Embodying Aya Sympsosium

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We are excited about participating in National AccessAbility Week (NAAW) through our inaugural Embodying Aya Symposium: Uniting Blackness, Disability, and Gender (By Us, For Us, With Us). The Embodying Aya Symposium is a Canadawide symposium that engages community members, service providers, policy makers, and researchers to collectively remove barriers to accessibility and inclusion by challenging ableism, anti-Black racism, and gender-based violence. 

This symposium centers the often invisible contributions of Black Canadians with Disabilities who quietly carry the essence of Aya (fern), a Twi (Ghanaian) bestowed upon individuals embodying endurance, resourcefulness, and defiance against oppression (Kojo Arthur, 2017). 

Our symposium is an opportunity for researchers, service providers and partners, community members, government, and more to hear about some of the innovative work conducted over the past year. This will be an opportunity to share findings from research, policy, and program review, learn more about the intersection of Blackness and Disability, and develop cross-sector networking and collaboration opportunities.