About Our Club
The Invisible Disability Education and Advocacy Association picks a specific invisible disability every month and focuses on fundraising and raising awareness about the disability and the difficulties experienced by those who are affected. We encourage a friendly cooperative environment, where club members will be granted an opportunity to participate in fundraising activities as well as educational experiences such as information nights and seminars.
John Hutchinson (He/Him)
General Coordinator
I’m a fourth year Bioinformatics major. Bioinformatics deals largely with the entirely clinical side of life, meaning that we are not taught the human side of medicine as much as we should be. I believe in addition to being able to educate ourselves and raise money for those with disabilities, IDEAA is good opportunity for everyone to make themselves more balanced individuals and understand the experiences of people with disabilities, rather than just their disability. Fun fact about me: I like making 3D models and animations on my computer and baking cookies!
Cayley Hodgson (She/Her)
Research Coordinator
I’m a fourth year student in the community rehabilitation disability studies program at U of C, and I’ve always had a passion for education and research. My goal with this club is to reduce the stigma surrounding invisible disabilities, as I believe that nobody deserves to face any sort of discrimination for any reason. Part of stigma comes from fear and misinformation, so by doing my part to provide accurate and meaningful information about different diagnostic categories of invisible disabilities, I hope to make an impact. I’m so excited to see what we can accomplish together. Fun fact, I’m not doing academia all the time! I also have my black belt in Shotokan karate, a very traditional form of martial arts that focuses on technique and self-defence.
Robyn Garrido (She/Her)
Events and Social Coordinator
Hey there! My name is Robyn, I'm a fourth-year Community Rehab and Disabilities Studies student. I'm involved in invisible disability and accessibility advocacy as an ally to the community and family members with lived experience. I look forward to working in the IDEAA club to expand my learning and understanding while raising much needed awareness to the challenges faced by people with invisible disabilities. In my free time, I enjoy hiking in the Rockies, playing the piano, and watching Bob's Burgers.
Grace Heemeryck (she/her)
Financial Coordinator
Hi, everyone! I'm Grace, and I'm a fourth year bioinformatics major. I'm the financial coordinator for IDEAA, which means that I'm in charge of handling the financials, such as making the donations to the charity organisations we support and ensuring club fees are paid. I spend most of my time at my computer or hanging out with my cats. Feel free to talk to me if you have any questions about me or the club.