Goal 1: Centres for Leadership in Childhood disability

Filling in the gaps: Finding new ways to eliminate exclusion and promote meaningful participation

In a push forward to achieve the goals outlined in our Strategic Plan, Sally Lindsay has joined Bloorview as part of our Centre for Leadership in Participation.

Sally’s work focuses on disability self-management, socio-cultural barriers and inequalities encountered by children and youth with disabilities and their families, transition through the health system, and the impact of health services and policy on access, utilization, equity and inclusion of children with disabilities.  

One of the projects she is working on examines the underutilization of communication assistive devices. The goals of this study are to explore the social barriers in using assistive devices for children with disabilities and to gain a better understanding of the challenges that health-care providers encounter with communication assistive devices.

Sally is also a co-investigator in a longitudinal study with several colleagues that examines the impact of the LIFEspan model, which prepares youth and their families to adapt to adult health care provision. This research will help Bloorview to better understand how the LIFEspan model can enable youth to maintain continuity within the health system after transitioning to adult care.

“I’d like to see future changes in disability policy where it is more inclusive of children,” says Sally. “We need to find better ways of including children in terms of managing their health and participation in society.”

The research that Sally is undertaking will help Bloorview achieve the goal of enhancing research and increasing children’s participation and inclusion. This will enable Bloorview to go beyond our mission to create a world of possibility for children with disabilities, while striving for excellence in childhood disability.

“As our only Public Health Scientist, Sally plays a crucial role in the Centre for Participation. The ultimate goal of her research program is to eliminate policy inequities, gaps in services and social exclusion for kids with disabilities. She is tackling wicked problems to enable these kids to enjoy the infinite possibilities life should offer them,” said Patricia Mckeever, Senior Scientist. 

Sally recently held a Canadian Institutes of Health Research postdoctoral fellowship in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. 

 

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