Intersectionality and Accessibility

Moderator

• Bianca Go
  Bianca is a certified Project Manager Practitioner (PMP) working as a Project Manager at the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation. As a sister to a neurodivergent sibling, Bianca continues to expand her knowledge and understanding of accessibility and inclusion. She has a particular interest with learning how different intersecting identities play a role in people’s experience with disability. She is excited to be moderating a panel on the topic.

Panelists

• Shanice Pereira
  Ottawa-based innovative multidisciplinary artist and passionate arts administrator; Shanice Pereira, works to blend artistic disciplines, accessibility, and equity into her creative and administrative practices. Her work spans outreach, inclusion and diversity work, playwriting, directing, theatre production, and poetry.

  Community building happens on stage, in workshops, and in the office in Shanice’s creative and administrative work as Outreach and Diversity Coordinator for Propeller Dance. Her principles of intersectional care and support guide her work to uplift, and center marginalized artists and communities and create spaces for community connection.

  Shanice is deeply inspired by her Afro-Caribbean and multiracial upbringing, neurodivergent and queer identity and passion for healing and connection, guiding her creation and collaboration process. Her work aims to explore the complexities of inner self and their juxtaposition to versions of self that exist in community, telling stories of self-acceptance, healing and communal exploration of what people mean to each other.

• Carmel Whittle
  Carmel Whittle is a passionate Irish/Mi’kmaw 2SQI activist, artist, and community builder whose work is deeply rooted in her connection to the land, the ocean, community and contemporary artistic practices. She currently resides as a guest on the unceded and unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe people. Recognized for her dedication to community arts, Carmel is a multifaceted artist and a staunch advocate for cultural inclusion, social justice, and Indigenous sovereignty. Through dialogue and artistic expression she has led diverse art projects, including workshops for people with disabilities and classes focusing on understanding and engaging with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Calls to Action. She currently is the Indigenous Relations Coordinator with OPIRG Ottawa and also works as an independent art educator, mentor and consultant. Carmel’s commitment to supporting the growth of more inclusive communities is exemplified in her leadership of the No Borders Art Festival (NBAF), an annual celebration of art and culture that brings together people from various backgrounds to share, learn, and create together. They have continued their studies at Carleton University and is a lifelong learner.
  Carmel A. Whittle,
  Community Organizer, Musician, Artist, Filmmaker
  www.carmelwhittle.com
  No Borders Art Festival, www.nobordersartfestival.com
• Terrence Ho
  Terrence’s motivation comes from his younger brother, who lived with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, and he’s been his care advocate for over 30 years. Terrence’s personal experiences caring for his brother and losing their mother to lung cancer have given him a unique perspective on the needs of patients and caregivers.
  He is the Head of Global Sales Education & Operations at Braze Mobility, a company that developed the world’s first blind spot sensors for wheelchairs. He’s co-authored the book “Bold Spirit Caring for the Dying” and trained as an End of Life Care Doula. These experiences have made him a strong advocate for accessibility, end-of-life care, and mental well-being.