The Lavigne-Smee Visiting Lecture 2026

The Lavigne-Smee Visiting Scholar presents to SPOT's final year Professional Program (OT and PT) students on a topic related to rehabilitation. This year, Prof. Heather Aldersey will share her experience developing and implementing community-based, participatory action research projects related to formal and natural disability supports in the community, and her experiences facilitating partnerships between Queen’s University (Kingston, Ontario) and the University of Gondar in Ethiopia supporting disability inclusion at the University and in Ethiopia. The title of this year's Lavigne-Smee Visiting Lecture is Navigating complexity in community development: the value of relationships.

Prof. Aldersey is the Scientific Director of the International Centre for the Advancement of Community Based Rehabilitation, she holds a Canada Research Chair in Disability-Inclusive Development, was recently awarded a Dorothy Killam Fellowship and is the Director of a 10-year Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program.