Hosted by Dr. Sejal Patel (Director and Associate Professor, School of Early Childhood Studies), and featuring:
Dr. Maria Karmiris has been working as an elementary school teacher for the Toronto District School Board since 2002. She is also a sessional lecturer at OISE/UT and TMU.
Luke Reid is a human rights lawyer and a social worker who has spent his career serving clients with disabilities. Over the course of his career Luke has represented numerous students with disabilities in litigation with school boards. He has worked at ARCH Disability Law Centre, in private practice, at the Public Guardian and Trustee, and is currently Counsel at the Canadian Human Rights Commission. He has represented clients in numerous fora including the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, and in various appellate Courts, including the Supreme Court of Canada. He has led multiple law reform and research projects on disability-related issues in the education system and has significant expertise in human rights, education, and accessibility law. Luke is currently completing his PhD at the University of Toronto and is conducting research on the human rights issues that students with disabilities confront in the education system. Luke is appearing in a personal capacity today, and none of the views he expresses should be construed as representing the views of his employers or clients - former or present.
Ingrid Palmer is a community amplifier; uplifting the voice, perspective, and inherent value of those pushed most to the margins. As a Black, visually impaired, former foster kid she brings a lifetime of expertise in challenging social and systemic inequity, while fostering connections across diverse identities. Ms. Palmer is a champion for intersectional leadership and her acclaimed storytelling brings the nuanced issues facing equity-denied people from the background to the forefront. An award-winning global speaker and bestselling author, Ingrid is regularly invited to speak on gender equity, decent work, poverty reduction and other barriers debilitating stigmatized communities. As a consultant she has informed on the creation of education resources, engagement, and organizational reform to better support the interests of students with child welfare experience and students with disabilities. She is the former Director of Networks and Relationships at Toronto Neighborhood Centers and Director of Agency Partnership and Learning at Up With Women. Currently, Ingrid holds the role of Principal IDEAL Advocate at Realize where she leads 3 national research projects on intersectional barriers to employment for people living with episodic disabilities and educates organizations on creating inclusive workplace cultures that support diverse realities and promotes universal belonging. Her background in service includes Board Chair of the Child Welfare PAC, Vice Chair of the Council of Canadians with Disabilities, the Partnership and Accountability Circle with the Confronting Ant-Black Racism unit, Right To Housing Toronto, and St. Michael’s Pediatric Research Advisory Board. Her education accomplishments include graduating from York University BA, Toronto School of Business (Hons), and certification in Power and Influence from Harvard Business School.
In this podcast, participants shared their perspectives on equity for disabled students. The discussion was guided by the following questions:
