Monthly Access as Love: Weaving Words for Liberation Workshop (7-9pm EST/6-8pm CST/4-6pm PST on Zoom)
WHAT: Access as Love: Weaving Words for Liberation, a 2-hour-long Disability Justice writing workshop for each month in 2026.
WHEN: 7-9pm EST/6-8pm CST/4-6pm PST on the last Saturday monthly, aside from December, (which will happen a week earlier), i.e., February 28, March 28, April 25, May 30, June 27, July 25, August 29, September 26, October 31, November 28, & December 19.
WHERE: Zoom
WHY: The earlier disability rights movement failed to meet the needs of disabled folx who are also BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, undocumented, Muslim, in poverty, fat, or otherwise oppressed, so Sins Invalid, a group of BIPOC LGBTQIA+ folx developed a comprehensive framework of 10 interconnected principles. Unfortunately, despite a decade since the publication of Skin, Tooth, and Bone: The Basis of Movement is Our People, A Disability Justice Primer in 2016, there is still minimal investment from the mainstream public, which harms the most marginalized of us, which inspires this virtual series. Especially when some are now increasingly coming to understand how these colonial systems have long been disproportionately rigged against some of us under Trump 2.0, these Disability Justice principles offer an insightful tool to finally promote equitable outcomes for us all. These monthly Pay-What-You-Can Disability Justice LURNN workshops will offer an opportunity to reflect and write together in a mutual "radical unlearning" (Lewis Raven Wallace, 2025) virtual space for all our collective liberation.
HOW: This virtual Pay-What-You-Can Disability Justice writing workshop will offer an opportunity to reflect and write together in a mutual radical unlearning space.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
If new to my workshops, please note:
- I give registrants the 1st 5 minutes to arrive before getting started with slides, but continue to let folx in until the session ends
- Generally, materials are emailed at least a day before, should advance access aid with feeling comfortable to participate
- Attendees are welcome to engage on their own unique terms, i.e., with no implicit expectation of being on camera, communicating verbally or in the chat, etc.
- Around the halfway point, a 15-minute break is facilitated, after which participants are invited to explore a writing prompt during designated quiet time of 10-20 minutes, depending on preferences
- Once the timer ends, participants are invited to share what they wrote or discuss how the process went for them, based on capacity, comfort, interest, etc.
- Throughout the workshop, my approach is consent-based, i.e., folx are encouraged to read slides, share feedback, etc., and only those who volunteer to do so are invited to engage, as there is no pressure to participate beyond capacity
HOW MUCH? If able to pay $75USD to attend, that would be a reasonable rate based on my skills from over a decade in such roles as Mental Health Therapist, University Instructor, Wellness Counsellor and Coordinator, Accessibility Advisor, Writer, and Equity Practitioner, in combination with 2026 CARFAC rates for Artist fees, (which values arts programming that is less than 4 hours at $757, plus an additional $400 for up to 8 hours of preparation time in advance of the session, if 15 folx were to sign-up at market rates for each workshop).
ACCESS: I am keen on honouring the access needs of attendees, as aligned with my longstanding commitment to Disability Justice in all of my equity work, so please do not hesitate to let me know how I can accommodate you, by email at Krystal@equitableforall.com or during the workshop, should access needs arise then. Unfortunately, I am unable to afford ASL interpretation services at this time, but this remains a priority for the future. If any folx or organizations are able to fund ASL interpretation services, please do not hesitate to email me at Krystal@equitableforall.com to discuss the logistics for providing such assistance.
If able, please pay-it-forward so that folx like myself, in greater financial precarity as a direct result of racial capitalism, may benefit from your contribution in excess of $50USD, as aligned with Disability Justice, Transformative Justice, Racial Justice, Health Equity, etc.
Especially if new to thinking critically about the need for mutual aid in BIPOC LGBTQIA+ disabled communities, and how to invest in that for the survival of your more marginalized loved ones, please review my 2024 hermit crab essay, Sustainable BIPOC Resistance - Purchase Bingo before attending this session.
I crafted it to help folx navigate Pay-What-You-Can offerings. Our final discussions in my 2024 Navigating Grief in BIPOC Solidarity grant-funded arts programming got me thinking about how complicated our relationships can be to our finances, as I am regularly surprised by how often those who cannot afford to contribute feel badly for an unavoidable reality, while those with the means to do so embody comfort with not contributing financially, so I tried to think through my own historical and ongoing challenges as well as those shared by participants, loved ones, etc, which has only become more complicated as I reconcile gender-based violence in terms of financial abuse at the hands of my ex, which has further debilitated me.
As I recover from at least $183,364 in financial abuse that has limited my ability to file my taxes since COVID-19 hit, at the hands of Makai Livingstone of Embodied Support Services, any contribution would get me closer to not being forced to apply for a medically assisted death due to an inability to afford to exist in the aftermath of white supremacist workplace trauma, gender-based violence, etc., so purchase options have been set up so you can select from $5 to $150 to purchase a spot, or complete this form for a free spot based in reciprocal care, if needed, as my continued existence necessitates a belief that there are still ethical folx, like me, who actually operate as if words mean things.
If interested in supporting my work on a monthly basis, which would grant early access to these Disability Justice LURNN workshops, you are welcome to do so on Ko-fi, at the Learn ($3), Unlearn ($5), or Relearn ($7) tiers! 🫂
*Please note that no refunds will be provided under any circumstances, but if life gets in the way of participating in a monthly Disability Justice writing workshop, folx can either attend a future 2026 monthly Disability Justice writing workshop or make use of an individual hour-long support session with me.*