory, developmental/intellectual, or
psychological disabilities.

And don’t just push back against ableist language when
there’s no disabled people in the room. Many disabled
people often feel alone when trying to fight against ableism,
and doing the work when we are there is putting your
privilege to good use.

The Consequences of Ignorance

While being an ally might seem like a matter of just being
kind, for disabled and chronically ill people, it can be a
matter of life and death. Take straw bans for example. For
most abled people, not having access to a plastic drinking
straw is an inconvenience, but some disabled people
cannot drink without one and other straw alternatives can
pose other health risks, including inducing allergies, injuring
jaws, and increased risk of infection from reusable versions.
Banning all single-use plastic straws takes away their
access to water.

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Things you can do in your organizing to be an ally:
• Normalizing access needs in introductions. When going around in a

circle with names and pronouns make sure to also add access needs so
people can feel free to ask for something they need without it having to
interrupt. This is similar to asking pronouns in introductions.
• Understand the different ways that disabled people can be oppressed
based on what their disability is (sanism, audism, etc). Understanding the
types of discrimination is the first step in stopping discrimination.

Why it matters:
Challenging ableism when it occurs helps to change how disabled people
are perceived, reducing stigma and misinformation. Often times ableism is
not challenged but as an organizer it is important to recognize your power in
addressing oppression

Reflection Question
What are ways you can practice allyship to the disabled community
everyday?

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Resources Learn more about

YouTube Accessible Meetings
Disability and Sexuality
https://drive.google.com/filed/18YTcTd
https://www.youtube.com/ mISJQdLLrcicvt_tuV6JaMkGTA view?
watch?v=MfYSpuKq_-8
usp=sharing
Ambulatory Wheelchair Users
Event Accessibility
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=erdRtthzwrs https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aCIJcp
Grnab1Vx-Ze8maYMB8Xu3_1rss/view
Podcasts
Being An Ally
Accessible Stall
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lzgucllcG
https://www.theaccessiblestall.com/ lSYYd55HTQOeo61H58QZ
4kR/view?usp=sharing
Reframing Difference
Disability Hashtags
https://bodiesintranslation.ca/reframing-
difference/ #WhenICallMyselfDisabled
#DisTheOscars
Power Not Pity #AbledsAreWeird
#ThingsDisabledPeopleKnow
http://www.powernotpity.com/ #DisabledPeopleAreHot
#DisabledAndCute
Chronic Sex #PatientsAreNotFaking

https://www.chronicsex.org/podcast/

Disability Activists to Follow • Dominick Evans
• Annie Segarra
• Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha • Rachel Romu
• Mia Mingus • Sarah Jama
• Alice Wong • Lydia X Z Brown
• s.e. smith
• Imani Barbarani

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The YouthOrganize Resource Series was created in 2020 to support 2SLGBTQ+
youth organizing in their communities. The series includes the following
resources:

• Organizing 101: A Step by Step Tool
• Organizing 201: Going Deeper
• Accessibility and Organizing
• Active Listening for Organizers
• FNMI: What’s That?
• 2SLGBTQ+ Organizing in Ontario Schools

LGBT YouthLine is a Queer, Trans, Two-Spirit* youth-led organization that
affirms and supports the experiences of youth (29 and under) across Ontario.
We do this by:

• Providing anonymous peer support and referrals;
• Training youth to provide support to other youth; and
• Providing resources so youth can make informed decisions.

For more information about LGBT YouthLine, our programs, and to access
these resources, visit https://www.youthline.ca/

Funded by

*Language: 2SLGBTQ/Queer, Trans, Two-Spirit
We use 2SLGBTQ+ (Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, Queer) and
Queer, Trans, Two-Spirit interchangeably as umbrella terms to
identify the youth that we serve. We acknowledge that these
terms cannot/do not encompass the rich diversity of identities
that may fall under these umbrellas, including two-spirit, lesbian
gay, bisexual trans, genderqueer, intersex, queer, questioning,
asexual, aromantic, non-binary or any other non-normative
identities related to sexuality and gender.

12 / Graphic design by Laura Hui