Look for us in the Global Village (Booth# CS20)
AIDS 2024 – Munich, Germany
July 21-25, 2024
10:30am-6pm
About the DNZ
What’s on at the DNZ
July 21
July 22
July 23
July 24
July 25
Resources
About the DNZ
Realize is hosting the Disability Networking Zone (DNZ) in the Global Village of the International AIDS Conference in Munich, Germany, July 21-26, 2024. We hope to build connections and strengthen understanding of the intersection of HIV and disability while supporting those who live at the intersection of these communities.
Currently, disability and rehabilitative services are scarce and accessing support services that exist can be very difficult due to eligibility criteria, cost, and diagnosis requirements. In addition, many HIV-related services are not fully equipped to meet the needs of people with disabilities as service providers are not aware of how to support these individuals. Disability services are rarely linked up with existing HIV-services to make the latter more disability inclusive.
The DNZ at AIDS 2024 aims to:
- Actively involve disabled people and people living with HIV who experience disability, (episodic, temporary, or permanent), in the events and activities of the Global Village at AIDS 2024
- Increase awareness and knowledge on the intersections of disability and HIV
- Disseminate and present cutting edge research evidence, innovations, and good practices
- Enhance engagement and dialogue with researchers, advocates, and People with Disabilities
- Enrich strategic networking among disability organizations, disabled peoples’ organizations, mainstream AIDS related NGOs, government stakeholders, researchers, clinicians, and activists.
What’s on at the DNZ?
Sunday July 21st
10:30 – THE DISABILITY NETWORKING ZONE IS OPEN!
10:30-11:30 – DNZ MEET AND GREET
Networking
Come visit Realize at the Disability Networking Zone to learn about our current programs and initiatives.
11:30-13:00 – EPISODIC DISABILITY: SHARE YOUR STORY
Networking, Interactive Event, Shared Perspectives, Storytelling
Have you encountered the term “Episodic Disability”? If so, what does it mean to you? Do you have an experience to share about Episodic Disability? Bring your stories and have a mindful 5-minute chat with Sunny at the Realize booth.
Host: Sunny Wang, Realize
13:00-13:30 – TABLE KITCHEN TALK
Dialogue/Roundtable session
Aging peoples living with HIV face challenges of stigma, discrimination and mental health because of a lack of information, orientation, services and education. Join Chantal to discuss the intersections of OPLWHA, disability, and discrimination.
Host: Chantal Mukandoli, International Community of Women Living with HIV
13:30-14:00 – INTERSECTIONS OF HIV AND DISABILITY
Oral Presentation and Discussion
Short presentation to increase understanding of the issues facing people living with HIV who also live with physical/cognitive/intellectual or other disabilities.
Speaker: Melissa Egan, Realize
14:00-14:15 – VIDEO VIGNETTES
Shared Perspectives, Storytelling
Have you wondered how others experience HIV, aging, or episodic disability? These video vignettes provide a glimpse into someone else’s story.
14:15 -16:00 – NETWORKING
Meet & Greet in the DNZ
Take this opportunity to connect with the public, volunteers, speakers, and other conference attendees from around the world in the DNZ.
Monday July 22nd
10:30 – THE DISABILITY NETWORKING ZONE IS OPEN!
11:00-12:30 – DISABILITY JUSTICE: A FRAMEWORK FOR THE HIV MOVEMENT
Skills Building/Training Workshop
Join us for a dynamic skills-building session focused on disability justice within the HIV community, where we will explore foundational principles of disability justice and strategies for effective advocacy and collective liberation. Gain practical tools and insights to foster inclusive, equitable environments and champion the rights of all individuals.
Speaker: Terri Wilder, SAGE
12:30-1:00 – EVERY AGE IS AN AGE OF HAPPINESS. SILVER AGE PROJECT
Dialogue/Roundtable session
A discussion on the additional needs and requirements of people 50+ among people living with HIV to further develop this topic and new services for people 50+.
Speaker: Victoria Ashirova (Uzbekistan), Silver Age Project
13:00-14:00 – INTERSECTIONS OF HIV AND DISABILITY
Oral Presentation and Discussion
Short presentation to increase understanding of the issues facing people living with HIV who also live with physical/cognitive/intellectual or other disabilities.
Speaker: Melissa Egan, Realize
15:00-15:30 – EVERY AGE IS AN AGE OF HAPPINESS. SILVER AGE PROJECT
Dialogue/Roundtable session
A discussion on the additional needs and requirements of people 50+ among people living with HIV to further develop this topic and new services for people 50+.
Speaker: Victoria Ashirova (Uzbekistan), Silver Age Project
15:30-17:00 – EPISODIC DISABILITY: SHARE YOUR STORY
Networking, Interactive Event, Shared Perspectives, Storytelling
Have you encountered the term “Episodic Disability”? If so, what does it mean to you? Do you have an experience to share about Episodic Disability? Bring your stories and have a mindful 5-minute chat with Sunny at the Realize booth.
Host: Sunny Wang, Realize
17:45-18:00 – NETWORKING & CLOSING
Meet & Greet in the DNZ
Take this opportunity to connect with the public, volunteers, speakers, and other conference attendees from around the world in the DNZ.
Tuesday July 23rd
10:30 – THE DISABILITY NETWORKING ZONE IS OPEN!
10:30-11:30 – DNZ MEET AND GREET
Networking
Come visit Realize at the Disability Networking Zone to learn about our current programs and initiatives.
11:30-13:00 – EPISODIC DISABILITY: SHARE YOUR STORY
Networking, Interactive Event, Shared Perspectives, Storytelling
Have you encountered the term “Episodic Disability”? If so, what does it mean to you? Do you have an experience to share about Episodic Disability? Bring your stories and have a mindful 5-minute chat with Sunny at the Realize booth.
Host: Sunny Wang, Realize
13:00-14:00 – INTERSECTIONS OF HIV AND DISABILITY
Oral Presentation and Discussion
Short presentation to increase understanding of the issues facing people living with HIV who also live with physical/cognitive/intellectual or other disabilities.
Speaker: Melissa Egan, Realize
14:30-17:00 – EPISODIC DISABILITY: SHARE YOUR STORY
Networking, Interactive Event, Shared Perspectives, Storytelling
Have you encountered the term “Episodic Disability”? If so, what does it mean to you? Do you have an experience to share about Episodic Disability? Bring your stories and have a mindful 5-minute chat with Sunny at the Realize booth.
Host: Sunny Wang, Realize
17:45-18:00 – NETWORKING & CLOSING
Meet & Greet in the DNZ
Take this opportunity to connect with the public, volunteers, speakers, and other conference attendees from around the world in the DNZ.
Wednesday July 24th
10:30 – THE DISABILITY NETWORKING ZONE IS OPEN!
10:30-11:30 – DNZ MEET AND GREET
Networking
Come visit Realize at the Disability Networking Zone to learn about our current programs and initiatives.
11:30-13:00 – EPISODIC DISABILITY: SHARE YOUR STORY
Networking, Interactive Event, Shared Perspectives, Storytelling
Have you encountered the term “Episodic Disability”? If so, what does it mean to you? Do you have an experience to share about Episodic Disability? Bring your stories and have a mindful 5-minute chat with Sunny at the Realize booth.
Host: Sunny Wang, Realize
13:00-14:30 – A CIRCLE FOR AGING-RELATED DISABILITY AND FRAILTY AMONG INDIGENOUS PEOPLES LIVING WITH HIV
Oral Presentation and Networking
Racialized older adults living with HIV face intersectional health challenges often not addressed by current aging and HIV clinical guidelines. We share findings from our study on frailty among Indigenous peoples living with HIV and invite discussion and consultation with Indigenous older adults on the topics of aging-related disability and frailty.
Speaker: Nicholas Bauer, Ontario HIV Treatment Network (OHTN) & Dr. Sean Hillier
14:00-14:15 – VIDEO VIGNETTES
Shared Perspectives, Storytelling
Have you wondered how others experience HIV, aging, or episodic disability? These video vignettes provide a glimpse into someone else’s story.
14:30-17:00 – EPISODIC DISABILITY: SHARE YOUR STORY
Networking, Interactive Event, Shared Perspectives, Storytelling
Have you encountered the term “Episodic Disability”? If so, what does it mean to you? Do you have an experience to share about Episodic Disability? Bring your stories and have a mindful 5-minute chat with Sunny at the Realize booth.
Host: Sunny Wang, Realize
17:45-18:00 – NETWORKING & CLOSING
Meet & Greet in the DNZ
Take this opportunity to connect with the public, volunteers, speakers, and other conference attendees from around the world in the DNZ.
Thursday July 25th
10:30 – THE DISABILITY NETWORKING ZONE IS OPEN!
10:30-11:00 – DNZ MEET AND GREET
Networking
Come visit Realize at the Disability Networking Zone to learn about our current programs and initiatives.
11:00-12:30 – HELPING HANDS: THE DYSON CAREGIVER PROGRAM FOR OLDER ADULTS LIVING WITH HIV
Oral Presentation and Discussion
Ribbon-A Center of Excellence and Solid Rock Full Gospel Baptist Church will share best practices and lessons learned from its groundbreaking program,The Dyson Caregiver Program. The Dyson Caregiver Program is designed to provide crucial support to older adults aged 50 and above who are living with HIV and experiencing temporary mobility limitations that require in-home support.
Speaker: Linda H. Scruggs, Ribbon-A Center of Excellence
12:30-13:00 – EPISODIC DISABILITY: SHARE YOUR STORY
Networking, Interactive Event, Shared Perspectives, Storytelling
Have you encountered the term “Episodic Disability”? If so, what does it mean to you? Do you have an experience to share about Episodic Disability? Bring your stories and have a mindful 5-minute chat with Sunny at the Realize booth.
Host: Sunny Wang, Realize
13:00-14:00 – INTERSECTIONS OF HIV AND DISABILITY
Oral Presentation and Discussion
Short presentation to increase understanding of the issues facing people living with HIV who also live with physical/cognitive/intellectual or other disabilities.
Speaker: Melissa Egan, Realize
14:00-14:15 – VIDEO VIGNETTES
Shared Perspectives, Storytelling
Have you wondered how others experience HIV, aging, or episodic disability? These video vignettes provide a glimpse into someone else’s story.
14:30-15:00 – TABLE KITCHEN TALK
Dialogue/Roundtable session
Aging peoples living with HIV face challenges of stigma, discrimination and mental health because of a lack of information, orientation, services and education. Join Chantal to discuss the intersections of OPLWHA, disability, and discrimination.
Host: Chantal Mukandoli, International Community of Women Living with HIV
15:00-17:00 – EPISODIC DISABILITY: SHARE YOUR STORY
Networking, Interactive Event, Shared Perspectives, Storytelling
Have you encountered the term “Episodic Disability”? If so, what does it mean to you? Do you have an experience to share about Episodic Disability? Bring your stories and have a mindful 5-minute chat with Sunny at the Realize booth.
Host: Sunny Wang, Realize
17:45-18:00 – NETWORKING & CLOSING
Meet & Greet in the DNZ
Take this opportunity to connect with the public, volunteers, speakers, and other conference attendees from around the world in the DNZ.
Resources
Realize Reports and Tools
- The E-Module: An HIV & Rehab Resource,
Realize’s most accessed resource is now available in an interactive, online format in both official languages! The aim of this e-module is to enhance knowledge about HIV care among rehabilitation professionals so they may better address the needs of people living with HIV. Notable characteristics of the e-module include the comprehensive review and incorporation of current best evidence on HIV and rehabilitation and the interdisciplinary approach to its development. (Available in French and English)
- Workplace Disclosure Decision Guide for People Living With HIV and/or Other Episodic Disabilities
If you are living with HIV (and/or other episodic disabilities) and are working or considering applying for a job, you may be unsure if you should tell people in your workplace about your HIV status. This decision guide will give you information about HIV disclosure in the workplace and your rights and responsibilities. (Available in French and English)
- Should I Tell Them?
A policy brief with recommendations that are based on reviews of gaps in legislation, an environmental scan of publicly available resources and peer-reviewed studies from the past ten years related to employment, disclosure and the communication of disabilities. By creating accessible work environments with accommodative hiring practices, Canada will be able to increase the participation of persons with episodic disabilities in the workforce, and in doing so, act on the commitment to achieve a ‘barrier-free’ Canada by 2040. (Available in French and English)
- The Pandemic Pandora’s Box: Long COVID and Episodic Disability
From our roots in HIV and Rehabilitation, Realize has been at the leading edge of work on the episodic disabilities that many people living with HIV experience, leading to a wider advocacy on episodic disability in Canada. The Pandemic Pandora’s Box report analyzes the combined findings of two informal, community-driven surveys shared openly online in February 2021. The first asked adults working or seeking work in Canada about their experiences with Long COVID, while the second asked Canadian employers about their comfort level and preparedness to provide workplace accommodations to COVID-19 long-haulers. Up to 1 in 3 people who contract COVID-19 – regardless of the severity of their acute infection – risk facing Long COVID. Long COVID refers to a multitude of fluctuating, debilitating symptoms that may affect all organ systems and for many cause impairments which last for months. (Available in French and English)
Realize hosted the second annual 2022 National Summit on Episodic Disabilities and Employment in late-March. The first day of the Summit was a “Spotlight on Long-COVID” and opened with a message from Dr. Theresa Tam, Chief Public Health Officer of Canada who provided our participants with the message that, “We know that the post-COVID condition is real and what long-haulers are going through is challenging.” This event was the first ever gathering of long-COVID stakeholders in Canada where we centred stories from members of the Realize Speakers’ Bureau, cutting-edge reports from the research community, and frontline healthcare providers. By creating this online community, we built solidarity and created awareness of this difficult health condition. (Available in English)
- Pandemic Brief: COVID-19, Episodic Disabilities and Workplace Accommodations,
This report describes employers’ experiences across a range of industry sectors in Canada with accommodating employees living with episodic disabilities specifically, and other disabilities more broadly. (Available in English)
- Living Your Best Life: Defining Living versus Living Well with HIV in Canada, ; https://www.realizecanada.org/wp-content/uploads/LYBL-Report-FR.pdf
Report on a series of community consultations and a large, multi-day virtual event examining the concepts of wellness in living with HIV in Canada. (Available in French and English)
- Optimal Health and Wellbeing in HIV: Opinion Paper,
From Prolonging Life to Quality of Life – An Opinion Paper from the Optimal Heath & Wellbeing in HIV Steering Committee. (Available in English)
Visit our document library to search our comprehensive list of resources on HIV and Disability! https://www.realizecanada.org/documents/
Online Courses
Realize offers a number of online courses on HIV and other episodic disabilities for a variety of audiences:
Rehabilitation in the context of HIV: IPL Course – a self-directed on-line inter-professional HIV course to increase the capacity of rehabilitation professionals.
An Introduction to Episodic Disabilities – This self-directed online course is designed to augment the knowledge and understanding of human resources professionals, supervisors, and managers who form the primary support system at work for people living with episodic disabilities.
Accommodating Workplaces: Episodic Disabilities and Leading Practices at Work – This online course for human resource professionals and employees builds on the key concepts of what episodic disabilities are and the challenges faced by people living with episodic disabilities and goes deep into communication practices, universal workplace design, accessible design, and more.
Understanding and Supporting Employees with Episodic Disabilities – This course is designed with human resource professionals, managers, and supervisors in mind. It includes helpful guidelines on how start an accommodation plan conversation with an employee living with episodic disability. It also provides a helpful template to enact this plan that is in compliance with relevant legislation.
Working with an Episodic Disability in the Context of COVID-19 – This course is designed for human resources professionals, managers, and supervisors who want to better accommodate their diverse employees in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Changing Jobs with an Episodic Disability in the Context of COVID-19 – An online course for supervisors, human resource managers and employers designed to bring awareness and understanding of how to accommodate new employees living with episodic disabilities as they are hired into your organizations. It also provides some additional resources and instruction on adapting to new ways of working a COVID-19 context.
Fostering INclusion and Environments of Support for Students with Episodic Disabilities (FINESSED) – This course provides academic staff and leaders in the secondary education sector with knowledge and strategies to help make teaching more accessible and inclusive to students living with episodic disabilities. In addition, tips provided throughout this course may help to reduce the teaching workload in the long run. This course is the result of several years of work exploring the impacts of episodic disabilities for students in the post-secondary education sector, adapted more recently to address the realities of a COVID-19 context.
YouTube Videos
National Action Plan on Episodic Disabilities and Employment – Melissa Egan, Nation Lead, Episodic Disabilities at Realize describes the process for developing the upcoming National Action Plan on Episodic Disabilities and Employment and presents the framework for positive action areas. (Available in English)
Living Your Best Life: Defining Living Versus Living Well with HIV in Canada – This video series includes recordings from the Living Your Best Life National Conference held over four sessions in early 2021. (Available in English)
Queer and Trans Conversations about Disability Leadership –This webinar, part of the Real Talk with Realize series, was hosted by Melissa Egan, National Lead, Episodic Disabilities at Realize and moderated by Heather McCain, Executive Director of Creating Accessible Neighbourhoods in Vancouver BC and included a number of special guests. (Available in English)
Managing your Health in the Workplace for People Living with HIV — This video is for people living with HIV who are currently working or who are looking for full time or part time work. The video provides recommendations and best practices for maintaining health in the workplace. (Available with French subtitles)
Job Development for People Living with HIV – This video is for people living with HIV who are looking to go back to work or go to work for the first time. This video reviews the factors that people may want to consider as they go through this process. (Available with French subtitles)
Visit our YouTube channel for a comprehensive list of videos related to HIV & Disability! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPX_1zY5vZnAWbKicj7Hl3A