Guiding Principles of the CIHR External Advisory Committee on Accessibility and Systemic Ableism

Members of the External Advisory Committee on Accessibility and Systemic Ableism agree to a set of principles to guide the approach and work of the committee.

Guiding Principles

• System-level approach

  Focus on identifying, preventing, and removing systemic barriers to accessibility and root causes of systemic ableism, discrimination, and inequalities in the health research funding system. This approach includes collaboration with institutional, federal/ provincial/ territorial and other stakeholders.

• Inclusive process

  Commit to meaningful engagement with persons with disabilities and their organizations. Ensure persons with disabilities and their own organizations inform the work of the committee.

• Transparent and evidence-based approach

  Ensure our approach is transparent and informed by evidence, which includes lived experience as a valid form of evidence. Goals and outcomes will be measurable and publicly reported.

• Distinctness and intersectionality

  Recognize that persons with disabilities do not experience barriers to accessibility and systemic ableism in the same ways. Approaches and decisions should consider intersectionality and minimize harm. Due to the nature of the committee’s work, it is not possible to guarantee that harm will never occur during meetings.

• Anti-Ableism

  Recognize that systemic ableism exists in higher education and research funding systems. Be aware that ableism in these systems means that non-disabled people define academic success which limits the careers of researchers and students with disabilities.

• Working with humility and open-mindedness

  Set parameters to make safer spaces, while recognizing that conditions of safety vary from person to person. Be open to having uncomfortable conversations and to engaging with humility. This means recognizing one’s advantages, disadvantages, assumptions, and biases.

• Accountability

  Spaces cannot be made safe unless we agree to hold one another accountable, including those chairing the meetings. Everyone is learning, growing and makes mistakes.

• Empowering communities

  Focus on the empowerment and self-determination of various disability groups. Provide them with a clear role in leading change.

Best Practices for Committee Engagement

• Acknowledge individual responsibility to provide a safer space. Support honest and free discussion.
• Acknowledge the experiences, abilities and knowledges that each individual brings.
• Assume positive intent.
• Recognize that individuals are not expected to speak or communicate on behalf of their entire disability community, gender, career stage, etc.
• Ensure everyone has an opportunity to speak and contribute, should they wish to.
• Practice active attention and listening. Listen to understand, not to react. Ask clarifying questions.
• Challenge ideas, not people.
• Agree to use discretion and keep the specifics of meeting discussions confidential. What is said in meetings, stays there. What is learned, leaves there.

Date modified:

2022-03-17