Reimagine how you collaborate
As a non-profit research, social development, and design organization we successfully elevate marginalized voices, break through structures of exclusion, work in solidarity, convene safe spaces, grow, learn and unlearn, and build trust, which allow us to support systemically marginalized people and communities to create systems and structures that work for them.
The Accessibility Exchange is an online platform that assists federally regulated organizations in finding and recruiting diverse people with disabilities and Deaf persons, their supporters, and their organizations to participate in consultations to build effective accessibility plans.
The platform will support people with disabilities and Deaf peoples to share their expertise with federally regulated organizations in how to remove barriers in their policies, programs, workplaces, and services.
The Accessibility Exchange has been developed by diverse people with disabilities, Deaf people, their supporters and disability, civil society, and federally regulated organizations.
To sign up for updates and to learn about how you can engage in The Accessibility Exchange, please visit accessibilityexchange.ca
WebsiteLocal Safety & Inclusion Solidarity Networks are collective actors rooted in a local, geographic community, made up of grassroots front-line service providers and community members of diverse marginalized populations, specifically Indigenous, Black African and other racialized groups, refugees and people with intellectual, psychosocial and cognitive disabilities. The aim is for these groups to work in solidarity, and using a gender-based lens to build a holistic web of support around these marginalized communities through community-led interventions designed to: 1) enhance economic security; 2) improve health status; and 3) prevent and more effectively respond to violence.
Toronto – A housing model specific to women and gender diverse people, where 24/7 culturally accessible supports, i.e., culturally responsive mental health and addictions support, Indigenous, ethno-specific, trans and disability-sensitive trauma counselling, work with elders, migrant community leaders, etc., will be offered to systemically marginalized people who are vulnerable to poverty, violence and homelessness.
Vancouver – The Mamook Kloshe Community Safe Hub will expand Warriors Against Violence Society’ existing programs, i.e., Community Outreach, Elders Program, Food Security, Group Therapy Sessions, Individual and Family Counselling, Basic Needs Support, Community Potluck and Events, plus offer short-term residential services for Indigenous men, including their children.
Saint John – The Hearth is a community space that is for, and led by Indigenous, Black, racialized, refugee people, transwomen and people with intellectual and mental health disabilities and their supporters. This will be a place for Indigenous cultural and healing practices; ethno-cultural and disability-sensitive trauma counselling and harm reduction approaches; cultural and disability sensitive approaches to gender-based violence that aim to heal the whole family; peer support groups and work with elders. As well holding arts workshops and organizing celebratory events for the community.
Winnipeg – This solidarity network is envisioning a community gathering space that will be opened 24/7 and will offer a “One Stop Support Circle”, providing holistic supports, where “you see the whole person and supports are tailored to that person”.
Montreal – This network focuses on the distinct issues in Montréal and Québec. Participants are discussing developing a community centre that would offer various services aimed for refugees, immigrants and/or racialized persons, women, persons with disabilities, older adults, Indigenous and 2SLGBTQIA+ people. They are particularly concerned about the difficulties marginalized people have in accessing services and supports and the lack of awareness of existing services. Another issue of prime importance is food security and the idea of distributing food aid.
Iqaluit – The Iqaluit group is our newest network. Issues of concern that have been discussed is that non-Inuit people tend to run most of the social services and therefore making the decisions for Inuit people. The issues need to be addressed holistically and led by Inuit people. The need for ‘circle of supports’ around an individual, all services, the community, and the family working together to support the person through healing from trauma. The Inuit Support System was an idea put forward, where traditional foods would be available and other cultural supports. The idea of a free grocery store, where people could select their own goods was also identified as a need.
Legal Capacity International is a platform to advance Article 12 UN CRPD, starting as a project of New Society Institute.
The platform connects system shakers and supported decision-making activists to transform and to guarantee equality in the right to legal capacity.
The objective is to have functional supported decision-making models around the globe.
To achieve this objective, we want to create and support effective partnerships to advance the right to legal capacity for all around the world through:
More to come at www.right2decide.org
The Accessibility Exchange is an online platform that assists federally regulated organizations in finding and recruiting diverse people with disabilities and Deaf persons, their supporters, and their organizations to participate in consultations to build effective accessibility plans.
The platform will support people with disabilities and Deaf peoples to share their expertise with federally regulated organizations in how to remove barriers in their policies, programs, workplaces, and services.
The Accessibility Exchange has been developed by diverse people with disabilities, Deaf people, their supporters and disability, civil society, and federally regulated organizations.
To sign up for updates and to learn about how you can engage in The Accessibility Exchange, please visit accessibilityexchange.ca
Local Safety & Inclusion Solidarity Networks are collective actors rooted in a local, geographic community, made up of grassroots front-line service providers and community members of diverse marginalized populations, specifically Indigenous, Black African and other racialized groups, refugees and people with intellectual, psychosocial and cognitive disabilities. The aim is for these groups to work in solidarity, and using a gender-based lens to build a holistic web of support around these marginalized communities through community-led interventions designed to: 1) enhance economic security; 2) improve health status; and 3) prevent and more effectively respond to violence.
Toronto – A housing model specific to women and gender diverse people, where 24/7 culturally accessible supports, i.e., culturally responsive mental health and addictions support, Indigenous, ethno-specific, trans and disability-sensitive trauma counselling, work with elders, migrant community leaders, etc., will be offered to systemically marginalized people who are vulnerable to poverty, violence and homelessness.
Vancouver – The Mamook Kloshe Community Safe Hub will expand Warriors Against Violence Society’ existing programs, i.e., Community Outreach, Elders Program, Food Security, Group Therapy Sessions, Individual and Family Counselling, Basic Needs Support, Community Potluck and Events, plus offer short-term residential services for Indigenous men, including their children.
Saint John – The Hearth is a community space that is for, and led by Indigenous, Black, racialized, refugee people, transwomen and people with intellectual and mental health disabilities and their supporters. This will be a place for Indigenous cultural and healing practices; ethno-cultural and disability-sensitive trauma counselling and harm reduction approaches; cultural and disability sensitive approaches to gender-based violence that aim to heal the whole family; peer support groups and work with elders. As well holding arts workshops and organizing celebratory events for the community.
Winnipeg – This solidarity network is envisioning a community gathering space that will be opened 24/7 and will offer a “One Stop Support Circle”, providing holistic supports, where “you see the whole person and supports are tailored to that person”.
Montreal – This network focuses on the distinct issues in Montréal and Québec. Participants are discussing developing a community centre that would offer various services aimed for refugees, immigrants and/or racialized persons, women, persons with disabilities, older adults, Indigenous and 2SLGBTQIA+ people. They are particularly concerned about the difficulties marginalized people have in accessing services and supports and the lack of awareness of existing services. Another issue of prime importance is food security and the idea of distributing food aid.
Iqaluit – The Iqaluit group is our newest network. Issues of concern that have been discussed is that non-Inuit people tend to run most of the social services and therefore making the decisions for Inuit people. The issues need to be addressed holistically and led by Inuit people. The need for ‘circle of supports’ around an individual, all services, the community, and the family working together to support the person through healing from trauma. The Inuit Support System was an idea put forward, where traditional foods would be available and other cultural supports. The idea of a free grocery store, where people could select their own goods was also identified as a need.
Legal Capacity International is a platform to advance Article 12 UN CRPD, starting as a project of New Society Institute.
The platform connects system shakers and supported decision-making activists to transform and to guarantee equality in the right to legal capacity.
The objective is to have functional supported decision-making models around the globe.
To achieve this objective, we want to create and support effective partnerships to advance the right to legal capacity for all around the world through:
More to come at www.right2decide.org
The Accessibility Exchange provides Federally Regulated Organizations with an online platform to find and connect with specific individuals within the disability and Deaf communities. By registering on the platform, organizations can create a public page, set-up an accessibility project, under the project’s umbrella set-up specific consultations or engagements, obtain an estimate and connect with the right people. From engaging individuals with a mobility disability to provide feedback on the accessibility of a building, to engaging blind individuals to test the next app, to hiring a Deaf accessibility consultant to design, plan and implement an ASL accessibility report, The Accessibility Exchange provides organizations with the right tool to identify and remove barriers to accessibility and inclusion.
Policy Regimes Inclusion and Accessibility Assessment (PRIAA)
Over a series of initiatives NSI has developed a database application to supporting systematic analysis of law and policy regimes and how they structure possibilities for achieving equality, human rights, and inclusion for marginalized communities. To date, NSI has used PRIAA in analysing legal capacity (right to decide) policy regimes in Canada and Ukraine, accessible travel through federally regulated transportation, and interpretive supports for people with significant developmental, cognitive, and mental health disabilities.
For more information about this tool and ways to collaborate in a policy regimes assessment, please contact: contact@newsocietyinstitute.ca
The Accessibility Exchange provides access to a Resources Hub divided into different libraries about accessibility and inclusion. Each library is made of specific collections, which include a variety of resources. From “Accessible and Inclusive Consultation” to “Inclusive Employment”, these libraries and their resources are available to individuals, disability and Deaf community organizations, and Federally Regulated Organizations, to help them learn, plan, design and implement any changes that can make Canada a more accessible and inclusive place for all.
NSI has developed a self-assessment methodology and application for regulated entities to examine the impact of their policies and practices on enabling access and inclusion for diverse people with disabilities and Deaf persons. NSI partnered with BDO to develop the methodology and application for federally regulated employers to self-assess their employment policies and practices. Currently, NSI is working with community partners to develop a self-assessment tool for federally regulated entities in banking, ICT, and transportation to assess the legal capacity gateways they structure, to improve access to decision-making rights by persons with disabilities and Deaf persons.
This tool and application can be adapted to different contexts and NSI looks forward to expanding its use through collaboration with partners in public, private, and non-profit sectors. For more information, please contact: contact@newsocietyinstitute.ca
The Accessibility Exchange provides Federally Regulated Organizations with an online platform to find and connect with specific individuals within the disability and Deaf communities. By registering on the platform, organizations can create a public page, set-up an accessibility project, under the project’s umbrella set-up specific consultations or engagements, obtain an estimate and connect with the right people. From engaging individuals with a mobility disability to provide feedback on the accessibility of a building, to engaging blind individuals to test the next app, to hiring a Deaf accessibility consultant to design, plan and implement an ASL accessibility report, The Accessibility Exchange provides organizations with the right tool to identify and remove barriers to accessibility and inclusion.
Policy Regimes Inclusion and Accessibility Assessment (PRIAA)
Over a series of initiatives NSI has developed a database application to supporting systematic analysis of law and policy regimes and how they structure possibilities for achieving equality, human rights, and inclusion for marginalized communities. To date, NSI has used PRIAA in analysing legal capacity (right to decide) policy regimes in Canada and Ukraine, accessible travel through federally regulated transportation, and interpretive supports for people with significant developmental, cognitive, and mental health disabilities.
For more information about this tool and ways to collaborate in a policy regimes assessment, please contact: contact@newsocietyinstitute.ca
The Accessibility Exchange provides access to a Resources Hub divided into different libraries about accessibility and inclusion. Each library is made of specific collections, which include a variety of resources. From “Accessible and Inclusive Consultation” to “Inclusive Employment”, these libraries and their resources are available to individuals, disability and Deaf community organizations, and Federally Regulated Organizations, to help them learn, plan, design and implement any changes that can make Canada a more accessible and inclusive place for all.
NSI has developed a self-assessment methodology and application for regulated entities to examine the impact of their policies and practices on enabling access and inclusion for diverse people with disabilities and Deaf persons. NSI partnered with BDO to develop the methodology and application for federally regulated employers to self-assess their employment policies and practices. Currently, NSI is working with community partners to develop a self-assessment tool for federally regulated entities in banking, ICT, and transportation to assess the legal capacity gateways they structure, to improve access to decision-making rights by persons with disabilities and Deaf persons.
This tool and application can be adapted to different contexts and NSI looks forward to expanding its use through collaboration with partners in public, private, and non-profit sectors. For more information, please contact: contact@newsocietyinstitute.ca
We believe people know what they need.
Our work is to make space, shift power, and support their vision of a just world.