Michael Bach
, Managing Director
For the past twenty-five years Michael Bach has undertaken research and development on law, policies and programs in Canada and internationally on ways to advance the full inclusion and human rights of persons with disabilities. His research covers a range of policy areas including education, employment, and funding and delivery of community-based services. His particular area of expertise is in legal capacity of people with intellectual disabilities, and he recently completed a study for the Law Commission of Ontario with Lana Kerzner titled A New Legal Paradigm for Protecting Autonomy and the Right to Legal Capacity. He holds a PhD in Sociology and Equity Studies from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto. His dissertation focused on developing a more inclusive theory of personhood on which to challenge the usual equation between intellectual disability and legal incapacity.
Cam Crawford
, Director of Research
Cam Crawford is Director of Research at IRIS. He teaches courses at the School of Disability Studies, Ryerson University in Toronto and has taught at York University as well. Over the last two decades, Cam has conducted, published and presented on his numerous research studies on disability issues, human rights and social inclusion, including research on employment, education, social services and violence. He is an active member of various research committees including: Disability Research Steering Committee (HRSDC); Disability Rights Promotion International (York University); and Disabling Poverty and Enabling Citizenship (University of Victoria and Council of Canadians with Disabilities). Cam was the Vice-President then President of The Roeher Institute (York University), which was a leading policy-research organization on disability and human rights. After years conducting and publishing research, Cam is a PhD candidate in Critical Disability Studies at York University.
Peter Park, Seniors Outreach Worker
Bio Coming Soon
Doris Rajan, Director of Social Development
Doris has a Masters degree in Social Work with a specialization in Social Policy, Research, and Social Development. Doris has worked as a senior consultant for dozens of projects in the non-profit sector particularly focused on issues concerning people with disabilities, ethno-racial people, immigrants and refugees, First Nations’, Métis and Inuit people, seniors and women. The vast majority of her work as a consultant has focused on designing and implementing qualitative community-based applied research projects with international, national, provincial/territorial, and local level organizations in the health and social services sectors particularly in Canada. This has involved identifying, engaging, and consulting the target populations, with the purpose of developing strategies, programs, and resources that aim to address their particular socio-economic needs. Doris has written many evidence-based, community-designed, practical, training resources and advised national and international NGO’s on the topic of how to design and conduct effective community-based research and community development strategies. Doris is assisting with the establishment of the Institute for Research and Development on Inclusion and Society (IRIS) in Canada, where she will serve as their Director of Social Development. As an educator Doris has taught community development courses at a variety of post secondary institutions in Canada. Doris has an extensive list of academic, public, and community-based publication credits to her name, along with various training manuals, best practice guidelines and resources. She has a particular expertise in plain language translation/writing. Doris is also a professional actress, playwright/screenwriter, producer, and filmmaker. Doris has enjoyed her work with director Pierre Tétrault and the award winning National Film Board of Canada’s This Beggar’s Description as the Creative Consultant. In 2009 she produced and co-wrote a documentary for OMNI Television in Canada entitled The “R” Word which profiles the lives of people with intellectual disabilities as they face their challenges towards greater societal inclusion. She is recently enjoying the marriage of her film skills and public education work, using media for social change.
Erin Terwissen, Development and Programs Officer
Bio Coming Soon
