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Organizations | Individuals
Organizations
AboutFace International
www.aboutfaceinternational.org 
AboutFace International has chapters throughout Canada, the United States and internationally. It’s a great place for people with facial difference to make contacts.
AboutFace USA
www.aboutfaceusa.org
AboutFace USA is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing information, emotional support and educational programs to individuals who have a facial disfigurement, and to their families. Their goal is to assist all persons with facial differences to have a positive self-image and self-esteem so that they can participate fully in their communities.
Cohousing
www.cohousing.org - United States
www.cohousing.ca/aboutus.htm – Canada
Marlena and I have our Canadian home in a cohousing community. Find out more about cohousing and the sense of community and cooperation it provides.
The ELA Foundation
www.ela.org
It is no surprise that I love the slogan of the ELA Foundation: "Changing the face of disability on the planet." Director Deborah Lewis oversees this central communication hub for disability and the arts.
IGODAP
Join the Guild at www.igodap.org
I am a proud member of the International Guild of Disabled Artists and Performers (IGODAP) – a collective of artists and performers who identify as being disabled or having a disability. Members are professional and amateur artists and performers of all genres – visual artists, screen and stage actors, dancers, comedians and humorists, musicians, singers, speakers, poets, writers, producers, directors and others working in the arts and entertainment industries.
Let's Face It
www.dent.umich.edu/faceit
The Let’s Face It Resource Guide, with all the resources a person with facial difference might need, is available online. Every health care professional should know about this great resource. Many thanks to folks at the University of Michigan who are continuing the pioneer work of my friend Betsy Wilson!
The National Arts and Disability Center
www.nadc.ucla.edu
Director Olivia Raynor ensures that this is the major site for the arts/disability connection. It includes vital information about website accessibility.
The National Film Board of Canada
www.nfb.ca
One of the great artistic experiences of my life was the shooting of Shameless: The ART of Disability with director Bonnie Klein, my fellow artists and producer Tracey Friesen and the world-class crew with Kirk Tougas on camera and J.F. on sound. So check out the NFB. Best in the world!
The O’Hanlon Center for the Arts
www.ohanloncenter.org
I am proud to be on the Board of Directors of this organization, which is in my home town in Mill Valley, CA.
“The mission of the O’Hanlon Center for the Arts in Mill Valley is to provide programs, studio space, exhibitions and experiences that honor individual creativity, develop artistic practice, and build community. We are a unique community-based nonprofit art center located on several acres of Mill Valley’s natural landscape, and resembling California’s artists’ colonies of the 20th Century.”
The Ragged Edge
www.ragged-edge-mag.com
The Ragged Edge (formerly the Disability Rag), and its sister mag, Mouth, have been the forum and source for the progressive disability community for the past decade.
Speaking Circles International®
www.speakingcircles.com
This is the virtual home of Speaking Circles®, developed by my good friend and mentor, Lee Glickstein. The Speaking Circle environment is where I first learned to feel comfortable as a public speaker (and you can, too!).
The Society for Disability Arts and Culture
www.s4dac.org
Based in Vancouver, the S4DAC is famous for producing the KickstART festivals of disability and the arts. My friend Geoff McMurchie (also featured in Shameless) is Artistic Director. Full disclosure: I am on the S4DAC Board of Directors. Next Festival is in 2007 in Victoria and we are pointing toward a blowout Arts Festival for the 2010 Olympics too!
Our mission statement: The Society for Disability Arts and Culture presents and produces works by artists with disabilities and will promote artistic excellence among artists with disabilities working in a variety of disciplines.
Individuals
Persimmon Blackbridge
Here’s another immensely talented artist and prime Google candidate:
Persimmon Blackbridge. Author, visual artist, encourager of many other artists, collaborator extraordinaire, curator supreme, friend of mine.
Joya Cory
www.JoyaCory.com
Joya's “Full Spectrum Improvisation” is a unique approach that unlocks your larger self and enables you access to the unfettered, daring Self-of-all-possibilities. Taught in a supportive atmosphere, this training releases powerful creative energy, imagination and spontaneity. Beyond comedy, Joya's classes activate the full emotional range to create improvisational theater of authenticity and substance, as well as joyful, intoxicating play. You'll strengthen your communication skills and presence, learn to trust your intuition and take risks that develop confidence and ease. Classes include expressive movement and voice, theatre games, storytelling, acting technique, uncovering personal material and taming the inner critic.
Corey Fischer
www.coreyhome.net
I have been fortunate to work with Corey – actor, director, photographer, mensch, friend, cofounder of A Travelling Jewish Theatre – several times in several ways, and every time it has been both personally enlightening and artistically amazing.
Mat Fraser
www.matfraser.com
In the years that I have been on stage as a performer with a disability, a number of world-class performers have emerged into the spotlight. My friend Mat Fraser from the UK is preeminent among this crowd. He brings incredible power and juice and presence to every audience in a variety of venues.
Catherine Frazee
Her official title and bio are below, but let me encourage you to Google Catherine and get to know her work. She is the most articulate and deeply intelligent thinker and writer on disability issues you will ever encounter.
Co-director of the Ryerson RBC Institute for Disability Studies Research and Education, Catherine Frazee has been involved in the equality rights movement for many years, most notably during her term as Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission from 1989 to 1992. Her current work as a writer, educator and researcher focuses upon the rights, identity, experience and well-being of persons with disabilities. Catherine is a committed activist who has lectured and published extensively in Canada and abroad on issues related to disability rights, disability culture and the disability experience. She is currently a member of DAWN, Canada's Equality Rights Committee and serves on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Association for Community Living, where she chairs the
Association's Task Force on Values and Ethics. Catherine was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of New Brunswick in
October, 2002.
Marc Goldman, Damon Brooks Associates
www.damonbrooks.com
Marc has many years in the business and is the primary representative of disabled speakers and performers nationwide. Marc builds enduring relationships with his clients.
Kathleena Gorga
www.consciousbeauty.com
Kathleena Gorga is a makeup artist and hair stylist who has a rare and deep understanding of how to elicit and illuminate inner beauty. She has worked with top supermodels and also brings her experience and skill to the art of camouflage makeup. Marlena and I consider her a dear and trusted friend and recommend her highly.
Philip Patston
www.diversity.co.nz
With his unique, laconic style, Philip is one of New Zealand's most well-known and successful comedians. I am proud to call him my friend. Not only is Philip hilarious, he has many other achievements such as being a world leader in disability culture and has proven his ability to work proficiently in many professional roles.
Jo Anne Smith, Public Presence Consulting
www.publicpresence.com
Jo Anne is a great and good friend who is a teller of wonderful stories, storytelling coach with whom I love to work, editor, communicator and one of the designers of my website (with Evangeline Welch). If you like this site, you will like all her work, probably just as much as I do.
Terri Tate
www.territate.com
I have enjoyed performing with my good friend, inspirational humorist Terri Tate. Terri takes her work seriously, but near fatal oral cancer taught her take herself lightly and to invite laughter into her keynotes, workshops and consulting, even when the topic or situation is challenging. Terri’s powerful performances, overflowing with honesty and humor, are equal parts education, inspiration and high-level entertainment.
Pamela K. Walker
www.madknight.com/pamela
I refer to Pamela as Lady Pamela because of the great admiration and respect that I have for her as a pioneer in the disability arts community as a leader, educator creator. Her book Moving Over the Edge: Artists with Disabilities Take the Leap (MH Media, ISBN 0-9771505-2-6) records the lived history of the disability culture movement.
Evangeline Welch
email
Evangeline is an author, editor, creator of websites, spiritual leader and a veritable fountain of creativity. One of the wonderful experiences in my life was taking her Paintdance workshop at O’Hanlon Center for the Arts in Mill Valley, CA, and subsequently getting to teach it with her. She is one of the designers of my website (with Jo Anne Smith).
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