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http://www.DiverseAbilities.ca/

Diverse Abilities, Edmonton, AB (2026)

10/03/2026

October is World Blind Awareness Month

Understanding Vision Loss
Seems society is unaware of what vision loss, low vision, partially sighted or visually impaired really mean. How can sight loss be explained?

Vision loss is a complex and individualized experience, affecting each person differently. With over dozens of distinct eye conditions and varying degrees of vision within each diagnosis, no two people with vision loss see the same way. Some individuals may see clearly up close but struggle with seeing further away, while others may have the opposite experience. Seeing far away but not close up. Vision loss can affect one or both eyes, and some people may have multiple eye conditions simultaneously in one or both eyes.

When people hear the term "blind," they often assume it means complete darkness. However, most individuals who are blind retain some vision, though it may not always be useful or reliable. A person is considered legally blind when their field of vision is 20 degrees or less or when their vision is 20/200 or worse. To put this into perspective, 20/20 is considered perfect vision. If someone with normal vision sees an object clearly at 200 feet, a person who is legally blind would need to be 20 feet or closer to see the same object.

In fact, about10% of people who are blind see nothing at all. Describing vision loss can be challenging, but let's explore some common experiences to better understand a few visual perspectives.

Central Vision Loss

Some individuals, including myself, may lose their central vision but retain their peripheral vision or some of it. This means we can see well from the sides but not directly in front of us. To simulate this, place your index fingers directly in front of your eyes and try looking or moving around the room. This type of vision loss often makes it difficult to see details, such as someone's face or objects right in front of us. For many one moment something is there and the next it is gone.

Peripheral Vision Loss

Others may experience the opposite, seeing only what is directly in front of them (central vision) but nothing from the sides. The field of view varies from person to person. To understand this, make a circle with your thumb and index finger, like a toilet paper roll, and put both circles in front of your eyes. Look around the room. If you gradually shrink the circle from the size of a quarter to a pinhole, you'll get an broader idea of how this type of vision loss varies. Moving around can be challenging as you cannot see the ground or stairs ahead, objects above your head or anything coming at you from the sides.

Blind Spots and Blurry Vision

Some individuals have blind spots scattered throughout their vision, while others see everything as blurry or cloudy. Imagine a foggy day where you can see in the distance a layer of fog. As the fog comes closer it becomes harder to see the building down the road then the house across the street. Then It is difficult to see your friend who is only a few feet away. This is a spectrum within an eye condition. This can make navigating and recognizing faces or objects difficult.

Causes and Variables

People can be born blind, lose their sight suddenly due to an accident or illness or develop a condition that gradually worsens over time. Vision loss can occur at any age and often changes with factors such as lighting, color contrast, object size, distance, and eye fatigue. One moment we might see something clearly, and the next, it becomes indistinguishable due to these variables.

Individual Journeys

Each person's vision loss journey is unique. Even with the same diagnosis, the progression and degree of vision loss can differ. Such as our Support systems at home, work or in the community. Access to training or rehabilitation, financial resources, and acceptance of vision loss vary widely among individuals. Some of us live in areas with limited accessibility and opportunities, while others may lack the necessary tools and devices that make life easier.

If you're curious about what what someone can or cannot see, the best approach is to always ask us (the person) you are curious about and never the people we are with.

Just as no two able-bodied individuals are the same, neither are our abilities, confidence, preferences, strengths and stretches. We all also have varying interests and hobbies. All these factors differ from person to person. Those of us with vision loss are different because our eyeballs don’t work well or at all, that is it. We are people first. Be kind to each other, life is tough enough.

“Having a disability does not change who we are, it changes our interactions with the world,”-Gina Martin

Our programs change how disabilities are viewed and understood. When classrooms, communities and businesses know what to say, what to do, what to notice and how to respond in real life situations. No one feels awkward and everyone feels welcome.
If you want to move from uncomfortable to confident when interacting with those of us who navigate life differently. Our programs help.

Book a free 15 minute consultation.
Visit our website
DiverseAbilities.ca

Photo description
There are nine images. All the images are exactly the same. Only different eye conditions are showing a piece of that eye conditions spectrum. The eye condition normal vision, cataract, myopia, MSQRD degeneration, glaucoma, Diabetic, retinopathy, eye floaters, retinitis, pigments, and total blindness

10/02/2026

What if some of the smallest details in your hotel creates a barrier for your guests?

Not the obvious things.

The things most of us never think to check.

The chairs in your lobby.

Your payment terminal.

The accessibility information on your website before a guest even decides to book.

Individually, they may seem insignificant.

To the guest who cannot comfortably get out of that chair, independently use that payment terminal or determine whether your hotel can meet their needs before arriving, those details can shape the entire experience.

These are only three examples.

Then there is something no accessibility checklist can fully address:

The human experience.

What happens when a guest arrives and needs assistance?

Does your team know how to offer it without assuming?

Do they know what respectful communication looks like when someone sees, hears, moves, communicates or processes information differently?

Would your front desk, concierge and housekeeping teams know how something seemingly helpful could unintentionally take away a guest’s independence?

That is where disability awareness becomes hospitality.

At Diverse Abilities Programs Inc., we don’t simply teach employees about disability.

We bring our lived experience into the room and turn awareness into practical understanding.

We help hospitality teams recognize barriers they may never have noticed, build confidence around respectful communication, interaction, assistance and inclusive language while understanding an important distinction:

Accessibility is a word. Useability is an experience.

Hotels can choose our customized practical aDAPT workshop, an accessibility and usability review or combine the two to examine both the human and physical guest experience.

Exceptional hospitality is built in the details.

The question is not simply,
“Are we accessible?“

Perhaps a better question is:

“ What haven’t we noticed yet? “

If you lead Learning & Development, Guest Experience, Operations or People & Culture in hospitality, let’s have that conversation.

Our unique approach guides teams on what to say, what to do, what to notice and how to respond when real-life situations arise.

When we replace uncertainty and assumptions with confidence and curiosity, interactions change.

Guests feel welcomed and respected. Employees feel comfortable instead of awkward and inclusion becomes part of the guest experience, not simply a policy.

After all, accessibility is not something we create for “someone else.”

We will all age. Our abilities will change, temporarily, gradually or unexpectedly.

When we create inclusive, accessible and usable experiences today, we are not simply designing for a small group of people.

We are designing for every stage of our own lives.

Accessibility benefits all of us. The only question is when we will need it.

“Having a disability doesn’t change who we are, it changes our interactions with the world”-Gina Martin

Image description
A man and a woman with a white cane are checking in at a hotel.
Text Reads
Exceptional hospitality includes everyone. Small details create a big difference.
Diverse Abilities Programs Inc.
DiverseAbilities.ca

09/30/2026

After 28 years at the same restaurant, I walked into an interview carrying my white cane.

I was the only server who wasn’t hired back.

That moment changed the direction of my life.

I had worked alongside many of the same people for decades.We had 141 years between six of us.

When the restaurant was sold, we all interviewed with the new owner.

I walked in with my white cane.

I walked out without a job.

At the time, I could have become bitter. Instead, I became curious.

As I started looking for work, I experienced something I hadn’t fully understood before. My blindness wasn’t always the barrier.

People’s assumptions were.

Many people saw my white cane before they saw my abilities.

What they didn’t know was that I had spent years finding practical ways to do my job well. Sure my way was different, it was definitely not wrong.

I don’t blame that owner.

Looking back, I believe he was probably uncomfortable. Maybe he worried about liability. Maybe he simply didn’t know what was possible.

That experience taught me something that has shaped everything I’ve built since.

Most people want to do the right thing. They’ve simply never been shown what that “right thing “looks like.

That realization became the foundation of Diverse Abilities Programs and aDAPT Solutions.

I didn’t start this business because I wanted to become an entrepreneur.

I started it because I wanted to change the conversations around disability.

For decades, we’ve spent so much time teaching people with disabilities how to fit into society.

I believe we also need to teach society how to understand, communicate with and work alongside people who navigate life differently.

Today, my work is rooted in lived experience, close relationships with the disability community, and our IDEAL Framework: Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, & Language.

Ironically, one of my favourite parts of being an entrepreneur is the flexibility.

Living with multiple disabilities means some days take more energy than others. Running my own business allows me to work at a pace that my brain and body can manage while creating the greatest impact possible.

The hardest part?

Everything behind the scenes.

Creating programs. Learning new technology. Social media. Administration. Reading. Writing. Marketing.

Being blind means many of those tasks take me significantly longer. Sometimes I need assistance. Sometimes I simply need more time.

Entrepreneurship has taught me the same lesson disability has.

Growth doesn’t happen because we know everything.

Growth happens because we’re willing to learn, make mistakes, give ourselves grace and keep moving forward.

Looking back, not getting hired, really was a blessing.

Sometimes the door that closes is simply making room for another door to open.

If my story helps even one organization see ability before disability, then every challenge along the way has been worth it.

I’m just getting started.

Photo description
Gina is standing with one hand on her hip. She is smiling and wearing all purple.

09/29/2026

Mobility devices, whether it is a wheelchair, scooter, walker, white cane, support cane, crutches, or a guide dog, are not “just equipment.” They represent freedom. They allow us to move through the world independently, simply navigating life differently than those who do not need mobility support.

These devices give us independence. They give us autonomy. They are an extension of who we are.

That is why respect matters. Please do not touch, grab, lean on, or move a mobility device without permission. Even unintentional damage can put our safety and independence at risk. Most mobility devices are customized to the individual using them, and repairs or replacements are rarely quick or simple.

A small moment of awareness and respect can make a lasting difference.

“Having a disability does not change who we are. It changes our interactions with the world.” Gina Martin

Our aDAPT programs are rooted in lived experience and follow our IDEAL framework.
We are Changing how disability is viewed and understood. Check out our programs and services 👇🏽

DiverseAbilities.ca

Photo description
Approximately 20 stick people are using different mobility aids that support different needs.

09/29/2026

What if the accessibility feature is there, but the person it was designed for cannot find it?

On Sunday Sept 27th, I flew Air Canada from Halifax to Edmonton. On my flight from Toronto home, one interaction gave me both an excellent example of disability inclusion and an important reminder about accessible design.

I always pre-board so I have time to orient myself and get organized before the aircraft fills.

From the moment I boarded, flight attendant Alan did something incredibly important.

He asked me how I wanted to be assisted.

He didn’t assume.

As we walked towards my seat, he described what was around us. Passing through business class, a little further, emergency exits on both sides. He introduced himself and used my name when speaking to me. A simple, “Hi Gina,” before offering a beverage lets me know immediately that he is speaking to me rather than someone nearby.

Then came the safety demonstration.

Alan brought the oxygen mask and life jacket to me and put them into my hands. He walked me through the different parts of the life jacket so I could feel them and understand how they exactly worked. With the oxygen mask, he showed me how I pull on the hose to activate the air flow, where the strap was and exactly how it tightened.

That is the difference between giving someone information and making information usable.

Then Alan enthusiastically showed me another accessibility feature Air Canada has added.

Braille row numbers.

I genuinely appreciate that someone thought about passengers who are blind and recognized that we need independent access to this information.

There is just one problem.

I would never think to look where the Braille has been placed.

It is located high up, underneath the overhead baggage area where the printed rows are written.

As a blind passenger walking down an aisle, I am not going to reach up and over seated passengers searching for Braille.

So I gave Alan a challenge:

Close your eyes. Walk five rows down the aircraft. Now imagine you need to independently identify your row.

Where would your hand naturally look?

For me, it would be somewhere consistent and easy to locate, such as the aisle side of the seat 6 inches down from the top of the seat

Now imagine a row identifier designed to support more than one person.

A small plaque with:

Row 19.
ABC

Large white numbers on a black background for strong colour contrast.

Raised numbers that can be identified by touch.

Braille.

One simple identifier could support someone who is blind, someone with low vision, a person who does not read Braille, a senior, a child, an anxious traveller, or someone simply trying to find their seat in an unfamiliar environment.

For the passenger who does not need any of those features?

It changes nothing.

They walk right past it.

That is one of the things I wish more people understood about accessibility.

Some of us need these features today. As we age, our vision, hearing, mobility, memory and abilities will change. The things we design inclusively now may be the very things that make our own lives easier later.

Alan did not know the Braille placement was impractical.
Why would he?

He was genuinely excited that Air Canada had taken a step toward greater accessibility and I appreciated that enthusiasm.

The missing piece happens much earlier.

People who will actually use an accessibility feature need to be part of the conversation when it is being designed, tested and evaluated.

Do not guess where we will reach.

Do not guess what we will notice.

Do not guess what will help.

Ask us.

Then let us test it.

Accessible is a word. Usable is an experience.

Thank you, Alan, for an excellent interaction and for being so open to the conversation. You demonstrated what inclusion can look like when we ask first, listen and learn from one another.

That same approach belongs at the design table too.

Our aDAPT Workplace Inclusion workshop takes teams from uncomfortable to confident when real life situations happen. When we know what to say, what to do, what to notice and how to respond, no one feels awkward and everyone feels welcome.
Book your training today. Visit DiverseAbilities.ca

Please share this if you know anyone who works for Air Canada or if you want to help create better understanding.

Having a Disability doesn’t change who we are, it changes our interactions with the world.”-Gina Martin

Which description
A cabin attendant walks down the isle on a plane with his eyes closed. this image demonstrates what practical, useable inclusion looks like.
text Reads
Can you find your seat number easily?

09/27/2026

Would you change your mom on a public bathroom floor?

It is an uncomfortable question.

It should be.

We talk a lot about accessible washrooms. Wider stalls. Grab bars. Lower sinks. Automatic doors.

But there is another accessibility barrier we rarely talk about.

What happens when a person is too large for a baby change table and needs assistance with changing or personal care?

A toddler might fit on the change table provided.

A tween may not.

A teenager may not.

An adult certainly will not.

Now think beyond disability.

Imagine your mom is aging. She needs your assistance with personal care while you are away from home.

Where are you supposed to help her?

Would you lay her on a public bathroom floor?

Would you want someone to have to do that for you?

This is why adult-sized changing tables and Changing Places washrooms matter.

Where space allows, a full-length, approximately six-foot changing table can make an enormous difference for children, teens and adults who cannot safely use a standard toilet or baby change table.

This is not an extra convenience.

It provides privacy, dignity and a safer way for someone to receive the assistance they need.

It also gives families and caregivers something many of us take for granted: the ability to leave home without planning their entire day around whether someone can use the washroom.

Not every existing business or facility will have the space to add an adult changing table. That does not mean there is nothing you can do.

Know where the closest appropriate changing facility is.

Train your staff so they can provide that information respectfully.

If you are renovating, building or redesigning a space, ask whether an adult-sized changing table can be included.

Accessibility is not simply asking, “Does our washroom meet the requirements?”

Ask a different question:

“Who still cannot use it?”

That question can reveal barriers a checklist never will.

At Diverse Abilities Programs Inc., we help businesses, organizations and communities look beyond whether something is technically accessible and consider whether people can actually use it.

Because accessible is a word. Usable is an experience.

And at some point in our lives, accessibility may stop being something we think someone else needs.

It may be our child.

Our partner.

Our parent.

Or us.

What would change if we started designing public spaces with that future in mind?

09/26/2026

Why do we keep designing a world where accessibility is “added on later”?

Why aren’t we creating a world where accessibility is just how things work?

The truth is…
Accessibility isn’t a niche thing. It’s not a charity project. It’s the blueprint for the future.

Why aren’t we building:

Voting machines that work for everyone, not just the sighted or able-bodied?

Buses and crosswalks with built-in audio, tactile cues, and smart navigation, because some people can’t see flashing lights or small print.

Hospital systems with screen reader-friendly check-ins and real-time interpreters for all patients, not just the ones who demand it?

Classrooms where videos come with captions and descriptions by default, so every student learns without barriers?

We already have the tools.
We have the people.
What we don’t have is the will or the leadership that truly starts with accessibility first.

Here’s the thing:
One day, the people designing for “the average user” will age.
Their sight, hearing, memory, or mobility will change.
Their kids may be born with disability and anyone at anytime can acquire one.
Then suddenly, the “optional” features become survival tools.

It shouldn’t take personal experience to care.
We already know better.
So let’s do better.

Let’s stop designing for “some.”
Let’s build for everyone, from the beginning.

Not as an afterthought.
Not as a side tab labeled “accessibility.”
As the standard.

Because when we lead with access, everybody benefits.

At Diverse Abilities Programs we teach you what to do, what to say, what to notice and how to respond to real life situations. Disability does not have to be uncomfortable. Our practical strategies, lived experience and IDEAL Framework, change how disabilities are viewed and understood. Book your workshop through our website.
DiverseAbilities.ca

Photo description.

A heart with accessible symbols on a purple background. Text Reeds Diverse abilities with logo.

09/25/2026

Blind and low vision community, I have a question for you.

What works better for you: more and brighter lighting, or less and lower lighting?

We often hear that people who are blind or have low vision need “more light.” That may be true for some people, but it certainly isn’t true for everyone.

For me, brighter does not mean better.

My eyes are very light sensitive. I am much more comfortable with lower lighting and night lights than bright overhead lights. On a sunny day, I may close the curtains or even wear my sunglasses inside my own home.

Someone else with low vision may need the exact opposite. They may need brighter lighting, task lighting or additional light to see comfortably.

That is exactly why I want to hear from you.

What kind of lighting works best for you? Does it change depending on the time of day, the activity you are doing or the environment you are in? Are there particular types of lighting that make things easier or more difficult?

Blind and low vision voices, please fill the comments with your experiences. I think this could be a great opportunity to show just how diverse vision loss really is.

There is no single way to see, and there is no single accessibility solution that works for everyone.

“Losing my sight has not changed who I am, it has changed my interactions with the world.”- Gina Martin
Diverseabilities.ca

# Blind

09/24/2026

Imagine…

You wake up Saturday morning with only 40% of your usual energy.

Not your phone battery.

Yours.

You have a pretty ordinary day planned.

Take a shower and get dressed.
Make breakfast.
Pick up some groceries.
Meet a friend.
Make dinner.

Nothing particularly strenuous.

Except today, everything costs you energy.

Shower and get ready: 10%

Make breakfast and clean up: 5%

Get groceries: 15%

You haven’t even met your friend yet.

You have 10% left.

What do you give up?

Do you cancel with your friend?

Leave the groceries for another day?

Order dinner instead of making it?

Maybe you use a mobility device so getting around takes less of the energy you have available.

Maybe you take the elevator instead of the stairs.

Maybe you sit while doing something you usually do standing.

Maybe you leave an event early, even though you’re having a great time.

From the outside, someone might wonder:

Why are they using a wheelchair if they can walk?

Why do they need to sit down?

Why are they leaving already?

They looked fine earlier.

What we don’t see is how much energy someone may be using just to participate.

Disability, chronic illness, injury, aging and changing abilities don’t always announce themselves.

Sometimes what looks unnecessary to us is the very thing allowing someone else to participate.

This week’s Imagine… isn’t about experiencing someone else’s disability. A short activity could never recreate another person’s lived experience.

It is about noticing something we may never have considered before.

What if you only had 40% today?

What would you choose to spend it on?

,ity

An image of a battery that is less than half. Text Reads 40% today.
Text Rea
Imagine… You woke up with only 40%. What gets your attention today?
Diverse Abilities Programs Inc,
DiverseAbilities.ca

09/22/2026

“Blindness didn’t take away my ability to see. It simply taught me there is more than one way to experience the world.”

One of the questions I get asked surprisingly often is:

“Is it okay to say ‘look,’ ‘see,’ or ‘watch’ around someone who is blind?”

My answer?

Absolutely.

Those words don’t make me uncomfortable. In fact, I use them every day.

The difference isn’t the words. It’s how I experience them.

Imagine you’re walking through a garden.

Your eyes are drawn to a beautiful pink rose. You notice its colour, admire its delicate petals and smile because it’s beautiful.

Now let me share how I experience that very same flower.

I lean in and breathe in its sweet fragrance.

I gently run my fingertips across the soft, velvet-like petals.

I carefully follow the stem until I discover the tiny thorns.

Around me, I hear bees buzzing from flower to flower and leaves rustling in the breeze.

You experience the rose through your eyes.

I experience it through touch, sound, smell and memory.

Neither experience is better.

They’re simply different.

People often assume seeing only happens through our eyes.

I don’t.

I see through information.

Through touch.

Through sound.

Through smell.

Through experience.

When my fingers recognize something I’ve touched hundreds of times before, I know exactly what it is.

That is how I see.

When I’m looking for something in my backpack, I’m not using my eyesight. My fingers become my search tool. The moment they find my keys, my wallet or my lip balm, I’ve “seen” what I was searching for.

I also watch television and movies.

I simply turn on Audio Description, a feature already built into many streaming services and television providers. A narrator describes the important visual details between the dialogue, allowing me to follow the story.

I laugh at the same jokes.

I gasp during the same suspenseful moments.

I cry at the same endings.

I just experience them differently.

So please…

Tell me to “look” at something.

Ask if I’ve “seen” the latest movie.

Wonder if I “watched” the hockey game.

Those words don’t remind me that I’m blind.

They remind me that I’m included in the conversation.

Every person who is blind or has low vision is unique. If someone tells you certain words make them uncomfortable, simply respect their preference. There is no one right answer for everyone.

Just as no two sighted people experience the world exactly the same, neither do those of us living with vision loss.

Blindness didn’t take away my ability to see.

It simply taught me there is more than one way to experience the world.

“Having a disability hasn’t changed who I am. It has changed how I interact with the world.”- Gina Martin

If you’re looking for a keynote speaker or practical, lived-experience training on disability awareness, accessibility, respectful language or creating more inclusive workplaces and communities, I’d love to help.

Learn more at DiverseAbilities.ca

Diverse Abilities

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