OUR BLOG

Earlier this year, I wrote about how different generations inherited different beliefs about disability and work: what felt safe to say, what counted as “professional,” and who quietly endured challenges without support. Many people, especially those with disabilities, chronic conditions, or caregiving responsibilities, learned to stay silent to avoid judgment, job loss, or being seen as less capable. These generational experiences shape how safe people feel speaking up today.

For two years I had been free of it…this condition that steals my life without warning. There was never a warning; that’s what I’ve hated the most about it. When I got that familiar feeling in the front of my head while sitting at my desk in the middle of a work day in March of this year; I just knew. I said nothing to my team in the room. I got up, snuck into the hallway and silently tested my walking and movement, but there was no need. I knew. This time, I didn’t recover until June. 

September 30th, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (NDTR), asks us to pause and remember the children who never came home, the Survivors, and the ongoing impact of residential schools. The very next day, October 1st, Treaty Day in Nova Scotia, reminds us of the living treaties between the Mi’kmaq and the Crown, and opens Mi’kmaq History Month, a time to learn from Mi’kmaw history and celebrate Mi’kmaw culture.

Something big is taking shape across Atlantic Canada. From Halifax to St. John’s, from Charlottetown to Moncton, queer and trans entrepreneurs are coming together to build something we’ve never had before: a dedicated home for 2SLGBTQIA+ businesses in our region.

We interviewed two accessibility leaders, Henk van Leeuwen, Director of Dartmouth Adult Services Centre (DASC) and Thivjan Tharmaratnam, Director of Inclusion Nova Scotia, as part of the Accessibility Ally podcast. They are reshaping the way we think about disability and inclusion. Through their work, they offer powerful insights into what it means to be an “accessibility confident” leader.

On the Accessibility Ally Podcast, Corrie Melanson spoke with Michelle Mahoney and Morgane Evans about navigating post-secondary education with a physical disability. Both women shared their experiences of what worked, what didn’t, and what still needs to change to make education truly accessible.

Hiring people for summer or seasonal jobs can happen fast, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be inclusive. A lot of people face barriers when applying for short-term jobs, especially folks with disabilities. The good news? There are easy ways to make your hiring and onboarding more welcoming and accessible for everyone.

Imagine a workplace where everyone, regardless of how their brain works, feels like they belong, can contribute fully, and be their authentic selves. That’s the goal of neuroinclusion: building environments that support and celebrate neurodivergent employees.
Neurodivergence is a term that refers to brain-based differences in the way people think, sense, communicate, and interact with the world. This includes, but is not limited to, people with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, OCD, Tourette’s syndrome, and other learning or mental differences. These differences aren’t deficits; they’re variations that bring unique perspectives and strengths to the workplace.

Disability looks different for everyone, and so do our workplaces. One important but often overlooked part of accessibility and inclusion is how different generations experience and understand disability.

Each generation comes of age in a different social and cultural landscape. The language we use, the beliefs we carry, and the rights we’re afforded shape how we understand and live with disability. These differences influence how we show up at work, whether we feel safe to disclose, and what kinds of accommodations we know how, or feel able, to ask for (assuming we might even know).