Sign in

Rae Martens ♿️

@coffeeandresearch.bsky.social
2.4K followers 1.3K following 871 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 · 14/10/2026
You can read their official report here: autismalliance.ca/wp-content/u...
autismalliance.ca
000 0
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
Building a Safer Emergency Response When People Go Missing, new report quoimedia.com/building-a-s...
quoimedia.com
Building a Safer Emergency Response When People Go Missing, new report
Autism Alliance of Canada has released What We Heard: Building a Safer Emergency Response When People Go Missing
100 0
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
www.inspiringhealthyfutures.ca
inspiringhealthyfutures.ca
Inspiring Healthy Futures | A Vision for Canada's Children
Inspiring Healthy Futures | A Vision for Canada's Children, Youth and Families
000 0
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
www.unicef.ca/en/unicef-re...
unicef.ca
UNICEF Report Card 20 | UNICEF Canada
Canada’s performance on child well being is not improving. UNICEF’s Report Card 20 highlights the data and outlines the case for a National Strategy for Children and Youth.
000 0
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
www.parl.ca/legisinfo/en...
parl.ca
S-212 (45-1) - LEGISinfo - Parliament of Canada
S-212 (45-1) - LEGISinfo - Parliament of Canada
000 0
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
Every parent wants a full life for their kids, whether that’s through childcare, mental health support, or other services, Canada’s Bill S-212, the National Strategy for Children and Youth, is about connecting those supports. Consider talking to your MP and telling others about it.
310 0
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
The question is whether we’re building systems that actually make those promises realized.
010 0
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
But we talk much less about the rights framework that is supposed to connect them. If Canada has committed to children’s rights, the right to education, and the rights of disabled people, then implementation can’t stop at signing the document. The question isn’t simply what Canada has promised.
111 0
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
But I see so few people talking about it online. Perhaps that’s part of the problem. We talk about individual programs, individual policies, individual funding decisions and individual crises.
111 0
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
S-212 which awaits second reading in the House of Commons. www.parl.ca/legisinfo/en... A bill that requires clear benchmarks for accountability, recognizing rights across numerous conventions Canada is a signatory of.
parl.ca
S-212 (45-1) - LEGISinfo - Parliament of Canada
S-212 (45-1) - LEGISinfo - Parliament of Canada
110 0
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
a state. A path towards implementation remains a trajectory we have fallen behind on when it comes to investing in children and youth in Canada. The closest we have come to intent has been federal
110 0
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
• Acceptability: Curriculum and teaching methods must be relevant, of good quality, and culturally appropriate. • Adaptability: Education must remain flexible to meet changing societal and student needs. ICESCR has interpreted those protections to extend to all school-age children residing in
111 0
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
• Availability: Sufficient functioning institutions and programs with adequate facilities, materials, and trained staff. • Accessibility: Open to everyone without discrimination, covering non-discrimination, physical reach, and economic affordability (with primary education free for all).
111 0
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. General Comment No. 13 establishes the "4-A" analytical framework requiring education to exhibit four key features:
100 0
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
The article refers to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Children. A valid framework to refer to but many provincial governments lack a firm understanding of its purpose and their obligations under their jurisdiction. Another covenant worth referring to in this context is ICESCR.
110 0
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Canada has signed on to multiple conventions and covenants that recognize the right to education. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
cbc.ca
Edmonton public school trustees to consider whether to try to improve school access for migrant students | CBC News
An Edmonton public school trustee wants to see if the division can change its registration policy to keep children with lapsed immigration status enrolled in school.
121 0
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
We can ask: What rights does the child have? What international commitments has Canada made? Does the policy create a discriminatory barrier to exercising those rights? And how are those international commitments being implemented in Canadian institutions?
000 0
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
in which they live. In other words: A child’s circumstances do not make them cease to be a rights-holder. So when we look at a question like whether a child can continue attending school when their immigration status has changed, we can ask more than: “What does the school policy say?”
100 0
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
And here’s something particularly important about the ICESCR. The UN Committee responsible for interpreting the Covenant has said that the principle of non-discrimination applies to all aspects of education. It has also specifically addressed children who are not nationals of the country
100 0
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
children’s rights without discrimination. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) Recognizes the right to inclusive education for disabled people and requires that people with disabilities not be excluded from the general education system on the basis of disability.
100 0
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) Recognizes the right to education and requires rights to be exercised without discrimination. Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) Recognizes children’s right to education and requires governments to respect
100 0
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Technoference is the everyday interruption, intrusion, or disruption of face-to-face interpersonal relationships and shared activities caused by the use of digital devices. How ‘technoference’ can disrupt parent‑child connections theconversation.com/how-technofe...
theconversation.com
How ‘technoference’ can disrupt parent-child connections
A study finds that in the moments when parents checked their phones or smart watches they were almost six times more likely to miss their children’s signals.
000 0
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 0
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 0
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 0
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 0
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
But there are also important questions about privacy, consent, governance, access, and who gets to decide what happens to our health information. Because our health data isn’t just data. It’s our story. Who gets to use it? Link: policyoptions.irpp.org/2026/09/cana...
policyoptions.irpp.org
What Canada can learn from Europe on health data
Canada is building a health-data space for AI. Europe’s experience shows why deciding its purpose and who should benefit must come first.
020 0
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Canada announced a national health data strategy in June, including plans for a Health Sector Data Space designed to make it easier to connect and use health information across the health system. /2
100 0
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 0
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 0
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Give healthcare the capacity to heal itself, and I think we may be surprised by what comes back. Maybe the warm blanket is a small thing. But it might also be a sign that we’re finally making our way back to a healthcare system that has room to do what it does well.
010 0
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Those moments of kindness aren’t frivolous extras as they are part of healing. Governments need to trust healthcare enough to invest in the systems that healthcare workers have been telling us they need.
110 0
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
When healthcare isn’t constantly operating in crisis mode, healthcare workers can get back to doing what they know how to do: caring for people. Noticing that someone is cold. Taking an extra moment. Making a frightening day a little less frightening.
110 0
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
with the time and capacity to provide a moment of kindness in challenging times of life while in hospital. Government investment in our health systems is also about creating enough capacity in our systems that there is room for very human moments in care.
110 0
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 0
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 0
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
participation in cultural life, recreation and leisure. It also recognizes the right to work. Those things aren’t competing values. Work can be part of a full life. It just isn’t the definition of one.
010 0
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
It recognizes rights to health, education, independent living and community inclusion, an adequate standard of living and social protection, political participation, and
100 0
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
The CRPD is explicitly a human rights framework, built around dignity, autonomy, equality, accessibility, and full and effective participation in society. And the Convention doesn’t say: “Help disabled people become economically productive.”
100 0
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
And yes, access to meaningful employment for people who want to work and are able to work. Employment is one part of a life. It is not the measure of whether someone’s life has value. Canada ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2010.
110 0
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Relationships and family life. Access to recreation, culture and leisure. The ability to participate in political and public life. Access to assistive technology. The ability to make decisions about your own life.
100 0
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
,dignity, autonomy, community, healthcare, or a meaningful life. The goal should be support for building a full life. Inclusion in community. Accessible access to healthcare. Accessible housing. Income security. Education.
100 0
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 0
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 0
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 0
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 0
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 0
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 0
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 0
Rae Martens ♿️ @coffeeandresearch.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
It has passed the Senate and is now in the House of Commons, where second reading is pending. Kinda chic to know. Kinda chic to care. Kinda chic to ask your MP what they think. /2 #BillS212 #ChildrenAndYouth #CanadianPolitics #Canada #cdnpoli
010 0