Maria Barile (1953 – 2013)

Maria Barile was an extraordinary woman who championed the rights of people with disabilities in Canada for more than 30 years.

A leader in the disability rights movement, she began her fight for social justice and the elimination of all forms of violence and discrimination against persons with disabilities, particularly women, in the early 1980s in Montreal.

Maria broke down barriers and misconceptions in education with her own achievements. After receiving a diploma from Dawson College, where she started the first support group for students with disabilities, she completed a qualifying year in order to be admitted to McGill University. She had to convince administrators that a hearing impairment and a neurological disorder would not prevent her from completing a degree. She finished the year at the top of her class and then went on to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social sciences, writing a thesis on the dual oppression experienced by women with disabilities (“Femmes & handicap: la double oppression”).

Maria was one of the founders of DisAbled Women’s Network of Canada (DAWN) Canada and Action des femmes handicapées de Montréal (AFHM). She also co-founded and co-directed ADAPTECH, a research lab on adaptive technology and postsecondary education, where she was one of the most active researchers. She later founded ÉcoACCESS, her own consulting company, focused on universal accessibility and sustainable development.

Maria was also actively involved in the development of a national action plan to promote equal access and greater inclusion for vulnerable individuals. She spent her life helping others, and in her mother's later years was one of her caregivers.