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NEADS State of the Schools Tour Hamilton Stop

Join the National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS) and Maccess on March 20, 2025, from 12:00 to 4:00 pm ET, at McMaster University’s CIBC Hall and via Zoom for the Hamilton stop of NEADS’ State of the Schools Tour.

As part of its Virtual Access for All Project, NEADS is partnering with Maccess to host its final hybrid tour stop. The theme, ‘Nothing About Us Without Us: Connection and Visibility for Disabled Students’, will be at the centre of presentations, panel discussions, and a concluding town hall discussion. Further information about Maccess, panelists, and presenters is located below.

In-person participants will be encouraged to mask (if possible) and social distance. A pre-packaged lunch will be provided to in-person participants. ASL interpretation and captioning will be available during the entirety of the event. Registration is required – please register here.

For any further information and/or questions, please contact Chloée C. Godin-Jacques, NEADS’ Educational Programming Director, via email at chloee.godinjacques@neads.ca 

Please note that CIBC is located on the 3rd floor of McMaster University Student Centre (MUSC).  

The State of the Schools Tour is a component of NEADS’ Virtual Access for All project, which is generously supported by Employment and Social Development Canada's Supports for Student Learning Program. 

Meet our Stop Partner – Maccess

Maccess is an MSU peer-support service and community centre run by and for students who identify with or experience disability in any way. This includes, but is not limited to chronic illness, mental health concerns, neurodivergence, d/Deaf or Hard of Hearing, navigating inaccessibility or accessing accommodations, self-diagnosed/identification, and other experiences or identities part of the larger Disability Justice movement.

At Maccess, we aim to build a university campus that celebrates, advocates, and ensures inclusiveness around disability. We provide peer support, educational programming and social events to establish a sense of community for those that self-identify as having disabilities or being disabled. Maccess strives to advocate for and shine a spotlight on the lived experiences of disabled students, and provide resources to help the university community learn about Critical Disability Studies.

For more information about us, please visit https://msumcmaster.ca/service/maccess/  or our in-person space in MUSC B111 (check our IG for our hours)!

Meet our Panelists and Presenters
 
Haya Bakhtiar (she/her)  

Haya Bakhtiar (she/her) is a 4th-year Honours Life Sciences student at McMaster University, specializing in Sensory Motor Systems. She is currently a peer support volunteer at Maccess.

Bazil French (he/him)

Bazil French (he/him) is a level IV Honours English and Cultural studies student. He works as a Peer Support Volunteer at Maccess. When looking to rest and unwind, Bazil enjoys gardening, snuggling with his dogs, or hanging out with his chickens and ducks!
 
Allie McMeekin (she/they)  

Allie McMeekin (she/they) is a first-year student in the Honours Health Sciences program at McMaster University. They are a physically disabled and chronically ill individual, and is deeply committed to fostering inclusivity in academic and community spaces. Allie serves as one of the Resource Executives for Maccess, where they are currently developing an accessibility guide for teaching staff to promote an inclusive and accessible classroom environment for all students. Beyond academics, Allie has been an advocate for disability rights for many years, and continues to share their story to inspire change. Additionally, they work as a camp counselor for campers with disabilities, providing support and mentorship in a fun, inclusive environment!  

Cecil Murphy (they/them)

Cecil Murphy is a fourth year honours social work student at McMaster University. They're a volunteer and training executive at Maccess, and their academic focus is primarily mad studies and disability justice. They love working closely with disabled students to address inaccessibility and foster a strong disability community at Mac!

Calvin Prowse (they/them)

Calvin Prowse (they/them) is a peer worker, futurist, researcher, educator, and creative based in Hamilton. They are an alum of McMaster University and York University, and a professor in the School of Community Services at Seneca Polytechnic. During their time at McMaster, they were involved in a variety of disability and Mad peer support / advocacy groups, including the Hamilton Mad Students’ Collective, MSU Maccess, the Disability Action Group, and Push Back on Mac. Calvin is currently the team lead for the Youth Alliance for Intersectional Justice (YAIJ) peer support program for multimarginalized neurodiverse youth.

Honey Starr (they/she)

Honey Starr is 4th year Honours Social Psychology student at McMaster and a critical disability studies academic. Their areas of expertise lie within the power dynamics present in narratives of self-diagnosis, cripped forms of communication like poetry and the arts, and is enthusiastic about critical neurodiversity, autism, and Mad studies. She is also the current Assistant Director at Maccess, and a previous Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA) recipient.  

For more information:

Chloée C. Godin-Jacques, MA (she/they) | chloee.godinjacques@neads.ca  
NEADS Educational Programming Director | Directeur.rice du programme éducatif de NEADS
National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS) | Association nationale des étudiant(e)s handicapé(e)s au niveau postsecondaire

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