By Olesya Wyman · November 11, 2026
Fashion Without Barriers comes to Heritage Hall
On Thursday, November 12, Fashion Without Barriers brings an inclusive fashion show to Heritage Hall on Main Street in Vancouver. Presented by Miss Wheelchair Canada with the Wheelchair Dance Sport Association Canada (WDSACA), the show puts models of all abilities, including wheelchair users, on the runway in looks by emerging designers. The Community Arts Council of Richmond is proud to support it, because art belongs to everyone.
What to expect
Doors open at 2:30 PM and the show runs from 3:00 to about 4:15 PM. After a short welcome, two designers each present a collection of five looks, worn by models who use wheelchairs and models who walk. Between the two collections, the program pauses for poetry: two poems by organiser Olesia Kornienko are read live on stage by Letty Hernandez Miranda of Pasitos con Amor, a charity from Veracruz, Mexico, that helps children with cerebral palsy get the special chairs they need. The afternoon ends with a finale walk, thank-yous and group photos.
A few moments to watch for: the first look of each collection, when the room sees how each designer has styled the runway for every body, seated or standing; the hush in the hall while the poems are read; and the finale, when all the models take the runway together. The venue is part of the story too. Heritage Hall was built in 1916 as a post office and saved by the community, and it has a step-free entrance and accessible washrooms, so everyone can join in.
Every body. Every story. One runway.
Olesia Kornieko, Miss Wheelchair Canada, presenter of Fashion Without Barriers
The people behind it
The show is led by Olesia Kornienko, a Vancouver wheelchair ballroom dancer, designer and poet. She won silver at the Wheelchair Dance World Cup (Netherlands, 1999) and gold at the International Polish Championship (2000), and has led WDSACA for 12 years, bringing dancers of all abilities onto the dance floor. Her life and dancing are the subject of the documentaries "Salsa at Midnight" and the award-winning "Life Locked in a Suitcase", and she designs her own dance dresses.
Miss Wheelchair Canada celebrates women who use wheelchairs and their beauty, strength and stories, with a focus on inclusion, representation and empowerment. Hair and makeup artists from Blanche Macdonald Centre get the models runway-ready, and Heritage Hall is the host venue. Golden Shark Media leads marketing together with Store4U Marketing, and Golden Shark Media and Wundoroo Academy are proud sponsors. Community partners Pasitos con Amor, Vancouver Latin Club and the Community Arts Council of Richmond are helping spread the word.
Get your free ticket
Guest tickets are free, and donations are welcome in support of Miss Wheelchair Canada. Reserve your free guest ticket on Eventbrite. Thursday, November 12, doors 2:30 PM, show 3:00 to 4:15 PM, Heritage Hall, 3102 Main Street, Vancouver. Bring a friend and help fill the hall. Can't make it on Thursday? Sharing this article with friends, family and your arts community is one of the best ways to support the show. Questions about access or seating: goldensharkmedia@gmail.com.
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/fashion-show-without-barriers-tickets-2003987071276?aff