Disability Dialogues

In the final episode of the second season of Disability Dialogues, we get to speak with one of our partners at Casey House, Yasser Ismail. We get to talk about the origins of Casey House as an HIV and HIV at risk hospital, the ongoing evolution of client-centered care and practices in how the organization is built and run, and Yasser’s own experiences co-designing clinical programs as the Chief Strategy and Knowledge Officer.This episode introduces an ongoing partnership between the CERC HECW and Casey House, lead by Karen Soldatic and Yasser Ismail.Important Links and Resources:CERC HECW website: https://www.torontomu.ca/cerc-health-equity/ Project Information: https://www.torontomu.ca/cerc-health-equity/research-program/projects/partnering-for-impact/ Casey House website: https://caseyhouse.ca/ For more information on HIV and AIDS: https://www.hiv.gov

Today, Eunice shares about an ongoing collaboration between the Gerstein Crisis Centre and Toronto Metropolitan University, which looks at alternative forms of crisis response that center on health and wellbeing. Led by Professor Jessica Evans with the department of Criminology, this work takes a look at thriving from a totally different angle, focusing on what allows people to get closer to thriving when crisis situations are in play.Important Links and Resources:CERC HECW website: https://www.torontomu.ca/cerc-health-equity/ Project Information: https://www.torontomu.ca/cerc-health-equity/research-program/projects/who-can-i-call/ Gerstein Crisis Centre website: https://gersteincentre.org/about-us/ Read Eunice’s CityLAB team report on affordable rentals here: https://www.citylabhamilton.com/fall-2022-projects/2022/affordable-rentals References:Besomi, D. (2019). The metaphors of crises*. Journal of Cultural Economy, 12(5), 361–381. https://doi-org.ezproxy.lib.torontomu.ca/10.1080/17530350.2018.1519843 

In episode 4 of Disability Dialogues Season 2, we open with a few technical difficulties… thankfully not for long, but digital spaces are sometimes pretty inaccessible! That’s the subject of today’s interview with Chris Sivarajan, who talks about what thriving looks like in digital health spaces as a woman living with multiple sclerosis, or MS. As a peer volunteer with MS Canada, Chris has both lived experience of MS and as someone who has done the work of helping her fellow MS community. This episode introduces the topic of a current collaboration between the CERC HECW and MS Canada, lead by Karen Soldatic and Vayshali Patel.P.S. We forgot to add it in, but optic neuritis, the symptom that led to Chris’ eventual diagnosis, is a condition involving the painful inflammation of the optic nerve, which blocks signals from moving between your eye and your brain. It can cause blurry vision, dull colors, and eye pain when you move it. Sorry for leaving it out, but enjoy the episode!Important Links and Resources:CERC HECW website: https://www.torontomu.ca/cerc-health-equity/ Project Information: https://www.torontomu.ca/cerc-health-equity/research-program/projects/women-living-with-ms/ MS Canada: https://mscanada.ca/about-us/about-us References:Corrigan, Patrick W., Amy C. Watson, and Leah Barr. 2006. “The Self–Stigma of Mental Illness: Implications for Self–Esteem and Self–Efficacy.” Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology 25 (8): 875–84. https://doi.org/10.1521/jscp.2006.25.8.875.Corrigan, Patrick W., and Deepa Rao. 2012. “On the Self-Stigma of Mental Illness: Stages, Disclosure, and Strategies for Change.” Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. Revue Canadienne de Psychiatrie 57 (8): 464–69. https://doi.org/10.1177/070674371205700804.Patricia. 2025. “The Experience of Stigma and Concealment in Multiple Sclerosis.” EMSP, April 2. https://emsp.org/news/the-experience-of-stigma-and-concealment-in-multiple-sclerosis.

In Season 2 episode 3, Eunice is her own guest! We’re talking about how diverse youth navigate post-secondary pathways, and more specifically, Eunice discusses her own pathway through learning about her own mental health and disability status, and her successes and adversities after high school. Finally, we discuss the co-designed Tracking Pathways project, and the value of youth-led, intersectional research. Trigger warning for discussions of mental health and eating disorders from 8:00 – 10:30.Important Links and Resources:CERC HECW website: https://www.torontomu.ca/cerc-health-equity/ Project Information: https://www.torontomu.ca/cerc-health-equity/research-program/projects/tracking-pathways-through-education-and-employment/ References:Crenshaw, Kimberle. 1989. “Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics.” University of Chicago Legal Forum 1989 (1). http://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/uclf/vol1989/iss1/8?utm_source=chicagounbound.uchicago.edu%2Fuclf%2Fvol1989%2Fiss1%2F8&utm_medium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages.Navarro, J., F. Johnstone, J. Temple Newhook, et al. 2021. Health and Well-Being among Trans and Non-Binary Youth. https://transpulsecanada.ca/results/report-health-and-well-being-among-trans-and-non-binary-youth/.Statistics Canada. 2021. Educational Experiences of Young Women with Disabilities. https://doi.org/10.25318/36280001202101000003-ENG.University of Toronto Scarborough. 2023. National Dialogues and Action for Inclusive Higher Education and Communities. University of Toronto Scarborough. https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/nationaldialogues/sites/utsc.utoronto.ca.nationaldialogues/files/docs/2022-NationalDialoguesReport_EN.pdf.

In Season 2 episode 2 of Disability Dialogues, we talk to Mary– a woman with a series of mobility and pain-related disabilities– about what it means to be thriving versus surviving with disability in Canada. Particularly, we got into the weeds of what it means to be disabled, and navigate the big barriers placed on disabled people to be able to find fulfillment, get around in a wheelchair, and be an active member of the community, all while accessing necessary accommodations and support. This episode is based on the CERC HECW’s ongoing project, “Thriving Versus Surviving: Bridging Gaps in Canadian Disability Supports ”, lead by Karen Soldatic and Nadia Carvalho.Important Links and Resources:CERC HECW website: https://www.torontomu.ca/cerc-health-equity/“Thriving Versus Surviving: Bridging Gaps in Canadian Disability Supports” project page: https://www.torontomu.ca/cerc-health-equity/research-program/projects/thriving-vs-surviving/Canadian Pension Plan disability benefits webpage: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/publicpensions/cpp-disability-benefit.html Statistics Canada household expenditures: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/pub/62f0026m/62f0026m2025001-eng.pdf?st=MOanreD4