Gaitrie Persaud is a Tkaronto-Guyanese raised Deaf actor, activist and mother of three based in Toronto. An ASL coach and ASL music performer, she is also the founder of Phoenix the Fire, a theatre community hub for BIPOC Deaf artists, where she is building the support structure she finds lacking in Canada.
Gaitrie is currently a news presenter on Sign 1 in Atlanta as well as a regular on Nickelodeon Jr. Blues Clues & You and CBC Gem’s Silly Paws. Gaitrie strives to balance two lives—one in Toronto with her family and the other in Atlanta, where a thriving Deaf community offers opportunity.
David Lingisi aka Young Dave Bangin’ has been producing music in the hip hop scene in Hamilton for the past 8 years. From reaching 100K streams on one of his early singles to attracting the attention of heavy hitters like Dr. Dre, Dave is on the rise—just as his sickle cell disease escalates. Last year alone, he spent 180 days in hospital.
While Dave and his team work on building momentum and opening a brick-and-mortar store for their fashion brand N’arrête Jamais, Dave tries to ration his time and health to keep up with his ambition. But no matter if he’s at home or in hospital, nothing’s gonna stop him from building an empire.
Desiree Walsh is a Toronto-based comedian with cerebral palsy, who dropped her first album Everybody Panic in 2023. By day she works at a bank; by night she’s writing material for a new standup set and doing gigs on the (mostly inaccessible) comedy club circuit.
Desiree has been featured on Breakfast Television and at the Reel Abilities Film Festival and Comedy Night. She’s also part of the series Comedy Invasion available on AAM.tv, AmazonPrime, Roku, and Tubi.
Ivory is a multidisciplinary artist living with three different kinds of arthritis. A singer, actor, dancer, model, archer, equestrian and fire breather, this body-positive activist has done it all! When she’s not on her farm in the Kawartha Lakes with her hubby and horses, she is setting the burlesque stage on fire. She doesn’t hold anything back, and recently took ownership of her disabled identity and is ready to share what it actually means.
Currently, Ivory appears on CBC’s The Succulent Six and Crave’s One Queen, Five Queers and recently starred in the Canadian Indie horror flick Mind Leech. Her work as a plus-size model reads like a Who's Who of Canadian retailers, including Addition Elle, The Bay, Reitmans and Penningtons. A proud member of the Board of Directors of the Toronto Burlesque Festival, and Les Femmes Fatales, Women& Femmes of Colour Burlesque troupe, she can be found performing all over the world as a solo artist.
Stage and Screen Actor, Little Person
Alexia was the first little person to graduate from her university’s theatre and drama program. After leaving the safe haven of academia, she’s embarking on a journey to find her place in the industry—whether on stage, screen or in an audio booth. She’s open to many avenues, but one thing’s for certain: she will not be tokenized.
TV/Film Actor, Hard of Hearing
A bartender by day, Caeden has scored multiple bit parts in both film and TV. But after being diagnosed with genetic progressive hearing loss, he’s navigating new barriers in the industry. He worries that the powers-that-be see him as a “liability” on set, and wonders if he would he be better off finding security in the restaurant industry.
Actor/Filmmaker/ASL Coach, Deaf
An established Deaf actress, Catherine was raised on the east coast and has lived in Toronto since the 90s. One of the highlights of her career was playing—in the same year—Alexander Graham Bell’s wife on screen in Murdoch Mysteries and his mother on stage in Silence. Besides acting, Catherine has made a name for herself as a Master Dialect Coach and Deaf consultant for major productions. Though juggling being in front and behind the camera has its challenges, Catherine is determined to make it work.
Comedian, Legally Blind
Dan, a stand-up comic with low vision, made the long list of CBC’s Next Up competition series. Now he just needs to become a regular on the comedy club circuit. Though humour is at the core of everything he does, so is storytelling. With the support of his partner, Michelle, he’s on a path to combining those talents to make people laugh, subvert their expectations and advocate for a more accessible world.
Model/Musician/Activist, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
A Thunder Bay native, Rachel is a model, musician and activist with a connective tissue disorder and a history of multiple surgeries for spinal tumors. After having to re-invent themselves post- surgery and diagnosis, they are hellbent on becoming a disability mogul one record and runway at a time.
Performer/Personality, Wheelchair User
At 17, Tai is already a seasoned performer having appeared in numerous musical theatre productions, commercials and TV shows. As a wheelchair user, he’s passionate about disability representation in the media and has been part of national advocacy campaigns. He counts photography, makeup, fashion, tennis and skiing among his many interests. As for what happens after he graduates, Tai refuses to be pinned down.
