05/12/2020
My COVID Disability Q
Canada’s New Q&A Hub for Canadians with Disabilities
CanChild, the Kids Brain Health Network, and the CHILD-BRIGHT Network are happy to announce the launch of My COVID Disability Q., a new Twitter Q&A hub for Canadian children and youth with disabilities as well as family members speaking on their behalf. Using My COVID Disability Q., youth and their family members are invited to ask questions relating to disabilities and the ongoing COVID-19 situation and get credible answers from some of Canada’s leading disability experts working in a wide range of fields including health, research, science, policy, leisure, and wellbeing.
How does it work?
It’s easy!
· First, visit us on Twitter at to see what questions Canadians have asked our disability experts to answer already.
· Then, submit your own question about COVID-19 using our online form.
· Our moderators at CanChild, the Kids Brain Health Network and the CHILD-BRIGHT Network will post selected questions on Twitter at using the hashtag, brainstorm which experts in our vast networks could help answer, and amplify your question by responding and tagging these Canadian scientific, medical, political, policy or knowledge experts.
· A conversation around your question will then unfold!
What types of questions can I ask?
My COVID Disability Q. is a space for Canadian children and youth with disabilities, as well as family members speaking on their behalf, to ask questions that relate to both their disabilities and the COVID-19 outbreak. For example:
· You may be wondering if your disability puts you at higher-than-average risk to COVID-19, or
· You may be looking for recommendations for accessible leisure activities to do from home while your normal activities are suspended, or
· You may be looking to connect with new youth or caregiver communities remotely, or
· You may be looking for credible sources of information relating to your disability rights in Canada.
The possibilities are endless! We invite you to submit your question in whatever format is easiest for you (you can type it in, submit a video… you can even include photos!). We’re here to help amplify your questions so you can get answers. Note, however, that we will not provide medical advice.
How can the CHILD-BRIGHT Network, CanChild and the Kids Brain Health Network help?
As three of Canada’s leading pediatric networks working to improve outcomes for children with disabilities and their families, CHILD-BRIGHT, the Kids Brain Health Network, and CanChild bring together a vast network of Canadian researchers, clinicians, patient partners, policymakers, and other knowledge experts from the fields of brain-based and developmental disabilities, from across the country. Because we work so closely together around this common goal, we are optimally positioned to amplify your question to the experts within our networks with expertise relevant to your question, including to our contacts within the industry and government. You can read more about each network here:
Founded in 1989, CanChild is a research centre located at McMaster University. With a large academic network of international scientists, CanChild conducts applied clinical and health services research focused on children and youth with disabilities and their families. As a world-leader in the field, CanChild strives to generate new knowledge and translate research in an accessible way that is relevant and meaningful to those who need it most: children and youth with disabilities and their families. www.canchild.ca
Since 2010, Kids Brain Health Network (KBHN) has been supported by the National Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) Program. The NCE is a Canadian government initiative, which funds partnerships between universities, industry, government, and not-for-profit organizations to create large-scale research networks with the overarching goal of delivering socio-economic benefit to Canada.
As a research network, KBHN engages and partners with community groups, not-for-profit organizations, industry, parents, clinicians, health professionals, provincial and federal governments, and everyone who can play a role in advancing knowledge to improve outcomes for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families. www.kidsbrainhealth.ca
The CHILD-BRIGHT Network, headquartered at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC), is an innovative pan-Canadian network that aims to improve life outcomes for children with brain-based developmental disabilities and their families. Using family and child-focused approaches, we work to create novel interventions to optimize development, promote health outcomes, and deliver responsive and supportive services. CHILD-BRIGHT is made possible thanks to a five-year grant by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) under Canada’s Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR), and 28 generous funding partners from public and private sectors across Canada. www.child-bright.ca
By launching My COVID Disability Q., we strive to help Canadian children and youth with disabilities and family members speaking on their behalf get answers to their questions from credible Canadian sources. Join us and help spread the word.
