DAWN Canada is a national, feminist, cross-disability organization run by and for women, girls, and gender-diverse people with disabilities (including Deaf women). Established in 1985 after a founding meeting of seventeen disabled women, it remains Canada’s only national organization dedicated specifically to this intersection.
Mission and Vision
DAWN’s mission is to end the poverty, isolation, discrimination, and violence experienced by women and gender-diverse people with disabilities. They work toward full freedom of choice and inclusion across all aspects of life. Their vision is a society where disabled women and gender-diverse individuals live with dignity, autonomy, equity, respect, and justice.
Core Activities
- Advocacy & Policy: Amplifying the voices of disabled and Deaf women in consultations, court cases, and public policy—often collaborating with legal initiatives like LEAF and ARCH on issues like access to justice.
- Leadership & Networking: Providing platforms for leadership development, peer connection, and mentorship across Canada.
- Education & Awareness: Offering workshops, public resources, and training on topics such as gender-based violence, intersectional discrimination, and economic justice.
- Research & Coalitions: Publishing policy briefs and conducting research that elevates lived experience and drives systemic reform.
Governance & Structure
DAWN operates as a volunteer-driven non-profit with a national board. Its members and leadership are people with lived disability experience. In recent decades, DAWN has engaged deeply in court interventions (e.g., Supreme Court briefs) and strategic national partnerships to advance equality rights for disabled women.
Impact & Reach
- The organization remains the only Canadian national network focused on this demographic, shaping policy and legal protections.
- DAWN has a record of interdisciplinary leadership: intervening in legal cases related to sexual assault, influencing the National Action Plan on gender-based violence, and producing resources that support grassroots organizing.
- It builds long-term partnerships with feminist, disability rights, and social justice movements across Canada.
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