According to a 2017 Statistics Canada survey, one out of every five (22%) Canadians 15 years of age and over, or about 6.2 million individuals, had one or more disabilities. However, in all areas of our society, there is a lack of accessibility and appropriate accommodations for disabled persons.
Some leaders have decided to make themselves—and others—heard
Carly Fox received her juvenile idiopathic arthritis diagnosis when she was 16 years old. However, it was not until she was 18 that she identified as a disabled and neurodivergent person and began advocating for disability rights. Her first struggle was to gain access to accommodations, where she quickly learned that due to her privilege, she could raise awareness and make the process easier for others.
“It’s hard to be a disabled person in the education system. It’s not always easy to get accommodations, which results in high drop-out rates.” ― Carly Fox
The University: A Real Place of Learning
For Carly Fox, the University was a real place of learning and debate that helped her refine her arguments for disability rights. Upon arriving on campus, she decided to continue take action and defend those rights at the post-secondary level.
Classrooms and discussions with her peers have given her a better understanding of equity issues and legal mechanisms. Her minor in Conflict Studies and Human Rights helped her to better understand international legislation, while her major in International Development gave her a better understanding of international mechanisms, such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which helped improve her advocacy efforts and gave her the tools and confidence she needed to continue her work in the international sphere.
In June 2022, Carly Fox took part as a youth delegate on Canada’s Delegation to the 15th Conference of State Parties to the UN CRPD. She participated in discussions and panels alongside other members of the delegation, and met with the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, the head of the Canadian delegation.
The University of Ottawa also enabled Carly Fox to engage in numerous networking activities with faculty members and additional contacts through the School of International Development and Globalization, the largest academic unit specializing in international development in Canada.
Discussions for open and inclusive awareness
Driven by the desire to create a more accessible and inclusive world, Carly Fox knows only too well that awareness is also contingent upon available and relevant information, which motivates her strong social media presence.
In March 2022, she launched a disability advocacy blog, where she also provides services, consultations and training sessions on accessibility and disability inclusion.
The expertise that Carly Fox has gained in the field, online and on her blog is now part of a diverse continuum in which sharing, openness and discussion play a critical role.
Canadian Survey on Disability Reports: A demographic, employment and income profile of Canadians with disabilities aged 15 years and over, 2017, Stuart Morris, Gail Fawcett, Laurent Brisebois, Jeffrey Hughes, Statistics Canada, November 28, 2018. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/89-654-x/89-654-x2018002-eng.htm