Sarah Grace Friesen

Sarah Grace Friesen (she/her) serves as an Adjunct Professor in the Education, Community, and Professional Studies department within the Faculty of Education at the University of British Columbia Okanagan. She concurrently works as a graduate research assistant and assistant director on the 'We All Need A Home' project.

Her primary research focuses include:

• Disability justice frameworks in educational settings
• Critical disability studies applications
• Intersectional experiences of Autistic and trans individuals in education
• Inclusive teacher preparation practices

Identifying as Autistic, trans, and disabled, Sarah Grace brings lived experience to her academic work while also serving as a district behaviour specialist in the Surrey school district. Her professional practice bridges theoretical knowledge with practical classroom applications in K-12 settings.

Scheduled to commence her PhD in Special Education at UBC Okanagan in Fall 2025, she plans to employ critical disability studies as a theoretical lens to examine the intersection of Autistic and trans identities within educational contexts. Her teaching focuses on preparing teacher candidates to implement disability justice principles in their future classrooms.