The Voice - Zachary Weeks RE: Accessibility and Accommodation

Join VAD as we speak with Zachary Weeks about accessibility and accommodation.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

You're listening to the Voice of Albertans with Disabilities podcasts, where we share real conversation resources and stories that support a more inclusive and accessible community. I'm your host, Teresa, and today we're talking about something that impacts all of us: accessibility and accommodation. Joining me today is VAD board member Zachary Weeks, an advocate for accessibility and inclusive communities. Together we'll explore what accessibility really means, what your rights are, and how we can all play a role in creating a more inclusive space. Voice of Albertans with Disabilities gratefully acknowledges that what we call Alberta is the traditional and ancestral territories and gathering place for diverse indigenous peoples whose histories, languages, and cultures continue to influence our vibrant communities. We make this acknowledgement as an act of reconciliation and gratitude to the many First Nations, Metis settlements, and the six regions of the Metis Nation of Alberta and Inuit, who have lived in and cared for these lands for generations. Hi, hi. Thank you, Zach, for joining us today to talk about accessibility and accommodation. I'm really looking forward to this conversation.

SPEAKER_01 1:17

Oh, well, thanks so much for having me, Teresa, and it's uh it's uh great to be here.

SPEAKER_00 1:24

Awesome. Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your work in accessibility advocacy?

SPEAKER_01 1:32

Yeah, absolutely. As as you gratefully uh mentioned, my name is Acharya Weeks, and I'm a disability advocate here in Alberta and an accessibility consultant. You know, I've had the pleasure of of having this opportunity for quite a few years now, and something that I take very seriously uh on both sides in terms of being an advocate as well as uh the consulting that I do. But yeah, uh my joy in all of it is meeting new people that I can help and hopefully bring their voice to tables that aren't necessarily at them. Um and then obviously on the accessibility consulting side, bringing my lived experience as a wheelchair user and living with cerebral palsy to different projects that I've worked on, whether that's the Walterdale Theater, the Bill Black Auditorium at Glenrose Hospital, and then obviously uh the biggest one I've been involved with was Rogers Place, where the Edmonton Oilers place. So that was super cool to be a part of. Great.

SPEAKER_00 2:57

I think it really helps set the stage for this conversation. What inspired you to get involved in this area?

SPEAKER_01 3:04

You know, one day I was having a bit of a pity party and you know, like asking myself why am I disabled, you know, all this stuff. And, you know, I I sort of it sort of hit me like a ton of bricks that, you know, all those years I was trying to fit in when maybe I was born to stand out. And anyone who's ever met me knows that I have a tattoo that's just born to stand out. So that's sort of in my mantra um along the way to uh as well. So I mean, uh yeah, I wasn't it wasn't always, you know, the plan to be a disability advocate, although it's now now I realize that's my purpose here on earth. I believe, and you know, as soon as I fully embraced my disability, I I think the universe shifted in a we in a weird way. Like things, doors started to open and opportunities aro arose. I was happier from a mental health standpoint, so uh that's what I really try and bring to the work that I do along the way as well for for the next generation, you know, like as soon as you accept who you are in your bones, so to speak, uh, you know, life has a funny way of working out.

SPEAKER_00 4:41

That's amazing. Now that we know a bit about a background, let's talk about the bigger picture. For listeners who may be new to this, what does accessibility mean in everyday life?

SPEAKER_01 4:53

Yeah, that's a great question. I think it's a question that really depends on what your specific situation is. So what we've come to know is that accessibility evolves with time. You know, back in the the 70s and 80s, we thought of accessibility as wheelchair ramps and uh, you know, maybe elevators, but now it's it's evolved into a much larger conversation based off of what access, meaningful access means to individuals. And that's really what I'm inspired by is that you know it it's person centered now. Uh uh back in the day we we would go off of the medical motto of oh what's wrong with the person, what's wrong with this. It's not the it's not the society, it's the person. Whereas nowadays what I try and do in my conversations alongside many other advocates, including uh organizations like VAT, is you know uh infuse the uh the societal model of disability and make sure that accessibility is not just ramps and hell airs. It can be, you know, hearing loops in uh rooms for those that are hard of hearing, it can be sensory rooms for those that are neurodivergent uh or on the spectrum. Um, you know, it can be so many different things, it could be digital accessibility, making sure that websites are accessible to those with low vision or blindness that use technology like JAWS and screen readers to equitably access the internet and mobile phones, just like everyone else. So accessibility is now uh we've moved from a cookie cutter approach to what does that mean for the person?

SPEAKER_00 7:23

That's a helpful way to think about it. What are some common misconceptions about accessibility?

SPEAKER_01 7:29

That's that's a great question. I think the the most common misconception, and I think I'm sure you would have talked about it in previous episodes with other guests, there's this notion that accessibility is expensive. And the short answer is yes, it can be if you don't incorporate from the beginning of whatever you're working on, whether that's the building, programs and services, that sort of thing. But what research has found is that you know uh and and lived experience more importantly, I think, because I'm a big lived experience guy, uh, you know, uh life life uh teaches you things that a book simply can't. But I I think, you know, if if if accessibility is brought to the forefront at the beginning of any sort of planning, it it does not cost much more than than if you try to incorporate it later. And a lot of the things can be really solved uh uh, you know, i i at the end of the day it's not rocket science in terms of what uh accessibility can can look like when you incorporate it into things. As long as you have an open mind and uh an authentic approach to working with the person needing the access, I think anything's possible. It's you know, and and nowadays like if we look at employment, for example, um, because that's a hot topic right now with people with disabilities in Alberta, if if you know, you look at the accommodations made for able-bodied people, they might need a, you know, an ergonomic chair or maybe a special keyboard so that the wrists don't hurt. Well, you know, that's that's the same as getting, you know, dragon dictation software for someone who has a hard time uh typing, for example. So the cost of investment uh, you know, i is similar, I would think, to what a quote unquote uh normal person would require in the workplace.

SPEAKER_00 10:17

Building on that, how does accessibility benefit everyone, not just people with disabilities?

SPEAKER_01 10:24

Oh man, that that's that's uh something that I try and drive home every opportunity I get because um and I'm sure uh people will sort of roll their eyes when they hear me say this, because if they followed along uh with other podcasts I've done, um, you know, I I always make a point of saying it's not if you're gonna be disabled, it's when. And and uh, you know, disability is the only minority group that a person can join at any time. So um accessibility is is something that is not just for a certain segment of the population. You know, 27% of Canadians have a disability, according to the latest research. I don't know if you've ever seen this, there's this photo of it's called the curb cut effect. And, you know, essentially shows this curb ramp that uh was initially designed for people in wheelchairs to get on and off sidewalks safely, but now we see it being incorporated everywhere because mothers with strollers use them every day, people use them, you know, it just makes sense, right? So it's it's something that's like accidental accessibility in a way that, you know, is a great example of demonstrating how if if you make it for one quote unquote one sector of the population, it's gonna benefit everyone. Um, you know, uh another example would be at airports where, you know, we have the the ramps up to the to the gates and that sort of thing. Nobody wants to lug their luggage up a bunch of stairs and that sort of thing. You don't see people running to the stairs at the airport with their with their luggage saying, oh, I want to be the first one taking these stairs, let's get at it. No, they're at they're using the ramps and the the pedways and all this stuff. So accessibility benefits everyone, um whether it's intentional or not. Um and the sooner we start to realize that the more wholesome we're gonna be as a society in terms of the kinds of conversations that we can have at many different layers, whether it's in science or uh, you know, uh building or medicine or whatever, right?

SPEAKER_00 13:41

That leads nicely into accommodations. What does duty to accommodate mean in simple terms?

SPEAKER_01 13:49

Well, duty to accommodate means that there's a responsibility there that you have to legally abide by in order to accommodate someone's needs. In this situation, obviously, we're talking about people with disabilities. Uh so it's really around making sure that you're doing everything to uh make sure that the individual succeeds within reason, of course. Uh you have a responsibility to make that happen. And I'm thinking largely this uh deals with employment, for example, fits nicely with employment. Uh, you know, we have a responsibility to make sure that uh people with disabilities have the same opportunities to thrive in the workplace as their uh able-bodied uh friends. Yeah, that's the way I interpret duty to accommodate.

SPEAKER_00 15:00

Where does this duty apply?

SPEAKER_01 15:03

Largely right now it it uh if I'm looking at from ex uh an Alberta lens, i it would uh accommodate uh as I said, or not accommodate, it would it would apply to employment. However, you know, because Alberta does not have accessible legislation similar to other provinces, there's a lot of gray areas that that really duty to accommodate should apply to.

SPEAKER_00 16:41

Okay. To make that more practical for listeners, what are some examples of accommodation people might request?

SPEAKER_01 16:49

Again, staying within employment, I think one a couple uh one example could be um you know uh a larger screen for for say someone with low vision to work on their computer. It could be a uh sit-stand desk that have really actually come down in price. You can grab them at Costco now. Before they were like four thousand dollars and now they're I think like five hundred bucks. But again, it it's very um practical requests. These are not like out of these world requests, right? Like they're they're everyday requests that someone with or without a disability uh ask for. Um could be an ergonomic chair for someone with back issues, you know, it could be working from home once a week or or something like that to accommodate, you know, uh a person's needs. So those are those are some practical real life examples I think that that people can can sort of uh think of when they think of duty to accommodate.

SPEAKER_00 18:18

For someone who might feel hesitant or unsure, how can they confidently ask for accommodation?

SPEAKER_01 18:25

The beginning of that is making sure that they understand that they they have the right to ask for that accommodation and and doing the research to thoroughly understand what duty to accommodate entails so that they do feel comfortable before they ask, you know, God forbid, you know, they get pushback or what have you from their employer. And if that is the case, then you know, you probably don't want to work there to begin with. So in a way, it's a similar lining, but nonetheless, I I think education and knowledge is power is always the first approach, and then you know, stating it in a in a way that you know it's setting you up for being the best employee you can be. In order to do that, I need these tools, and and you know, it's it's not just gonna benefit me, it's gonna benefit, you know, the person with the company or what have you. And yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:45

That's a really important point, especially when people may not know their rights. Can you share a real life example of an accommodation making a difference?

SPEAKER_01 19:54

With myself, you know, I I I think I'm uh I'm a big technology guy. I spend a lot of time on the computer because obviously with my disability, I can't go out and pump gas or dig ditches or anything like that. Uh so I rely very heavily on technology and you know one of the requests or accommodations that I need in order to do what I need to do is making sure that I avoid stictation software. Once that was in place, man, I was I was a top performer in the I could find I could finally be on the same level as everyone else, you know. Um uh, you know, and it was very liberating to finally uh unlock, you know, a new a new level, so to speak, of of uh getting stuff done. And I I think yeah, uh that lends uh uh a point I I'd like to make around again the accidental accessibility, or maybe it wasn't accidental, but nowadays everyone uses voice text, right? And and so, you know, what I think it was maybe an accessibility feature is now being used and adopted by like so many people, right? Like, but now they all have the same challenge that I do, and that when I'm texting someone or or typing out an email, I I don't notice that insert certain words. So I have to I have to do a better job of proofreading before I hit that send button. But uh now people know the pain that I that idea with with dragon naturally speaking. Yeah, I mean, and you're seeing it rolled out on different technologies, right? Like Apple and uh Android and and you know it's it's just part of everyday life now, right? So that that's that's the angle is making sure that we get to a place where accessibility is just like a duh moment, right? Like, well of course we have that blah blah blah. Another another example again is is a flexible uh work accommodation or flexible work agreements in terms of you know scheduling. You know maybe having a workplace that allows you to come in a little bit later because transportation takes longer to get to work if you're you know in a wheelchair, you're using DAS or whatever it is. And and you know in general people with disabilities do need a little bit more lead time to get ready and and and whatnot. So having a flexible work agreement as to when you start when you end that's another practical example in the world real world as to what that could look like.

SPEAKER_00 23:35

Um yeah that's a great segue into solutions. What are some simple changes organizations can make to be more accessible?

SPEAKER_01 23:47

Well I think the I think the simplest one would be to ask what the individual needs to succeed and and and really keeping an open mind to what what that can look like and knowing that it it is likely not gonna cost more than s you know what we've already discussed whether that's getting an ergonomic chair or this or that right like um so I think that's the easiest way an organization can you know advance or implement you know accessibility or solutions um is asking always ask. People with disabilities are are usually pretty willing to discuss what their needs are and and as long as it's coming from a an authentic approach right like um you know I really want you to feel like you're empowered that you're able to do what you need to do um and that's and that's that goes outside of the employment world as well right like if you're giving speeches or doing public speaking asking okay what do you need to you know join us for that day do you need a handheld mic or do you prefer a clip on mic you know obviously you need a washroom let's make sure that we have that identified uh maybe uh again I'm very focused on my situation because I don't want to speak for others but you know uh having a ramp up to the stage you know having maybe subtitles or ASL at at at uh during meetings or or at events is another one yeah it's really I think the at the end of the day the easiest thing you can do is to ask one thing you wish more people understood about accessibility I I I wish people would understand that it is not a us versus them situation that we're not just you know requesting or demanding accessibility at every opportunity it's a really a matter of uh making sure that people have equitable access uh the same opportunities to thrive in in the community instead of just survive with you know patchwork accessibility and policies and you know the and we talked about earlier like this could be you at any juncture of your life disability does not discriminate it does not care if you know you got a master's in in you know space science or whatever it is that you did or how much money your family has or your your bloodline it doesn't care. And so taking that approach that life is fragile and we need to prepare the best we can to take care of our neighbors uh and and make sure that uh we have a li a world that is able to allow people to uh live their life without stress and worry and planning seven you know steps ahead of ahead ahead of uh what they need to do if someone is listening and needs support what should their first step be? The first step obviously I'm biased but uh as I'm a board member with VAD but VAD's been around for a very long time uh you know they're there to uh listen and and help and support and they have a wealth of knowledge so yeah uh you know if for whatever reason VAT is not your you know your jam uh by all means reach out to you know disability advocates in the community you know get on the Google machine and type in disability advocates Alberta or Manitoba or wherever you are and you know usually they're on social media I know it's another weird thing that we that we have heard of or that we do nowadays is social media uh but but it again it provides access right it provides access to people that may have been there done that uh and and have the t-shirt so to speak in terms of what that can look like what knowledge they can transfer to you to help your wife a little bit better yeah what better way to do it than to learn from someone that's already been there and and the first step I think is always to reach out uh for support I know it sounds cliche but and disability advocates and weeders they're no different than anyone else and they're willing to they're willing to help at least I am I can't speak for others but uh we're on word on the street is that they're there to uh as we come to the end of our conversation is there anything we didn't cover that you think is important I think I think you know we're in a we're in a time right now in the world where there's a lot of a lot of hate and divisiveness going on and I think now more than ever we need to step back from situations and and do take the time to to properly assess what's going on and to do it from a standpoint of of kindness and empathy um and I think you know that's that's really important nowadays is to really give yourself grace and love because you know it's not as easily accessed as it should be in today's world uh and and so start with yourself by giving it to yourself so that you can pass it on to someone else who needs it and and uh you know more than likely it'll come back to you I think you know being your authentic self and not you know for a long time I apologize you know for being disabled I I still do it it's called internal ableism uh where essentially you know you're apologizing for being who you are and I I think people need to be unapologetic in in who they are and and that goes across the board not just with disability but you know uh whether it's ethnicity or sexual orientation the list goes on now be be proud of who you are and what what you uh no pun in no no pun intended uh stand for right so that's what I would end with okay thank you for your time and energy today Zachary your work and advocacy are incredible value to the community thank you to our audience for tuning in to the Voice of Albertans with disabilities podcast The Voice once again a big thank you to Zachary Reeks for sharing his time knowledge and passion for accessibility and inclusion.

SPEAKER_00 33:28

If today's conversation resonated with you or someone you support we encourage you to reach out and learn more about the resources available through VAD. Be sure to subscribe and share this episode. Join us next time as we continue to highlight important conversations that matter to our community. VAD is guided by the principles of accessibility, equity and inclusion. Learn about our services on our website at www.vadsociety.ca or call 780 4889088 for more information. If you have a topic you would like to hear more about in a podcast please email myself at vad atvadsociety.ca with topic ideas, speaker suggestion or your feedback. Signing off for today together in support, inclusion and community