fr
You are here: HomeSharing our knowledgeWelcome to the web page of the exhibition “Together for an inclusive future”

Welcome to the web page of the exhibition “Together for an inclusive future”

On this page, find out more about our travelling exhibition, its content, and the supporting research projects and scientific references.

The exhibition “Together for an Inclusive Future” is produced by the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation of Greater Montreal (CRIR) and its partners, to mark its 25th anniversary.

The goal of this exhibition is to support a dialogue between the scientific community of rehabilitation researchers and the general public about the importance of getting involved to make environments more inclusive.

Inclusive environments can reduce situations of disability experienced by the diverse  group of people with disabilities who make up our society.

This exhibition will travel to various events within Greater Montreal over the coming years to reach the general public.

 

 

Tower A: Rehabilitation Research for Inclusive Environments

Learn more

What is the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation of Greater Montreal (CRIR)?

For more information about the CRIR, click here

To watch the 7 video capsules from the “The Faces of CRIR Research” series, click here

 

 

 

 

 

Who benefits from CRIR’s research?

In Quebec, one person in five lives with a disability. By creating inclusive environments, many people benefit!

People of all ages living with sensory-motor, visual, auditory, cognitive or communication disabilities are included in our research.

 

 

 

 

 

What are the concepts associated with inclusive environments?

For an explanation of disability according to the Human Development Model – Disability Creation Process (HDM-DCP), click here

To read the definition of “universal accessibility” used by our partner AlterGo, click here

 

 

 

 

 

Which CRIR research projects look at strategies to make museums more inclusive?

  • The project “Inclusive Museums” has drawn up a current state of the situation of universal accessibility in Quebec museums:
    • Click here to access the research report (in French).

CRIR members involved : Eva Kehayia, Ph.D, (co-principal investigator), Tiiu Poldma, Ph.D. (co-investigator), Zakia Hammouni, Ph.D. (postdoctoral researcher)

 

  • The project that has transformed the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) into a living laboratory for healthy seniors and stroke survivors, using wearable technologies :
    • Click here to watch the video presenting this project (in French)
    • Click here to read the interview with Élaine de Guise, Ph.D., co-principal investigator of this project, published in the journal “CRIR Connects”
    • Click here to read the full research report (in French)

Collaboration of nearly thirty researchers from Quebec and France, under the leadership of CRIR researchers Sylvie Nadeau, Ph.D. and Élaine de Guise, Ph.D.

 

Which CRIR research projects focus on the accessibility of stores and shopping centres?

  • The “Rehab Mall” project, a living rehabilitation laboratory in the Alexis Nihon shopping center:
    • Click here to watch the video presenting the “Rehab Mall” (in French)
    • Click here to read the Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ) publication on the project’s impacts

Collaboration of a team of more than 40 CRIR researchers, under the leadership of Eva Kehayia, Ph.D. and Bonnie Swaine, Ph.D

 

  • The project “Bonjour, je voudrais un…”: Development of a guide to support people’s autonomy in their daily activities focusing on shopping. A training course has also been developed for speech-language pathologists and other health professionals who would like to incorporate the guide into their practice.
    • Click here to access the digital version of the guide (in French)
    • Click here to download the full clinical tool (in French)

Project led by CRIR researcher Carole Anglade, Ph.D.

 

Which CRIR research projects look at strategies to make public transportation more inclusive?

  • The evaluation of the Société de transport de Montréal’s (STM) training program aimed at facilitating the use of the bus and metro network by people with motor limitations:
    • Click here to read the project description (in French)

Project led by Philippe Archambault, Ph.D. (researcher and CRIR Scientific Co-Director), in collaboration with nearly a dozen collaborators, including CRIR researchers Claire Croteau, Ph.D. and Isabelle Gélinas, Ph.D.

  • The project that addresses employment for people with disabilities through access to public transportation:
    • Click here to access the report (in French)

Project led by CRIR members Philippe Archambault, Ph.D. (researcher and CRIR scientific co-director), Alexandra Tessier, Ph.D. (postdoctoral researcher) and their team.

 

Which CRIR research project created an inclusive playground for children?

  • The projet « PLAY : Participation in Leisure through Accessible plaYgrounds», which led to the inauguration of a new inclusive playground at the Philip E. Layton and Mackay Centre schools in September 2024:

Project led by CRIR researcher Keiko Shikako, Ph.D., Mehrnoosh Movahed, MD, Ph.D. and their team.

 

Reference List

  • Anglade, C., Le Dorze, G., & Croteau, C. (2019). Service encounter interactions of people living with moderate-to-severe post-stroke aphasia in their community. Aphasiology, 33(9), 1061-1082. https://doi.org/10.1080/02687038.2018.1532068
  • Anglade, C., Le Dorze, G., & Croteau, C. (2021). How clerks understand the requests of people living with aphasia in service encounters. Clinical linguistics & phonetics, 35(1), 84-99
  • Tessier, A., Croteau, C., Le Dorze, G., Power, E., & Weiss, M. (2021). Exploring the effects of a communication partner training programme for adapted transport drivers. Aphasiology, 37(2), 179–204. https://doi.org/10.1080/02687038.2021.1994916 

 

Tower B: Senses in Action

Learn more

How can learning braille contribute to independence and social participation?

Click here to watch the excerpt from the AMI-télé program “Ça me regarde” (in French), where CRIR researcher Natalina Martiniello, Ph.D., CVRT, discusses the importance offering Braille learning strategies adapted to the needs of people of all ages.

Click here to learn how braille can support the independence and development of blind people, on the website of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB).

Click here to watch CRIR research members Natalina Martiniello, Ph.D., CVRT, and Walter Wittich, Ph.D., FAAO, CLVT discuss the links between aging, braille and rehabilitation.

 

 

What can I do to support people who are blind or have low vision who use braille?

Click here to access a short article written by Natalina Martiniello, Ph.D., CVRT, which aims to undo unconscious biases about braille, and presents concrete everyday ways to become a braille ally.

If you would like to work with people with visual impairments, or contribute to the evolution of the practice of optometry worldwide, click here to learn more about the University of Montreal’s Master of Vision Sciences program.

Where can I learn more about braille?

Click here to go to the website of Braille Literacy Canada (BLC), which offers a wealth of information and workshops on braille.

For online resources and activities for children, click here to access the “Braille Bug” website.

For more information about the needs of people with visual impairments, click here to access the Documentation Center of the Institut Nazareth et Louis-Braille of the CISSS de la Montérégie-Centre (in French).

 

 

 

 

ONLINE ACTIVITY – Want to see what your first name looks like written in braille?

Click here to access the game on the “Braille bug” website

 

Where can I learn more about the status and use of sign languages around the world?

Click here to go to the United Nations (UN) web page celebrating International Sign Language Day, which takes place on September 23rd each year.

Where can I learn a few signs of the Langue des signes québécoise (LSQ) or American Sign Language (ASL)?

For general information: Click here to access the “Outils et ressources” page (in French) of the Association du Québec pour enfants avec problèmes auditifs (AQEPA). The website includes online dictionaries and glossaries, downloadable applications, video clips and training locations in your region.

 

To teach your child a few signs LSQ : Click here to access AQEPA’s “Mes débuts en LSQ” page where you will find short video clips (in French).

To take a LSQ course : Click here to learn more about the courses offered by the CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal.

To take an ASL course : Click here to learn more about courses offered by the CIUSSS West-Central Montreal.

 

 

 

Reference List

  • Abbott, P., et Connors, E. (2020). Braille and Other Tactile Forms of Communication. Dans L. Helen et J. Ottowitz (ed.). Foundations of Vision Rehabilitation Therapy. (4e éd., p. 199-243) Louisville, KY: APH Press.
  • Martiniello, N., Haririsanati, L., & Wittich, W. (2020). Enablers and barriers encountered by working-age and older adults with vision impairment who pursue braille training.Disability and Rehabilitation, 44(11), 2347–2362. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2020.1833253
  • Nation Unies. Défendez les droits des langues des signes ! Page consultée le 10 avril 2025 https://www.un.org/fr/observances/sign-languages-day
  • Nations Unies. Le braille, un outil indispensable et universel pour les aveugles et les malvoyants. Page consultée le 10 avril 2025 https://www.un.org/fr/desa/world-braille-day-2018
  • Ryles, R. (1996). The Impact of Braille Reading Skills on Employment, Income, Education, and Reading Habits.Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 90(3), 219-226. https://doi.org/10.1177/0145482X9609000311
  • Thompson, R. H., Cotnoir-Bichelman, N. M., McKerchar, P. M., Tate, T. L., & Dancho, K. A. (2007). Enhancing early communication through infant sign training. Journal of applied behavior analysis, 40(1), 15–23. https://doi.org/10.1901/jaba.2007.23-06
  • Wright, T., Wormsley, D. P., & Kamei-Hannan, C. (2019). Hand Movements and Braille Reading Efficiency: Data from the Alphabetic Braille and Contracted Braille Study. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 103(10), 649-661. https://doi.org/10.1177/0145482X0910301008 (Original work published 2009)

 

Tower C: Communication Pro

Learn more

Why is it said that at least 30% of the population lives with communication barriers?

  • About 7% of the population has a developmental language disorder (DLD), i.e. a neurological disorder that manifests itself as significant difficulties in the development, learning, use and mastery of language. To learn more about DLD, click here
  • Nearly 35% of the Quebec population is functionally illiterate, meaning that they can read and write simple sentences, but have difficulty understanding more complex texts. These people may also have difficulty with oral comprehension.
  • About 14% of the Quebec population is allophone, meaning that their mother tongue or the language spoken at home is other than French or English. Proficiency in French and English varies among these individuals.
  • About 1% of the population suffers from stuttering, i.e. a fluency disorder characterized by an interruption in the rhythm of speech. To learn more about stuttering, click here
  • Between 25% and 40% of people who have suffered a stroke develop aphasia. In Quebec, this represents 6,000 new people per year. Aphasia is a communication disorder caused by damage to the brain that affects the ability to speak, understand, write and read. To learn more about aphasia, click here (in French)

 

 

 

The communication strategies presented in the exhibition are likely to facilitate interactions with everyone, but this is even more true for people with communication obstacles listed above!

 

 

 

 

How can you adapt your documents to the needs of people with visual limitations?

The Institut Nazareth et Louis-Braille (CISSS de la Montérégie-Centre) is part of the CRIR and stands out for its expertise in visual impairment. Their website is full of useful resources:

  • Click here to read the  « Guide pratique pour vos documents imprimés » (in French)
  • Click here to find out about the training offered on accessible documents
  • Click here to learn more about the “Service d’adaptation de l’information” which offers personalized services to individuals and organizations wishing to make their documents, websites, digital platforms or applications accessible to people living with functional limitations.

Reference List

 

Tower D: Every Gesture Counts

Learn more

Do you know about programs and services that support the social participation of people with different disabilities?

Here are a few examples:

  • The programs, measures and services offered by the Quebec government for people with disabilities, their families and loved ones. Click here to find information related to the topics below:
    • Mobility and adapted transport
    • Leisure, sport, tourism and culture
    • Employment and adapted work
    • Education and schooling
    • Family and personal support
    • Housing and accommodation
    • Health and technical aids
    • Financial and tax measures
  • The Info-services capsules from the Office des personnes handicapées du Québec (OPHQ) are also an effective way to find out about the range of services available. Click here to access these informative capsules (in French).

 

  • The Inclusive Mobility Program launched by the Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM), the Réseau express métropolitain (REM) and the public transit organizations of the Greater Montreal Area offers a learning program to help people with functional limitations familiarize themselves with the use of bus, metro, train and REM networks. The program includes theoretical group training and individual practice on routes specific to each person’s needs. Click here to find out more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

How can I do my part on a daily basis?

Click here to find ideas for simple actions that everyone can take to break down barriers and contribute to a more inclusive future.

 

 

 

 

 

Reference List

  • Rochette, A., Roberge-Dao, J., Roche, L., Kehayia, E., Ménard, L., Robin, J. P., Sauvé, M., Shikako-Thomas, K., St-Onge, M., Swaine, B., Thomas, A., Vallée-Dumas, C., & Fougeyrollas, P. (2022). Advancing social inclusion of people with disabilities through awareness and training activities: A collaborative process between community partners and researchers. Patient education and counseling, 105(2), 416–425. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2021.05.032
  • Wittich, W., Granberg, S., Wahlqvist, M., Pichora-Fuller, M. K., & Mäki-Torkko, E. (2021). Device abandonment in deafblindness: a scoping review of the intersection of functionality and usability through the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health lens.BMJ open, 11(1), e044873. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-044873

 

Thanks to our collaborators!

Scientific direction of the project
  • Claudine Auger, Scientific Co-Director of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation of Greater Montreal (CRIR) and the Institut universitaire sur la réadaptation de Montréal (IURDPM)
Scientific committee
  • Carole Anglade, CRIR research member
  • Louis-Charles Lasnier, École de design, Université du Québec à Montréal  
  • Natalina Martiniello, CRIR research member, person with experiential knowledge
  • Frédérique Poncet, CRIR research member
  • Stefano Rezzonico, CRIR research member
  • Chantal Robillard, CRIR research member 
Steering committee and local committees of CRIR sites
  • Naima Abadi, CRIR member, clinical research coordinator 
  • Haifa Akremi, CRIR member, clinical research coordinator 
  • Philippe Archambault, CRIR scientific co-director
  • Nancy Azevedo, CRIR managing member
  • Dorothy Barthélemy, CRIR research member
  • Chantal Bibeau, CRIR information officer
  • Virginia Cornea, project manager and coordinator of the CRIR equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility committee
  • Marika Demers, CRIR research member
  • Nay El Hajj, CRIR student member
  • Brigitte Fillion, CRIR manager 
  • Dahlia Kairy, CRIR research member 
  • Eva Kehayia, CRIR research member  
  • Frédéric Messier, CRIR member, knowledge transfer project manager at CCSMTL
  • Alia Osman, CRIR student member and student representative of Axis I (CRIR student committee 2022-24) 
  • Danielle Thériault, CRIR acting administrative manager (2022-24) 
Artistic design, content adaptation and production
  • Sophie Beauparlant, head of the Laboratoire d’innovation en communication scientifique (LICS), teacher-researcher at the École supérieure en Art et technologie des médias (ATM), Cégep de Jonquière 
  • Claudia Bojanowski, CRIR partnerships and knowledge mobilization coordinator
  • Escouade l’Atelier, manufacturer of exhibition towers
  • Amélie Ollat, college student, LICS, ATM, Cégep de Jonquière
  • Annie Perron, designer specialized in research-based content, LICS, ATM, Cégep de Jonquière 
Mediation of the exhibition
  • Sara Ahmed, CRIR research member  
  • Carole Anglade, CRIR research member 
  • Loredana Campo, CRIR student member
  • Eloi Dierterlen, CRIR student member
  • Marika Demers, CRIR research member  
  • Shirley Dumassais, CRIR student member, responsible for the exhibition mediation kit
  • Dahlia Kairy, CRIR research member 
  • Quan Nha Hong, CRIR research member 
  • Sofia Lytvyn-Male, CRIR student member
  • Etienne Marteau, CRIR student member 
  • Natalina Martiniello, CRIR research member, person with experiential knowledge
  • Fatimata Ouédrago, CRIR student member, representative of the CRIR student committee (2024-) 
  • Frédérique Poncet, CRIR research member 
  • Stefano Rezzonico, CRIR research member 
  • Keiko Shikako, CRIR research member 
  • Angèle Sauzet, CRIR student member
  • Shane Sweet, CRIR research member  
  • Marine Thomasson, CRIR student member

CRIR’s scientific direction warmly thanks the following people for sharing their expertise, thus contributing significantly to the content of this exhibition through their collaboration at various stages of the project: 

  • Jonathan Abitbol, social and technosocial innovations advisor, Université de Montréal
  • Dominic Beaudin, braille technician, INLB SAI- CISSS Montérégie-Centre 
  • Amélie Bérubé, graphic designer  
  • Michelle Boulanger, director, fundraising and philanthropy AlterGo   
  • Charles Boutet-Garneau, expertise director, AlterGo 
  • Guylaine Cataford, community organizer and person with lived experience, Institut Nazareth et Louis-Braille (INLB)
  • Chantal Charté, professional coordinator of LSQ courses and customized training, CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal (CCSMTL)
  • Gilles Corbeil, community organizer, INLB
  • Mélanie Dumaine, professional coordinator for the Deaf Program, from the team of Véronique Dumont, Sensoriel & Langage Coordinator, CCSMTL 
  • Camille-Éric Kouam, CRIR member, clinical research coordinator 
  • Janie Lachapelle, clinical activities specialist, Service de l’adaptation de l’information (SAI) de l’INLB – CISSS Montérégie-Centre
  • Geneviève Lamoureux, CRIR student member
  • Julie Le Gruiec, marketing/events project manager 
  • Kristen Reidel, CRIR professional research member
  • Cloé Rodrigue, director of research, CISSS de la Montérégie-Centre, INLB, Co-Chair of the CRIR Governance Committee
  • Maxime Rouleau, universal accessibility advisor, Expertise AlterGo   
  • Keiko Shikako, CRIR research member
  • Mireia Carrillo Simon, CRIR member, clinical research coordinator
  • Natacha Trudeau, CRIR research member
  • Ingrid Verduyckt, CRIR research member
  • Walter Wittich, CRIR research member

 

Thank you for visiting the exhibition and sharing this moment with us!

 

The CRIR would like to express its heartfelt thanks to its partners:

Funding

University Affiliations