In this episode of Reimagining Disabled Futures, we explore feminist recovery through the lived experiences of women and gender-diverse people with disabilities participating in the Feminist Economic Recovery Project, part of Mapping Our Future: A 10-Year Vision for Change for Women with Disabilities. Through a facilitated group conversation, participants reflect on what it means to live well, the systemic barriers they face in accessing healthcare, housing, transportation, home care, and financial supports, and what a truly feminist approach to recovery could look like beyond COVID-19. Their reflections challenge narrow definitions of wellness and recovery, centering dignity, choice, care, and collective responsibility. This is the first of three special episodes sharing insights from focus group participants whose voices are shaping this national research. Why This Conversation Matters Feminist recovery cannot be separated from disability justice, economic security, and access to care. This conversation highlights how current systems often retraumatize, exclude, or exhaust disabled women and gender-diverse people — and why recovery must be reimagined as equity-focused, trauma-informed, and grounded in lived expertise. The episode speaks directly to policymakers, service providers, researchers, advocates, and community members working toward systems that allow people not just to survive, but to live well. Key Themes Explored Living well as more than survival: connection, creativity, choice, and balance Systemic barriers in healthcare, transportation, housing, and home care Medical gaslighting, misogyny, racism, ableism, and transphobia in institutions Financial precarity, disability benefits, CERB, ODSP, and bureaucratic harm Aging with disability and gaps in supports for older women Feminist recovery as equity, not a return to “normal” Trauma-informed, person-centred approaches to care and support Notable Reflections Participants describe living well as having autonomy over time, access to community and care, and the ability to make choices that honour their health and personhood. Many speak to the exhaustion of navigating systems that require constant proof of need, where trust is broken through dismissal, disbelief, and administrative violence. Feminist recovery emerges as a collective responsibility — one that centres marginalized knowledge, invests in care infrastructure, addresses long-term impacts of COVID-19, and recognizes that what supports disabled women ultimately strengthens society as a whole. About the Feminist Economic Recovery Project The Feminist Economic Recovery Project examines how women and gender-diverse people with disabilities access essential services, housing, financial supports, and care. It centres lived experience to inform policy recommendations and systems change, with a focus on addressing gender-based violence, economic hardship, and systemic exclusion. Download the transcript. About DAWN Canada DAWN Canada is a national feminist, cross-disability human rights organization working to end poverty, isolation, discrimination, and violence experienced by women, girls, and gender-diverse people with disabilities and/or who are Deaf. DAWN’s work spans research, education, policy, and advocacy, grounded in disability justice, intersectional feminism, and community-led knowledge.
