Welcome to Eviance
Founded in 1995 by disabilities trailblazer Henry Enns, Eviance—formerly known as the Canadian Centre for Disability Studies—has been helping people with disabilities in Canada and their allies advance human rights through intersectional, community-based research committed to sustainable solutions rooted in action.
Our mission.
As a hub of knowledge on local, national, and global cross-disability issues, we seek to realize behavioural and system level change.
Our vision.
An inclusive, equitable and accessible society that is sustainable for all.
Our impact.
We enhance intersectional action-based solutions that advance human rights and equity-focused decision making in Canada.
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Project Highlights
Innovating for Inclusive and Equitable Post-Secondary Education: A Pathway to Realizing the SDGs
Funded by the Government of Canada's Sustainable Development Goals Program, this project focuses on the intersection of universal design in post-secondary education and decent work, as informed by the experiences of diverse students with disabilities. To date, we have completed an analysis of the Canadian Survey on Disability (CSD) to explore the indicators of success for graduates with disabilities who gain meaningful employment. We also completed a literature review on the transition between postsecondary education and decent work, and another one about understanding the benefits of inclusive design. We are currently working on developing a survey for students with disabilities and organizing social lab dialogues, where a variety of stakeholders will meet to discuss key elements essential to realizing inclusive design in post-secondary education and decent work. Visit the SDG website to learn more and sign up to receive project updates.
Building a Stronger Foundation for Leadership of Youth with Disabilities Project
Building a Stronger Foundation for Leadership of Youth with Disabilities project is funded by the Government of Canada's Social Development Project Partnership Program-Disability (SDPP-D) fund and includes partnerships with the University of Toronto and. This four-year project aims to develop the leadership capacity of youth in cross-disability movements. The current cohort, The Youth Leadership Climate Action Fellowship (YLCAF), is focused on the connections between climate action and cross-disability movements. Our original Youth Leadership Fellow (YLF) is also working on community-based research focused on 2SLGBTQ+ people with disabilities. Youth have been developing skills, internal capacities, and the relationships needed to further their own leadership potential. Learn more about the youth project.
Disability Inclusion Action Plan – Pillar Four
Our recent report entitled, “What We Heard from People with Disabilities: Towards a New Approach to Defining ‘Disability’ …” was based on in-depth interviews with diverse individuals from across the country. The report explores a modern definition of disability and applying the definition in federal programs and services. Key messages are the need for a system based on an inclusive and evolving definition of disability that recognizes people’s diverse other characteristics. It would be much better harmonized with other systems, would establish the presence of disability once rather than repeatedly, and would do so more clearly, respectfully, coherently, and fairly. For details, visit Muscular Dystrophy Canada’s website.
Additional Projects
In conjunction with our ongoing efforts, Eviance has engaged in these further initiatives in 2021-2022:
- A Review of Technical Approaches to Enable the Submission of Video Interventions Project for the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)
- Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work (CCRW) Disability Confidence (In-depth partner) funded by ESDC: SDPP-D
- Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) Research Project on Universal Design for Multi-Unit Residential Buildings
- Communications Tool Project Video with Inclusion Winnipeg
- CUPW/211 Developmental Evaluation
- Key Issues for Canada under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Civil Society Shadow Report (Partner) funded by ESDC: SDPP-D
- Realizing Human Rights and Social Justice in Mental Health Project (Partner)
- System Navigation Pilot Project Feasibility Study for the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD)
- Toward Just Transitions: Integrating sustainability justice into municipal climate action planning (Partner) funded by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)
- A Review of Technical Approaches to Enable the Submission of Video Interventions for the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)
- Canadian Centre for Housing Rights (CCHR), and The Right to Housing for Tenants with Disabilities in Canada (Co-applicant) funded by SSHRC.