The diverseABILITY Project aims to initiate conversation and get people thinking about disability as a core part of the diversity conversation. We hope to unite the disability community, engage allies, and celebrate disability pride and empowerment, while working to address social isolation, social exclusion, and the loneliness epidemic.
The term intersectionality includes all protected characteristics, such as class, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, religion, disability and gender. It’s the idea that these layers do not exist separately from each other but intersect to form a person’s identity, and can magnify the discrimination and marginalization they might experience.
Through this project, young people Island wide who are inspired with ideas and ready to take action through youth-led community service will be eligible to apply for micro-grants (maximum $1500) administered by, and with the support of ResourceAbilities. Eligible projects must increase sense of belonging, support community enhancement and engagement and remove barriers for persons with disabilities and intersecting equity deserving groups. Project examples:
- Coordinate a 2SLGBTQIA+ Pride Event
- Deliver Care Packages to homeless
- Start a peer support group
- Start Up dollars for a social enterprise
- Start a cooking class where Newcomers share recipes and methods
- Indigenous storytelling events
- Lead a digital literacy workshop for Seniors
- Other projects to promote Inclusion
All applications must identify how they will be accessible to persons with disabilities. Successful applicants will complete a final report, and will present their project results including impact on community and removal of barriers at a diversABILITY celebration event in the Fall/Winter of 2023.
This project is designed to directly impact all members of our communities and encourages all people to come together to promote full inclusion. Several equity deserving groups will be the focus of approved projects, while all projects must also identify specifically how they are inclusive to persons with disabilities. Equity deserving groups impacted by The diversABILITY Project include:
- 2SLGBTQIA+
- Immigrants/Newcomers
- Indigenous Peoples
- Persons with Disabilities
- Racialized group (specify: BIPOC)
- Religious Minority
- Seniors
- Women, all genders in nontraditional roles
- International Students
- Youth
- Persons with low income
- Homeless or precariously housed