of Canadians will experience a mental illness before they reach the age of 19, and even more alarming, 25% of our queer students will face homelessness as a result of being outed or coming out to family. “Boys will be boys” is a familiar phrase in violent situations, but this statement signals to people that what is happening is normal instead of addressing the consequences of avoiding the important work needed to reach a peaceful co-existence. Students must encounter a variety of perspectives, experiences, and contexts to develop the ability to contribute to a peaceful future. If gender markers are perpetuated within the classroom, then it only serves to reason that mental health conversations will be difficult for many. Media, socialization, and contextualization are making students
uncomfortable with stepping outside the box. These factors are pivotal to the power and political literacy that students should develop and teachers should support. It is evident that when teachers become fully engaged in their students’ contexts, they can have lasting impacts on their educational environments and the students they teach. For the above reasons, I am proud to be working with three other passionate people on the newly formed CASJ Disability Justice Action Group—Lee, Leah Kelley, and Heather Sallows—to help ensure that our students are supported in the classroom, teachers are supported in the workplace, and the stigma that surrounds people with disabilities—especially invisible disabilities relating to mental health—is eliminated.
CASJ Welcomes a New Action Group: Disability Justice By Nichelle Penney, CASJ Disability Justice Action Group and Kamloops teacher
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t the 2019 BCTF Annual General Meeting, the membership passed a motion creating the newest action group on the Committee for Action on Social Justice (CASJ): Disability Justice—DJ for short. Committee members Lee, Leah Kelley, Nichelle Penney, and Heather Sallows were appointed in August of 2019, and the members met for their first official meeting one month later. Immediately, the group set to work developing a mandate for the action group and encouraging CASJ members to pass the following two recommendations to the BCTF Executive Committee: That the BCTF resolve accessibility issues by updating the online application processes for committees, positions, and other opportunities, allowing members to save, edit, and repurpose files and providing alternatives to online applications. That the BCTF designate accessible visitor parking for members with same-floor access to the elevators. The first motion grew out of the understanding that the BCTF was moving towards an eco-friendly model of submitting applications in order to reduce paper usage. The DJ Action Group wanted to ensure that moving to an online application model would not create accessibility issues. People process and express information differently and therefore should have the opportunity to apply for positions in the manner that best suits their needs. The intent of the second motion was to ensure that all members and visitors have equitable access to the BCTF building. At the time the motion was developed, visitor 2
parking was housed at the bottom level of the parking lot with no immediate elevator access, and the closest parking spot was roughly a 150-meter walk or two sets of stairs away from the elevator. Both recommendations were carried at the October 2019 Executive Committee meeting. The Federation is working to ensure equitable access by providing multiple options to apply for BCTF positions and by moving some of the visitor parking stalls to the same level as the elevator. With this momentum, DJ Action Group members have already begun discussions about possible actions for future meetings.
Disability Justice Action Group mandate • Promote the understanding that full access and participation is impacted by systemic and intersectional barriers experienced by people with disabilities/disabled people, and seek to improve the conditions that compound barriers, including marginalization resulting from racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, economic injustice, environmental factors, and geographic location. • Promote authentic inclusion for diverse learners in public education by providing or creating resources that support the development of pride in identity, familiarity with the history of the disability rights movement, a sense of belonging in the community, and an understanding of advocacy and self-determination that is essential for disabled people to thrive.
BCTF Social Justice Newsletter, Winter/Spring 2020
