Item - 2023.CA5.2

Candidates' biographies:

Anika Abdullah 

Anika Abdullah is an accessibility specialist of four years with a background in urban planning and universal design. Anika's journey in accessibility and universal design is inspired by her lived experience as an independent, disabled, immigrant woman. She supports the City of Toronto's Access Art to assess the inclusivity of public art across the Greater Toronto Area.

Luke Anderson

In 2015, Luke Anderson co- founded the StopGap Foundation, which raises awareness about the importance of a barrier free and inclusive society. StopGap works with different community leaders across Canada delivering education and resources that inspire societal perspective shifts, the removal of barriers in the built environment, and policy change. Their iconic brightly painted ramps can be found in communities all over Canada. 

Navi Dhanota

Navi Dhanota, Ph.D., is a researcher in Critical Disability Studies, with a focus on accessibility in post-secondary education for Black, Indigenous and People of Colour populations facing disablement. Over the past six years, Navi has worked as an Accessibility Consultant at various Toronto- based post- secondary institutions, playing a vital role in establishing more equitable learning environments. Navi's advocacy has had a significant impact on policy change for post- secondary students with disabilities in Ontario. 

Richard Francis

Richard Francis is a non- practicing Ontario lawyer with an employment background in administrative fairness, social justice law, and public policy. His work experience spans various legal, policy, and student roles, with organizations such as Legal Aid Ontario, and the Income Security Advocacy Centre legal clinic. Richard acted as a research assistant in support of an academic paper on accessibility law, and has volunteered with on-campus disability advocacy organizations. 

Dana Francoz

Dana Francoz is a life-long advocate for accessibility. From a very early age, she supported her mother, (a paraplegic who sustained a spinal cord injury when Dana was a child), who was an accessibility advocate and peer supporter for more than 40 years. Dana was Secretary of the Board of the Clarendon Foundation for Independent Living (2010-2015), and currently serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Spinal Cord Injury Ontario and is an active board member of the Ontario Paraplegic Foundation. 

Miranda Fray

Miranda is a well-seasoned Career Development Professional with extensive experience in being retained by organizations to facilitate change processes and turn-around strategies within Community Employment Services funded by the Ministry of Training to assist the most vulnerable community members. 

Kate Kalcevich

Kate Kalcevich is the Head of Accessibility Innovation at Fable, a leading accessibility testing platform powered by people with disabilities. Kate has championed accessibility primarily for digital services, but also in the area of workplace accommodations, since 2001. Kate herself has a hearing disability and is currently focused on helping large organizations create more inclusive products and services by engaging with assistive technology users. 

Liv Mendelsohn

Liv Mendelsohn is the Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence. Liv has been a lifelong caregiver and has lived experience of disability. She founded and helmed the Wagner Green Centre for Accessibility and Inclusion and ReelAbilities Toronto Film Festival. Liv received the City of Toronto Equity Award, and she is a senior fellow at Massey College and a graduate of the Mandel Institute for Non- Profit Leadership and the Civic Action Diversity Fellowship. 

Sarah Murray

Sarah Murray is a person with a disability who has applied her passion to ensure the diverse needs of persons with disabilities are accommodated to allow full participation in society in her personal and professional life for over twenty years. She was an active member of the Town of Orangeville’s Accessibility Advisory Committee that received the David C. Onley Inaugural Award for Leadership in Accessibility. She has Accessibility Coordination Certification and Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act expertise, and credentials as a Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies. 

Ramsha Naveed

Ramsha Naveed has been working on social impact projects in the public and non-profit sectors for the past 5 years that advance equity, accessibility, and community engagement. She is experienced in working with multi-barrier facing populations through working in the social services on service delivery and improvement projects, and as a student consultant to the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Office at the University of Toronto on accessible stakeholder engagement.

Erik Olaveson

Erik Olaveson has been an advocate of accessible and inclusive design for more than 15 years. As a digital media professional with experience navigating highly regulated environments, he aims to build experiences everyone can use. Currently, he works to identify and remove barriers in the aviation industry as Manager of Digital Experience for the Greater Toronto Airports Authority. He has also worked in the transportation and utilities sectors. Erik is a strategic thinker and problem solver. 

Howard Wax

Howard Wax is a retired Trial Justice of the Peace with the Provincial Court, Criminal Division. He is a Member of: Standards Development and Research, Accessibility Standards Canada; Emergency Measures Committee, Government of Canada; the Advisory Committee for Accessible Transit, Toronto Transit Commission. He co-authored the Accessibility Training Program for Toronto Election Services and delivered the Program to more than 16,000 City of Toronto Election Staff for the 2014 and 2018 elections.

The Civic Appointments Committee recommends that:  

1. City Council appoint the following candidates to the Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee, at the pleasure of Council, for a term of office ending on November 14, 2026, and until successors are appointed:

Anika Abdullah 

Luke Anderson

Navi Dhanota

Richard Francis

Dana Francoz

Miranda Fray

Kate Kalcevich
Liv Mendelsohn

Sarah Murray

Ramsha Naveed

Erik Olaveson

Howard Wax

2. City Council direct that the balance of Confidential Attachment 1 to the report (April 3, 2023) from the Chief People Officer, People and Equity remain confidential as it relates to personal information about identifiable individuals who are being considered for appointment to the Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee.

Candidates' biographies:

Anika Abdullah 

Anika Abdullah is an accessibility specialist of four years with a background in urban planning and universal design. Anika's journey in accessibility and universal design is inspired by her lived experience as an independent, disabled, immigrant woman. She supports the City of Toronto's Access Art to assess the inclusivity of public art across the Greater Toronto Area.

Luke Anderson

In 2015, Luke Anderson co- founded the StopGap Foundation, which raises awareness about the importance of a barrier free and inclusive society. StopGap works with different community leaders across Canada delivering education and resources that inspire societal perspective shifts, the removal of barriers in the built environment, and policy change. Their iconic brightly painted ramps can be found in communities all over Canada. 

Navi Dhanota

Navi Dhanota, Ph.D., is a researcher in Critical Disability Studies, with a focus on accessibility in post-secondary education for Black, Indigenous and People of Colour populations facing disablement. Over the past six years, Navi has worked as an Accessibility Consultant at various Toronto- based post- secondary institutions, playing a vital role in establishing more equitable learning environments. Navi's advocacy has had a significant impact on policy change for post- secondary students with disabilities in Ontario. 

Richard Francis

Richard Francis is a non- practicing Ontario lawyer with an employment background in administrative fairness, social justice law, and public policy. His work experience spans various legal, policy, and student roles, with organizations such as Legal Aid Ontario, and the Income Security Advocacy Centre legal clinic. Richard acted as a research assistant in support of an academic paper on accessibility law, and has volunteered with on-campus disability advocacy organizations. 

Dana Francoz

Dana Francoz is a life-long advocate for accessibility. From a very early age, she supported her mother, (a paraplegic who sustained a spinal cord injury when Dana was a child), who was an accessibility advocate and peer supporter for more than 40 years. Dana was Secretary of the Board of the Clarendon Foundation for Independent Living (2010-2015), and currently serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Spinal Cord Injury Ontario and is an active board member of the Ontario Paraplegic Foundation. 

Miranda Fray

Miranda is a well-seasoned Career Development Professional with extensive experience in being retained by organizations to facilitate change processes and turn-around strategies within Community Employment Services funded by the Ministry of Training to assist the most vulnerable community members. 

Kate Kalcevich

Kate Kalcevich is the Head of Accessibility Innovation at Fable, a leading accessibility testing platform powered by people with disabilities. Kate has championed accessibility primarily for digital services, but also in the area of workplace accommodations, since 2001. Kate herself has a hearing disability and is currently focused on helping large organizations create more inclusive products and services by engaging with assistive technology users. 

Liv Mendelsohn

Liv Mendelsohn is the Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence. Liv has been a lifelong caregiver and has lived experience of disability. She founded and helmed the Wagner Green Centre for Accessibility and Inclusion and ReelAbilities Toronto Film Festival. Liv received the City of Toronto Equity Award, and she is a senior fellow at Massey College and a graduate of the Mandel Institute for Non- Profit Leadership and the Civic Action Diversity Fellowship. 

Sarah Murray

Sarah Murray is a person with a disability who has applied her passion to ensure the diverse needs of persons with disabilities are accommodated to allow full participation in society in her personal and professional life for over twenty years. She was an active member of the Town of Orangeville’s Accessibility Advisory Committee that received the David C. Onley Inaugural Award for Leadership in Accessibility. She has Accessibility Coordination Certification and Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act expertise, and credentials as a Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies. 

Ramsha Naveed

Ramsha Naveed has been working on social impact projects in the public and non-profit sectors for the past 5 years that advance equity, accessibility, and community engagement. She is experienced in working with multi-barrier facing populations through working in the social services on service delivery and improvement projects, and as a student consultant to the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Office at the University of Toronto on accessible stakeholder engagement.

Erik Olaveson

Erik Olaveson has been an advocate of accessible and inclusive design for more than 15 years. As a digital media professional with experience navigating highly regulated environments, he aims to build experiences everyone can use. Currently, he works to identify and remove barriers in the aviation industry as Manager of Digital Experience for the Greater Toronto Airports Authority. He has also worked in the transportation and utilities sectors. Erik is a strategic thinker and problem solver. 

Howard Wax

Howard Wax is a retired Trial Justice of the Peace with the Provincial Court, Criminal Division. He is a Member of: Standards Development and Research, Accessibility Standards Canada; Emergency Measures Committee, Government of Canada; the Advisory Committee for Accessible Transit, Toronto Transit Commission. He co-authored the Accessibility Training Program for Toronto Election Services and delivered the Program to more than 16,000 City of Toronto Election Staff for the 2014 and 2018 elections.

This purpose of this report is to have City Council appoint twelve public members to the Toronto Accessibility Advisory Committee.