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20 Years Later:
The (In)Accessibility of Ontario
[Image Description: A promotional poster for a photography exhibition titled "20 Years Later: The (In)Accessibility of Ontario", presented by The Disability Collective. The design features a black background with the words "20 Years Later" are in large, bold pink capital letters, followed by "The (In)Accessibility of Ontario" in white and pink. Underneath the text reads "Daniels Spectrum, October 9-26, 2026, A photography exhibition showcasing the shortcomings of the Accessibility for Ontarios with Disabilities Act". At the top left corner is The Disability Collective logo, and at the top right corner is the TD Ready Commitment logo. At the bottom right corner are two monochrome photographs in pink tones: one of a Black man in a wheelchair looking directly at the camera, and another of two people, one of whom uses a wheelchair, viewing framed artwork in a gallery]
20 Years Later: The (In)Accessibility of Ontario is a photography exhibition showcasing the shortcomings of the AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act) and the longstanding impacts on the d/Deaf and disabled community in Ontario, marking the 20th anniversary of its enactment. This exhibit will highlight barriers that the d/Deaf and disabled community face in accessing public spaces, and showcase how to remove these barriers and make spaces more accessible for everyone in our community.
Featured Photographers
[Image Description: A black-and-white headshot image of two overlapping-yet-offset portrait photographs of the same person, a light-skinned man with dark hair wearing a black polo shirt and standing in front of a brick wall. He is shown twice; on the left, he is smirking at the camera and, on the right, he is looking off-camera]
AQUIL VIRANI
Aquil Virani is an award-winning Ismaili Muslim visual artist of Indian and French heritage, living fabulously with disability. “He could not be more Canadian,” says Éric Clément in La Presse. His collaborative art projects often combine painting, drawing, filmmaking, photography, writing, graphic design, installation, and participatory art processes. He is grateful for financial support from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, the Toronto Arts Council, and other community organizations and institutions. He aims to create artwork aligned with his political values – a personal contribution to broader social movements that drive empathy and intercultural understanding, while promoting a more nuanced and responsible representation of marginalized groups and communities “on our own terms.” He's excited to share more work at a show at Tangled in 2027. Learn more at aquil.ca.
[Image Description: A not-bad-looking white man, with short dark hair and a trimmed beard, wears a black button-up shirt and is photographed against a dark background. He faces slightly to the right, not smiling, with a calm, neutral expression]
ATANAS BOZDAROV
Atanas Bozdarov is an artist and designer whose work incorporates sculpture, photography, and graphic design to explore systems of access, intersections of disability and design, and architectural propositions for public space. Bozdarov’s work has been exhibited internationally, including in Resistance and Respiration, curated by Amanda Cachia at Contemporary Calgary. His recent projects include creating a garden and library at Tangled Art + Disability for the Mayworks Festival (2024); participating in QUIET PARADE at The Blackwood Gallery (2024); collaborating with A.S.M. Kobayashi on Rise Over Run (2024) at Nuit Blanche—a project exploring connections between disability and skateboarding communities; and exhibiting a new series of photographs in Proof 31 at Gallery 44 (2025). He holds an MDes from OCAD University.
EVA CHARALAMBIDES
Eva Charalambides is a disabled and chronically ill photographer and author who loves to lend her voice and eye to magazines, exhibits and projects that share the reality of disabled lives and to promote disability rights. She shares 24 acres of Ontario forest with her husband, Matt, and the countless wildlife visitors who bless them with their presence.
[Image Description: Eva Charalambides is a caucasian woman that wears large, dark rimmed glasses. She has long straight brown hair with a small section of blonde hair on the right side of her face. She is smiling and wears a fuzzy white and pink sweater. She has nose, lip and ear piercings and is sitting in front of a white and black wall]
[Image Description: Julia Skikavich, a white person with short dark hair and glasses, smiles thinly, looking seriously toward the camera]
JULIA SKIKAVICH
Julia Skikavich is an award-winning creator, photographer, screenwriter and journalist. Her journalistic photography has been featured in newspapers and magazines in Canada and the United States. She has also held positions as a photo editor, reporter, senior news writer and producer for news organizations that have included CBC, Sun Media and Yahoo! Canada. She’s been published by The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, Time Magazine, and more. Her coverage and photography has spanned major events and breaking news stories, including election campaigns, murder trials, the Canada Games, the Olympics, sled dog races and Sasquatch sightings.
Much of Julia’s photography is based in the abstract and captures subjects at unexpected angles, encouraging viewers to carefully observe while also drawing their attention to subtle details, textures and lines. She is currently working on a daily photo and literary project chronicling her lived experiences commuting between small town Ontario and Toronto for medical treatment. The effort is designed to encapsulate the feelings, emotions and sensations associated with chronic illness, rare disease, disability, (in)accessibility, and the healthcare system.
KAREN GRAHAM
Karen Graham is a photographer based in Hamilton, Ontario. Her work explores stillness, emotion, and the sensory experience of being human through a documentary and movement-inspired lens. She seeks to capture the quiet, unspoken moments that reveal truth, depth, and beauty in imperfection. Being a deaf photographer has given me a heightened sense of visual awareness, allowing me to see and capture details that often go unnoticed. I believe that love is in the little moments, the subtle glances, the quiet smiles, the gentle touches and my goal is to preserve these moments.
[Image Description: A color photograph of Karen seated on a stool in a bright, spacious studio with large windows and hardwood floors. She has long brown hair with subtle highlights and wears glasses, a black suit jacket, and matching black pants. She is turned slightly to the left, with one hand resting on her lap and the other gently touching her hair, conveying a calm presence]
MAGNUS BERG
Magnus Berg (they/he) is a transmasculine/agender, queer, autistic person with invisible sensory, neurological, and physical disabilities. They are a digital scholarship librarian, a reformed filmmaker, and a hobbyist photographer and collage artist. They conduct research on the ways that trans/gender diverse labour is exploited by libraries and the ways that copyright hampers media and software preservation. They reside in Tkaronto with their partner and tiny dog. You can usually summon them by mentioning Xerox PARC in casual conversation.
[Image Description: A white transmasculine person with brown curly hair, a cropped beard, and moustache stands in front of a blurred landscape. They are wearing pink glasses, olive overalls, and a multi-coloured paisley shirt]
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