With Moderated by Rachel Romu.

Full panelist bios coming soon!

Moderated by Rachel Romu
Rachel Romu is an Accessibility Consultant with music festivals, educational institutions, corporations and fashion brands. Surviving a spinal tumor and receiving a diagnosis for Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a rare genetic connective tissue disease, illuminated how inaccessible society is and called them to recognize the abled privilege they'd lived a significant portion of their life with.

Romu has since used their points of access in the entertainment industry to implement change, working to make experiences both more accessible for patrons, workers and performers.

PANELISTS:
Michelle Asgarali
Michelle Asgarali is a documentary Series Producer exploring disability representation in media. As a Disabled Filmmaker herself, Michelle wants to make an impact in creating entertaining content that is accessible for all.
Michelle was born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a genetic disorder affecting her nervous system. She recognizes there are always highs and lows to the disability experience. Her first concert was seeing No Doubt at The Government. She was escorted in early from the lineup to park near the back-corner curtain, and avoid being crushed by a mosh-pit. A curtain her friend later pulled back to get high-fived by drummer Adrian Young as the band walked out after their encore.

Sean Lee
Sean Lee is an artist and curator exploring the assertion of disability art as the last avant-garde. His methodology explores crip curatorial practices as a means to resist traditional aesthetic idealities. Orienting towards a “crip horizon”, Sean’s practice explores the transformative possibilities of accessibility as an embodied politic and disability community building as a
way to desire the ways disability can disrupt. Sean holds a B.A. in Arts Management and Studio from the University of Toronto, Scarborough and is currently the Director of Programming at
Tangled Art + Disability. Previous to this role, he was Tangled’s inaugural Curator in Residence (2016) as well as Tangled’s Gallery Manager (2017). Sean has been integral to countless exhibitions and public engagements throughout his tenure at Tangled Art + Disability.
 
In addition to his position at Tangled Art + Disability, Sean is an independent lecturer, speaker, and writer adding his insights and perspectives to conversations surrounding Disability Arts across Canada, the United States and internationally. Sean currently sits on the board of
CARFAC Ontario, Creative Users Projects, and is a member of the Ontario Art Council’s Deaf and Disability Advisory Group and Toronto Art Council’s Visual Arts / Media Arts Committee.

Stefana Fratila

jes sachse

Thomas Reid
Shortly after becoming blind in 2004, Thomas Reid decided to re-ignite a dormant interest in audio production. After years of combining his interest in audio with advocacy, in 2014 he was selected as a New Voice Scholar by the Association of Independence in Radio. During that same year he began his podcast Reid My Mind Radio. A podcast featuring compelling people impacted by all degrees of blindness and disability. Occasionally, he shares stories from his own experience as a man adjusting to becoming Blind as an adult.

Over the past seven years of producing the podcast, Thomas has developed a valued perspective on topics including adjustment, audio description, DEI (Diversity Equity & Inclusion) and media representation.

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This panel will take place virtually and will be broadcast to our conference platform and live to Lula Lounge in Toronto. Lula Lounge is an accessible venue. If you have any questions about accessibility, please email torontolongwinter@gmail.com

ASL interpretation will be provided for this panel.