Living with Episodic Disabilities and Working in Canadian Museums
An Educational Toolkit for Canadian Museum Staff
This toolkit shares insights and resources that can help you build confidence in interacting and building relationships with people experiencing ongoing health uncertainty – even when their disability is invisible. The people you interact with are seeking spaces where they can find support for their challenges and feel a greater sense of belonging. This resource is for anyone in the museum sector who wants to deepen their understanding of episodic disabilities. It offers information and resources to help individuals and teams understand how these disabilities can affect daily life, including work, learning environments, and social interactions.
Press Release – HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day: Survivors Gather in Sitges to Preserve Stories and Shape the Future
In March, from 25 to 28, 2026, long-term and lifetime survivors of HIV from Europe, the United States, and Canada came together for the HIV Long-Term Survivors of HIV Summit in Sitges, near Barcelona. The gathering created space for survivors across generations and communities to connect, reflect, and share their experiences of ageing with HIV.
More than a conference, the Summit was an opportunity for people who have lived through decades of the epidemic to learn from one another, discuss ongoing challenges, and help build a shared “Legacy Chest”, a digital audiovisual collection of survivor stories intended to educate, inspire, and support advocacy for years to come.
Navigating Benefits at Age 65 in Ontario – Quick Reference Card
This digital and print-friendly reference tool is designed to support frontline staff and strengthen financial empowerment as part of HIV care.
Summary Report of Research Activities and Findings INDEED: INvestigating the DEvelopment of Accessibility Standards in Canada and the Inclusion/Exclusion of Episodic Disabilities
The INDEED (INvestigating the DEvelopment of Accessibility Standards in Canada and the Inclusion/Exclusion of Episodic Disabilities) research project looks at how people with episodic disabilities are often left out of workplace accessibility rules.
INDEED Research Report – plain language executive summary
The INDEED (INvestigating the DEvelopment of Accessibility Standards in Canada and the Inclusion/Exclusion of Episodic Disabilities) research project looks at how people with episodic disabilities are often left out of workplace accessibility rules.
Helping Clients with Financial Questions – A Starter Guide for CBHOs in Ontario
As a community support person, you may encounter clients who experience financial challenges. Common challenges include accessing income support programs, retirement transitions, and stretching limited funds.
The following information was developed following conversations with community-based HIV organizations (CBHOs) as part of the Financial Empowerment for Healthy Aging with HIV project, an OHTN-funded research study, to understand:
• The financial challenges and needs of older people living with HIV in Ontario
• The information, resources, services, and supports that can facilitate greater financial empowerment
Your Finances & You – A Guide for Older People Living with HIV
Financial challenges are common and can feel confusing, especially when navigating income support programs, retirement transitions, or managing limited resources. You are not alone, and help is available.
This guide is a support for older people living with HIV in Ontario, Canada, to access financial information and resources. It was developed from consultations with Community-Based HIV Organizations (CBHOs) for the Financial Empowerment for Healthy Aging with HIV study. It builds on the experiences of people living with HIV in the PANACHE Ontario study to understand:
- The financial difficulties and needs of older people living with HIV in Ontario
- The information, resources, services, and supports that can facilitate greater financial empowerment.
Strengthening Financial Empowerment for Aging People Living with HIV in Ontario – Executive Summary
This study builds on the PANACHE Ontario study (2019) which identified financial insufficiency as a major stressor for older PLWH, in addition to revealing gaps in financial literacy and barriers to financial inclusion. Through focus groups with service providers from community-based HIV organizations (CBHOs) across Ontario, this study sought to answer questions generated by the PANACHE study about the financial empowerment needs of PLWH aged 50+ and whether the information, resources, services, and supports that can facilitate greater financial empowerment for this population are readily available and accessible within Ontario CBHOs.
Canada’s Museums: Putting the ‘A’ in IDEAL
This 2024 survey of staff, interns and volunteers in Canada’s museum sector reported that approximately 10% of respondents identified as persons living with disabilities, emphasizing the importance of understanding their experiences and representation in the museum sector. It has emerged out of a project being lead by Realize in partnership with Ingenium – Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation. The survey report recommends further research to explore the availability and effectiveness of accommodations, support services, and inclusive practices for employees with disabilities.