Established in 2014 by the Government of Ontario, the David C. Onley Award for Leadership in Accessibility recognizes Ontarians who have gone above and beyond to improve accessibility and the quality of life of people with disabilities. Kimberley Paradis has been recognized for her remarkable work in promoting equity and inclusion for people with disabilities.
As an engineering student, she fought for accessibility policies and led science, technology and engineering programs to teach children them to write code to address equity, diversity and inclusion. Now a law student working in policy analysis, she is assessing how legislation affects the 2SLGBTQI+ community.
Kimberley Paradis is a Research Coordinator with the AI + Society Initiative and the University Research Chair in Technology and Society. She is currently pursuing a JD at the University of Ottawa, and holds a BASc in Computer Engineering from the University of Ottawa.
Her research interests center on the dynamic intersection of technology and law, delving into topics such as professional ethics, cybersecurity, algorithmic bias, and Queering technology. As a strong supporter of community, non-profit and grassroots organizations, she serves as the Second Associate Chair of the Research and Innovation Task Force of the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers. She is also a member of the Community-Based Research Centre's Board of Directors.
Previously, she was a Program Officer for the AI + Society Initiative and a Technoship Fellow as part of the Human-centric Cybersecurity Partnership under the supervision of Professor Florian Martin-Bariteau. She was previously a research assistant for Professor Jane Bailey and for Professor Karine Gentelet at the AI + Society Initiative.
Congratulations, Kimberley Paradis!