Our Work

Our Approach

DAWN focuses on addressing issues of disability through its four pillars: research, education, policy and advocacy.

Click on a pillar to see our recent work in that aspect.

Research

Working with community-based researchers and academic partners and shifting the discussion around how research and community development can and should be done using an intersectional approach.

Education

Developing curriculum tools to expand the body of knowledge about women, girls and gender-diverse people with disabilities and to increase skill in the practice of inclusion.

Policy

Engaging and challenging policy-makers in the review and development of policies so that they are informed by community-defined needs.

Advocacy

Ensuring that the women and gender-diverse people with disabilities, including those who are Deaf, are represented at decision-making tables in the areas that matter to us most.

Resources and Publications

Frameworks

Look into the key ways DAWN understands and analyzes issues when supporting women and gender-diverse people with disabilities.

Click on any framework to learn about the methodology and related themes

Cross-Disability

DAWN Canada’s cross-disability approach recognizes and addresses the diverse experiences and needs of women, girls, and gender-diverse individuals with different types of abilities, including physical, sensory, intellectual, cognitive, psychological, mental, emotional, and psychosocial disabilities.

Intersectional Human Rights

The intersectional human rights framework recognizes the unique challenges faced by women, girls, and gender-diverse individuals with disabilities, considering how overlapping identities like race, gender, and socioeconomic status contribute to discrimination and inequality.

Life Course

This approach considers how social, economic, and environmental factors impact health across different life stages. It recognizes the interplay of identities and how these intersecting factors influence the experiences and opportunities of women, girls, and gender-diverse individuals who are Deaf and/or living with disabilities throughout their lives.

Social Determinants of Health

Social determinants of health are the social, economic, and environmental conditions that shape health outcomes. This perspective considers how overlapping identities like race, gender, disability, and socioeconomic status impact the health experiences of women, girls, and gender-diverse individuals with disabilities.