Whenever Ashley Giroux (BRLS ’23) needed support, she knew she could always turn to her grandparents.<\/p>\n
\u201cGrowing up, I had a bit of a social delay, and I just didn’t have that sense of belonging,\u201d said the Brock Master of Applied Disability Studies student. \u201cFinding that welcoming space with my grandparents and being able to connect with them was always so magical.\u201d<\/p>\n
That bond inspired Giroux to want to create more inclusive spaces for older adults and individuals with disabilities. Her ongoing commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) led to her being recognized as the EDI Changemaker of the Month for December.<\/p>\n
The award is presented by Brock\u2019s Office of Human Rights and Equity (HRE) each month to a student, staff or faculty member who has helped advance EDI on campus.<\/p>\n
\u201cI’ve always been an advocate for people with disabilities \u2014 and just people in general \u2014 so being able to say this is recognition I’m getting from Brock, for the work that is possible because of Brock, is a really big deal,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m truly honoured.\u201d<\/p>\n
Giroux\u2019s first experience working with the disability community came when she joined Brock\u2019s Accessibility and Empowerment Day planning team, a role she\u2019s held for the past three years.<\/p>\n
\u201cAshley truly represents what it means to be inclusive and accessible,\u201d said Megan Kuzak, HRE\u2019s Accessibility and Inclusion Advisor. \u201cShe ensures that she uses an accessibility lens in all she does and makes sure that the people around her are supported and feel like valued members of the team.\u201d<\/p>\n
After spending some time working in nursing homes, Giroux also became interested in researching age-related changes for individuals with pre-existing disabilities.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe typically see people age into a disability, but there are individuals who have had a disability their entire life who are also managing the complications from dementia or needing assistive devices for walking with Parkinson\u2019s disease, for example,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n