MEET OUR GUEST SPEAKERS
Description of Zachary Weeks
A smiling man with short brown hair, glasses, and a neatly trimmed reddish-brown moustache and beard. He is wearing a dark blazer over a light-blue collared shirt.
Zachary Weeks | (ZAK-ER-EE) (WEE-KS) | (he/him)
is a disability advocate and accessibility consultant from Edmonton. For nearly 20 years he has pushed governments, employers and institutions to close the gap between accessibility on paper and accessibility in practice. He sits on the board of Voice of Albertans with Disabilities and on the City of Edmonton's Accessibility Advisory Committee, works with Barrier Free Alberta and the Prairie Disability Alliance, and administers Cerebral Palsy Worldwide, an online community of 38,000 members.
Follow Zachary Weeks’ Work:
Website | zacharyweeks.ca
Instagram | zacharyweeks
LinkedIn | zacharyweeks
BlueSky | zacharyweeks
Facebook | thezacharyweeks
Description of Nisha Patel
A South Asian woman with black and red hair parted into two buns holds a yellow sunflower. She wears green lipstick, a yellow shirt, and green overalls.
Nisha Patel | (NEE-SHUH) (PUTT-ELL) | (she/her)
is a Poet Laureate Emeritus of the City of Edmonton and a Canadian Poetry Slam Champion. She is a disability advocate and diabetic. Her works (Coconut, A Fate Worse Than Death, For the Record) are available where books are sold. She currently works from Edmonton and Calgary.
Follow Nisha Patel's Work:
Website | nishapatel.ca
Instagram | anothernisha
Threads | anothernisha
Bluesky | anothernisha
Facebook | anothernisha
LinkedIn | anothernisha
Twitter | anothernisha
Description of Dr. Heidi Janz
Middle-aged caucasian woman with curly brown hair, large black-rimed glasses, and wearing a brown and black printed blouse with brown lace trim. She is sitting in a wheelchair that has a seat with a headrest.
Dr. Heidi Janz | (HAI-EE) (JAN-Z) | (she/her)
is a long-time disability justice advocate, professor of Disability Ethics, playwright, and filmmaker in Edmonton, and a Founding Member of PADA. She has made a (5th?) career (SHH! Don't tell the Alberta Government!!!) out of seeking to expose the myth that disabled people can contribute meaningfully to society only by finding and maintaining paid employment. Sadly, ADAP is indisputable proof that her work here is not done.
Description of Katie
Caucasian, middle aged woman. Brown hair with blonde highlights. Blue eyes. Pink and clear glasses. Gold hoop earrings. Pink shirt. Black sweater. Well groomed.
Katie / misskadvocates | (KAY-TEE) | (she/her)
Born and raised in Edmonton, two-time heart attack survivor, and a member of the Disabled Community herself, Katie (misskadvocates) is a Disability Advocate who passionately uses her online platform to speak out against the current provincial government and their mistreatment of Disabled Albertans. She has brought necessary online attention to important issues such as the dismantling of AISH and creation of ADAP.
Follow Katie's Work:
TikTok | misskadvocates
Description of Darryl Learie
A white man in dark grey t-shirt. Short dark blonde hair, spiked slightly at the front, faded on the sides. Greyish-blue eyes. A neutral expression, looking away slightly from the camera to one side.
Darryl Learie | (DER-UHL) (LEER-EE) | (he/him)
Darryl Learie is a secular humanist recognized by Guinness World Records, Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, and local media for his contributions to Google Maps and Street View. He is an AISH recipient who is Autistic and lives with Severe Generalized Anxiety and Chronic Depression. A proud blood donor and creator of the petition to cancel ADAP, Darryl’s tireless advocacy aims to improve the lives all Albertans across the province.
Description of Marie Renaud
A middle-aged white woman smiling, thick dark brown hair, slightly curled, with side swept bangs. Gray-greenish eyes. Wearing a black elbow length sweater/shirt with a white collar. Her right hand rests on her hip, the other straight by her side.
Description of Maggie Magdalene
Smiling, rosy-faced, dimpled, white young adult, femme-presenting person with shoulder length, dark brown hair, slightly wavy with bangs. Big dark brown eyes. Right nostril is pierced with gemstone nose stud. Silver necklace with a small circle pendant surrounding three mushrooms & a crescent moon. Wearing a light burgundy t-shirt under green denim overalls.
Maggie Magdalene | (MAY-GEE)(MAG-DUG-LAY-NUH) | (any/all)
is a Queer, Disabled, COVID-Concious, C-PTSD Survivor, Ecofeminist and Artist. Previously on AISH, they are one of the many Albertans who were moved over to ADAP without their consent or consultation. Through their activism, they have sought to bring much needed awareness towards Disability issues in Alberta. Volunteering their artistic talents and vision of sustainability, they strive to make art and environmentalism accessible for all in their community.
Follow Maggie's Work: