Sign in

Rae Martens ♿️

@coffeeandresearch.bsky.social
2.4K followers 1.3K following 849 posts

Research Knowledge Broker, speaker, knowledge mobilization, cancer, childhood disability, rare disease, spoonie, coffee drinker. Opinions are my own.

PostsRepliesMedia
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Play, recreation, leisure, culture and sport are human rights including for disabled children. Sometimes accessibility isn’t about making an activity educational, developmental, or therapeutic. Sometimes it’s simply about making sure a disabled kid can participate in the joy of being a kid. 💛
031
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
In this post you could swap almost any hot-button issue into this formula and get the same basic engagement strategy. You don't necessarily need a nuanced position to rage farm. You just need to know which words will make people react.
000
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Sometimes people use very imprecise language when they spread misinformation to make it sound more impactful. When in reality precise language is so important in science.
010
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
BC Courts open the door to a class action lawsuit against Air Canada. money.ca/news/air-can...
money.ca
Air Canada faces class action lawsuit after passenger with cerebral palsy alleges he had to drag himself off a flight
Thousands of passengers with mobility disabilities can now seek accountability from Canada's largest airline
011
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
We spend our whole lives deciding who gets to know different parts of our story. But when it comes to our health data, those decisions can get a lot more complicated. /1
130
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
A new report examines inclusion policies in childcare settings in Alberta. policywise.blob.core.windows.net/files/Inclus...
policywise.blob.core.windows.net
020
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
@todmaffin.com recently made a video after their initiative to bring physicians to Canada, to (jokingly) bring hospital beds too. I made a joke on TikTok about bringing warm blankets straight from the dryer too. In reality warm blankets are a small sign of a healthy system
110
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
The Mind Over Media project initiative will examine how digital spaces can affect the well-being of young people. www.childrenshealthcarecanada.ca/en/news/post...
childrenshealthcarecanada.ca
Government of Canada invests in youth online safety and well-being | Children's Healthcare Canada
000
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
One of the biggest challenges with educating policy makers in Canada is a common attitude elsewhere as well. This false idea that the only goal to support people is so that people can contribute to the economy. Not everyone can. And that shouldn’t determine whether someone is entitled to support
The @elegraph
Log in
=
News Donald Trump Israel Ukraine Roy
How having a disability became cool
Young women, nicknamed 'sickfluencers, are turning chronic illness into a lifestyle trend and entrenching a culture of economic inactivity
141
Reposted by Rae Martens ♿️
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Why access to assistive technology is a policy issue when it comes to access. #AssistiveTechnology #Disability #Accessibility #DisabilityRights
054
Reposted by Rae Martens ♿️
T. Ryan Gregory 🇨🇦 @tryangregory.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
www.theglobeandmail.com/business/com...
theglobeandmail.com
Opinion: Not addressing climate change costs the economy more. When will we finally get this?
Recent analysis found that global GDP per capita would be more than 25 per cent higher today had no warming occurred
27830
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Why access to assistive technology is a policy issue when it comes to access. #AssistiveTechnology #Disability #Accessibility #DisabilityRights
054
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Relational Capital is the accumulated trust, empathy, self-awareness, and relationship-building capacity that exists between researchers and patient or family partners. It's built through sustained investment in the support system that makes engagement capable. www.linkedin.com/pulse/case-p...
linkedin.com
The Case For Patient and Family Engagement Infrastructure
Ask almost anyone in health research whether engaging patients and families is important, and you'll get a yes. Ask what's supporting that engagement, and the answer is usually pretty varied for a lot...
010
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Bill S-212 could shape federal policy on child and youth wellbeing in Canada here’s what’s actually in it. #youth #cdnpoli #cdnpolitics #bills212
011
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Kids and youth have a human right to be a part of the conversation when it comes to legislation meant for them and their future. #CanadianYouth #YoungCanadians #BillS212 #YouthWellbeing
030
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Bill S-212 is the National Strategy for Children and Youth Act. It would require the federal government to develop a coordinated national strategy for the well-being of children and youth, including measurable outcomes, consultation with children and youth, and parliamentary oversight. /1
Kinda chic to know what
Canadian federal bill
S-212 is before your MP does.Kinda chic to care that Canada still doesn't have a national plan for child and youth wellbeing.Kinda chic to be the person in the group text who tells others it's awaiting second reading in the House of Commons right now.Kinda chic to know what
Bill S-212 is.
Kinda chic to care what happens to it.
Kinda chic to tell people you know about it.
Kinda chic to ask your MP where they stand.
111
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
There have been a number of petitions going around about an Indigo Alert. This one has a pretty solid foundation. Please share and consider signing. www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en...
ourcommons.ca
Petition e-7703 - Petitions
000
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Just a casual reminder in an era of ai with all the current dealings going on between Canada and the US. That and an upcoming referendum vote in Alberta. There is no social media platform that has your back when it comes to algorithms that feed you information. /1
100
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
One argument worth considering amidst all the current buy Canadian sentiment is the fact that Canada has a real shot at becoming a global leader in mobility and accessibility tech, resources and tools. Infrastructure alone however doesn't build a strong potential economic sector, visibility /1
110
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Dads of disabled and neurodivergent kids are a very under supported population. New support opportunity thread 🧵: Fathers of children with disabilities are often left out of the caregiving narrative, leading many to feel isolated and unseen in their role. /1
140
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Built By Deaf People, For Deaf People, Google's New Technology www.forbes.com/sites/keelyc...?
forbes.com
Built By Deaf People, For Deaf People, Google's New Technology
Google's new AI turns sign language into text, built with Deaf input. Deaf filmmaker Chrissy Marshall asks whose ASL these systems will recognize.
020
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
OBI Public Talk — Beyond the Diagnosis: The Future of Neurodiversity braininstitute.ca/news-events/...
braininstitute.ca
Building innovation in brain research & care | Ontario Brain Institute
The Ontario Brain Institute works to establish Ontario as a world leader in brain research, commercialization and care.
021
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
Old video but an entertaining story. Awhile back, I saw a post from @dr_jonathan_stea about the University of Alberta’s free science literacy course. People kept commenting things like, “NDP voters should take this course but of course they won’t.”
111
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
Canada has been pushing forward with the national #autism strategy through the establishment of the National Autism Network. They recently put out a survey to ask people how they wish to stay engaged with the work. You can share your thoughts here: nan-rna.ca/tell-us-how-...
nan-rna.ca
Tell us how you want to be involved - National Autism Network
Help shape our Network We want to know how you would like to connect with the Network in the future.This survey takes about 5 minutes to complete. Other ways to […]
022
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Canada doesn’t have a national plan for kids and youth in policy. There’s a bill sitting in the House right now that would fix that and most people have never heard of it. Bill S-212 is a national strategy for children and youth.
A bill to give Canada's kids one national plan instead of a patchwork.
Bill S-212, the National Strategy for Children and Youth Act, has cleared the Senate and is now sitting in the House of Commons and waiting for MPs to debate it. This is the moment raising awareness and advocacy is vital.
WHERE THE BILL STANDS RIGHT NOW
SENATE PASSED
Mar 10, 2026
HOUSE
1ST READING
Mar 12, 2026
HOUSE
2ND READING
Pending
COMMITTEE
Not reached
3RD READING
& ASSENT
Not reached
WHAT IS IT?
Sponsored by Senator Rosemary Moodie, the bill doesn't create the strategy itself. It requires the government to build one, with children, youth, provinces, territories, and Indigenous governments at the table.
- Sets national goals to reduce child poverty and expand access to mental health care
- Requires measurable indicators, to track progress and a plan for closing identified gaps
- Centres the voices of children and youth directly as a part of how the strategy gets built
Canada is one of the only wealthy countries without a national vision for child and youth wellbeing. Supports today are scattered across departments and jurisdictions so kids fall through the seams because no one owns the whole picture.
"Canada needs a national strategy that brings together the patchwork of programs and benefits throughout the country under one outcome-driven framework. Without such a strategy, we risk continuing with siloed interventions, short-term fixes and duplication of efforts that fail to address the real issues facing children and youth, including poverty, housing, mental and physical health and education, and we will always fall short of reaching our goals."
- SEN. ROSEMARY MOODIE, BILL SPONSOR, 2ND READING SPEECH
Bill S-212 • parl.ca/legisinfo/en/bill/45-1/s-212
010
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
This week’s interview is now online. What has the community learned in the wake of an autistic young man’s disappearance? www.cbc.ca/listen/live-...
cbc.ca
© CBC/Radio-Canada 2026. All rights reserved.
010
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
I will be on CBC Alberta at Noon tomorrow to talk about how communities can support disabled, autistic and neurodivergent families to help keep them safe. Tune in.
010
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
The bad ai images people share to complement their point should give us all pause to fact check or just dig a little deeper before accepting what we see as just, “good enough”.
011
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
The future of this country will be shaped not only by the challenges we face today, but how we invest in the children who will inherit them. Parliament must move swiftly to pass Bill S-212 and create a national strategy for children and youth. www.hilltimes.com/2026/07/30/p...
hilltimes.com
Past due: a plan for children and youth in Canada - The Hill Times
The future of this country will be shaped not only by the challenges we face today, but how we invest in the children who will inherit them. Parliament must move swiftly to pass Bill S-212 and create ...
010
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
We judge people quickly; when someone walks in wearing a safety vest, holding a stethoscope, speaking with confidence, we instantly decide if they know what they’re doing. Online, it’s even more intense and complicated to navigate. That gut reaction gets packaged and sold to us on purpose. /1
100
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Happy Friday! You can make it through today. Run on caffeine, determination and whatever this look is.
010
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
The National Autism Network is a response to Canada’s federal National Autism Strategy. It seems there will be an opportunity for families to be engaged from what the article states. You can learn more about the organization here: nan-rna.ca www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...
theglobeandmail.com
Autism advocates call for alert system overhaul after Calgary boy found dead
A national autism organization says emergency alert systems and first-responder training need ‘urgent change’ for vulnerable children and their families
001
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
The more we recognize these actions people take, the slower our pace is online. That's not inherently a bad thing. It makes us more intentional. That makes social media suck just a little bit less.
000
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Starting a new series called, “How to Make Social Media Suck Just a Little Bit Less”. The goal is to start talking about influencer quirks, sketchy habits and how to build better decision frameworks before we share.
021
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
This is pretty cool! Jim Pattison Centre for Health Systems Learning + Innovation is opening up for submissions for healthcare ideas and innovations. jpcentre.ca/submit-an-id...
jpcentre.ca
Submit an Idea | Jim Pattison Centre for Health Systems Learning + Innovation
We believe innovation starts with people who see opportunities to improve care, systems, and community impact. If you have an idea, challenge, or potential collaboration you would like to explore, we ...
001
Reposted by Rae Martens ♿️
Melissa Lem @drmelissalem.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Disability Pride Month is celebrated worldwide every July — and what a joy and honour it was for me to sit down for a conversation with Man in Motion Rick Hansen for @bcparksfoundation.ca's #PaRx blog, published this month. Read it here: www.parkprescriptions.ca/updates/parx... #healthybynature
A collage of photos of Man in Motion Rick Hansen speaking with kids at a school, fishing as a child, addressing a crowd of health professionals, being stopped on the road by sheep in New Zealand, with his support team on the Great Wall of China, with his brother and friend fishing as a young adult, meeting with Melissa at the Rick Hansen Foundation office, and shaking hands with Prime Minister Mark Carney in Ottawa
062
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
A B.C. woman's extreme battle to help her disabled brother Angela Clancy's brother, Alan, lives in a Victoria suburb with his stepdad. Two lawsuits raise concerns about his living situation. But his caregiver denies wrongdoing and officials refuse to move him vancouversun.com/news/exclusi...
vancouversun.com
Exclusive: A B.C. woman's extreme battle to help her disabled brother
Two lawsuits raise concerns about a disabled man's living situation. But his caregiver denies wrongdoing and officials refuse to move him.
000
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
Out of the whole of human anatomy and physiology, bones and brains fascinate me the most. So when Jimothy came on the scene, this was an opportunity to learn about something new through natural curiosity.
Cartoon raccoon with the caption Disability Pride Month
130
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
The title to this article is cringeworthy, but there are a lot of key points the author circles around that resonate with me as a knowledge mobilization and implementation support specialist. Movements become influential because they’re easy to understand, easy to repeat, and easy to belong to.
A lot of people in public health believe that MAHA is "nothing more than a subversive anti-vaccine, anti-science syndicate," but the movement is an opportunity that the public-health sector
"cannot afford to squander," Craig
Spencer argues:
110
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
ChatGPT medical advice brought man 'to brink of death', lawsuit alleges www.bbc.com/news/article...
bbc.com
ChatGPT medical advice brought man 'to brink of death', lawsuit alleges
An American man sues OpenAI and its founder Sam Altman, claiming the popular chatbot "repeatedly misdiagnosed" him.
000
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
What makes someone say yes to getting involved as a partner in research? And maybe just as important, what makes them stick come back and do it again? It's DICES-L. This is something Kristina McGuire and I put together a few years ago from our learnings in/1 #familyengagement + #patientengagement
120
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
Awhile back I shared a house analogy on sustainable #patientengagement and #familyengagement at a SKIP event. With KT and artsy brain inspired, I thought I would take my first crack at creating a zine on a more in depth version. /1
heyzine.com
Online Flipbook
Created with the Heyzine flipbook maker
100
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
give.redcross.ca/page/24CWFA?...
give.redcross.ca
Donate to the Canadian Wildfire Fund
As a donor, your contribution to the Canadian Wildfire Fund will enhance Canada’s readiness and response to the escalating wildfire risks and bolster resilience. Your support may be used to address pr...
011
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
🧵 Thread Paper Overview: The Stigmatization of Caregivers of Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Systematic Review #adhd When most people talk about the stigma around ADHD, they usually picture the experiences of the child. But there’s another side to the story:
121
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
This paper shares a rather fascinating best practice from Wales called the Well-being of Future Generations Act 2015 where policy makers are asked to think of the long term implications of their developed policies. /1
120
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Intriguing policy brief on the Canadian Disability Tax Credit. Some morning coffee reading. maytree.com/publications...
maytree.com
From screening out to welcoming in: Promoting access to federal disability benefits - Maytree
Download the policy brief Canada’s federal Disability Tax Credit (DTC) has become the single access point for 17 federal disability programs – covering income security, housing, employment, education,...
011
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Op-Ed: At $6.71 a day, the Canada Disability Benefit falls short The Canada Disability Benefit was meant to reduce poverty. Instead, its forces many people with disabilities to make harmful tradeoffs. www.canadianaffairs.news/2026/07/06/o...
canadianaffairs.news
Op-Ed: At $6.71 a day, the Canada Disability Benefit falls short
The Canada Disability Benefit was meant to reduce poverty. Instead, its forces many people with disabilities to make harmful tradeoffs
021
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
The Canadian Women's Chamber of Commerce (CanWCC), are calling on the Federal Government to recognize the Care Economy (caregiving) as Critical Nation-Building Infrastructure. www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en...
ourcommons.ca
020
Reposted by Rae Martens ♿️
Andrew Holland @andrew-holland.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
A great thread and thoughtful follow
131
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
With a provincial election somewhat down the road, I’m reminded of one thing. Disabled people aren’t just affected by elections. We help decide them. Disabled people vote. So do parents whose children depend on disability supports. Parties should be asking how to earn that vote. #abpoli
0103