8 Things You (Probably) Didn’t Know About My Accessibility Career
If you were to look at my career through the narrow lens of my previous job titles, you’d likely make the assumption that I’m “new” to the field of accessibility and inclusion… But that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Accessibility didn’t suddenly appear in my career when it became a part of my job title. Rather, it’s been a structural component weaved through each of my endeavors, for as long as I can remember.
My first experiences with creating spaces of Belonging happened at the tender age of six.
By the first grade, I was hyper-aware of what it felt like to be different and, being the sensitive soul I’ve always been, I was deeply bothered by watching others being excluded. So, I created The Kindy One Club: a recess club that extended an open invitation for all, with organized activities, games, and prizes. I took so much pride in my ability to bring people together in an effort to make sure people had somewhere they felt they belonged.
By elementary school, I began questioning whether the experiences around me were actually equitable.
Having always been the outspoken person I am today, I began speaking out about the inequality and barriers I saw: from classroom spelling bees, whose success depended partly on reaction time (which had “nothing to do with spelling ability, and provided more advantage to some students over others”), to pointing out inconsistent policies and classroom rules—I made a point of continually questioning whether the way something was designed was creating unnecessary barriers to participation.
My advocacy throughout my teens and early twenties turned me from advocate to Founder of a Mental Health Non-Profit Organization.
Having been deeply interested in the science and research behind mental health and its various treatment options, I began blogging about my experiences and findings, and offering insights into my own lengthy experiences navigating the mental health system, therapy, and psychological wellness. Eventually, that work grew into what became a Mental Health Nonprofit focused on advocacy and peer support. My experience in Founding and running a non-profit at such a young age provided me with formative lessons in boundaries, capacity, and the responsibility that comes along with supporting others in their health journeys.
I went to university with the intention of becoming a Psychologist, specializing in trauma and women’s health.
Informed by my own lived experience, I applied to university as a mature student, intending to open my own practice. Life took me in a different direction after having had my son, but my interest in how people think, process information, experience barriers, and navigate the world remained intact.
I accidentally designed accessibility tools before realizing they were accessibility tools.
After having my son, I paired my love of planning stationery with my interest mental health and executive function, and developed a self-care stationery brand called Lavender & Sage. I designed organizational tools that better supported executive functioning, anxiety, depression, ADHD, and other disabilities, bridging a gap between DBT and CBT-based exercises and daily journaling practices.
Before I became an accessibility consultant, I was an educator in the Disability space.
That work eventually evolved into education and advocacy specifically around ADHD, neurodivergence, and executive dysfunction. I became known within my online community as a peer educator on ADHD and executive dysfunction-based disorders such as Autism, Sensory Processing Disorders, Traumatic Brain Injuries, and more. I created research-informed resources and educational content geared at helping individuals better understand their brains and better accommodating their own unique experience of neurodivergence.
I spoke on podcasts and radio shows, participated in hosting webinars and summits, and was repeatedly approached for media opportunities through organizations such as the CADDAC.
At the time, I thought my path would lead to becoming an ADHD Coach, and began pursuing certification to support that journey.
That wasn’t the end point, but that education, research, facilitation, and disability advocacy carried with me to my next chapter.
Eventually, accessibility became a part of my actual job description.
Joining the team over at P4G, I helped to build the EquitAbility program in partnership with TEAM Work Cooperative—helping HR professionals and leaders gain the practical education and tools to better attract, hire, accommodate and retain Persons with Disabilities. Here, my work also expanded into accessible and inclusive communications, expanding on my experience in community engagement and disability inclusion.
When I joined the Forward Creative team, I had the great pleasure of expanding my breadth of expertise even further, and refined my practice to better understand what accessibility actually looks like through the lens of policy and daily operations. I also had the opportunity to work with some really incredible organizations such as Summer Street Industries, Healthy Pictou County, the Pictou County Partnership, IGNITE Atlantic, the Canadian Anti-Monopoly Project, the Town of New Glasgow, the Municipality of the County of Antigonish, the Town of Quispamsis, the Antigonish Community Transit Society, and many more.
Today, all of those experiences have finally converged.
Today, I work independently in accessibility while continuing to strengthen relationships and collaborations with many of the organizations and people who have helped to shape this chapter of my career. From TEAM Work Cooperative, to Forward Creative, Healthy Pictou County, and more.
My resume can tell you when “accessibility” started appearing in my job title, but it can’t adequately showcase the breadth and depth of my experience in this field, because careers aren’t always linear. Sometimes, the things you eventually become known for have been quietly showing up in your work (and the questions you’ve been asking) for most of your life... It just takes a while to learn what to call it.
