Accessibility is Ever Evolving

As a facilitator of training, education and advocacy I’m starting to get my bearings about the explicit and legislative details around accessibility and the nuances or complexities of inclusion and belonging. Honestly, I will never be able to stop learning about these things or accurately call myself “expert”. As a leader, this is important – leaders cannot become static or assume they know it all – flexibility is essential to create change, and that’s what leaders do – facilitate justice and perhaps, a new way of doing things.

Accessibility, inclusion and belonging are physical, mental and emotional concepts that will change as humans change. Over the course of my relatively short career working with people with neuro differences I have changed my mind about capacity, communication, systems, beliefs and assumptions about a lot of things to do with disability, neurodiversity and the human brain. I have had a front row seat to see how the AODA has actually changed things and fallen short and I continue to advocate on issues I thought were in the distant past, but have reared up yet again. All of these experiences have been teachers to me.

 I can never stop learning because this landscape of accessibility inclusion and belonging will, thankfully, keep evolving as ONE important thing happens as we learn together: we are asking and including those with lived experience to be our greatest teachers and mentors; recognizing their voices as the most important.

Now hear this: Every single person out there that has hit an accessibility or inclusion barrier has the right to teach us from their lived experience of this barrier. Let us all become humble and learn.

One of the reason’s I loved this program from Carleton University (where the Canadian Accessibility Institute is hosted:https://carleton.ca/accessibility-institute/) is that our teachers HAD lived experience. One was a wheelchair user, one was blind and one was neurodiverse. Because of their lived experience they were able to make actual comment and critique on accessibility legislation, issues and barriers in Canada. It was a wonderful experience. Also, the co-hort was small so, as a student I had space to ask questions and collaborate with other participants in each of their unique professional roles. It was a great experience.

Things are changing. Ideas are forming and lots of people are asking questions and sharing experiences from a variety of positions and roles in our society and culture. The learning never stops! Nor does the advocacy. When I am consistently and coherently educated about these topics my advocacy and teaching stays highly relevant, impactful and personalized.

Come learn with us! To find out more about our facilitated workshops and trainings please visit: https://branchingoutsupportservices.ca/education-advocacy/ or email us at info@branchingoutsupportservices.com