A fence casts geometric shadows on a wall under bright sunlight.

UCalgary Breaking Barriers Day

Save the Date

We are delighted to host the University of Calgary Breaking Barriers Day on Wednesday, June 10, 2026.

Stay tuned for event registration and call for research abstracts!

Image above: "Shadow fence [Explored]" by _Franck Michel_ is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Join us to learn more about how ableism might present in our classrooms, labs, campus, application processes, conversations, and more.

Together, we’ll introduce key concepts around disability justice, reflect on how these concepts can be meaningfully integrated into our educational, research, administrative, leadership, and clinical practices, and identify one concrete change we can make in our daily academic lives to "break barriers".

Come ready to learn, reflect, and leave with actionable steps towards a more just and inclusive university environment!

Event Information

Who?

Faculty, staff, and trainees from the University of Calgary are welcome to attend.

When?

  • Wednesday, June 10, 2026
  • 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM

Agenda

Where?

  • In-person
    • Theatre One, Health Sciences Centre (HSC), Foothills Campus, 3330 Hospital Dr NW, Calgary
  • Online
    • A secure link will be sent to virtual registrants

Way-Finding

How do I get there?

Transit Directions

Driving Directions

Location Map

When is the registration deadline?

To be announced shortly.

When is the abstract deadline?

To be announced shortly.

Keynote Speakers

A woman with short, light-brown hair and rectangular glasses sits in a wheelchair and smiles at the camera in front of a blue and green background. She wears a baby pink, long-sleeved polo, black leggings, a vibrant blue and purple scarf tied in a knot, an identification lanyard, and two watches. Her left hand rests on her lap holding a leather leash, and her right hand is outstretched to pet a golden-haired service dog. The dog looks at the camera and wears a blue collar and a blue vest.

Dr. Bonita Sawatzky, PhD (she/her)

Department of Orthopaedics, University of British Columbia

"Is it anti-ableism or pro-ability?"

A woman with shoulder-length brown hair smiles in front of a tree blurred in the background. She wears a dark blue long-sleeved top, a pendant necklace, and hoop earrings.

Dr. Victoria Fast, PhD (she/her)

Department of Geography, University of Calgary

"Beyond Ramps: Making Hidden Barriers Visible in the Built Environment"

 

A person with short grey-brown hair and grey eyes takes a selfie. They are wearing a forest-green hoodie with screen-printed letters that read “Access is a practice of love. - Mia Mingus.” There is a wetland and a forest with autumnal colours in the background.

Dr. Danielle Peers, MA, PhD (they/them)

Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport and Recreation, University of Alberta, and Tier II Canada Research Chair in Disability and Movement Cultures

"Disability Justice: Methodological Offerings for Transforming Research Processes, Impacts and Imaginations"

A bald-headed man with a light-brown moustache smiles at the camera against a blue background.

Dr. Matthew Christison, EdD, MEd, BEd (Dist) (he/him)

Former Principal in the Calgary Board of Education

"Insights to Lessen Ableism: Individuality, Independence, Inquiry and Innovation"

A woman with light brown hair and blonde highlights smiles at the camera inside a home. She wears a black zip-up sweater.

Dr. Stephanie Chipeur, DCL (she/her)

Faculty of Law, and Azrieli Accelerator Professorship in Law & Disability Policy, University of Calgary

"How to Respond to Ableism with a Human Rights Complaint"

 

A woman of Indian descent with long black hair is outdoors in the winter. She is smiling and holds two hiking poles and wears a knee brace and hiking boots. There is snow on the ground and in the air and she is wearing a white scarf and black ear muffs.

Dr. Ranita Manocha, MD, MSc (she/her)

Division of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary

Event Moderator and Organizer

Event Details

A man with dirty-blonde hair holds a bike pump and crouches next to a woman with dark, shoulder-length hair and bangs who has sunglasses on her head and rests her left hand on the back of a bicycle. Both individuals wear unzipped white jackets with the words “CPKids,” the Calgary Flames lgoo, and the word “MASTERS.” Several pieces adapted exercise equipment are spread out around the room.

Agenda

Click here to view the event schedule.

View agenda
Five sledge-hockey players representing Japan huddle near a goal net at the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Games. Three players’ jersey numbers are visible, including #10, #59, and #23.

Speaker Biographies

Learn more about our amazing keynote speakers.

View speaker biographies
A young woman with light brown hair in a ponytail sits in a wheelchair. She smiles at the camera and wears dark jeans, an UnderArmour jacket with the “Calgary Adapted Hub” logo on the left, black and white runners, and a green and blue lanyard. Several items, including jackets, purses, a cardboard box, and a wooden power wheelchair, are in the background.

Present Your Research

Are you doing research related to ableism? Learn more about presenting your event here. (Information to be released shortly).

A very big thank you to our event sponsors:

Special thanks

to Mairi Babey, Stephanie Symington, Karin Lienhard, Dr. Cheryl Barnabe, Yvonne Durnin, and Kathleen Thibault.