I also have difficulties getting jobs . People see my chair , or other aspects of my disabilities , and immediately assume I ’ m not capable . Or they will infantilise me by not giving me an opportunity while saying something like , “ We don ’ t want to put too much on your plate ,” as if I ’ m not the best judge of what I ’ m capable in that moment . Then there is the issue of , “ We already have one book / article / essay on this topic . We don ’ t need another .”
Until these intentional limits on representational media are lifted , these issues will continue .
Book publishing industry and people with disabilities — what are your thoughts about that relationship ? In book publishing , progress is being made . Like most things in publishing , it is slow . The good news for disabled authors is many people want their stories . A lot of agents and editors are prioritizing underrepresented communities for the authors they sign . In the United States , there is Disability in Publishing which is a professional group working to make traditional publishing more inclusive . Hopefully something like that will be created in Canada . There have been a couple bad steps by Scholastic recently , but they appear to be learning from their mistakes . Time will tell . I do believe that the demand for more diverse voices will only increase and that this isn ’ t a fad .
In your work as a photographer , stylist , author , and advocate , are there any significant moments or achievements that stand out for you ? I ’ ve had many . Here are a handful from the last couple of years .
As a survivor , I worked with the Minister of Justice / Attorney General ’ s office to ensure transgender people were included in the federal
conversion “ therapy ” ban . I worked with Community Based Research Centre to create the resources on StopConversionPractices . ca . My image From Farm to Table won an excellence during the 2023 Professional Photographers of Canada National Image Competition and is part of the national loan collection . As part of a task force , I helped with research on food insecurity in the Cowichan region , and the creation of a draft food policy for the City of Duncan . And I ’ m a finalist for the Pacific Northwest Book Prize for Crip Up the Kitchen .
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