disability awareness

Next-gen orthotic wins

Henry Chodos, a Grade 6 student from Vancouver Talmud Torah, won ADI’s sixth annual Make the Change Challenge and received the $1,000 grand prize. (photo from ADI)

In its sixth year, ADI’s Make the Change Challenge STEM accessible design contest drew more than 379 entries from students across North America – and Vancouver Talmud Torah sixth grader Henry Chodos won the contest’s $1,000 grand prize.

Chodos’s award-winning vision is a lightweight and slim-fitting orthopedic brace that automatically adjusts to provide users with rigidity and flexibility as needed.

Having struggled for years with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), a rare autoimmune disorder that causes muscular weakness and sensory loss in the limbs, Chodos set out to help himself and others by designing NeuroStride, an orthotic with built-in micro sensors that would intuitively correct gait irregularities and allow users to make adjustments via an easy-to-use app, with no medical professional required.

The Make the Change Challenge is run by ADI (adi-israel.org), Israel’s network of specialized rehabilitative care for those touched by and living with disability, to mark Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month. The contest promotes “selfless STEM” (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and encourages students to hack the modern world to help people with disabilities overcome the challenges that hinder their independence and inclusion.

Instead of developing prototypes, entrants were asked to prepare compelling presentations that clearly explain how their solutions would solve the persistent accessibility issues they chose to tackle. In his contest submission, Chodos, who wears braces 24 hours a day, noted that the orthotics currently available are very uncomfortable, take a long time to mold to one’s body, don’t allow for growth and are prohibitively expensive. What’s more, they spotlight his condition and keep him from doing the things he loves.

poster - Henry Chodos’s NeuroStride took ADI’s top prize — Henry Chodos’s NeuroStride took ADI’s top prize. (image from ADI)

“When my CIPD flares up, I can’t ride or play basketball with my friends, and I can never sit on the ground in class or during assemblies, because I can’t stand back up in my braces,” he explained. “I don’t like feeling different, and I wanted to create an orthotic that would provide me and others living with CIPD, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida and other conditions with the support we need, just without all of the unwanted strain and attention.”

Upon reading Chodos’s presentation, the contest’s judges – which included members of ADI’s professional staff, innovation journalists and specialists in the field of accessible design – were overwhelmed by the young inventor’s maturity, creativity and attention to detail, and inspired by his desire to draw from his own experiences to change the world.

“To be honest, Henry’s presentation left us speechless. We work so hard promoting our ADI Bechinuch disability inclusion programming and helping students develop an empathetic worldview, but Henry flipped the script and became our teacher. His life experience has molded a passionate and compassionate educator and innovator, and he put on a masterclass in perseverance, perspective and vision throughout this competition,” said ADI’s North American director of advancement . “We are thrilled that we were able to provide Henry with a stage upon which to shine, and we truly believe that his brilliant design has the potential to become a reality and make the world a kinder and more accessible place.”

Nearly 50 Jewish schools across North America – including many affiliated with JNF-USA – used the ADI Bechinuch programming last year, employing the in-class activities and disability simulations, virtual tours and STEM contest to encourage the next generation of Jewish leaders to see the world through the eyes of others.

As February ended, ADI’s panel of experts met with the contest’s top five finalists, their parents and their teachers via Zoom to discuss the entries in greater detail. Following some discussion, the proceedings concluded with Chodos being crowned the contest winner and presented with the $1,000 grand prize, a gift from the Avraham and Esther Klein Young Entrepreneurs Fund.

The “Final 5” also included entries from students at the Ramaz School in New York, NY; Brauser Maimonides Academy in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Hochberg Lower School (Posnack East) in Hallandale, Fla.; and the Bornblum Community School in Memphis, Tenn.

To learn more about ADI and to donate, visit adi-israel.org.

– Courtesy ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran

With the help of friends

“‘You’re dead, Weiss!’ Declan shouted. He turned back to his friends. ‘This is our chance. Let’s get him!’”

And so the chase after sixth-grader Matthew Weiss begins, led by bully classmate Declan Bollard, with Declan’s three followers right behind. It leads to an adventure all the kids might have been happy to forego, but also a lesson in humanity that they all needed, even the bullied Matthew, who discovers not only his self-worth, but that people who seem to have everything going for them probably don’t.

Michael Seidelman’s latest novel for readers around Matthew and Declan’s age – called Imaginary Heroes – is propelled by fear and anger but resolved by putting those feelings to constructive use, refusing to be defined by others, trusting in ourselves and braving the day, whatever challenges we face.

Like the character of Matthew, Seidelman has Tourette’s Syndrome and was bullied growing up because of it, which makes his descriptions of Matthew’s feelings so realistic that readers’ hearts will break a little.

Most kids ignore Matthew’s involuntary actions and sounds, a few laugh, but Declan menaces, with Booker, Booker’s twin sister Sam, and Cricket as an audience. After a particularly nasty incident at lunch, where, thanks only to Booker’s intervention, Declan steals Matthew’s dessert instead of beating him up, Seidelman writes:

“The bell rang, and Matthew did his best to hold back his tears until the lunchroom was empty. Then he let it all out. Every day, he had to deal with those jerks, and this wasn’t even one of the worst days. At least Declan hadn’t hurt him physically this time. So far, at least.”

Arriving just in time for class nonetheless, the teacher berates Matthew for not getting there earlier. The adults – teachers and other kids’ parents – are little help to Matthew, just as they were to Seidelman as he was bullied growing up.

“Though many teachers and school administrators were of little to no help with the bullying I endured, there were a few who stood up for me, and those individuals have not been forgotten,” writes Seidelman in the acknowledgements. “And again, I must thank my parents and family; without their support, I truly don’t know where I would be today.”

The character of Matthew also has a supportive, loving family. And he has two imaginary friends, who not only help get him through the school days, but really step up when he, Declan, Booker, Sam and Cricket find themselves in a literal hole, with no apparent way out. The journey that ensues is a danger-filled adventure during which all the kids find out more about themselves and one another, and what bravery and humanity entail not only in life-threatening moments, but also in life in general.

To purchase an electronic or hard copy of Imaginary Heroes, or Seidelman’s Garden of Syn trilogy, visit michaelseidelman.com.

Exhibit inspired by roots and wings

Roots and Wings at Zack Gallery features a wide range of artwork, including the painting “Princess Love” by Grace Tang. (photo by Olga Livshin)

Roots and Wings, the seventh annual exhibition of JCC inclusion services, opened at Zack Gallery on Jan. 30. The show marks February as Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month. Most participating artists are either members of Art Hive, JCC inclusion services’ art branch, or members of similar programs in other localities. Such programs offer people with developmental disabilities art classes and workshops, and help emerging artists with instructions and materials.

The show’s theme is Roots and Wings. On the one hand, roots represent a deep connection to our origins: biological, ethnic and geographic. On the other hand, wings denote our striving to fly towards new beginnings and new understandings.

photo - “Shoes” by Jasmine Winkler Stobbe — “Shoes” by Jasmine Winkler Stobbe. *(photo by Olga Livshin)*

Many artists responded to the challenging theme. The exhibition includes paintings, ceramics and 3D installations. The images vary from detailed beaded jewelry by Mikaela Zitron to the flowery landscape “Walking through the Meadow Land” by Theresa Kinahan. Small raku ceramics of birds and hamsa (hands) by different Art Hive potters stand beside the colourful and whimsical acrylic “Paisley Cat” by Calvin Ho.

Trees and roots also served as the inspiration for a few pieces. Among them, the most unusual is “Shoes” by Jasmine Winkler Stobbe. Roots painted in a quiet blue palette enhance the standard black fabric shoes’ tops, inviting everybody to try them on.

But most artists went with the subject of birds, so fitting to the theme of wings. Small, everyday birds decorate Jerry Zhou’s charming totes. Strange, fantastic birds look haughtily at the viewer from Hadeeb Hamidi’s painting “Mystical Birds.” A regal peacock with its gorgeous tail struts across a simple landscape in Grace Tang’s “Princess Love.” And, while owls in several paintings are instantly recognizable, the driftwood bird sculpture “Fusion of Nature” by Melody Edgars feels like an embodiment of a proud sea bird with a powerful beak and a curious nature.

photo - “Fusion of Nature” by Melody Lorna Edgars — “Fusion of Nature” by Melody Lorna Edgars. *(photo by Olga Livshin)*

Many artists depicted chickens: small and large, yellow and multicoloured, familiar and exotic. Matthew Tom-Wing’s humorous “Nobody Here but Chicken” seems to represent this flock of chicken fairly well.

Some artists have participated in these annual shows before. For others, this is their first time at the Zack. One of the newcomers is Shiri Barak Gonen, the new inclusion services coordinator.

“My career went in a kind of crooked line,” said Gonen in an email interview. “I started working in the Israeli tech industry when I was 23, freshly discharged from military service. I worked with computers in both technical and managerial roles while I completed my bachelor’s degree in psychology, followed by a music therapy program, on evenings and weekends. Afterwards, I worked for a few years as a music therapist with kids of all ages and with a range of challenges. Some years later, I found my way back to the tech industry, until we decided to relocate to Vancouver. We arrived in Canada in 2024.”

Newly hired, Gonen has given lots of thought to her new position. “The inclusion coordinator role is composed of two aspects,” she explained. “First, the managerial tasks such as staff and budget management and strategic planning. The other aspect is the direct and intensive interactions with the inclusion population, which requires sensitivity and a constant awareness of the needs of others. Both aspects are reflected in my personality and in my previous jobs.”

She added: “My current position is very different from my past jobs. In my last role, I was writing software code … and managing teams. Before, when I worked as a music therapist, I had a chance to work with my students and their families, but being a therapist puts you at a different angle than a program instructor. My focus will always be therapeutic, but I find much more pleasure in sharing hot chocolate and a chat with a group rather than analyzing their behaviour as a therapist. The essence of my new job is to establish meaningful relationships and mutual trust. We are building such a connection now.”

Another newbie at the Zack Gallery is an experienced Vancouver artist – Pierre Leichner.

“I have always been artistic,” Leichner said in a telephone interview. “Photography, ceramics, other creative outlets. But, when I graduated from high school, my family and I decided that, for better employment opportunities, I should go into science. I didn’t mind. I liked science too.”

He became a psychiatrist and worked in the profession for more than 30 years.

“In 2002, I decided I couldn’t do it anymore,” he said. “The medical system turned too entrepreneurial, too corporate and dehumanizing.” So, he revisited his first love – art. He enrolled at Emily Carr University of Art + Design and received his bachelor’s in fine arts in 2007. In 2011, he completed his master’s in fine arts at Concordia University in Montreal.

“Mostly I do visual arts,” he said. “Sculpture, photography, videos and paintings. I also do some performing arts, and I dabble in theatre,” he said. “I have my own YouTube channel, which deals with environmental issues.”

photo - Some of Pierre Leichner’s GrassRoots Project masks — Some of Pierre Leichner’s GrassRoots Project masks. *(photo from Pierre Leichner)*

A multidisciplinary artist with widespread interests, Leichner considers community involvement of utmost importance. In 2017, he founded the Vancouver Outsider Arts Festival, which provides opportunities to marginalized visual and performing artists. He still serves as its artistic director. He is also a member of the Connection Salon collective and sits on the board of the Community Arts Council of Vancouver.

“I like to explore the possibilities on the cusp of art and science,” he said. “There are similarities between the two, and both examine the foundations of human existence.”

The GrassRoots Project he presented for the current Zack show fuses science and arts and illustrates Leichner’s interdisciplinary approach.

“I saw the call for this show, and it fit my GrassRoots Project perfectly,” he said. “The project started in 2011, when Britannia Community Centre received a grant to celebrate people with the deepest grassroots contributions: teachers, artists, musicians.”

Over the years, Leichner has made about a dozen sculptural masks of those people, plus some of his friends and colleagues, employing a traditional Mediterranean technique. “I use wheatgrass,” he explained. “I make a mold of their face masks and plant wheatgrass within. The roots take the shape of the face, while the grass grows out like hair. It takes about three weeks to grow each portrait. The grass becomes part of the sculpture, the means of my artistic expression.”

Each mask is a symbol, echoing the synergy of humans and nature. “In this way,” the artist said, “nature imitated us in celebrating our community at this time of great ecological concern. We all need roots. We have them within our bodies. We also have them with our family and our community.”

Roots and Wings is on until March 2.

Olga Livshin is a Vancouver freelance writer. She can be reached at [email protected].

Not-so-accessible city

Lenard Stanga as Hugh and Cadence Rush Quibell as Shiloh in Realwheels Theatre’s Disability Tour Bus podcast, which will be released July 17. (photo by Rashi Sethi)

On July 17, Realwheels Theatre releases its new production, Disability Tour Bus, as a radio play podcast available for streaming at realwheels.ca.

Written for podcast platforms by Amy Amantea and Jewish community member Rena Cohen, Disability Tour Bus follows Shiloh, a young wheelchair-user, as they navigate their first day as a guide for Funcouver Bus Tours. Working alongside longtime employee and relentless dad-joker Hugh, Shiloh struggles to stick to the Funcouver script when so much of “Canada’s most wheelchair-accessible city” is still so inaccessible. People and politics collide until a new passenger, Tess, comes aboard and offers common ground. The tour must go on! Because there’s someone special waiting for Tess at the end. At least she hopes there is.

The role of Hugh is played by Lenard Stanga, Jewish community member Cadence Rush Quibell plays Shiloh, and co-writer Amantea is Tess. The cast is rounded out by Mack Gordon, Caitlyn Bairstow, Ian Hanlin and Lauren Jackson playing multiple parts.

“As a wheelchair-user, I’ve heard that whole ‘most accessible city’ line a lot,” said Realwheels co-artistic director Adam Grant Warren. “It’s a big part of the reason I moved to Vancouver from the other side of the country. I’ve been here for 16 years now. After hundreds of busted elevators, torn-up sidewalks and too-full buses, I know Vancouver has a lot of work to do. Access-wise it means well, but it’s a mess sometimes. For me, that’s one of the most interesting tensions in this project: the attempt to create access when no one thought to ask what those of us who are looking for it actually need.”

– Courtesy Realwheels Theatre

Community milestones … Chodos, Louis Brier Home & Weinberg Residence, & Barclay

Amy Chodos, a Grade 4 student from Vancouver Talmud Torah, was chosen as the winner of ADI’s fourth annual Make the Change Challenge. (photo from ADI)

In its fourth year, ADI’s Make the Change Challenge STEM accessible design contest drew more than 254 entries from students across North America, but Vancouverite Amy Chodos secured the contest’s $1,000 grand prize by envisioning a simple application that can make the world a more accessible place for people struggling with ADHD and other neurodevelopmental disorders.

Run by ADI (adi-israel.org), Israel’s network of specialized rehabilitative care for those touched by and living with disability, to mark Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month (#JDAIM) in February, the contest promotes “selfless STEM” and encourages students to hack the modern world to help people with disabilities overcome the challenges that hinder their independence and inclusion.

Chodos, a fourth-grade student from Vancouver Talmud Torah, drew from her own challenges in the classroom to conceive of the Step-O-Maker, an app that uses artificial intelligence to record complex spoken instructions and then break them down into easy-to-follow checklists that can guide students through an entire process.

“As someone with ADHD, I find that starting tasks is often overwhelming, and I need help to understand where to begin. My mother teaches children with hearing loss, and I realized that an app like this could also help her students in the classroom,” explained Chodos. “I wanted to create something that could help a lot of people by making listening and understanding easier in class and making learning more fun and enjoyable.”

Instead of developing prototypes, contest entrants were asked to prepare compelling presentations that clearly explain how the original solutions they are envisioning would solve the persistent accessibility issues they choose to tackle. Chodos prepared a PowerPoint presentation that clearly explained her challenges and brought her inspired solution to life.

“Year after year, our ADI Bechinuch (ADI in Education) disability inclusion programming spotlights the inaccessibility of our world and our communal responsibility to make a change,” said Elie Klein, ADI’s director of development for the United States and Canada. “From November through February, students from our partner schools across North America become true agents of change while researching and developing original accessible design ideas in order to participate in our STEM contest, and the results are always awe-inspiring.

“We are so impressed by Amy’s poise and creativity, and the brilliant simplicity of her idea,” continued Klein. “But it’s clear to me that this exceptional young inventor always saw beyond the contest. At just 9 years old, Amy is on a mission; she genuinely wants to see this app developed so it can start to help people. This kind of leadership is what ADI Bechinuch is all about.”

More than 40 Jewish schools across North America used the ADI Bechinuch programming this year, employing the in-class activities, virtual tours and STEM contest to encourage the next generation of Jewish leaders to see the world through the eyes of others.

On Feb. 25, ADI’s panel of experts, including members of ADI’s professional staff, innovation journalists and specialists in the field of accessible design, met with the contest’s top-five finalists and their parents and teachers via Zoom to discuss the entries in greater detail. Following an uplifting discussion, the proceedings concluded with Amy Chodos being chosen as the contest winner and presented with the $1,000 prize, a gift from the Avraham and Esther Klein Young Entrepreneurs Fund.

To learn more about ADI, visit adi-israel.org.

– Courtesy ADI

* * *

Louis Brier Home and Hospital and Weinberg Residence (LBHH&WR) has officially been recognized as a 2023 Nonprofit Employer of Choice (NEOC) Award Recipient for its commitment to providing an exceptional work life experience for its employees.

“I am so proud and grateful for us to have received this recognition award, now four years in a row, from 2020 to 2023. It’s incredible how much our work culture has improved over the last four years,” said Loren Tisdelle, director of human resources in a special announcement held during the organization’s monthly Louis Brier LIFE Day. “The ‘Louis Brier LIFE’ is felt as soon as you walk into the building. Every year, we offer new and exciting programs while improving upon our current engagement initiatives. Last year, we launched Take Our Kids to Work Day and a masquerade ball, which were enormous successes. Engagement, inclusion and appreciation continue to be hallmarks of our work life at LBHH&WR.

“This is our award. Each and every employee makes LHBB&WR what it is today,” said Tisdelle. “We all come to work to make a difference, we actively engage in work life and, as a community, we make working at LBHH&WR a second-to-none employment experience.”

The LBHH&WR leadership team and its board of directors recognize the contributions and impact of its employees towards achieving the organization’s mission and vision to become a centre of excellence. It is through their hard work and dedication that the organization continues to make a positive impact on residents and families while upholding the positive reputation LBHH&WR has as a home and an employer.

More information about the NEOC Awards can be found at neoc.ca.

* * *

On April 2, just as National Autism Acceptance Month begins, Rowman & Littlefield will release the paperback edition of the multi-award-winning parenting and travel guide Traveling Different: Vacation Strategies for Parents of the Anxious, the Inflexible and the Neurodiverse by Dawn M. Barclay.

Dawn M. Barclay at a book signing for Traveling Different: Vacation Strategies for Parents of the Anxious, the Inflexible and the Neurodiverse, which will come out in paperback April 2. (photo from travelingdifferent.com)

In 2023, the hardcover and e-book edition won the Lowell Thomas Gold Award (guidebook category) from the Society of American Travel Writers Foundation, garnered first prize in the Maxy Awards (inspirational/self-help category), was a finalist in the Best Indie Book Awards in both the travel and parenting categories, and won honourable mention in ASJA Arlene Awards for Books that Make a Difference. Traveling Different also received a starred review in August 2022 from Library Journal, who called the book “an essential read, not only for parents of autistic or otherwise neurodivergent children but for all families.”

In Traveling Different, Barclay presents travel strategies and anecdotes from a range of sources. The heart of the book outlines suggested itineraries for spectrum families as well as venues that cater to the unique special interests that are characteristic of individuals with invisible disabilities, culminating with a guide of travel agents who specialize in special needs travel and lists of organizations that advocate for special needs families. (For more on the book, see jewishindependent.ca/invest-the-time-to-prepare.)

“I’m thrilled the book will now be available in paperback, which makes it more affordable for all families,” said Barclay, who has appeared on close to 100 podcasts and interviews on video, radio and television since the book’s initial launch. Barclay prints updates on her Traveling Different website (travelingdifferent.com), as well as exclusive content on medium.com.

– Courtesy Rowman & Littlefield

Finding their place in theatre

Cadence Rush Quibell has their debut at Theatre Under the Stars this summer. (photo by Veronica Bonderud / The Portrait Sessions)

Cadence Rush Quibell makes their debut with Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS) this summer in The Prom, which alternates with Matilda, until Aug. 26 at the Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park.

Growing up in Port Coquitlam, Rush Quibell was homeschooled from Grade 2 to Grade 10. As a young person, they took up musical theatre, joining a junior, amateur-level production company.

“It was the only thing to do,” they told the Independent. “It was what all the homeschool kids did at the time.”

Musical theatre felt comfortable and aligned with their strong sense of creativity. “It was totally up my alley,” they said, and it was not long until they fell in love with the art form. When they moved to a public school for grades 11 and 12, Rush Quibell upheld this passion, participating in their school’s annual productions.

Rush Quibell stopped performing after they graduated. They would regularly tell their wife Jenn how much they missed theatre but, as a wheelchair user, they felt certain that the world of theatre had no space for them. As a kid, Rush Quibell did not use a wheelchair or identify as a person with disabilities.

In the summer of 2021, Rush Quibell chanced upon a Facebook advertisement for Realwheels Theatre, which, its website explains, “creates and produces performances that deepen understanding of the disability experience. We tell stories in which disability itself is not the focus of conflict, but rather forms the landscape upon which universal issues are debated onstage.”

photo - Cadence Rush Quibell has their debut at Theatre Under the Stars this summer — Cadence Rush Quibell has their debut at Theatre Under the Stars this summer. (photo by Veronica Bonderud / The Portrait Sessions)

Rush Quibell found a call for auditions and “it felt perfect,” they recalled. They remember bursting into tears at the “possibility of theatre being possible for me again.” It was their wife Jenn who encouraged them to audition, despite some of Rush Quibell’s health concerns and the logistical challenge of commuting from their home in Langley to Vancouver, where the program was located. “She was there to remind me of who I am,” they said of Jenn.

Rush Quibell’s experience at Realwheels “opened a lot of doors,” they said, not only reminding them of their love for theatre, but giving industry exposure that would lead to subsequent projects. They said it was great to learn from the Realwheels instructors and to be surrounded by Vancouver’s local theatre community. Such access to advice from seasoned professionals, as well as a close community of fellow actors, was “invaluable,” they said.

This period of self-discovery, as Rush Quibell called it, coincided with an exploration of their religious identity. They were curious about exploring Judaism, despite being raised in a Christian household and distancing themselves from religion during adolescence. Their fascination with Judaism formed through conversations with Jewish friends and from connecting with Jewish people on social media. “I didn’t realize you could convert,” they said. “It was a feeling of, ‘I think I found it,’ and ‘this feels right.’” They said the community at Temple Sholom made them feel welcome and comfortable enough to explore Judaism. Days before our interview, Rush Quibell’s conversion became official.

During their time at Realwheels, Rush Quibell learned about a musical theatre course offered by the Arts Club. Musical Theatre 101, led by Peter Jorgenson, provided an amateur setting that allowed them to gain confidence for professional auditions. With this new foundation, when Rush Quibell came across a Facebook post about TUTS auditions for The Prom, they seized the opportunity. Jorgenson and other Arts Club instructors helped them prepare an audition song and organize sheet music.

After securing a role in the show’s ensemble, Rush Quibell faced the challenge of navigating their wheelchair use. TUTS was very accommodating, they said, renting a lift for them to get on and off stage – which was, admittedly, “a little terrifying” to navigate at first.

TUTS continues to remain dedicated to improving accessibility, said Rush Quibell, noting that they are not the first disabled performer at TUTS, just the first wheelchair user. “It’s difficult being the first at anything, but it is also super-rewarding,” they acknowledged.

“This is a really neat experience,” they said, highlighting the importance of authentic and diverse representation on stage.

Reflecting on their own theatre journey, Rush Quibell shared, “If I went to a show and saw a wheelchair user on stage, perhaps I would have gone into theatre sooner.” They are hopeful that their work on The Prom can set a precedent for future disabled actors who aspire to join TUTS, or the theatre in general. “We’re showing the audience and everyone I’m working with that this is a totally viable and normal thing to do,” they said.

Authenticity and acceptance are core messages of The Prom. The production follows four Broadway stars who travel to small-town Indiana to support a local student, Emma, in challenging the rules and expectations of her community so she can take her girlfriend to the prom. Rush Quibell highlighted that, while the show explicitly addresses LGBTQ+ inclusion, its themes extend to anyone seeking meaningful representation and inclusion. “We are talking about literally everyone, not just gay and straight,” they said.

Participating in TUTS has been a great experience for Rush Quibell, and they were looking forward to opening night when the Independent interviewed them.

The cast has been kind and supportive, frequently sharing information on upcoming theatre projects and auditions, said Rush Quibell, adding that The Prom’s story resonates with many of their castmates.

Rush Quibell’s role in the show’s ensemble has been “a blast” – they get to balance singing, dancing and acting, doing so with energy and enthusiasm. In this show’s ensemble, “you do everything,” they said.

Our interview ended with Rush Quibell saying The Prom promises to be a heartwarming, comedic and vibrant production a story well worth sharing in 2023.

For tickets to the show, and to Matilda, visit tuts.ca.

Alisa Bressler is a fourth-year student at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont. She is an avid reader and writer, and the online director of the arts and culture publication MUSE Magazine. Bressler is a member of the Vancouver Jewish community, and the inaugural Baila Lazarus Jewish Journalism Intern.

A new creative arts market

Siblings Becky, left, and Margaux Wosk (photo from We Belong!)

The first-ever We Belong! Festival will take place Aug. 27 in Downtown Vancouver. Organized by siblings Margaux and Becky Wosk, We Belong! is a “one-of-a-kind creative arts market with a focus on giving disabled artists the opportunity to showcase and sell their art.”

Margaux Wosk is a self-taught artist, an activist and a disability rights advocate, fighting for disabled small business owners to get resources. Becky Wosk is an artist, designer, writer and musician; she and Emmalee Watts form the duo Hollow Twin.

Margaux Wosk started their business, Retrophiliac (shopretrophiliac.com), more than 10 years ago. Its focus is on visual art.

“Being an openly autistic person,” said Wosk, “I found that there was a void in the marketplace for the type of items I wanted to see and purchase.

“My business has really ramped up in the last five years,” they continued, “and I focus on autistic, neurodiversity and disability pride items, such as enamel pins, patches and stickers. I design retro-inspired pins, stickers and patches as well. I also have other items I offer and I have over 26 retailers between Canada and the United States.”

Wosk also uses their business “as a way to talk to the government about disabled small business owners” and they have gone to the provincial budget meeting two years in a row “to rally for funding and resources for other people like myself.”

They explained, “Currently, as it stands, we have no resources, and any of the funding that goes to ‘inclusive employment’ only goes to employers that hire disabled people, not disabled people who own their own business.”

Part of the mission of the We Belong! Festival is to raise awareness.

“I have been part of other markets and I do enjoy it, but none of them meet all of my needs,” said Wosk. “I find that sometimes there are financial barriers, sometimes the events are just too long and I find that it can take a toll on my mind and body. I wanted to create something with little barriers for other disabled artists and we were lucky enough to be the recipients of the Downtown Vancouver BIA’s [Public Space] Vibrancy Grant. This way, we won’t have to charge our vendors any costs and we can provide them tables, canopies and chairs. I want people to see what we’re all capable of.”

The Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association helped secure the market’s space at 855 West Hastings St. (Lot 19), and it is being provided free of charge. The location, which is between Burrard and Howe streets, is close to Waterfront Station and other public transit points.

“Once the location and date were confirmed,” said Becky Wosk, “we were able to figure out how many vendors we can accommodate and, from there, we put out a call to artists/makers. We have a specific budget to work with, so we have been able to gather quotes for the supplies we will need to make this event successful.

“When working on an event,” she said, “it’s important to work backwards from the date that you have secured and determine what needs to be ordered/booked in advance of that date – for example, canopies need to be booked 30 days out etc. [There are] lots of small details to be mindful of!”

In addition to the vendors who will be selling their creations, the market will include four nonprofits: Artists Helping Artists, Curiko, the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver’s Art Hive, which is run by Leamore Cohen, and the BC People First Society, on whose board Margaux Wosk sits, as regional director, Lower Mainland West.

While the deadline to apply as an exhibitor has passed, the Wosks are still looking for volunteers to help with set up and tear down. Anyone interested should email [email protected].

The Aug. 27 market runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Talking neurodiversity

A Feb. 28 webinar explored the topic of neurodiversity, a term that encompasses a wide range of conditions, including autism, ADHD, dyslexia and Tourette Syndrome.

The talk, organized by PJ Library, Jewish National Fund of Canada Pacific Region, the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver and JCC inclusion services, was part of this year’s recognition of Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month (JDAIM).

“So often there is a grand stigma that a child has to fit the mold of what society wants of them. Our differences are what make us so valuable and so integral to creating positive change. I am thankful for my differences,” said Margaux Wosk, an autistic artist and entrepreneur, who provided introductory remarks.

The panelists for the evening were Dr. Janet Mah, a registered psychologist; Suzanne Ferera, a family counselor and registered occupational therapist; and Michele Shilvock, a certified behaviour analyst. Lisa Romalis, a teacher who is also a parent of a neurodiverse child, was the moderator.

Mah began by discussing common misconceptions regarding ADHD, or attentive deficit hyperactivity disorder. ADHD, she noted, is the broad term applied to capture three manifestations of the disorder: inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity. She explained that ADD (attention deficit disorder) is an outdated term that would fall into the ADHD umbrella.

Children with ADHD might not be easy for educators to spot. “Often they are the quiet daydreamers that don’t disrupt the classroom, or the highly intelligent kids who are underachieving in relation to their own potential,” said Mah, an associate at the Cornerstone Child and Family Psychology Clinic, a clinical assistant professor in the faculty of medicine at the University of British Columbia and an expert in behavioural parent training and cognitive behavioural therapy.

Another misconception stems from the word “deficit” in ADHD. Frequently, a child’s attention will show signs of inconsistency, rather than a deficit, she explained. That is, a child with ADHD may be able to focus on subjects that are of interest to them. The difference lies within the executive functions in the brain, i.e., the ability to make transitions to a less-preferred task, time management, peer relationships, flexible thinking and emotional regulation.

There is, as well, a misconception centring around the use of medication, Mah pointed out. Many fear that those who take medication for ADHD will suffer a “zombie effect” or be susceptible to an increased risk of substance use. Proper treatment, she said, helps increase a positive trajectory for a person. Grades and behaviours may improve, bringing about more self-confidence and better friendships.

Mah emphasized the importance of external supports or adjusting the environment for those with ADHD. “ADHD is not a knowledge deficit,” she said. “It is more of a performance deficit. Most kids with ADHD know what the right thing to do is; they just have difficulty doing it in the moment.”

Ferera shared with the audience some of the parenting strategies she employs. A practitioner of the “calmer, easier, happier” method, founded by British learning and behaviour specialist Noël Janis-Norton, Ferera works as a school counselor and goes into family homes to help children who have behavioural difficulties.

One of the strategies Ferera uses with parents and teachers is descriptive praise. Rather than correcting behaviour or using vague or over-the-top praise to bring about improvement, descriptive praise recognizes the positive behaviours of a child, such as honesty, hard work and kindness.

“When we say ‘good job’ to a child, we are not giving them any useful information about what they did right so that they can do it again. Also, words like ‘awesome’ are not particularly believable to a child who knows they haven’t done anything awesome,” she said.

Descriptive praise is more specific. For example, if a child is being cooperative, a parent might say to them, “I asked you to put your toys away and, look, you’re putting your toys away.”

“The reason it is so important is that we all, as human beings, want to be appreciated, so, if we can use descriptive praise, it helps children understand that they can do the right thing and that they can do it again,” said Ferera, who believes this strategy can bring about a positive attachment in the parent-child relationship.

Shilvock, who has worked in the field of autism and neurodiversity for more than 23 years, supporting children and families through direct intervention design, supervision and parent coaching, described her approach as a behaviour analyst as follows: “Good therapy should be reflective about how learners learn. I am not about turning children into anything other than into the amazing individuals they already are.”

She, too, underscored the importance of environment and celebrating the diversity in neurodiverse children. Further, she stressed understanding a child’s social skills by gathering information and knowing where the “landmines” or potential triggers are. For example, if a child is attending a birthday party, a parent should find out what the plan for the party is ahead of time. This way, they can ascertain if there are any potential issues and decide if it is best for their child to go there without them or if they should accompany the child.

In concluding remarks, Michael Sachs, executive director of JNF Pacific Region, thanked the participants and recognized the wide range of topics covered in the webinar, as well as the need for more conversations on the topic in the future.

Sam Margolis has written for the Globe and Mail, the National Post, UPI and MSNBC.

We all have our limitations

This month, Jewish communities across North America take time to recognize and celebrate one of the world’s largest and often overlooked minorities: persons with disabilities. Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month (JDAIM) was launched by a Jewish educational consortium in February 2009. It’s no surprise that its call to action resonates loudly with Canadians – Canada is believed to be the only country in the world that has disability rights enshrined in its constitution.

As someone with disabilities, I can see why a cold and often blustery month was chosen to mark the need for better inclusion. February weather often comes with its own navigational challenges. For the more than 6.2 million Canadians who live with disabilities, icy streets, cold, rain, snow and dismal skies can be even greater impediments to independence.

As I discovered one winter, however, an inclusive community can also play a significant role in easing those challenges. In 2015, my husband and I were in Idaho caring for his mother when I received word that my mom was in the hospital. I needed to come back to Vancouver.

Returning home wasn’t an issue for me. I had traveled to Vancouver many times to visit and care for family members. Attending Shabbat services at my local synagogue had become a ritual each trip that helped provide balance and focus. The Isaac Waldman Jewish Public Library, which afforded me a place to write, had been my other essential refuge.

But this time there was a problem: I couldn’t make the trip alone. As is true with many people diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, my symptoms were multi-factorial and differed according to the time of year. In this case, my biggest adversary was the ups and downs of winter weather and their impact on my circulatory system. This year, the flares were worse. I knew Happy, my trained service dog, would be needed in order to make the trip. Weighing 50 kilograms and hip-high, my King shepherd was strong enough not only to provide support when I walked, but help me up when I fell.

Judaism has never been terribly comfortable with the idea of an animal stepping inside a synagogue, even a professionally trained service dog. In my grandparents’ time, such considerations would have been unheard of. The prospect of a guide dog inspired lengthy debates by 20th-century rabbis who held wildly differing views about the appropriate accommodation for community members with disabilities. As I picked up the phone to call the synagogue, I readied myself for the possibility that I wouldn’t be attending Shabbat services that trip.

There was an understandable pause on the other end of the line when I asked if I could bring my mobility service dog to services. I was told to hold on; she would ask the rabbi. The answer came almost instantaneously: the congregation would be pleased to welcome us to shul.

If there is anything that these last two years of COVID precautions have underscored, it’s the irreplaceable value of community. Sitting in synagogue and having access to the community resources I cherished during my times in Vancouver helped provide a sense of normalcy while I dealt with my mother’s illness. Happy’s stoic, quiet strength not only gave physical support when I needed it, but a heightened sense to unfamiliar territory. Research has found that service dogs can detect changes in heart rate with a range of medical challenges, including heart conditions and diabetes. More than once, Happy guided me back to a point of safety when he sensed my legs weren’t able to navigate the cold.

To educate the library’s many young visitors about its unusual working visitor, the head librarian at the time, Helen Pinsky, informed patrons of Happy’s visit. The Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver did its part to make us feel welcome as well. Most surprising were the parents’ reactions. Many saw our presence as an opportunity to teach children about respecting the role of a service dog and the person at his side. One mother confided that her little boy, who struggled with his own physical disability, was uplifted when he met Happy.

This issue’s article on disability explores the many ways that Vancouver Jewish institutions are working to increase disability awareness and inclusion. (Click here to read.) The examples are paired against research that suggests that while U.S., Canadian and Israeli Jewish communities continue to make remarkable strides in this area, there’s more that can be done. Building a disability-inclusive community is most successful, the research found, when leadership reflects the society it leads. We spoke with one rabbi who is using his own medical challenges to uplift and inspire those with differing abilities in his community.

I have come to realize over the years that a truly inclusive community is one that sees no limitations in how it defines capacity. We all have our limitations, and our unique gifts. We all have our dis-abilities. By bolstering diversity and inclusion in the society in which we live, we not only lift up those beside us, we lift those who will follow after us.

Jan Lee is an award-winning editorial writer whose articles and op-eds have been published in B’nai B’rith Magazine, Voices of Conservative and Masorti Judaism and Baltimore Jewish Times, as well as a number of business, environmental and travel publications. Her blog can be found at multiculturaljew.polestarpassages.com.

Artwork of belonging

Mike Levin’s “Waiting for the Train.”

Community Longing and Belonging is a community art show in celebration of Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month. It opened at the Zack Gallery on Feb. 14.

Curated by Leamore Cohen, inclusion services coordinator at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver, the fourth annual exhibit once again considers the questions, How do we make meaning of the concept of community, the real and the imagined spaces we inhabit? What does community longing look like and what are the possibilities for belonging in an ever-changing world?

Many of the pieces on display were made by artists from JCC Art Hive, a free and low-barrier program for artists with diverse needs. The collection comprises the work of diverse artists, with different levels of experience, perspective, faith and social location.

One of those featured is award-winning artist and writer Sandra Yuen, who is a member of Kickstart Disability Arts and Culture. Her piece, “Exploded,” is based on the prose of Derrick Bauman, an artist and writer, and influenced by pop art, Roy Lichtenstein, and graphic design. In her artist’s statement, Yuen writes, “As a person with schizophrenia, I wanted to express the fractured mind, the cut edges, the shattering of my life experience because of mental illness. However, this rendition is more a poetic image versus the cruel reality of living in madness, paranoia, hysteria and anger. The colours are sweet, the black lines clean and sharp, creating a mythological or romanticized view of insanity. I try to whitewash my life, sanitize the pain out of it, deny the diagnosis, but the illness remains, the weakness, the flaws, the humanity.”

photo - “Exploded” by Sandra Yuen — “Exploded” by Sandra Yuen

Mike Levin’s “Waiting for the Train” is about being shrouded in darkness, yet feeling the abundance of sunshine not far away. It is a metaphor for the continued longing for COVID to end so that we can get back to normal living.

Levin’s paintings are often abstractions of nature or city life that conform to structure of composition. They are amalgamations conjured from his imagination, photos he has taken and memories of his experience of exploring.

Growing up in Calgary, Levin has practised art from a young age, and also plays clarinet and saxophone. He attended the University of Calgary’s fine arts and urban studies programs and, after moving to Vancouver, completed his bachelor’s degree in fine arts at Emily Carr University of Art + Design in 2020.

For the past 20 years, Levin has lived with schizo-affective disorder, which he controls through medication and being active in the arts and mental health communities. He has taught drawing and painting at Vancouver General Hospital, the Art Studios, Gallery Gachet and privately within the community; he also works part-time in carpentry. His art has been sold in Canada and the United States to more than 70 private collectors.

Mark Li is a Vancouver-based visual artist whose narrative-focused work creates a whimsical world filled with colour and imagination, as his untitled work in this exhibit shows. Every painting is a tale of friendship and acts of kindness: a bear might be best friends with a cat; a T-Rex smiles with shy humour and sweetness at the viewer; a lady bug and a cat might go dancing in the sunlight; a simple walk in the park with a friend and his dog is a delightful adventure – anything could happen and they could meet anyone.

photo - “Untitled” by Mark Li — “Untitled” by Mark Li

Rickie Sugars’ “Like Minded” is an example of his unique style of painting in abstract cubism expressionism, using bold colours and black outlines.

A seasoned professional artist, Sugars had his first gallery showing, and sold his first painting, at the age of 17. Since then, he has displayed and sold his art in several galleries and art shows throughout British Columbia.

Sugars is a classical animation graduate from Vancouver Film School. He started creating animated characters well before graduation, resulting in a partnership in an animation company that went on for many years. Continuing his artistic path, he began tattooing in 2004 and has his own tattoo shop. He also designs sculptures created from broken toys.

A few years ago, during an attempt to assist a woman who was being attacked, Sugars received a traumatic brain injury. He had to re-learn everything, including how to talk – however, it did not stop his artistic endeavours. Today, you will find Sugars painting on canvass (or any surface, really), crafting stickers, postcards, wall murals, sand and wood sculptures, and interior/exterior commissioned graffiti.

“My artwork is influenced by media, fads, plus social, political and cultural issues,” he writes in his artist statement. He wants viewers “to look past the obvious, to treasure and celebrate the unique, the unconventional, the familiar: and to be nonjudgmental. Respect others and support them for who they are. Find the beauty in broken toys, an old door, a broken guitar – take time to look more carefully at things around you and you’ll discover beauty in unusual places.”

Another of the artists contributing to the Community Longing and Belonging exhibit is Adrianne Fitch.

Born in Kew Gardens, Queens, N.Y., Fitch studied English and writing at Pennsylvania State University and has traveled all over the world, including living and studying in Israel. She has lived in Vancouver since 2008 and pursues a number of other art forms. She is also a writer and desktop publisher.

“Having lived with a hearing disability and also struggled with depression all my life,” she writes, “I definitely know what it means to feel isolated. As hearing loss is invisible, people frequently make assumptions about me (e.g. they think I’m stupid, stoned or purposely ignoring them). As I did not begin learning ASL until adulthood, I occupy that grey area between the hearing and deaf worlds. I miss a great deal of communication, both spoken and signed, and have often felt as though I don’t belong anywhere.

“That’s why this art show’s theme, Community Longing and Belonging, is so significant and meaningful to me. Indeed, I have always longed for community and belonging. The Jewish community, with its wonderful heritage and incredible diversity, is very precious to me. In creating these three ceramic menorahs, I have tried to express this diversity, as well as my love for the Jewish people.”

Community Longing and Belonging is at the Zack Gallery until March 17. There is a virtual meet-and-greet with the artists on March 2. Visit jccgv.com/art-and-culture/gallery or email Cohen, [email protected], for more information.

– Courtesy Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver