Youth Leadership Committee

Ainsley is an undergraduate student at the University of British Columbia Okanagan. She is a peer mentor with Spinal Cord Injury BC and creates change by sharing her lived experience. Ainsley contributes to research as a speaker with the goal of improving rehabilitation for people with spinal cord injuries.

Talina is a 2024 recipient of the RHF School Program Difference Maker of the Year Award. Talina is currently an undergraduate student and hopes to one day work in the field of pediatric medicine. As the author of You Taught Me, a children’s book about inclusivity, and the founder of its associated organization under the same name, Talina’s goal is to help champion inclusion. She has had the pleasure of working alongside organizations, schools, and hospitals from across Canada, and her work has been featured on media channels such as CTV and the Toronto Star. 

Alex is a registered kinesiologist currently completing a diploma in Special Education to complement his professional experiences. He has worked and volunteered in a variety of adaptive sports and recreation programs and is passionate about making physical activity more accessible for all. 

Ayyan is very passionate about inclusivity and accessibility, strives to make a difference in his community and was the recipient for a leadership award at his high school. Ayyan has Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and chronic pain and has participated in a CBC Kids session to describe life with a disability and pain condition. Ayyan is very grateful to his parents and mentors who have supported along the way and is looking forward to bringing positive changes to his community.  

Emily is a disabled artist, athlete and activist from Richmond BC who is dedicated to community and disability justice. She holds a Master of Fine Arts, BFA, and an RHF Accessibility Certification. With a contemporary approach to worldbuilding Emily engages glitch theory, the disability concept to misfit, her embodied knowledge and education in accessibility to construct radically inclusive spaces. She works with chance, printmaking, photography, installation, sculpture and collage to respond to her environment, reconstructing it into one where glitches act as structural integrity.  Her practice articulates the precarity required to navigate oppressive barriers within the built environment and is a catharsis for the discomfort of exclusion.   

Kate is a Master of Public Health student at the University of Toronto. Her passion for accessibility and inclusion began during her work with the First Nations Health Authority, where she led a research project exploring how First Nations people define accessibility. This work inspired Kate to go back to school to start her master’s, where she applies public health approaches to advance the creation of inclusive environments and systems through an intersectional lens. 

Maliyah is currently in grade 12 with aspirations to go to business school at Simon Fraser University or the University of British Columbia. She enjoys helping the community, spending time with family and friends and taking part in adapted outdoor activities like paddle boarding and sit-skiing. She is excited to advocate and help educate others from her perspective as someone with Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Sameeha is a first-year student at the University of Toronto Mississauga, pursuing a degree in Communication, Culture, Information, and Technology (CCIT). She is passionate about accessibility and inclusion related to technology design and user experience, with a goal of creating digital spaces that include and empower everyone. As an artist and entrepreneur with her handmade jewellery business, she uses her creativity to promote self-expression and inclusivity. In high school, she was in the Mental Health Awareness Club, where she helped foster a supportive environment and raise awareness about the importance of mental health. Sameeha dedicates herself to ensuring accessibility and inclusivity for everyone, both in the physical world and digital.  

Vasharna is an undergraduate student at Western University, and an accessibility advocate passionate about fostering inclusion for youth with disabilities. She is the Co-President of Prospective Medical Professionals (PuMP), a national charity connecting students to free STEM opportunities, and the author of Through Echo’s Eyes, a children’s braille picture book encouraging early conversations about inclusivity. She has previously volunteered at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital and now conducts research on Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy at the Lawson Health Research Institute, affiliated with St Joseph's Hospital in London, Ontario. Vasharna strives to amplify underrepresented voices and foster more accessible communities.