Each year, National AccessAbility Week invites Canadians to reflect on and promote the values of accessibility, inclusion, and equity for people with visible and invisible disabilities. Running from May 25 to May 31 in 2025, this week is a time to acknowledge the barriers that still exist, but more importantly, to amplify the creative, systemic, and deeply personal efforts being made to remove them. “Forward Together: Accessibility and Inclusion for All,” resonates strongly with the initiatives and art currently being displayed at the Grebel Gallery.
The exhibit Art is Always Conflict features needlepoint and mixed media works by Elizabeth (Liz) Wenger, an artist who lived with spina bifida and spent much of her life in the hospital. Liz chose needlepoint because it allowed her to create even when confined to bed, transforming physical limitations into creative freedom. Her work confronts themes of disability, body image, and theology, offering a look at the tension between societal acceptance and the hope of unconditional love.
Liz’s life and art were shaped by the practical realities of living on disability benefits. She was unable to accept payment for her work without risking her income. Instead, she generously loaned her art to friends, and after her passing, donated her entire collection to Anabaptist Biblical Seminary, reflecting her deeply theological vision. Her story is a powerful reminder that systemic barriers extend beyond physical infrastructure; they touch every aspect of life, including how artists with disabilities are supported, recognized, and remembered.
This week, we also welcomed Waterloo artist Charlotte Hancock, whose pop-up exhibit, “Sometimes you are surprised by what can happen,” explores invisible disabilities. She reflects that “some limits are imposed by what society expects of me, some by my own body, some by the trauma of the interactions between these two.” Charlotte’s art continues the conversation that Liz began, suggesting that even when life diverges dramatically from what we envisioned, it can still be “indescribably rich.” Her work affirms that beauty, connection, and dignity are not in spite of disability, but often found through it.
Also featured in our gallery space is a crocheted blanket created by Corn, a second year Liberal Studies student currently living at Grebel. Their vibrant work, comprised of 127 crocheted hexagons, is an expression of love for both their past and present selves. Lying alongside Corn’s blanket and the stitching basket that invites gallery visitors to create something of their own, is another gift of love from the grandmother of Zelal, a member of The Ripple Effect Education team, who crocheted a patched cardigan to keep her warm all the way from Bursa, Turkey.
Corn also has another contribution currently on display in the (dis)Ability: An Art Showcase exhibit at Kitchener Public Library, Central Branch, with an audio description of the ways even when intending to be accessible, spaces are often inaccessible.
The Grebel Gallery exhibit is installed to enable seated viewing, with larger font didactics, optional video and audio elements, and the gallery can be reached by elevator using the 4th floor wheelchair icon. We are always reflecting on how people experience our gallery, and we welcome feedback to make it a more inclusive and accessible space. The exhibit will remain on display until June 17. We hope you will join us in the gallery to, sit with these works and listen to the voices behind them.
By Pinar Gurgen