Our Students

Douglas Waxman is a Ph.D. candidate in the Critical Disability Studies program at York University. He has a Juris Doctor from Osgoode Hall Law School, and Masters in Public Administration at Wagner School of Public Service at New York University.  He has an interdisciplinary grounding in human rights, social policy and critical theory, informed by sociology, psychology, law and history. His work has included a range of policy research including social policy, employment policy, education policy and disability policy.

Douglas has practiced law, was the National Insolvency Manager at Price Waterhouse (now PricewaterhouseCoopers), and has published on Insolvency and commodity tax issues. He has 15 years business experience in the environmental industry.

He has fifteen years of progressive voluntary policy, management and governance experience in various roles with the Learning Disability Association of Ontario (LDAO), ranging from working on various Committees, to ultimately being President of LDAO.

Research Interests: Disability, Employment, Corporate Culture, Attitudinal Barriers, Discrimination, Social Policy, Human Rights

Supervisor: Thomas Klassen

Yvonne Simpson is a PhD candidate at York University, Faculty of Health Policy Management. Currently she works as a research assistant in the Centre for Human Rights and as a part-time faculty member at Seneca College. She holds a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Calgary with a specialization in Community Rehabilitation and Disability Studies as well as a certificate in rehabilitation counselling. She has worked as an educator, practitioner and advocate in the disabilities field for many years, and has held various leadership roles in the private sector insurance industry, public sector education and social service agencies.

As a social justice advocate, Yvonne has worked to build strategic alliances with workplace stakeholders including academic and non-academic administrators, employees, unions, and external business partners. As a graduate student, her research focuses on human rights and social justice in the context of acquired workplace disability among immigrant workers. Her dissertation occurs at the intersection of race, immigration and WSIB policies.

Research Interests: Immigrant Workers, Acquired Disability, Race, Intersectionality, WSIB, Immigration Policy

Supervisor: Rachel Gorman