Accessibility Ally

Henk and Thivjan are both Executive Directors (ED) of organizations that support people with intellectual disabilities. Henk is the ED of DASC Dartmouth Adult Services Centre (DASC), a social enterprise. Thivjan is the ED of Inclusion Nova Scotia. The three have a conversation about what it means to be an accessibility confident leader in Nova Scotia, and the importance of valuing and empowering people with disabilities to advocate for themselves and create an accessible future.

This podcast is made possible by Sea Change CoLab. Sea Change CoLab supports leaders and teams across private, public, and impact-driven sectors to learn sustainable ways that spark meaningful change and create learning experiences that reflect the diversity of our world and have equitable systems and inclusive cultures where everyone belongs. Go to https://seachangecolab.com/ to learn more.

This podcast is hosted by Corrie Melanson, Learning Experience Designer, at Sea Change CoLab.

Produced by Podstarter.

Full transcript available here (https://accessibilityally.transistor.fm/s1/10/transcript)

Corrie sits down with Vanessa Furlong, who is an artist and mental health practitioner based in Halifax. She worked with Erin Ball to create LEGacy Circus, a contemporary arts duo combining the use of leg attachments, mobility aids, and traditional and non-traditional circus apparatuses. Vanessa and Erin created a great resource called Increasing Accessibility in movement-based practices. In this episode, Vanessa discusses experiences advocating for accessibility in live performance. She emphasizes the importance of continuous improvement and collaboration to create a more inclusive environment. Corrie and Vanessa also discussed the pervasive nature of ableism in various contexts, including art and culture, and stressed the need for proactive accessibility, intersectionality, and inclusive policies to disrupt ableism.

This podcast is made possible by Sea Change CoLab. Sea Change CoLab supports leaders and teams across private, public, and impact-driven sectors to learn sustainable ways that spark meaningful change and create learning experiences that reflect the diversity of our world and have equitable systems and inclusive cultures where everyone belongs. Go to https://seachangecolab.com/ to learn more.

This podcast is hosted by Corrie Melanson, Learning Experience Designer, at Sea Change CoLab.

Produced by Podstarter.

Full transcript available here (https://accessibilityally.transistor.fm/s1/9/transcript)

Michelle Mahoney, Accessibility Officer at Kings University, and Morgane Evans, a former Dalhousie student who works in communications, share their experiences around accessibility and education. They chat with host Corrie Melanson about the importance of inclusive education and advocating for accessibility in Nova Scotia, with a focus on shifting mindsets towards disability inclusion. They discuss challenges and difficulties in accessing accommodations in post-secondary education, highlighting the need for more protections and accommodations for students with disabilities.

This podcast is made possible by Sea Change CoLab. Sea Change CoLab supports leaders and teams across private, public, and impact-driven sectors to learn sustainable ways that spark meaningful change and create learning experiences that reflect the diversity of our world and have equitable systems and inclusive cultures where everyone belongs. Go to https://seachangecolab.com/ to learn more.

This podcast is hosted by Corrie Melanson, Learning Experience Designer, at Sea Change CoLab.

Produced by Podstarter.

Full transcript available here (https://accessibilityally.transistor.fm/s1/8/transcript)

We should always feel supported by our community, specifically by our local institutions. Human Rights Activist, Vicki Levack, joins Corrie this episode to discuss the challenges faced by people with disabilities in accessing employment and housing, as well as their experiences advocating for social justice and human rights in Canada. The two chat about the Human Rights Remedy, and the role of the Disability Rights Coalition, as well as their personal experiences and barriers in accessing the community.

This podcast is made possible by Sea Change CoLab. Sea Change CoLab supports leaders and teams across private, public, and impact-driven sectors to learn sustainable ways that spark meaningful change and create learning experiences that reflect the diversity of our world and have equitable systems and inclusive cultures where everyone belongs. Go to https://seachangecolab.com/ to learn more.

This podcast is hosted by Corrie Melanson, Learning Experience Designer, at Sea Change CoLab.

Produced by Podstarter.

Full transcript available here (https://accessibilityally.transistor.fm/s1/7/transcript)

Intersectionality is often left out of the conversation when it comes to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. In this discussion, we make intersectionality the focus, as we sit down with Liza Arnason. Liza is the Founder and Chair of the Board of Directors of the ASE (pronounced ah-SHAY) Community Foundation for Black Canadians with Disabilities. Liza centres Disability Justice and the unique experiences of Black Canadians with disabilities. Corrie and Liza get into the interconnected nature of various identities and underscore the significance of inclusivity and intersectional approaches to social justice. They also highlight the necessity for white individuals to leverage their privilege and power to amplify marginalized voices and foster more diverse and inclusive leadership within disability-led organizations.

This podcast is made possible by Sea Change CoLab. Sea Change CoLab supports leaders and teams across private, public, and impact-driven sectors to learn sustainable ways that spark meaningful change and create learning experiences that reflect the diversity of our world and have equitable systems and inclusive cultures where everyone belongs. Go to https://seachangecolab.com/ to learn more.

This podcast is hosted by Corrie Melanson, Learning Experience Designer, at Sea Change CoLab.

Produced by Podstarter.

Full transcript available here (https://share.transistor.fm/s/57577601/transcript.txt)

In this episode we explore and identify Deaf culture and the importance of fostering inclusive education, shedding light on the joys and challenges faced by the deaf community in a predominantly hearing world. Your host Corrie Melanson, is joined by Holly and their interpreter Mae. Holly is queer, Indigenous, and Deaf. Holly shares their experience as a Deaf person in rural and urban settings in Nova Scotia. They also talk about being a new mom to a hearing child. Mae is an ASL interpreter and shares how they got into this field of work, and why they love it!

This podcast is made possible by Sea Change CoLab. Sea Change CoLab supports leaders and teams across private, public, and impact-driven sectors to learn sustainable ways that spark meaningful change and create learning experiences that reflect the diversity of our world and have equitable systems and inclusive cultures where everyone belongs. Go to https://seachangecolab.com/ to learn more.

This podcast is hosted by Corrie Melanson, Learning Experience Designer, at Sea Change CoLab.

Produced by Podstarter.

Full transcript available here (https://share.transistor.fm/s/ba3d5a2c/transcript.txt)

There is no doubt that being accessible by 2030 is a huge goal! In this episode, your host Corrie Melanson, sits down with Dawn Stegen and Terri Lynn Almeda, to discuss how the many moving pieces of accessibility can work together to ensure an accessible future for our province. Dawn is the Executive Director of the Accessibility Directorate. Terri Lynn Almeda is the Director of Programs and Services at the Directorate. They give great insight into how the government of Nova Scotia is implementing the 2017 Accessibility Act. They also explain how we all need to work together to ensure Nova Scotia is accessible by 2030.

This podcast is made possible by Sea Change CoLab. Sea Change CoLab supports leaders and teams across private, public, and impact-driven sectors to learn sustainable ways that spark meaningful change and create learning experiences that reflect the diversity of our world and have equitable systems and inclusive cultures where everyone belongs. Go to https://seachangecolab.com/ to learn more.

This podcast is hosted by Corrie Melanson, Learning Experience Designer, at Sea Change CoLab.

Produced by Podstarter.

Full transcript available here (https://share.transistor.fm/s/c30eb882/transcript.txt)

It would be hard to find a more amazing, local example of an exceptional partnership for change in accessibility than that of 2 Crows Brewing and the Prescrott Group! 

In this episode we sit down with Eric Dupont, who is the Operations Manager at 2 Crows Brewing in Halifax. 2 Crows partners with Prescott Group to hire adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) in their warehouse. Jenn and Andrew are clients at Prescott, and both work in the 2 Crows warehouse. They share the highlights of working at 2 Crows and their wish that more people with IDDs could be hired in the community.

This podcast is made possible by Sea Change CoLab. Sea Change CoLab supports leaders and teams across private, public, and impact-driven sectors to learn sustainable ways that spark meaningful change and create learning experiences that reflect the diversity of our world and have equitable systems and inclusive cultures where everyone belongs. Go to https://seachangecolab.com/ to learn more.

This podcast is hosted by Corrie Melanson, Learning Experience Designer, at Sea Change CoLab.

Produced by Podstarter.

Full transcript available here (https://share.transistor.fm/s/c59de2cb/transcript.txt)

This episode we sit down with Ursula Mogensen who is a queer, non-binary human with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). They share their experiences with a late diagnosis of ADHD, the supports at work that help them thrive, and the challenges and benefits of being Neurodivergent.

This podcast is made possible by Sea Change CoLab. Sea Change CoLab supports leaders and teams across private, public, and impact-driven sectors to learn sustainable ways that spark meaningful change and create learning experiences that reflect the diversity of our world and have equitable systems and inclusive cultures where everyone belongs. Go to https://seachangecolab.com/ to learn more.

This podcast is hosted by Corrie Melanson, Learning Experience Designer, at Sea Change CoLab.

Produced by Podstarter.

Full transcript available here (https://share.transistor.fm/s/bf0551ce/transcript.txt)

On the very first episode of Accessibility Ally, your host Corrie Melanson sits down with guest, Paul Tingley. Paul is a Business ACCESS-Ability Officer with the Government of Nova Scotia, responsible for coordinating programs, and services, and collaborating on policies that support recreation in Nova Scotia. Corrie and Paul have an amazing discussion on the six standards that approach the legislature that aims to make Nova Scotia fully accessible by 2030, and what that may mean for people living in the province. The two also dive into the presence of disability awareness and allyship in Nova Scotia, and the intersectionality among the EDIA equity-seeking groups.

This podcast is made possible by Sea Change CoLab. Sea Change CoLab supports leaders and teams across private, public, and impact-driven sectors to learn sustainable ways that spark meaningful change and create learning experiences that reflect the diversity of our world and have equitable systems and inclusive cultures where everyone belongs. Go to https://seachangecolab.com/ to learn more.

This podcast is hosted by Corrie Melanson, Learning Experience Designer, at Sea Change CoLab.

Produced by Podstarter.

Full transcript available here (https://accessibilityally.transistor.fm/s1/1/transcript)