Action on Ableism Toolkit
The John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights (JHC) has become an active ally for people living with disabilities (PWD), empowering them to lead efforts in advancing human rights within their communities. In 2021, JHC spearheaded a shadow report to the UN Committee for Persons with Disabilities, highlighting barriers to inclusion in the areas of housing, law enforcement and justice, employment, healthcare and finance. This work built off the 2019 visit by the UN Special Rapporteur to Canada in which recommendations were made for Canada to move away from a charitable approach to disability towards a rights based approach.
Parallel to this shadow report, Action on Ableism was born, a project composed of a diverse group of disability artists educating Canadians about ableism and accessibility. Action on Ableism aims to develop leadership capacity amongst its membership, fostering an intersectional and pan-disability team of artists who build connections amongst one another and with non-disabled artists and the wider public. Many inquiries began and continue to drive the work of Action on Ableism, including “How can the arts advance disability justice and challenge ableism?” and “What can mainstream or allied organizations do to practice anti-ableism and inclusion both in the creative sector and beyond?”
To ground Action on Ableism’s work in a historical context, the JHC produced:
Challenging the Narratives: A Snapshot of Canadian History and Disability, a non-exhaustive look at the history of disability experiences and activism across time and provinces, from the 19th century to the present. This timeline serves as an excellent quick-reference for anyone wanting to gain broader perspectives of how experiences of oppression and exclusion have reverberated far beyond individual and isolated incidents and have informed personal purpose and public policy over decades.
In order to address the persistent barriers faced by people with disabilities and to support organizations in shifting away from a charitable model of disability towards a rights-based approach, Action on Ableism worked to develop a toolkit. Its creation emerged from the critical insights of JHC’s 2021 shadow report to the UN Committee for Persons with Disabilities, which underscored systemic issues and highlighted the need for resources that not only raise awareness about these challenges but also provide practical tools to help organizations and communities actively work against ableism.
One component of the toolkit is ArtAbilize: Challenging Ableism, a collaborative zine that serves as both a vibrant showcase for often-overlooked artists living with disabilities and a didactic tool for use alongside training sessions and discussions with people living with disabilities. The artwork in ArtAbilize was produced at the Action on Ableism retreat during National AccessAbility Week (NAAW) in 2023 and the April 2024 Gathering."
As part of our commitment to advancing accessibility and inclusivity, we developed a series of National AccessAbility Week (NAAW) trainings, which include tailored tools and resources designed to support diverse communities. These specialized resources, though not publicly available, aim to foster understanding and engagement on accessibility issues.
In July 2024, a stakeholder gathering brought together representatives from Alberta-based arts organizations, funders, and artists with disabilities to discuss and address the pressing issues faced by disabled artists and to brainstorm ways to bridge the gaps in accessibility, funding, and inclusion. This resulted in feedback being summarized in a Stakeholder gathering report. This report addressed topics including organizational responsibility, practical/material supports and infrastructure challenges, and suggestions for improvement amongst all stakeholders.
In a thoughtful partnership with Righting Relations Canada and their Ableism Change Lab, a response to the federal government’s Federal Disability Inclusion Action Plan has been made available to the public, with point-by-point responses to the plan and suggested solutions with calls to action. This reflection is accompanied by a summary letter highlighting the priorities noted by disability rights activists and inviting those to whom it is addressed to consider the short and longer-term concerns of PWDs.
Other resources used in the toolkit are:
Radically Inclusive Transportation in Edmonton: Research conducted by the University of Alberta, the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights and a team of members from Action on Ableism highlights that people living with disabilities in Edmonton are experiencing challenges with mobility in their everyday life. In addition to these challenges, the research points to an inefficient, ineffective business model for transit service for those with disabilities, that the voices of persons with disabilities are not being heard, and that those who are hard of hearing are facing unique barriers.
The Action on Ableism initiative and toolkit show the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights' dedication to advancing disability rights by addressing barriers that people with disabilities face and creating tools for change. Through partnerships, training resources, historical context, and a focus on inclusive leadership, JHC helps communities move from awareness to action. This work highlights the need to treat disability rights as human rights and aims to build a society where people with disabilities are respected, included, and fully supported in all areas of life.