AS:022 Overcoming Disability Barriers to Leadership

Speaker 0:02

Welcome to the accessibility solutions podcast hosted by Linda hunt, an award winning accessibility consultant, speaker and author. With over 30 years experience in senior management roles and a deep passion for creating inclusive environments. Linda brings us unmatched expertise and credibility to our discussions join us as they explore transformative power of accessibility and inclusion in today's world. Through captivating conversations, Linda shares her wealth of knowledge provides practical solutions and sheds light on the latest trends and advancements in the field. Whether you're a business owner or disability advocate, or simply curious about the world of accessibility, this podcast is your go to resource. Get ready to unlock new perspectives, break down barriers and embark on a journey of empowerment. Are you ready to create a more inclusive world? Well, let's begin. Welcome to the accessibility solutions podcast.

Linda Hunt 1:02

Hello, everyone, and thank you for joining me. My name is Linda Hunt. I'm the CEO of Accessibility Solutions, an accessibility consulting firm based in Brantford, Ontario. Our topic today is overcoming disability barriers to leadership. I have always considered myself to be a leader, having spent 25 years in the public sector, the corporate world and eventually as executive director of a National Health Chair. However, in 2009, at the age of 43, and 10 years after I was diagnosed with a chronic, incurable neurological disease, I was forced to give up my one hour commute down the highway for a much shorter commute down the hall to my home office. What I learned at the time was that despite the barriers I faced, I could continue to be a leader in business and in my community. The key to this realization was understanding that I still possess the confidence to be a leader, the most important things when we are looking at leadership roles, whether they be at work, or within an organization that you'd like to be involved with is does that organization embrace a culture of inclusion? So is this reflective in their policies and practices? And is this something that you are comfortable with when you're looking at taking on a leadership role within the organization, some of the barriers to leadership that are faced by people are attitude of barriers, the opportunity to participate physical barriers and accommodations or any assistance that they may require. If you are advocating for yourself in gaining a leadership role or advancing your current role to a more leadership role. What's important is that you focus on your ability, not on the disability, that you hone your leadership skills that you achieve the goals that you've set for yourself, and that you benefit from shared experiences, whether those are within the organization or shared experiences or discussions that you may have had with people outside the organization. So important to recognize the barrier for what it is focus on what you can do, not what you can't do and how you can adapt. Providing a solution is very important. So not expecting people to accommodate you. But for you to put forth the solutions that will allow you to move forward in that in those roles. It's also very important to realize when you are working towards leadership goals or furthering your career is that you need to be confident, you need to be resilient, you need to be determined, creative, and also very resourceful. So I would really encourage anyone to look at what the barriers are that they face to advancing leadership roles, what leadership roles that you would really want to take on and what you feel you can successfully manage and also that you clearly lay out what the barriers to that participation are, and also be very strong and very confident in advocating for yourself. I am pleased to have joined you today. Please reach out so perhaps we can virtually chat. And again, thank you very much for the conference committee for choosing today. And I look forward to chatting with any or all of you online during the conference. Have a great day.

Speaker 4:26

Thank you for joining us on The Accessibility Solutions podcast hosted by Linda Hines. We hope these discussions have inspired you and provided valuable insights into the world of accessibility and inclusion. If you're ready to take the next steps in creating an accessible and inclusive environment. We invite you to book a personalized accessibility solutions consultation with Linda as an experienced accessibility consultant Lynda will work closely with you to develop innovative solutions tailored to your unique needs and challenges. Together you'll navigate the complexities of accessibility right Relations, explore inclusive design principles and implement practical strategies to ensure equal access for all. Don't miss this opportunity to make a real difference visit our website at solutions for accessibility.com. And that's the number four so solutions for accessibility.com scheduling a consultation today let's transform your space into an inclusive and welcoming environment for everyone. Thanks again for listening to the accessibility solutions podcast. Stay tuned for more empowering episodes as we continue our journey towards a more accessible world.