What is the Maria-Barile Award?

First Recipient of the Maria-Barile Award, Wassyla Hadjabi served as President of AFHM (the name of the organization at the time. In 2022, the organization adopted its current name, Action Women and Disability).

Wassyla’s dedication to women with disabilities is exceptional. She became President of Action Women and Disability (Montréal) in 2006, only six years after arriving in Canada, still facing the challenges that come with being a newcomer. It was her mentor, Maria Barile, who encouraged her to get involved with AFH. Following Maria’s example, Wassyla advocates that women with disabilities face the same challenges as all women. She has further developed the concept of intersectionality and firmly integrated it into the organization’s mission. She shares with Maria the values of solidarity, mutual support, and respect for human dignity. A feminist like her mentor, Wassyla strongly believes that women with disabilities must build their individual and collective empowerment to achieve full social participation.

What truly stands out about Wassyla is the passion and commitment with which she engages. She gives herself wholeheartedly to her cause. Her contribution to AFHM is invaluable.

As an outstanding manager, Wassyla has significantly contributed to the development of autonomy and self-esteem for women with disabilities. Additionally, she is always ready to offer one-on-one assistance when needed. Her compassion and sensitivity guide her in helping others, wherever she encounters them. AFHM has greatly benefited from her expertise in supportive relationships.

Wassyla’s management skills have also led her to become involved with various local, regional, provincial, and national organizations. She currently holds positions on multiple boards of directors and committees, where she advocates for the recognition of the unique needs and realities of women with disabilities, both in the disability community and the women’s community.

Wassyla firmly believes that women with disabilities in Quebec must be equipped with the tools to defend their rights. Confident in her vision, she co-founded, in 2010, the Alliance of Women with Disabilities of Quebec (AFHQ). The mission of the organization is to give a voice to women living in both rural and urban communities.

Wassyla Hadjabi, a passionate, independent, and free-spirited woman, is the deserving recipient of this inaugural Maria-Barile Award, in recognition of her outstanding dedication over the years to both AFHM and women with disabilities.

Lise is a prominent figure in community-based action as well as in the feminist movement in Quebec. She has dedicated much of her life to enhancing the agency of workers and volunteers within community organizations. Many of us have benefited from her skills as a facilitator, trainer, mentor, researcher, and coordinator.

Lise has worked with organizations such as the Regroupement des maisons de jeunes du Québec and the Centre de formation populaire. For us, she is primarily a member of the Relais-femmes team.

We are familiar with her remarkable ability to listen to others, her understanding of the challenges within the community sector and women’s issues, and her relentless pursuit of solutions to address these challenges. We applaud her energy and commitment to ensuring that community organizations and women’s groups establish a true pension plan for their workers.

Her colleagues and collaborators will tell you that what has always driven Lise is democracy and the role of individuals within that democracy. Lise strives to provide women with the best tools so they can claim their space, raise their voices, and act collectively. This agency must belong to all people, particularly those who are often marginalized.

Over the years, several groups of people with disabilities have received Lise’s assistance in their quest for better governance within their organizations.

There are many ways to contribute to the cause of women with disabilities. One can advocate for collective rights, provide individual support to these women, or, as a woman with a disability, invest so deeply in one’s own quest for autonomy that one becomes an example for others. Laure Frappier pursued all three paths and succeeded remarkably in each. We owe a great deal to Laure for her contributions to our collective actions.

A proud feminist, Laure held a bachelor’s degree in psychosocial intervention and feminist studies, which she pursued after losing her sight. She became actively involved with Action des femmes handicapées (Montréal) and served on its board of directors for several years. She threw herself wholeheartedly into every project, serving as an exceptional spokesperson and an outstanding facilitator. She also served as the master of ceremonies at numerous events, including the 25th-anniversary colloquium of AFHM.

To address the pressing needs of women in her municipality of Varennes, she founded Contact’L, an organization that brings together women of all generations, with a strong committee of women with disabilities.

Laure also dedicated much of her efforts to the critical issue of violence against women, particularly domestic violence. She managed to confront this issue directly by working with municipal authorities to ensure that women had access to support and guidance.

Laure was deeply involved in psychosocial support for women. At AFHM, she was a constant source of encouragement for members, workers, and her colleagues on the board of directors.
Laure stands as a beautiful example of perseverance. Losing her sight at the age of 47, she experienced that grief and sought help to redirect her life.

It was important for Laure to share her experience and the coping strategies she had developed. She understood the support this could provide to her peers, helping them realize that they were not alone.

A woman who takes the time to educate herself on the facts, respects the democratic process, empathetically considers the needs of team members, appreciates the nuances, understands the steps required to carry out a project, works on it methodically, and, most importantly, spends countless hours doing all of this. These are the qualities that Louise Blouin has given to AFHM and to women with disabilities in our region during the eight years she served on the board of our organization, including four years as president. Not to mention her invaluable and ongoing contributions as a volunteer, providing information and sharing stories.

Thanks to her skills and dedication, Louise helped AFHM in 2013 to regain its functionality as an organization, respected by its partners and with a coherent message that civil servants, politicians, and political leaders are eager to listen to. Louise played a major role in making our voice heard more effectively.

AFHM was not the only cause in Louise Blouin’s life. Initially holding a master’s degree in historical geography, Louise later decided to pursue a certificate in writing. Faced with numerous employment barriers for people with disabilities, she chose to become self-employed, offering, with her well-known expertise, writing, editorial support, language revision, and research services.

She has worked for several organizations run by and for people with disabilities, resulting in mutual enrichment on topics as varied as the needs of rehabilitation center users, education, employment, housing, history, and the independent living movement. Since 2018, Louise has been involved with the board of directors of the Coop du Gorille, the housing cooperative of which she is a member.

Deborah once told us with a smile that it took her some time to associate herself with the word “feminism.” What truly interested her was working towards inclusion and access to independent living for everyone. Although the word “feminism” is dear to us at AFHM, we recognize that actions speak much louder than words. And Deborah acted relentlessly for the inclusion and autonomy of both women and men with disabilities for over forty years.

With studies in the humanities and psychology, her remarkable social involvement includes eighteen years on the board of Vie autonome – Montréal, where she served as president almost without interruption from the organization’s founding in 2001 until her passing in 2019. In addition to this commitment, she was elected as a board member of DéPhy Montréal in June 2011, and served as treasurer for 22 years of the Association des locataires de l’Esplanade II Inc. She was also president of the user committee at the Montreal Thoracic Hospital for several years and a member of the user committee at the Lucie-Bruneau Rehabilitation Center. In 2002, she received the Consumer Excellence Award from Vie autonome Canada, among other recognitions, for her volunteer contribution to the independent living movement in Canada.

Deborah served on the AFHM board of directors for seven years, largely fulfilling the role of treasurer. She helped our organization face significant challenges.

She was deeply committed to the ongoing search for solutions to strengthen and develop the organization. Deborah was a visionary woman focused on finding viable solutions for every cause she supported. In 2018, she joined Coop Assist as a board member, an organization that advocates for real support for people with disabilities, not only in their daily and domestic lives but also in their roles as workers, volunteers, parents, and citizens.

Dominique is a worthy successor to Maria Barile in her dedication, energy, persistence, skills, and leadership. Since 1995, she has fought for the full social participation of people with disabilities, both men and women. What motivated her from the very beginning was her quest for justice.

In addition to her involvement with Action Women and Disability, where she has been active for over 10 years, Dominique has been engaged in several organizations and initiatives, such as Alpha, RUTA Montréal, the Transport Table, and Ex aequo. She also served as president of this organization for several years.

We are well acquainted with her ability to communicate and mobilize her peers. But it is important to note that behind this great personality lies a deep understanding of the issues facing both women and men with disabilities, along with a remarkable ability to analyze these challenges.

Dominique has effectively applied the knowledge gained from her studies in social work, radiology, and gerontology, particularly within the adapted transport admissions committee and as a psychosocial worker at Alpha. For her, it is essential to always look at each person’s situation with nuance, taking into account, when necessary, the physiological, social, and political factors involved.

Once again driven by her sense of justice, Dominique has always insisted that we must not only demand equity from the government, institutions, and businesses, but also within our own organization. For her, AFH must be a space where no violent behavior is tolerated, and where women can feel safe, accepted, and respected. With her help, we have made significant strides in this direction.

In 2002, Dominique experienced a significant decrease in her mobility. Since then, she has fought for better services, a decent life, and inclusion. She refused the offer of living in a CHSLD (long-term care facility), joined a housing cooperative, and educates healthcare professionals daily on the needs of women with disabilities.

Each time Dominique breaks down a barrier, it is another door opened for the women who will follow her.

Linda-Marie has often said that she fell into the activism potion when she was a child. From a young age, she became acutely aware of injustices

An exceptional woman, Linda-Marie Blais is a role model. A graduate in haute couture, Linda-Marie created clothing for women with disabilities during her time. In the early 1980s, working for these women, in society’s eyes, was considered just “looking after them.”

This lack of recognition motivated her, in the early 1980s, to participate in the creation of the Women and Disabilities collective in Quebec City. This group secured some funding for various research projects on women with disabilities, and she regularly served as the coordinator of the research projects.

Maria Barile even met this women’s collective in Quebec before founding AFHM.

Linda-Marie maintained a close relationship with Maria until her passing in 2013. The Women and Disabilities collective continues to resonate today because of the relevance of the issues raised, which unfortunately remain current. Sexuality, domestic violence, motherhood, work—these themes continue to spark debates today.

In 1985, she participated in the Nairobi Conference at the end of the Decade for Women. There, she forged bonds of solidarity with women with disabilities from all over the world. Even after the collective’s closure, Linda-Marie never stopped advocating for the accessibility of women’s group activities and for the recognition of the rights of women with disabilities by the feminist movement.

In 2015, she created a Facebook page to mobilize women with disabilities to participate in the World March of Women, culminating in a national event in Trois-Rivières.

In recent years, as part of a career shift, she became involved with the Quebec Chronic Pain Association. Her expertise in community work and facilitation made her an essential resource. Indeed, she contributed to the establishment of support groups for people with chronic pain across Quebec. As a member and board member of the Association, she participates in studies, colloquia, and conferences, and has benefited from tools to adapt her lifestyle to the realities of living with chronic pain. After this necessary phase, she was able to reconnect with her passion—facilitating support groups.

The pandemic and the new virtual reality imposed did not stop her. She learned to use new virtual communication tools, and thanks to her tireless efforts, 16 support groups were created. Her mission was to equip those who found themselves abandoned by the healthcare system during the pandemic shutdown. These groups helped people break out of isolation.

Now working as a trainer at Kéroul, she continues relentlessly to push herself for the cause of people with disabilities.

Linda-Marie is not just an activist; she is also in love with her city, Quebec, and its cultural life. She contributes to the development of universal accessibility in the national capital and volunteers her time at the Carnaval and the Summer Festival.

Aware of the world around her, Linda-Marie Blais wants to—and is recognized as—a warrior!

AFH found it only fitting this year to award the Maria-Barile Prize to an activist from outside Montreal, as we want to position ourselves as an organization that listens to women with disabilities from all regions of Quebec.