Found it! is an occasional blog series by ArtsPond Founder, Jessa Agilo. In this article, Jessa invites you to join us in placing Deaf and Disabled communities more deeply at the center of our ecology.
Learning from our first decade
Over the past decade, our work has grown in meaningful and challenging ways. We have tried to hold space with many equity and justice-deserving communities. Every community at the edge deserves to be placed first. Each deserves real attention and care.
We now see that trying to hold everything at once has stretched us further than we were ready for. As we move ahead, we have chosen to prioritize addressing the intersections between accessibility, disability, and economic justice in the digital world. These values sit at the center of how we want to support communities at the edge.
We have learned a lot from this journey. Some moments have been hard. Some have shown us where we need to grow. Many have reminded us that we must move with a more intentional and clearer purpose. We must also move at a pace that protects the wellbeing of everyone involved. That includes all communities at the edge. Each one deserves to be centered with respect and honesty.
Moving forward with intention
Because of these lessons, we are making a change. This shift comes with humility. It also comes with hope.
For now, we are asking you to join us in placing Deaf and Disabled communities more deeply at the center of our ecology. We want d/Deaf, K/Crip, Mad, Neurodivergent, Sick, Spoonie, and other Disabled people to help guide our plans for the future. This includes Deaf and Disabled people who are also 2SLGBTQIA+, Indigenous, Francophone, New Generation, Newcomer, Outside the Core, Racialized, Women/Trans/Nonbinary, and other communities at the edge. Their perspectives will help shape what comes next.
Our commitments to multiple equity and justice-deserving communities do not change. These communities will always be welcome. Their relationships with us remain essential. What shifts is our focus within these communities. We want to prioritize the voices and lived experiences of Deaf and Disabled people from these groups in our future planning.
We are seeking input from all communities at the edge to help us make this shift in a positive and supportive way. Our hope is that this focus strengthens our relationships. We do not want our work to narrow. We want it to deepen.
This decision comes from reflection and care. We have faced tensions we were not fully prepared to navigate. At times, the weight of these moments fell too heavily on our community. We want our work to be grounded in safety and clarity. We want our values to show up in practice, not only in words.
We are not stepping away from our mission. We are choosing to move through it with more intention. We are choosing depth instead of overwhelm. This step is temporary. It prepares us for a time when we can reach again toward the full breadth of our purpose. We believe that time will come.
What we are working on now
In the short term, we are creating space for reflection and community guidance. One of our first steps is to establish a paid Access Circle with Deaf and Disabled creatives from across Canada in Spring/Summer 2026. This will be followed by an open community roundtable on the future of social change and care within Deaf and Disabled communities in Fall 2026. These conversations will help shape what comes next. It will guide our long-term plans and deepen our understanding of what support, leadership, and justice can look like in practice. Stay tuned for more details.
Right now, we are moving with care and curiosity. We are moving with trust in the communities that shape us. Thank you for being part of this journey. We remain committed to the world we believe in. We are taking the time to move toward it in a way that protects people and reduces harm. We feel hopeful about what comes next.
