The Vital Role of Indigenous Doulas in Reproductive Justice – Guest Blog by Ashley Hayward
For National Indigenous History Month, we are highlighting a recent blog post from Ashley Hayward on reproductive justice and the important role Indigenous doulas play. Hayward was also a panellist on our recent webinar about Parenting with Arthritis. Read the blog post here!
What have we been up to?
Pregnancy and Arthritis Recording Available – On May 4th we held a webinar about navigating pregnancy with arthritis featuring perspectives from patients, researchers, and rheumatologists. Click here to learn more from Cristina Montoya, Shani Ellis-Alman, Dr. Neda Amiri, Dr. Vienna Cheng, and Dr. Mary De Vera. Check out our YouTube channel for more informative videos!
Arthritis and Assistive Devices – Thank you to everyone who participated in this survey! We had 279 respondents, all of whose participation informs future healthcare practices. This continues our work from last year to better understand the research evidence around assistive devices and aids to help people with arthritis live life well and independently with arthritis. Results will be shared as soon as they are available!
Resources By Youth, for Youth with Arthritis – In January 2024, CAPA and Take a Pain Check (TAPC) teamed up to create a Youth Committee composed of youth and young adults with lived experience of arthritis. The committee’s goal was to share their knowledge and experience to create information for other youth and young adults living with arthritis. Check out the new resources to help you navigate work, school, and relationships!
Get Involved!
Feedback on Words Used to Describe Pain – CAPA, Dragon Claw, and the Chronic Pain Network are working on developing a new tool to facilitate discussions about pain with healthcare professionals. We are in the process of selecting the best words to describe pain. Which words resonate with you and best describe your pain(s)?
Please add any not listed below and email your list to charmaine@dragonclaw.net or lindaawilhelm@gmail.com by July 15th.
Calling All Disabled, Chronically Ill, Neurodivergent, and d/Deaf Youth – Are you interested in expanding your advocacy work? The Disabled Youth Advocacy Directory is a free, online platform for youth with lived experience wanting to start or expand their advocacy careers! Each Youth Advocate receives space for their headshot, biography, lived experience, areas of expertise, and contact information for potential clients and organizations to contact them directly – to claim your spot, fill out this form. If you need help with this process, email Carly Fox at carlysteelefox@gmail.com.
Stay Informed
, Anna Samson, a writer and advocate who lives with Ankylosing Spondylitis, wrote a blog post about Arthritis in 2SLGBTQQIA+ People in Canada. If you identify as part of the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community, let us know how to better support you by emailing us here.
New Blog Posts – We have several new blog posts about pregnancy, parenting, and more with arthritis. Blog posts include Can women with rheumatoid arthritis have children?, 7 Strategies for Parenting While Living with Arthritis, and All Parents Get Tired, but…
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