The Voice – July 2025: Welcome Yusuf Ariyo to the VAD Team! | Voice of Albertans with Disabilities (VAD)

Yusuf Ariyo

Yusuf is originally from Nigeria. Yusuf has worked in various sectors as Quality control analyst, Quality control inspector, Wastewater treatment plant operator and field hand on the oil rigs across Alberta, volunteered with food bank and community events. Yusuf joined human services fully in 2023, worked in the Edmonton inner city supporting community members, co facilitates Rent Ready (previously called Tenant empowerment course) with the city of Edmonton. Yusuf has passion for helping people, travelling and enjoys cooking. Has his first degree in Science Laboratory Technology (Microbiology option), Diploma in Addiction and Community Health for professionals, and presently a student of Cloud engineering.

Heather Hanninen Fairbairn

Heather Hanninen Fairbairn is a disabled, non-binary advocate with a Master’s in Urban Planning from Dalhousie, focusing on housing for women in crisis. Based in Edmonton, Heather brings lived experience with precarious housing and over a decade of organizing AISH recipients, including founding the first AISH-specific Facebook group. She serves on the National Advisory Council of the Pan Canadian Voice for Women’s Housing and participated in the SheTheyUs: Making Room in Housing podcast. Passionate about advocacy at the intersections of poverty, disability, housing, and gender diversity, Heather hopes to contribute her skills to VAD to expand her impact, connect with like-minded individuals, and continue her lifelong goal of helping others.

Janae Mercier

A lifelong Edmonton resident and current Director at Large with the Autism Independent Living Association (AiLA), where she has volunteered for nearly four years. She is motivated to join the VAD board to expand her advocacy work for people with disabilities, drawing from personal experience as a Métis woman with Asperger’s Syndrome. Her involvement includes participation in disability advocacy events, writing content and launching initiatives like a movie club for AiLA, and volunteering with Autism Edmonton. She is passionate about making a difference—however small—and eager to continue learning and growing as a board member. She has access to technology, is familiar with virtual tools, can attend in-person meetings, and has no issues obtaining a criminal record check.

Ali Khalil

Ali Khalil is an HR professional and accessibility specialist who lives with vision loss. He manages CNIB SmartLife for Western Canada, supporting individuals across four provinces in accessing assistive technology, and also runs his own business helping organizations ensure digital accessibility. Having lost most of his vision at age seven, Ali brings lived experience and a deep personal commitment to his work. He has supported job seekers with disabilities through CNIB and partnered with organizations like Fable, GrackleDocs, Walmart Canada, and CNIB to make digital spaces more inclusive. Driven by advocacy and a passion for breaking down barriers, Ali is eager to contribute his voice, experience, and dedication to the board at Voice of Albertans with Disabilities.

James MacPhail

A resident of Duchess, AB, James transitioned to advocacy following a 2007 accident that resulted in paralysis. Formerly in oil and gas management, he now coaches, photographs, and champions accessibility and connection for those with disabilities.

Arman Amiri

At just 22, Armany brings a dynamic global perspective to VAD as a newcomer to Canada of Persian and Ukrainian heritage. Living with a spinal cord injury since his teenage years, Armany developed resilience, independence, and creative passion through digital art. Now based in Calgary, he advocates for accessibility and empowerment—especially for newcomers and youth with disabilities. His lived experience navigating systems in a new country fuels his commitment to inclusion, equity, and innovative thinking at VAD.

Marilyn Erho

Marilyn Erho joined the Voice of Albertans (VAD) board in 2025. She brings 30 years of lived experience as a person with disability. 10 of those years working in the nonprofit sector. She has worked with others who have a disability promoting inclusion, and connecting others with similar disabilities.

Don Slater

Don became a member of the Voice of Albertans with Disabilities Board in 2024. Don Slater is a tireless advocate for persons with disabilities, known across Alberta and beyond for his unwavering commitment to justice, fairness, and compassion. A thoughtful listener and natural problem-solver, His efforts have extended from private acts of kindness to public policy, where he has worked directly with political leaders to press for meaningful, lasting change, always with a focus on dignity, inclusion, and the betterment of society as a whole. Driven not by accolades but by a deep moral compass, Don Slater remains a steadfast voice for those too often left unheard.

James MacPhail

James MacPhail’s life story is one of strength and unwavering dedication. Living in Duchess, AB, he’s a father of two and a proud grandfather. A former manager in the oil and gas industry, his life took an unexpected turn in 2007 following a serious MVA, leading to paralysis. Despite this, James remained deeply involved in his children’s lives, including coaching his son’s hockey team. He has a passion for photography and finding new ways to make life accessible and enjoyable from a wheelchair. Now, with a new grandchild, his focus is on staying healthy and sharing his experiences. James believes in the importance of connection and information, aiming to bridge the gap for those with disabilities and combat the isolating effects of their condition.

Bob Farley

Bob became a member of the Voice of Albertans with Disabilities Board in 2024

Mark Makarewich

Mark is a lifelong resident of Edmonton, where he has lived for most of his 52 years. With over 15 years of experience working for the City of Edmonton, he has served on numerous committees and focus groups. As someone with epilepsy and a parent of a daughter with a disability, Mark brings a deeply personal understanding of the challenges faced by individuals with disabilities. His passion for advocacy and commitment to advancing services and rights for the disabled led him to serving on the board. Mark is excited to contribute his skills and perspectives to support and empower the disability community.

Koryn Krekoski

Koryn Krekoski, a proud Fort McMurray resident and stroke survivor, is a passionate advocate with the Voice of Albertans with Disabilities (VAD). She works to break barriers, promote inclusion, and connect people with disabilities to vital resources. Through her lived experience, Koryn strives to make Alberta more accessible for everyone.

Scott Douglas

Scott joined the Voice of Albertans with Disabilities (VAD) Board in 2025, bringing with him 20 years of lived experience as a person with a disability. Throughout his journey, Scott has been a passionate advocate for individuals with disabilities, working tirelessly to promote inclusion, accessibility, and equal opportunities. His dedication and insight continue to be invaluable in advancing VAD’s mission.

Dom Shaw

Dom Shaw became a member of the Voice of Albertans with Disabilities Board in 2023.

Bernard Boulanger

Bernard became a member of the Voice of Albertans with Disabilities Board in 2020.

Doug Manderville

Doug Manderville joined the Voice of Albertans with Disabilities (VAD) Board in 2024, bringing over 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector advocating for persons with disabilities. As someone with 30 years of lived experience as a person with a disability, Doug offers a unique and invaluable perspective to the organization. His commitment to fostering inclusion and empowering others drives his dedication to VAD’s mission.

Chantelle Samoridny

Chantelle has been working with VAD since mid-November of 2024. An important part of her role as a Case Manager/ Community Support worker is being able to communicate well with our clients, being a good active listener and showing compassion. With her critical thinking and her ability to collaborate with team members and other community resources, she finds the best support/resources that fits the clients’ needs. Everyone deserves to have quality of life, and anything she can do to help someone by advocating for them to achieve this is truly a blessing. One thing she enjoys for self-care is camping with her family and relaxing by the campfire.

Melissa Kimmitt

Melissa has been with VAD since November 2024 and has extensive experience with attention to detail that helps her excel in her position. She is the office assistant at VAD, answering the phones, booking, cancelling, and rescheduling appointments, doing required mailouts, assisting with filing of documents, and other tasks assigned by staff in the office. She will be taking over the finances in due time and her experience with the Canada Revenue Agency will be invaluable in that area. She takes great pride in being good at what she does, both in her work and personal life. She is the fur parent to a sweet and funny orange tabby cat who keeps her on her toes and has a 25-year-old son who makes her proud to be his mother every single day. She enjoys spending time with friends and family in her down time.

Leslie Lambert

Leslie has been with VAD since mid April 2024. Her well rounded experience comes from working as a Logistics Officer with the Military for over 25 years. As the Executive Director, Leslie is responsible for the finances, administration, and Human Resources at VAD. In her spare time she volunteers with her local Community Council, helping with their monthly activities, spend lots of time with friends, attends the theatre and plays, and enjoys reading and walking her little dog.

Teresa Makarewich

Teresa has been with VAD since July 2017, she brings over 20 years administrative skills and experience to the office. Proficient in Microsoft programs, videography/podcasts and editing, website maintenance, event planning, graphic design, and many more skills, Teresa started as an Office Assistant and has worked her way up the ladder to Program & Services Manager. She works directly with clients in a service role and supports the office management in policies, programs and projects. Teresa spent the last 10 years playing roller derby and included in her interests are the annual Edmonton Mud Run each August, and she is a 30+ year volunteer with Edmonton Folk Music Festival.

Michelle Bissell

Michelle is the Education Coordinator at Voice of Albertans with Disabilities. She has been with VAD for a total of 10 years; 2 years on the Board of Directors and 8 years as a contract employee. Her core responsibility is the Disability Awareness Presentations, which includes marketing, setup, hosting presentations, recording the stats, and responding to the feedback. She loved horseback riding & has a wicked sense of humor…. So she has been told

Donna Bulger

Donna Bulger was born with a disability and uses a wheelchair for mobility. She earned her Bachelor of Education and taught elementary school in her hometown of Morinville for eight years. Seeking an outlet for her creative side, she shifted her career to computer graphics and has worked in this field for twenty years full time in the marketing department of a travel agency. She now balances freelance graphic projects with her disabled advocacy work and spends the remainder of her free time crafting, singing, spending time with family and reading.

Roxanne Ulanicki

Roxanne Ulanicki is a woman with a disability who represented Canada in the 1988 Paralympics in Seoul, South Korea playing wheelchair basketball. Since accepting an early medical retirement in 2005, Roxanne has spent her time advocating and volunteering on behalf of people with disabilities. Currently, she gives awareness presentations for Voice of Albertans with Disabilities, is co-facilitating Radical Inclusion with the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human rights and serves as a fellow with the Affordable Housing Solutions Lab at the University of Alberta.

Tara Mitrovic

Tara Mitrovic was born and raised in Edmonton Alberta. She is a passionate advocate for the persons with disabilities. Tara volunteers with Voice of Albertans with Disabilities by giving disability awareness presentations. She has taken Radical Inclusion 2020 though the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human rights and is involved in writing a shadow report for the U.N. In Tara’s spare time, she makes films, script writing, casting and directing.

Tara enjoys spending time with her dog Fanky who she trained to be her service dog. Tara has taken entrepreneurship courses, such marketing, other business and indigenous courses.

Lisa Bennett

Lisa was raised in Hinton, AB. She worked in a couple administrative positions after high school and then moved to Edmonton for the first time to go to college and live in residence for another two years. She moved around Alberta a couple more times after that before finally returning and settling back in Edmonton five years later.

She has now been living here for the past eight years doing volunteer work for both Voice of Albertans with Disabilities and the Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association of Northern Alberta. She has been the coordinator for the NoLimits Peer Support Group for adults with spina bifida since 2014. She has taken Radical Inclusion 2020 though the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human rights and is involved in writing a shadow report for the U.N. She lives in an apartment in the downtown area with her two cats.

Michelle Bissell

Michelle Bissell came onto the Board of Directors of the Voice of Albertans with Disabilities in October 2014 and now is the Education Coordinator on VAD Staff. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Certificate in Career Development from Concordia University Collage of Alberta. She participates with an occupational therapy class at the University of Alberta, she is a Student Educator for the Occupational Therapy Department at the U of A. She has taken Radical Inclusion 2020 though the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human rights and is involved in writing a shadow report for the U.N.

The Voice – July 2025: Welcome Yusuf Ariyo to the VAD Team!

Welcome Yusuf Ariyo to the VAD Team!

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