By blending creativity with representation, Maccess proves that art can inspire action for disability awareness
During the week of Nov. 18 to 22, 2024, Maccess, a volunteer-run peer support and advocacy centre of the McMaster Students Union, hosted DisVisibility Week, a series of art-focused events designed to foster disability awareness.
The events aimed to celebrate the creativity that is essential in navigating a world not built with accessibility in mind. This year’s theme, “Cripped Creativity,” was at the heart of the week’s programming, offering participants a chance to engage with art as a tool for expression, community-building, and justice.
The term “Cripped Creativity,” as explained by Honey Starr, assistant director of Maccess, builds on the idea of “cripping,” a concept from their social work class that reclaims the term “crip” as a form of empowerment.
“Cripping creativity is about making creativity accessible," shared Starr, emphasizing that artistic expression doesn’t need to adhere to fixed structures or rules. Instead, this week was about honouring the diverse ways people create—on their own timelines and with tools that work for them.
Cripping creativity is about making creativity accessible.
Honey Starr, Assistant Director
Maccess
The art-based events during DisVisibility Week encouraged participants to engage with creativity in ways intended to feel authentic and liberating. The activities offered judgment-free spaces for exploration and self-expression.
Each day of the week-long initiative featured an event designed to showcase different artistic mediums. Monday’s Disability Doodlefest invited participants to doodle freely and share their creations. On Tuesday Maccess held a movie night showcasing peace love (unicorns) & communism, a film by McMaster alumni that critiques campus advocacy systems and recognizes Maccess itself.
Throughout the week, the Bits & Buttons event focused on creating custom buttons, allowing participants to design pins that expressed personal or political statements. A game of Jeopardy also provided a lighthearted trivia experience.
The Zine Fiends event on Nov. 22, in collaboration with the Women and Gender Equity Network, capped off the week with a hands-on zine-making workshop that proved especially popular.
“It’s so easy to create a zine with just a single sheet of paper,” Starr explained. Participants were encouraged to let their imaginations roam, piecing together collages, poetry, or artwork in a communal space. The event’s success highlighted the power of accessible art forms to bring people together and spark conversations.
The choice to focus DisVisibility Week around artistic activities was intentional. “Creativity is already such a central part of the disabled experience,” noted Starr. “People with disabilities are constantly coming up with creative solutions to navigate inaccessible spaces.” By channeling this resourcefulness into art, Maccess aimed to create opportunities for participants to share their stories, experiences and ideas in powerful and tangible ways.
People with disabilities are constantly coming up with creative solutions to navigate inaccessible spaces.
Honey Starr, Assistant Director of Maccess
Nat Sim, director of MACCESS, added that art can also challenge stereotypes and shift narratives.
“Disability is often talked about in ways that aren’t authentic or critical," shared Sim. She explained that through art, individuals are able to tell their stories on their own terms. Events like these are not just about fostering creativity but also about building a deeper understanding of the experiences of folks with disabilities and advocating for justice.
Starr reflected on the week’s impact on those who attended. “We had students come in and say, "I didn’t even know Maccess existed until now,"” shared Starr. By raising awareness about their space and mission, DisVisibility Week succeeded in spotlighting advocacy about the experiences of individuals with disabilities.
Inclusion and accessibility were central to the planning of the week’s events. Maccess took care to ensure activities were physically accessible and adaptable to different needs. “We wanted to make sure that our events reflected the values we stand for,” Sim emphasized.
As Maccess looks to the future, its leaders hope to continue expanding their reach and creating spaces where disabled students feel seen, supported and celebrated. “We’re an open space and we accept everybody, no matter what stage you are in your diagnosis or journey with disability,” said Sim.
Students interested in supporting Maccess can follow them on social media, participate in upcoming events, or stop by their renovated space on campus. The Maccess centre is located in MUSC B111 and is open from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. With initiatives like DisVisibility Week, Maccess is not only advocating for a more inclusive campus but also reminding everyone of the power of art and community.
By Kayla Freeman, Contributor
Since 2019, metal straws have taken over. Every day, I see at least 50 metal straws in peoples’ beverages. That should be a good thing, right? To some extent it is, but people aren’t choosing sustainability for the right reasons. Using a metal straw is currently a trend, but are metal straws even the right answer to saving our oceans and marine life?
Of course not. Imagine if saving the environment was that easy. Every day, 500 million disposable plastic straws are used and will likely end up in our waterways. This statistic can scare many people into thinking that the solution lies in replacing plastic straws with their metal counterparts. However, many people fail to realize what materials and emissions go into making a metal straw.
The energy used to create one metal straw is roughly equivalent to creating 90 plastic straws, and also produces carbon emissions equivalent to 150 plastic straws. This may not seem like a lot, but in order to offset the environmental impact of creating a metal straw, it must be used over 150 times.
We also need to consider the harsh reality of nickel mining that is necessary in order to create these trendy accessories. The Philippines is a predominant nickel supplier. Much of the soil in Palawan, a major nickel supplier in the Philippines, has been reduced to a wasteland.
Metal straws are not the only items that are made out of nickel, meaning that they are not the sole contributors to the destruction of soil in Palawan. However, they are trendy accessories and are produced excessively. This is evidenced through the variety of designs metal straws are offered in. Our materialist society does not hesitate to contribute to this “fast fashion” accessory, with celebrities such as Jeffree Star capitalizing on the movement by coming out with their own packs of metal straws. The excessive production of metal straws contradicts the environmentalist intentions that they are meant to fulfill.
If you’re purchasing a metal straw, you would assume that it would be made out of metal, right? Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Many of these items are not labelled due to their “eco-friendly” branding strategy as they are not required to list any ingredients since the straw is not being consumed. Safe metal straws should be made with food-grade stainless steel as any other materials may corrode over time. Safe metal straws should be made with food-grade stainless steel as any other materials may corrode over time.
Additionally, painted or coloured straws also pose a risk of either contaminating the drink or containing unsafe chemicals such as Bisphenol A (BPA), which is known to cause an array of health risks. Metal straws might not be the only alternative to disposable plastic straws, but they are very popular because of their durability and cost-effectiveness.
Make no mistake, I think that we should try to be as eco-friendly as possible. But if you are going to opt for a reusable straw, try to purchase locally and support Canadian businesses, such as Glass Sipper. It’s important to keep in mind that when you are trying to be sustainable to be aware of what goes into the production of “eco-friendly alternatives” because sometimes the good intent gets lost in the action.
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