Championing Disability Justice and Human Rights in Canada

Join the Office of the Vice-President, Equity and Community Inclusion (OVPECI) for an engaging keynote and conversation featuring Rabia Khedr, National Director of Disability without Poverty. With over 30 years of experience as a community organizer in disability justice, Rabia will explore the profound impacts of systemic racism, poverty and ableism on Canadian society.

This event welcomes all community members to gain valuable insights from global disability justice movements and the historical treatment of persons with disabilities in Canada. Rabia will delve into the evolution of legislation, human rights, intersectional lived experiences and effective advocacy strategies. She will also share lessons learned and empower attendees to take meaningful action.

To kick off the event, the Employees with Disabilities Community Network will unveil the video "Across the Universe-City."

This event will honour International Day of Persons with Disabilities (December 3), Human Rights Day (external link)  (December 10) and commemorate the 75th anniversary of one of the world's most groundbreaking global pledges—the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This year’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities theme is “United in action to rescue and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for, with and by persons with disabilities”. Join us to raise awareness, understanding and foster collective action.

About Rabia Khedr

Rabia Khedr (she/her) is dedicated to equity and justice for persons with disabilities, women and diverse communities. Rabia sits on the Minister’s Disability Advisory Group and most recently served as a Director on the Accessibility Standards Canada Board and a Commissioner on the Ontario Human Rights Commission. She is the National Director of Disability Without Poverty (external link)  and CEO of DEEN Support Services (external link) . Rabia is a founder of Race and Disability Canada and a board member of the Muslim Council of Peel and the Federation of Muslim Women.

A motivational speaker and documentary commentator, Rabia draws on her lived experience of being blind and advocating for siblings with intellectual disabilities. She has received numerous awards for her humanitarian services, including a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and the Daniel G. Hill Human Rights Award. Rabia holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto and a Master of Arts from York University. 

Follow Rabia on LinkedIn (external link) , Twitter/X (external link)  and Facebook (external link) .

About the Employees with Disabilities Community Network

TMU’s Employees with Disabilities Community Network includes faculty and staff with visible and non-visible disabilities. Through their mutual support, members provide diverse perspectives of their experiences living and working with disabilities. 

The network brings together employees with disabilities, providing them with a forum to support one another through shared understanding and experiences. The network also raises awareness of the challenges that persons with disabilities face, and advocates to promote an equitable and inclusive workplace for all.

Learn more about the Employees with Disabilities Community Network.

This event is wheelchair accessible and live captioning and ASL interpretation will be provided

The university is committed to the accessibility and inclusion of persons with disabilities. If you require any additional accessibility accommodations to ensure your full participation, please email Heather Willis (Accessibility Coordinator, OVPECI) at hwillis@torontomu.ca or 416-979-5000, ext. 554144.

Questions?

If you have any questions, please email Heather Willis (Accessibility Coordinator, OVPECI) at hwillis@torontomu.ca or 416-979-5000, ext. 554144.