CRACKS IN THE CONCRETE CONFERENCE
Dates:
March 21 - 23, 2025
Location:
Victoria City Hall
Cost:
Free general admission, or by donation
$10 - 15 for Able: An Immersive Art Experience
$5 for Chinatown History Walking Tour
Register:
Register for the conference here.
Donate:
All panels are free. Please consider making a donation.
conference schedule (click links below for tickets)
March 21:
Able: An Immersive Art Exhibition (5:30 - 7:30pm)
March 22:
The Realities of Living With Invisible Disabilities (1:00 - 2:00pm)
Beyond First Impressions: Amplifying the Voices of People with Disabilities (2:30 - 3:30pm)
Equity in Action: Connecting Disability & Human Rights (4:00 - 5:00pm)
March 23:
Chinatown History Walking Tour (1:00 - 1:45pm)
About:
Join us for the 10th annual Cracks in the Concrete conference as we explore the theme “Beneath the Surface: Illuminating Visible & Invisible Disabilities.” This milestone gathering will focus on amplifying the voices and experiences of individuals living with visible and invisible disabilities, particularly people of colour who are often left out of disability discourse. Together, we aim to foster a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by those living with disabilities that are not immediately visible, while building bridges of empathy, compassion, and respect.
Over this transformative weekend, we’ll challenge societal perceptions that are shaped by first appearances and examine how our personal biases and programming impact interactions. Through a rich lineup of workshops, discussions, and artistic performances, we will explore disability and identity, emphasizing how we are more alike than we are different.
Featured sessions will delve into topics such as the invisibility of autism, dyslexia, vision loss, poor hearing, and speech challenges, while also addressing the unique barriers faced by people of colour living with visible disabilities.
This year’s conference is more than a conversation—it’s a call to action to see beyond the surface and embrace difference.
Sponsors:
Conference Highlights
Speakers
Isaiah Christophe
Isaiah Christophe is a veteran of Canada’s Para athletics team. He competes mainly in the 100m and 400m events at local, national and international competitions, and has been racing for 22 years. He has had the opportunity to represent Ontario at the national level at 4 Canada Summer Games, winning a total of 8 medals, which include 3 gold in 2017 in Winnipeg, MB. He has represented Canada at the International level at the following competitions:
• 3 Para Pan Am Games, Mexico 2011 winning a Bronze medal in the 100m
• Toronto 2015 finishing 5th in the 100m.
• Santiago 2023 finishing 4th in the 100m and 6th in the 400m
• 3 (IWAS) International World and Amputee Sport Jr Games, (winning a total of 10 medals which include 8 gold medals)
• 2013 Francophone Games in Nice, France finishing 5th in the 400m and
• 2017 World Para Athletics Championships in London, England.
He is the 2019 Canadian National Track and Field Champion 100, 200 and 400m, 2022 in the 100m and 200m 2023 in the 100m and 400m in the wheelchair T54 class.
Devyani Tewari
Devyani is an Indian doctoral candidate in the Law and Society program at the University
of Victoria, and holds a Master’s in International Human Rights Law from London School of
Economics and Political Science and a Bachelor’s in Law from NALSAR University of Law,
India. Her teaching and research are centered on the rights of marginalized individuals, such as
disabled and racialized women in the context of family law and health law at the domestic and
international level. Prestigious fellowships and grants have supported her dissertation project,
including the Margaret McNamara Education Grants (US-Canada Programme), the Law
Foundation of British Columbia’s Graduate Fellowship, the Centre for Studies in Religion
Society’s Graduate Fellowship, and the Doctoral Fellowship, University of Victoria.
b>ŚW̱,XELOSELWET (Tiffany Joseph)–meaning “Camera Lady” in SENĆOŦEN–is a trained filmmaker, an experienced environmental steward and advocate, a SENĆOŦEN language learner, a writer, a teacher, and an astrologer. The history of W̱SÁNEĆ people’s self-advocacy has inspired her to learn and practice the W̱SÁNEĆ ways of life her elders and ancestors fought for her, while also doing whatever she can to provide those same opportunities to her children and future W̱SÁNEĆ generations.
Diana Viafara
Diana is an international student studying Business Administration. She is Afro-Colombian, a Black woman, and neurodiverse. She pursued Psychology in her undergraduate studies and obtained a Master’s degree in Psychology. She has a deep passion for mental health and gender studies, and is eager to support students to the best of her abilities.
Alixzandar Morle
Alix is a multi-disciplinary artist and designer from Trinidad and Tobago, now based in Vancouver, BC. His artistic foundation is deeply rooted in graffiti and street art, influences that permeate his work. In 2008, Morle moved to the U.S. to pursue a BFA in Industrial Design at SCAD in Savannah, GA. After honing his expertise in UX and brand development in California, he relocated to his homeland for 3 years before migrating to Vancouver, BC.
Morle is the co-founder of Turbo Labs Media (@turbolabs_media), a strategic content creation studio, passionate about entrepreneurial elevation. His current projects include interior and exterior mural painting, innovative branding + design work, and DJing at events + venues around the city and the lower mainland.
Michael Moore
Michael Moore (they/them) is a Lived Experience Consultant specializing in accessibility and inclusion. They collaborate with organizations like AccessNow, Trans Canada Trails, and the City of Victoria to improve public accessibility and have contributed to projects like Blind Square and Good Maps alongside valued colleagues.
An active volunteer with the CNIB and the James Bay Community Project, Michael advocates for accessibility, mentors others, and promotes inclusive policies. They also work within Victoria City Hall’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) office, helping shape accessibility initiatives and human rights education.
Driven by a passion for equity, Michael continues to foster meaningful change in their community.
Ingrid Mesquita
Ingrid Mesquita is an artist of Jamaican/European descent, who lives and works in Victoria, BC, Canada. She uses various disciplines including painting, textiles and woodworking. Her work layers realistic representation and symbolic components to explore human hybridity, transformation and identity. The disparities and inconsistencies between the inner world and outer veneer inspires much of Ingrid's work.
Currently working on her Masters of Counselling, Ingrid is focusing her art practice to smaller works and the occasional portrait commission. Fascinated with the human condition, she is curious to see how her art will evolve during this journey.
Jumoke Brown
Jumoke (Ju-mo-kay) Brown is a local artist who grew up in Victoria, BC. His Afro-Caribbean heritage, Rastafari culture and connection to Africa steeps heavily into his Jewelry designs and original artworks. Committed to sustainability, all possible materials are traditionally made and ethically sourced
"I grew up in Victoria with a strong connection to my Caribbean roots in Costa Rica and Jamaica. As someone who grew up away from their culture, I find myself drawn to Africa as a constant source of inspiration for me. From materials to visuals, sounds, language and spirituality.
My favourite pieces to make have layered meaning or tell a story with symbols. If a picture is worth 1000 words, then a symbol is worth 1000 pictures. I've been creating in different ways for as long as I can remember. However, most of the pieces on display were made in the past two years.”
Sandra Hough
Sandra has lived in Victoria since she immigrated to Canada in 1990. She taught English as a Second Language at the Intercultural Association and the Immigrant and Refugee Center and has volunteered as a reading instructor. She has worked with children with special needs for over thirty years on a paid and on a volunteer basis. She frequently translates for people with limited English or for those who are simply new to Canada and find phone calls and/or paperwork overwhelming.
As an immigrant and as a person with disabilities, as well as being a visible minority, she faced and witnessed many types of discrimination and prejudices. She has always believed in standing up for what is right and speaking up for those who can’t. So when she saw the ad asking for people with lived experiences to apply to be part of the Accessibility Advisory Committee for Victoria, she jumped at the chance and later became the Vice chair. About a month later she joined the Welcoming City Advisory Committee and about two years ago became the Chair of the Committee.
Hannah Brown
Hannah (they/them) has a passion for inclusion and accessibility, specifically how we can improve access universally for all folks. They have extensive experience as an educator in higher education, as a job coach, learning strategist, and a tutor. They have a Master degree and academic background in sociology, anthropology, and biology, having also completed a Learning and Teaching in Higher Education Graduate Certificate.
They exist as a multiply disabled (with invisible and dynamic conditions), neurodivergent, queer, and a non-binary (trans+) person, and bring these intersectional marginalised identities to all the work that they do. Hannah is a student at UVic and has held several positions on campus and has made many connections across the university that enable them to support their fellow disabled students. This includes being on Senate, being involved in UVSS advocacy groups, and sitting on UVic committees. Hannah is currently the co-chair of the Society for Students with a Disability, is a student representative on the UVic Accessibility Committee, and works at CanAssist. In 2023, as part of the UVic REACH awards they were awarded the Provost’s Advocacy and Activism Awards in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.