April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day
In 2007, the United Nations designated April 2nd as World Autism Awareness Day to not only raise awareness, but to promote acceptance, appreciation, and inclusion of autistic individuals as well as recognizing the positive contributions they have made to the world. Recently, there has been an increased movement to understand and advocate for neurodivergent communities. […]
March 21st is International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
Content warning: This post discusses and describes the Canadian Residential School System and the Chinese Exclusion Act. Please take care when reading. What is the International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination? The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is recognized each year on March 21st to call attention to the ongoing injustices […]
February 26th is Pink Shirt Day
Pink Shirt Day is a day to recognize and raise awareness of bullying, a major problem in schools, workplaces, and online. It began in 2007 in Nova Scotia, when a group of teenagers organized a protest to wear pink in solidarity with a boy who was bullied for wearing a pink shirt to school. The […]
February is Black History Month
Each February, Black History Month is celebrated in Canada to honor the contributions of Black people and their communities from who fought for civil rights and social justice in the past to today’s changemakers and emerging leaders. While labeled Black History Month, it is equally important that we recognize the continuous contributions of Black communities […]
Disability Justice Book Club Discussion Questions: Month 4
Welcome to the Disability Justice Book Club Month 4 Jay Dolmage’s Academic Ableism Led by Dr. Jennifer Gagnon (and her service dog Ziggy) Supported by the EDI Scholars-in-Residence Program and the Peña Fund If this is your first time attending the book club If you’re joining the Disability Justice Book Club for the first time […]
Disability Justice Book Club Discussion Questions: Month 3
Welcome to the Disability Justice Book Club Month 3 Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha’s Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice Led by Dr. Jennifer Gagnon (and her service dog Ziggy) Supported by the EDI Scholars-in-Residence Program and the Peña Fund Land Acknowledgment We acknowledge that UBC’s two main campuses are situated within the ancestral and unceded territory of […]
November 20th is Transgender Day of Remembrance
History of Transgender Day of Remembrance Transgender Day of Remembrance was co-founded by Gwendolyn Ann Smith, Nancy Nangeroni, and Jahaira DeAlto and first observed on November 20, 1999. The group created this day to memorialize the murders of transgender people as a result of transphobia and was first inspired by the deaths of Rita Hester […]
Disability Justice Book Club Discussion Questions: Month 2
Welcome to the Disability Justice Book Club Month 2 Margaret Price’s Crip Spacetime: Access, Failure, and Accountability in Academic Life Led by Dr. Jennifer Gagnon (and her service dog Ziggy) Supported by the EDI Scholars-in-Residence Program and the Peña Fund Land Acknowledgment We acknowledge that UBC’s two main campuses are situated within the ancestral […]
Disability Justice Book Club Discussion Questions: Month 1
Welcome to the Disability Justice Book Club Led by Dr. Jennifer Gagnon (and her service dog Ziggy) Supported by the EDI Scholars-in-Residence Program and the Peña Fund Land Acknowledgment We acknowledge that UBC’s two main campuses are situated within the ancestral and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people and in the traditional, ancestral, unceded […]
Invisible Disabilities Week: October 19-25
What is an invisible disability? Not every disability is obvious or visible from the outside. Some physical, mental, or neurological conditions impact people’s movements, senses, or activities but are not symptoms that can be seen by others. Debilitating pain, fatigue, dizziness, cognitive dysfunctions, brain injuries, learning differences, mental health disorders, and hearing and vision impairments […]