Dept of PT Virtual Gallery Walk, March 24
RSVP: https://forms.office.com/r/dCjv3X5Mdg
How can I participate? You can register for the event here and we will send you a Zoom link for the day.
What is this event: Join us for the launch of innovative works of art focused on equity, diversity, inclusion (EDI) and anti-oppression designed by our final year students as the culmination of their Department of Physical Therapy “SPEC” curriculum.
What is the “SPEC” curriculum”: SPEC stands for Social, Political, Ethical and Cultural (SPEC) Dimensions of Health and Healthcare. These works of art are the result of the final SPEC assignment, which aims to build critical reflexivity regarding privilege and how one’s social location is related to systems of inequality.
What is the Gallery Walk: The event includes 6 curated exhibition discussions led by faculty facilitators and guest stars. You are invited to “walk” through the rooms to listen in and join dialogues reflecting on EDI and anti-oppression in physiotherapy and healthcare.
Who is invited: Everyone! PT2 students don’t need to RSVP. Everyone else can RSVP here.
How can I see the Gallery of virtual resources: The Gallery can be accessed here on the day of the event and for a week following the launch.
Program
11:00-11:25 – Opening remarks
- Welcome: Stephanie Lurch
- Department of Physical Therapy Chair’s remarks: Susan Jaglal
- Keynote: Nathan Gaba
11:25-11:30 – Transition time
11:30-12:10 – Exhibition discussions 1
- Yellow room: Stephanie Lurch (faculty facilitator) + Suruthi Jeyakumar (guest star) + Cian Knight (guest star)
- Red room: Barbara Gibson (faculty facilitator) + Madalyn Shaw (guest star)
- Blue room: Lindsay Beavers (faculty facilitator) + Adiilah Heenaye Sumser (guest star) + Saul Cobbing (guest star)
12:10-12:30 – Break
12:30-1:10 – Exhibition discussions 2
- Yellow: Jay Shaw (faculty facilitator) + Ike Okafor (guest star)
- Red room: Janet Parsons (faculty facilitator) + Dean Lising (guest star)
- Blue room: Harikrishnan Gopalakrishnan Nair (faculty facilitator) + Jheanelle Anderson (guest star)
1:10-1:15 – transition time
1:15-1:30 – Closing remarks
- Sharon Switzer-McIntyre
Keynote bio
Nathan Gaba is a Black advocate, public speaker, and ableism disrupter who was born with cerebral palsy. He is currently a Senior Coordinator of Partnerships at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation where he fosters meaningful connections with community partners and supports signature events. He is a master facilitator, leading hundreds of discussions focused on employment initiatives for people with disabilities. He has appeared in numerous ad campaigns and has modelled for Roots Canada and Adidas Paris. Nathan has recently completed a sociology degree at McMaster University and plans to stay versatile and pursue his passions wherever they lead him.
Guest bios
Jheanelle Anderson, MSW, RSW, is a Black disabled Social Worker and Researcher. Her work focuses on disability justice and research with communities at the intersection of Blackness, disability, and immigration. Her work includes the examination of gaps in research, policy, and service delivery for Black Canadians with disabilities titled "The Intersection of Blackness and Disability." Most recently, she co-led ASE Community's Capacity Building Research Project, an environmental scan done in collaboration with Employment and Social Development Canada. This included a Canada-wide audit of services supporting Black and racialized persons with disabilities and the development of an engagement strategy to improve the social inclusion and full participation of Black and racialized persons with disabilities in Canada. In addition, she has a background in community-engaged research with Black survivors of homicide victims, developing Culturally Responsive Evaluation frameworks, and co-designing knowledge mobilization plans with marginalized stakeholders.
Saul Cobbing is a Research Associate at University Health Network, Toronto, and an Honorary Professor in the Discipline of Physiotherapy at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), Durban, South Africa. He graduated with a PhD in Physiotherapy in April 2017 completed a fellowship with the UKZN College of Health Science's Developing Research, Innovation, Localization and Leadership in South Africa (DRILL) Program. His post-doctoral research aims to develop and implement community interventions for the rehabilitation of people living with HIV and other chronic diseases, in under-resourced communities. He has published over 30 peer-reviewed articles to date. He is married and has two children, Daniel (12) and Lola (9).
Suruthi Jeyakumar (she/her) is a racialized woman and social justice advocate who was born with a childhood disability. She currently works as an Outreach Facilitator at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital where she co-leads the Imagine Everybody Campaign, aimed at dismantling ableism and presenting solutions for a more inclusive society. Her work focuses on young children and youth in the school system. Suruthi is a graduate of Humber College’s Advertising and Graphic Design Program. She works exclusively with digital content in 2D and 3D forms. Suruthi's work is centered around exploring various avenues of creative expression with an emphasis on video game design, branding and editorial work. She is an avid gamer.
Cian Knights (she/her) is a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) strategist and community engagement practitioner with over 18 years of experience developing and implementing initiatives that address equity, inclusion, anti-racism and access. Cian has a degree in Women’s Studies & Caribbean Studies and a master’s in Business Administration in Community Economic Development. Her professional background spans working in education, arts and culture, holistic health and in healthcare where she led health equity strategies at Unity Health Toronto. She is currently the Manager of Diversity and Inclusion at the Art Gallery of Ontario.
Dean Lising leads IPE Curriculum and Professional Development (PD) with PTs/teams in roles such as Integration Lead, Director, BOOST! Program (Centre for Advancing Collaborative Healthcare and Education (CACHE), University of Toronto (UT)), IPE Scholar-in-Residence (Centennial College), past Professional Practice Leader, Centre Coordinator of Clinical Education and (still) practicing PT (William Osler Health System). He is also faculty in PD programs: PT Practice within the Canadian Health Care Context Course (UT), Quality Improvement Foundations (IDEAS Ontario), TLC (Centre for Faculty Development) and holds a status lecturer appointment at the Department of Physical Therapy. He also has received the Dept of PT Exceptional Achievement and Recognition Award for Professional Development. He has produced publications in QI, team dynamics, team resilience and covid-19 innovations. He is currently a PhD student in Health Professions Education Research (HPER) at UT and a father of 3 busy boys.
Harikrishnan (Hari) Gopalakrishnan Nair (he/him) is a multi-talented visual artist, poet, fashion designer and media personality. He is an alumnus of the Ontario Internationally Educated Physical Therapy Bridging Program, works clinically at the Toronto Academic Pain Medicine Institute (TAPMI) at Women’s College Hospital and ICU (acute care/medicine) at Credit Valley Hospital, Trillium Health Partners. Hari is currently on secondment as Interim Clinical Manager for Family Practice Health Team at WCH. Hari lectures in the UofT Department of Physical Therapy as part of the pain team and holds the role of Alumni Mentor to the Bridging Program. Hari is Co-Chair of the Corporate Equity Committee at Women’s College Hospital and Chair of the Special Examinations Committee for the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario. Hari is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC), associate coach trainer with Coacharya and Founder/ Director of Itois Inc.
Ike Okafor is the senior officer in Service Learning and Diversity Outreach and leads the Office of Access and Outreach in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine. The access initiatives he has co-developed with students, faculty and community members have transformed the diversity of professional programs across Canada. Ike also develops service learning programs helping students contribute back to society.
Madalyn Shaw (she/her) is a writer, editor, and Master's candidate in the Contemporary Art, Design, and New Media Art Histories (CADN) program at OCAD University. Madalyn is the recipient of the President's Scholarship and currently works as a teaching assistant in the Faculty of Arts and Science at OCAD-- having taught contemporary art and design, as well as Renaissance to modern art. Her research is shaped by studies of photography, institutional archives, black cultural studies, and the theoretical concepts of spectrality, futurism(s), inclusions and occlusions, and the power of visuality. She is also a screenwriter and (consequently) a sticky-note hoarder.
Adiilah Heenaye Sumser is an internationally-educated physiotherapist and currently holds the role of a long-term care homes inspector with the Ministry of Long-Term Care. She has also practiced in hospital and primary care settings and established a private practice clinic. Adiilah has taken on several leadership roles: president of the Ontario Internationally Educated Physical Therapy Bridging Program (OIEPB) Class, co-founder and co-chair of the OIEPB Alumni Association, clinical instructor at the University of Toronto and elected member to the Board of Directors of the Ontario Physiotherapy Association (OPA). Adiilah actively participates in several initiatives around inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility in the physiotherapy community. Adiilah recently won a medal of distinction award from the Canadian Physiotherapy Association.
For questions, please contact Stephanie Lurch at stephanie.lurch@utoronto.ca.
RSVP here for the Virtual Gallery Walk