TRACY ODELL – Scarborough, Ontario (President)
Interests: Mobility issues, learning disabilities, developmental disabilities, vision disabilities, hearing disabilities and Deaf culture
Background: Tracy Odell is a life-long advocate for independent living and the right of people with disabilities to live in the community. Tracy has assisted in founding numerous supportive housing programs with attendant services, is credited with the establishment of “Nurturing Assistance,” has published articles and appeared in videos to raise awareness of issues relating to disability. She has a Masters’s degree in Critical Disability Studies, and received the John Lord Participatory Action Research Award for her Major Research Paper, “Not Your Average Childhood.” Self-managing her attendant services, Tracy lives with her husband in Scarborough. They are proud of their two grown daughters and granddaughter, who have inherited the advocate gene.
PAT SEED – Thunder Bay, Ontario (Vice President)
Interests: Strategic planning, technology, marketing, information technology and communications, ageing and disability, attendant service quality committee, built environment, education, employment, fundraising, housing, mental health, recreation, and transportation
Background: Pat holds her B.A. in Speech Communications. She has taught and continues to teach Speaking with Confidence and Public Speaking to Broadcasters and other Professionals. She is also a professional Public and Motivational Speaker, as well as a Writer. Pat is totally blind from birth. She originally used a white cane for mobility but has been travelling with Guide Dogs at her side since November of 1996. Pat has worked for Bell Canada and Confederation College. She also was employed as the Information and Referral Coordinator of the Thunder Bay Independent Living Resource Centre for seven and a half years. Pat began her Professional volunteering career for non-profit organizations, her Parish church, and other organizations in 1980. She still volunteers today and is now a Consultant and Resource person in many areas for many organizations. Pat is currently the Senior Technical Support and Resource Person for IDEAL Registered Online Conferencing, A member of the Steering and Logistics Committees for the Thunder Bay Leadership Forum 2007, a member of the Business Women’s Network of Thunder Bay, as well as many other organizations. “If you think you can, you might; if you Know and Believe you can, you Will!” © May 2004 by Pat Seed.
LINDA HUNT – Brantford, Ontario (Treasurer)
Interests: Mobility, transportation, human rights, attendant services, accessibility standards
Background: Linda holds a Diploma in Business Administration. She is an Accessibility Consultant and advocate for all things related to accessibility. Linda has a passion for community projects that enhance accessibility and allow persons with disabilities to be active and engaged members of their community. She was recognized for her efforts as a recipient of the 2018 City of Brantford Accessibility Award. Linda is currently Chair of the Ontario Trillium Foundation Grant Review Team and sits as a member of the Brant Community Healthcare System Community Engagement Committee. She is Past Chair of Operation Lift, an organization committed to the accessible transportation needs of persons with disabilities and the Brantford Accessibility Advisory Committee. Linda has held several leadership volunteer positions for local, regional and provincial organizations over the past 25 years. Linda first became a person with a physical disability in 2004. Since then, she has become an active advocate and engaging speaker on a variety of accessibility topics. Professionally, Linda has more than 25 years of experience in senior management roles with the provincial and federal governments, private companies and a national health charity. In addition, she and her husband have operated a family business for over 25 years.
MAH-E-LEQA JADGAL – Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario (Secretary)
Interests: Mobility, stamina, agility, accessibility standards, transportation and youth activism
Background: Mah-E-Leqa is a recent graduate of Brock University. She studied Medical Sciences and completed an undergraduate thesis in Quality Improvement. Mah-E-Leqa is very interested in research that aims to advance modern medicine. She enjoys volunteering in her free time. Mah-E-Leqa is on two other boards that she is passionate about. Thanks to a program called Next to Lead, Mah-E-Leqa is able to work with other people with disabilities. Next to Lead helped her to see disability and persons with disability differently despite having a disability.
LAURA DAWSON – Brantford, Ontario (Membership Secretary)
Interests: Chronic pain, mental health, mobility, human rights, employment and housing
Background: Laura Dawson is a recent graduate of Ryerson University where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance in 2019. Her passion for advocacy began after recognizing the adverse physical and mental health issues of LGBTQ youth in Brantford. This led to her overseeing the creation of Grand Erie District School Board’s creation of the first-ever gender-neutral bathroom in 2014 and co-founding the Brantford Youth Pride Committee. She has volunteered with Egale Human Rights Trust as a Peer Supporter and office administrator to support the mental health of LGBTQ youth. Laura began working with CWDO as a Membership Engagement Coordinator in summer 2019 and is passionate about furthering the rights of disabled Ontarians.
Elizabeth Mohler – Toronto, Ontario (Member at Large)
Interests: attendant services, independent living, human rights, health care, housing, and post-secondary education
Background: Elizabeth graduated in 2012 from the Master’s Program in Health and Rehab Sciences, Occupational Sciences from Western University. After graduating, she worked for the National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS) as a research consultant, developing resources for students with disabilities transitioning from post-secondary to employment. In 2016, Elizabeth moved to work as a community engagement lead at Balance for Blind Adults for 3 years and is now at Ryerson Magnet as the Inclusive Hiring Project Coordinator. In addition to her full-time work, Elizabeth sits on the Education Standards Committee for the Ontario Government, where she advises and deliberates on educational policies pertaining to students with disabilities. She provides recommendations around how to make Ontario’s post-secondary sector more inclusive for students with disabilities. In the fall of 2020, Elizabeth will be starting her doctoral work at Western University in the school of Occupational Science, cross appointing in Disability Studies. Her doctoral research will explore the impact that access to direct funding has on the occupational performance and engagement of people with disabilities (PWDs) who receive funding from the Ontario Direct Funding (ODF) program to ‘self-manage’ their attendant services. To address this central aim, this project will focus on three primary objectives including: (I) to identify how direct funding promotes occupational engagement and performance for PWDs; (ii) to critically examine the enabling and potentially disabling effects of direct funding (DF) models when they are put into practice; and (iii) to inform changes to existing policy, specific to funding for attendant care across Canada that is relevant, effective and accessible.
KIRSTEN DOYLE – Toronto, Ontario (Public Relations Director)
Interests: Autism, intellectual disability, mental health, accessibility standards, education
Background: Kirsten Doyle has been immersed in the world of autism advocacy within the education system since her autistic son started school twelve years ago. Having lived with autism herself and experienced the journey of autism parenting, she is passionate about her belief that no matter what their abilities and challenges are, people can rise to any opportunity, as long as they are given the accommodations and support they need. Kirsten serves on the TDSB Special Education Advisory Committee, and is part of the Congregated Schools Parent Network. Her goal is to get the voices of people with visible and invisible disabilities heard by government representatives at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels.
ADAM COHOON – Toronto, Ontario
Interests: Mental health, mobility, stamina, recreation, technology, transportation, media representation
Background: Adam has operated as an independent Artist and Disability Advocate, where his work has included tweeting, photography, filmmaking, and public speaking. his work has also appeared on “CBC Toronto”. I have also had his work appear in the “Metro” newspaper and “Toronto Star Online”. To his credit, and unique development process, Adam had developed a manner in which he himself, through recent technological advances, leading to the GoPro camera affixed to his powered wheelchair, and accessible computer and laptop, he independently developed a manner of producing films. Mounting the GoPro on a wheelchair has allowed me to take video and photos from a first-person perspective, using a custom camera mount.
MICHELE GARDNER – Toronto, Ontario (Past President)
Interests: ADD/ADHD, mobility, mental health, parenting, attendant services, housing, ageing and disability, and human rights
Background: Michele Gardner is currently Past-President/Chair for Citizens with Disabilities Ontario (CWDO). Michele has also been very active in the Canadian Union of Public Employees, Ontario (CUPE ON) for many years and is currently the Co-chair of CUPE ON’s Workers with Disabilities Committee. Michele has had numerous stories and articles published regarding parenting with a disability and has appeared in film and in many documentaries and television shows regarding disability and parenting with a disability. Recently, Michele had her story published in a book called Vis-able and Empowered by Tara Geraghty-Ellis. Michele is a Registered Social Worker and works in her field full time in a non-profit organization that provides housing and support services for adults with mental health disabilities. In addition, she has been involved in social activism for disability rights and other marginalized communities for over 27 years. Michele founded a support group called Single Parents with Disabilities on Facebook which has approximately 300 members and is growing. Michele had a son in 2003 and is on the Direct Funding Program as a Self-Manager of her own attendant services.
TERRANCE J. GREEN – Ottawa, Ontario
Interests: Disability Law, strategic planning, education, housing, recreation, transportation
Background: Terrance has advocated for over four decades, with advocacy groups, and on his own, to enhance and protect the rights of people with disabilities. Starting in Nova Scotia with the Blind Rights Action Movement and the Canadian Council of the Blind, and a newspaper called Touchstone, uncovering and removing barriers. Employed with Transport Canada, he received an award of excellence for his work in equity in human resources planning.1992, in Ottawa, most of his activities were issue-driven; i.e., Federal, Provincial and municipal elections, transportation, education, and audible pedestrian signals. In 2001, as a lawyer, his areas of interest became access to justice, transportation, education, and community or social participation.
Donna Jodhan – Toronto, Ontario
Interests: Vision, mobility, education and mental health
Background: Donna’s many years of active advocacy has enabled her to develop her writing skills to produce regular articles, editorials, and blogs. She has also been able to use her creativity to develop initiatives to give others opportunities to express themselves, raise their voices, and to speak up and speak out. Examples would be her countrywide tele-town hall initiatives which have brought individuals from disability consumer groups and representatives of Federal Government departments and organizations for and of persons with disabilities together, as well as to produce and host dinner mystery evenings to encourage persons with disabilities to become involved in such activities as acting in mystery plays and skits she writes and produced. Donna has used these dinner mystery evenings as fundraising events in order to collaborate with others to give kids with disabilities opportunities to attend summer camps.
DOROTHY MACNAUGHTON – Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Interests: Intellectual disability, learning disability and vision
Background: Dorothy has been a disability advocate for over 30 years, with a keen interest in municipal, provincial and federal accessibility legislation. She has served on many local, provincial and national Boards and Committees and has assisted a variety of disability and government-related organizations. She still works hard to ensure the rights of people with disabilities are protected, works to prevent and remove barriers to full participation in society, and is committed to educating others about ways to improve accessibility for everyone.
JEFFREY STARK – Kanata, Ontario
Interests: IT, assistive/adaptive technology and accessibility
Background: For the last 20 years, technology has been Jeffrey’s focus both professionally and personally. Professionally, Jeffrey is widely respected as an expert in his field of interest and has been a guiding voice in a number of accessibility initiatives in Canada. He has provided training for developers, publishers, technicians and a wide variety of other audiences across Canada on topics such as accessible application design, web accessibility and adaptive computer technology. Jeffrey manages a program that continues to be a driving force in the fields of accessibility and adaptive computer technology and has been internationally recognized for the unique services provided to persons with disabilities, injuries and ergonomic requirements. In his personal life, Jeffrey has been advocating for accessibility and inclusion within Canada. Jeffrey strongly believes in the need for institutionalization of accessibility requirements into all areas with an IT component. There are internationally recognized standards that developers need to follow in order for a system to be accessible. This is a little like the accessibility standards in the built environment (i.e. doorways have to be a certain width to accommodate a wheelchair, ramps, signage, contrasting colours etc). The same exists in web content, applications and other systems. Accessibility means that people with and without disabilities can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with information, services and applications. The adoption of accessibility standards, guidelines and best practices ensure that systemic barriers are eliminated prior to individual accommodations. Jeffrey is very aware of the technology that is deployed across Canada in the general public. He regularly volunteers his technical services in the general public to persons with disabilities and families of persons with disabilities who require technological accommodations.
SINEAD ZALITACH – Toronto, Ontario
Interests: Service dogs, mobility, episodic disabilities, human rights, accessibility standards and education
Background: During her time on the Holland-Bloorview Youth Advisory Council, Sinead participated in discussions with guests from various organizations regarding inclusivity and integration of children with different types of disabilities when it comes to things like camps, schooling, ethics when it comes to capacity and consent as well as topics such as: euthanasia, disclosure of one’s disability and transitioning from pediatric care to adult health care. She also attended local meetings regarding a new park that was to be built locally and gave input on how they could make the new park accessible and inclusive.
Last Updated: June 12, 2020