The AAO’s Professional Development Committee presents
Safe Spaces for Records Professionals with Disabilities, Chronic Illnesses, and the Neurodivergent
The Professional Development Committee is thrilled to present the first in-person safe space sessions at this year’s annual conference! These sessions are safe spaces set aside and reserved for archives workers and records managers from historically excluded groups in our profession to connect with one another in an informal, participant-driven environment. Participants will also have the opportunity to share feedback on the sessions and help shape their future format.
These sessions are open to students, emerging, and established professionals, as well as those working in volunteer and activist roles. Note that this space is only open to archives workers and records managers with visible and/or invisible disabilities. The AAO follows the ADA’s definition of disability as “a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.” Registrants who do not identify as records professionals with visible and/or invisible disabilities will be asked to leave the meeting.
Date: Wednesday, May 6, 2026, 4:30-5:20 pm EDT
Location: University of St. Michael’s College
113 St. Joseph Street, Toronto, ON.
Room location will be emailed upon registration
Registration: FREE (AAO members, student members, and non-members)
Refreshments: Light refreshments will be provided
Meetings are governed by the AAO’s Code of Conduct as well as a guideline of confidentiality. It is essential that all participants agree to keep confidential the identities of individual participants and any names that may be mentioned during their time together, as well as any attributed specific comments. Agreement about this point is required.
About the moderator:
Sarah McDougall has been a stutterer since early childhood and has experienced discrimination, accessibility barriers, and mental health challenges related to her disability. She is the Archives Assistant at the Anglican Diocese of Toronto Archives and the 2024-2025 Past President of the AAO. Sarah holds a Master of Information and a Master of Museum Studies from the University of Toronto's iSchool.
Please contact professionaldevelopment@aao-archivists.ca with your questions and any requests for accommodation.
