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

Register:

Register for the conference here.

Donate:

All panels are free. Please consider making a donation.

conference schedule

March 21:

Able: An Immersive Art Experience (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 of Colour with Disabilities (2:30 - 3:30pm)

Equity in Action: Connecting Disability & Human Rights (4:00 - 5:00pm)

March 23:

TBA

 

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.


Event Conduct Policy

Sponsors:

 
 
 
 

Conference Highlights

 
 
 

DAY 3

TBA

 
 
 

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.

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.

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.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

CREAN Conference Team

Email: hello@creansociety.org
Phone: 250-721-9611

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