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On June 25, 2025, SMILE Canada marked World Refugee Day with a powerful and heartfelt community event that honoured the stories of refugees with disabilities. Held at the Clark Centre for the Arts, this gathering brought together families, advocates, and community members for a cultural exchange showcasing the diversity of our community.
The event opened with an insightful panel discussion featuring speakers with lived experience of displacement and disability. Mustafa Alshardoub, and Lobaba Mohammadi shared deep personal reflections on navigating life as racialized refugees with disabilities. Their stories highlighted the intersecting barriers of xenophobia, ableism, and isolation faced by newcomers with disabilities and the community care and advocacy that made thriving possible.
Following the panel, attendees split into groups for a moderated discussion, reflecting on their own experiences and what challenges, barriers and biases still need to be addressed. The room was filled with compassion, understanding, and a shared commitment to dismantling barriers for those often left out of mainstream narratives.
But it wasn’t just a space for heavy conversation, it was also a celebration of culture, food, and community pride. Guests enjoyed a delicious spread catered by refugee-owned businesses, and local artists showcased their work. Many arrived dressed in cultural attire, turning the afternoon into a colourful, affirming space of belonging.
At SMILE, we know that the journey to belonging for refugee families with disabilities is rarely easy. Events like these remind us why it matters to listen, learn, and build services rooted in the lived realities of the families we serve.
Thank you to everyone who joined us, shared their stories, and helped make this event possible.