| Speaker | Biography |
Hillary Sussman | Hillary Sussman has been a physical therapist for 23 years, and often works with children who lack self-confidence due to their disabilities. Sussman’s dog, Roxy, had undergone four surgeries, and gave her an idea how to help these children. Roxy’s story could show kids that their limitations do not have to give them a lesser quality of life. Sussman wrote a series of children’s books in which Roxy and her animal friends overcome their insecurities and are accepted by others in spite of their differences. |
Kimberly Lopez | Dr. Kimberly Lopez (she/her) works as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. She is interested in critically examining social structures and processes that reinforce difference and marginalisation. As a community-engaged qualitative researcher, she is interested in aging and long-term care (LTC), care labour, and well-being. In particular, Kim values working collaboratively and creatively to amplify BIPOC and other Othered identities (gender, ability, class, ability, and age) in the context of caring labour and leisure – practices inextricably linked to the social through labelled bodies. To learn about practices of labour engaged in LTC caring work and hear about the different ways identity is embodied, Kim looks to influencers of anti-racist feminisms, anti-colonial/restorative practices, and post-identity literature/art. |
Hannah Mueller | Hannah Mueller is a fourth-year PhD Candidate at the University of Waterloo (Ontario, CA). She has a Bachelor's degree in Therapeutic Recreation (2014) and a Master's degree in Recreation Management (2018) from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. She has been a CTRS since 2014 and employed in the field of TR since 2012 working with various populations: SCI/TBI, geriatrics, mental health, and community-based programs. Her research is often situated at the nexus of leisure and disability. Her hobbies include knitting, traveling, and reading scholarly things. |
Henry Germain-McCarthy | Dr. Henry Germain-McCarthy is Professor Emeritus at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (New Orleans). His research about and advocacy for disability rights is long-standing. He works to promote the legacies and leadership of disability activism movements and improve public awareness, professional education, and social policy regarding quality of life for all people. His work has brought him to more than 40 cities in the Caribbean, Central America, Europe, and the U.S. His most recent publication is titled “Self-Advocacy and Ally-Advocacy for Disability Justice: Organisational, Psychosocial, and Political Resources.” |
Jeannette Cox | Jeannette Cox is a Professor of Law at the University of Dayton School of Law. Her research focuses primarily on disability and employment discrimination. She teaches courses in disability rights law, civil procedure and statutory interpretation. She also serves as faculty advisor for the Disability Law Association student group and a member of the executive committee for the American Association of Law Schools Disability Law Section. |
Alice Krueger | Alice Krueger is the founder and CEO of Virtual Ability, Inc. A former science and health educator in classroom and K-12 special education, she never managed to purge the teacher germ from her bloodstream. Working as Gentle Heron in Second Life, she, along with other members of the Virtual Ability community, continues to promote evidence-based health and wellness learning. |
