Events

Sunday, October 26 from 12:30 pm to 2:00 pm Disabilities can be visible or invisible, permanent or temporary, and affect people in many ways across their lives. In Ontario, over 28% of people report having a disability, including those with mental health conditions or addictions. For faith communities, creating accessible and welcoming spaces is essential to ensure full participation for all members. Dismantling Ableism is designed to support faith leaders, staff, volunteers, and board members in recognizing unconscious biases and removing physical, environmental, and attitudinal barriers, fostering more inclusive and supportive congregations. Fran Odette has over 25 years of experience in social justice and equity, focusing on the rights and safety of women with disabilities and Deaf women. As Program Manager at Springtide Resources, she co-developed and delivered extensive training and workshops to services working with survivors of gender-based violence.  Additionally, she co-developed the Sexuality and Access Project with Cory Silverberg, connecting violence prevention to healthy sexuality and sex-positive programming. Grounded in her own lived experience, Fran collaborates with VAW service providers, shelter staff, and healthcare practitioners to ensure that programs reflect a human rights framework rooted in dignity, respect, and inclusion.  She delivers training provincially and nationally on intersectionality, disability justice, and removing systemic barriers that heighten the risk of violence for women with disabilities. Fran taught critical disability studies in the Assaulted Women and Children's Counsellor and Advocate (AWCCA) Program, and now teaches this course in the Social Service Worker Program, and the Liberal Arts and Sciences Division, and is co-author of The Ultimate Guide to Sex and Disability (Cleis Press).