Diverse Abilities

Sorry, not sorry!


For years, I found myself saying things like:
“I’m sorry you have to drive me.”
“I’m sorry you have to change plans for me.”
“I’m sorry you have to help me.”

Then I realized something.
Why was I apologizing?

When I said “I’m sorry,” I was unintentionally making myself feel like a burden. At the same time, the person helping me was receiving my guilt instead of my appreciation.

I started replacing “I’m sorry” with “thank you.”

“Thank you for driving me.”

“Thank you for making that change.”

“Thank you for helping me.”

The situation hasn’t changed, but the feeling has.

Now, instead of an apology, I’m offering gratitude.

Instead of feeling like a burden, I’m acknowledging someone’s kindness.

The person helping me gets to feel appreciated rather than feeling that I’m sorry they had to help at all.
That small shift in language created a more positive experience on both sides.

Words matter. Sometimes changing the conversation starts by changing just one of them.

Vanessa Pettinger
Diverse Abilities Programs Inc
DiverseAbilities.ca

Let’s Talk About… Setting Up Classrooms for Success

Every classroom is set up for success.

The question is…

Whose success was it designed for?

As a new school year begins, teachers and staff are busy arranging desks, decorating bulletin boards, organizing supplies, and preparing lessons.

We spend countless hours getting classrooms ready for students.

What if we also took a few moments to look at our classrooms through a different lens?

Could a student using a wheelchair move freely between desks?

Would a student with low vision be able to find what they need?

Is there a quieter space for a student who becomes overwhelmed?

Can every student clearly see, hear, and participate in learning?

Would a new student know where to go without having to ask?

These aren’t “special” considerations.

They’re examples of universal design. Small, thoughtful choices that create a classroom where more students can learn, participate, and feel like they belong from the moment they walk through the door.

The best classrooms aren’t designed for the average student.

They’re designed with the understanding that every student learns, communicates, and experiences the world differently.

When we prepare for those differences before the first bell rings, we spend less time removing barriers and more time helping students succeed.

Because every classroom is set up for success.

Let’s make sure every student has the opportunity to experience it.

What is one simple change you’ve seen make a classroom more welcoming or easier for students to learn?

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

Youth aDAPT is a workshop for youth that is tailored for grades K-12
This program teaches, kindness, understanding of differences and empathy through hands on activities and meaning conversations.

We also offer workshops for professional development days. When we know what to say and do, what to notice and how to respond, everyone feels like they belong. DiverseAbilities.ca.



Image description

Text reads.
Every classroom is set up for success.
Who success was it designed for? Thoughtful classroom, set ups remove barriers, support, independence, and help every student belong, participate, and thrive.
Practical. Inclusive. Impactful.
Creating accessible spaces, where everyone has the opportunity to thrive

After my life changing car accident 9 years ago, one of the first places I wanted to get back to was the pool.

I grew up swimming and playing water polo, so getting back in the water during rehab felt like getting a little piece of myself back.

Panorama Recreation Centre became one of my safe places. I started swimming lengths and doing aqua fit. The instructors worked with me which was incredible. During aquafit, I was guided to use the wall of the pool to help me orientate myself directionally. My back against the wall is facing forward. The instructors placed two weighted markers on the bottom of the pool so I could feel them easily with my foot. Those weighted marker helped me to identify that I was in my section of the pool and not slowly migrating across the entire pool during class.

It was such a simple accommodation that was created on the fly and it worked perfectly.

After going to that pool a few more times, my confidence started growing.

I knew Panorama Recreation Centre quite well as I had grown up spending a lot of time there.

One day I told my trainer, “Please let me do this completely on my own. Let me go into the building, get changed, do my activities and come back out without you guiding me.”

“I can do this” I said to myself and off I went. I actually was doing pretty darn well,

UNTIL…….

‘The change room.’

I had made it into the building, to the women’s change room and continued making my way toward what I thought was the wall. It seemed like I was close so I started moving my arms around in front of me trying to find it.

I could hear a group of women nearby quietly talking to each other, but I really didn’t think anything of it.

Apparently, I should have. Ha ha.

Suddenly my trainer grabbed me and redirected me while desperately trying not to laugh.

I had no idea what was happening.

Then she explained.

I had wandered directly into the shower area where approximately eight or nine completely naked women were trying SO HARD to politely move out of the blind woman’s way.

Except nobody wanted to say anything.

So there they were, naked, bumping into each other trying to dodge me while I was waving my arms around looking for the wall and coming dangerously close to grabbing a few unexpected bits and pieces along the way.

I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA.

Once everyone realized what had happened, we absolutely lost it.

There we were, a bunch of strangers in a change room, some significantly more dressed than others, all dying of laughter.

Lesson learned.

I now use the family change room. Everyone keeps their clothes on, the route is much more direct and there is significantly less risk of me accidentally getting to know members of my community THAT well. Ha ha.

Learning to navigate life blind has come with some incredibly difficult moments, but it has also given me some of the funniest stories of my life.

Sometimes accessibility is about finding the right accommodation.

Sometimes independence is about trying something and realizing there might be a better way.

Sometimes you just have to laugh .

My advocacy is for connection not avoidance. Except in this particular situation.🤣

Thank you, Panorama Recreation Center for continuing to be one of my safe places to stay active, learn, adapt and occasionally create a memory I will NEVER forget.

To those very patient women in the shower that day…

Thank you for eventually laughing with me.

The most helpful thing someone can do in a situation similar to this is, please Use your words!

“Excuse me miss you are walking into the shower.”

I would of said “thank you,” turned and found my way out.

We were all learning.
Vanessa Pettinger

“Having a disability does not change who we are, it changes our Interactions with the world.’



Image description
A white cane lays next to an indoor pool. Text reads
I thought I was doing pretty darn well…
Until the change room.

Welcome to Diverse Abilities

Hi, we’re Gina Martin, founder of Diverse Abilities Programs Inc., Vanessa Pettinger Lead Facilitator, co-contributor to program development.

We are educators, speakers and woman who have spent a lifetime navigating disabilities and a world not designed with us in mind.

Our work is rooted in our lived experience, IDEAL Framework, honest conversations and a simple belief:

When people understand disability differently, they interact differently.

That is where meaningful inclusion begins.

Diverse Abilities was created to change how disability, accessibility and inclusion are understood. This page is a place to challenge assumptions, build confidence, ask questions without judgment and discover practical ways to create spaces where everyone feels welcome, valued and respected.

Everything we share is shaped not only by our own experiences but also by the countless conversations we’ve had with people across our disability community. We all navigate the world differently, yet we share one common hope: to be treated with dignity, respect and understanding.

Accessibility is about far more than ramps and automatic doors.

It is about communication.

It is about thoughtful design.

It is about recognizing that our abilities change throughout our lives through aging, illness, injury or disability.

Accessibility benefits every one of us.

Through this page you’ll find practical tips, real-life stories, everyday accessibility examples, respectful language, what we offer and simple strategies that make interactions easier and more welcoming for everyone.

Many of our posts begin with moments we experience, questions we are asked or barriers that most people simply haven’t had the opportunity to notice.

We believe inclusion isn’t achieved by memorizing the right words.

It grows through curiosity.

Through listening.

Through learning.

Through having the courage to ask questions.

You don’t have to know everything. You simply need to be willing to learn.

Our passion for inclusion helps bring this work to schools, communities and workplaces. Together, we are committed to helping people move from uncertainty to confidence through practical, relatable education that leaves a lasting impact.

Whether you’re an educator, employer, parent, community leader, student or someone who simply wants to create a kinder, more accessible future, you’re welcome here.

Our hope is that something you read will make you pause, see the world through a different lens and inspire one small change. Those small changes have the power to transform classrooms, workplaces, communities and lives.

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

Thank you for being here.

Liking, commenting and sharing our content helps us to reach more people. We are building community and we cannot do it alone. Thank you for your engagement.

To learn more about our work, speaking engagements, workshops, children’s books and upcoming projects, or to read our blogs and what others have experienced through Diverse Abilities, visit DiverseAbilities.ca.

Welcome to Diverse Abilities.

We help our audience know what to say, what to do, what to notice and how to respond. Because in an IDEAL World everyone belongs.

Together, we’re changing how disabilities are viewed and understood.



Photo description
Two images of Vanessa and Gina standing next to each other. The image on the left is in a gymnasium and the image on the right is outside with trees in the background.

Which one resonates most with you?

Words matter because they shape how we see ourselves and each other.

There are no right or wrong answers. I’m simply curious which message speaks to you the most.

Comment the letter: A, B, C, or D.
World


Image description
Which saying resonates most with you?
Comment A, B, C or D
A. I have a disability. I am not my disability.
B disability isn’t a bad word.
C. Disability doesn’t mean less.
D. my disability is part of my story, not my potential.

Image description. Text reads which saying resonates most with you?, A, B, C or D.
A I have a disability. I am not my disability.
B disability isn’t a bad word.
See disability doesn’t mean less.
D disability is part of my story not my potebtial

Diverse Abilities Programs Inc,

Having a disability doesn’t change who we are, it changes our interactions with the world.

Diverse Abilities Programs Inc

Have you ever stopped to think about how often you adapt?

When something doesn’t work, you find another way.

When technology changes, you learn new tools.

When your body or circumstances change, you adjust.

When the usual way doesn’t work for you, you figure out a different way.

We call that adaptability.

We call it problem-solving.

In the workplace, we often call it a strength.

Yet when a person with a disability accomplishes something differently, we can be quick to focus on the difference rather than the skill behind it.

A person who is blind may use technology instead of sight. Someone who is Deaf may communicate visually. Someone with limited mobility may approach a task differently.

The goal is often exactly the same.

The method is simply different.

There is rarely only one “right” way to accomplish something.

Perhaps one of the most valuable questions we can ask in our workplaces, classrooms and communities is:

“How else could this be done?”

I would love to turn the comments into a collection of ideas.

What is something you do differently, or something you have adapted in your everyday life, that works better for you?

Someone reading your answer might discover a solution they have never considered.

“Having a disability doesn’t change who we are, changes our interactions with the world.”– Gina Martin.
DiverseAbilities.ca




Photo description
a sketched image of many people walking away using different types of mobility devices. Tall building are in the distant background.
Text reads.
Inclusion happens when we stop asking people to fit in, and start learning how each of us moves through life in our own way

Let’s Talk About… Setting Up Workplaces for Success

Every workplace is set up for success.

The question is…

Whose success was it designed for?

When we think about creating a better workplace, we often think about productivity, technology, or teamwork.

What if we also thought about the environment itself?

Can people move safely through the space without obstacles?

Are walkways clear and furniture thoughtfully arranged?

Is important signage easy to find and read?

Would someone using a mobility device, recovering from an injury, carrying deliveries, or experiencing vision loss be able to navigate independently?

These aren’t just accessibility questions.

They’re questions about usability.

Thoughtful workplaces don’t happen by accident. They happen when we look at a space through the eyes of the people who use it every day.

The reality is, we are all temporarily able. As we age, our needs change. A clear pathway, better lighting, accessible entrances, or an easier-to-use workspace may one day benefit every one of us.

Small changes don’t just create more accessible workspaces.

They create better workplaces.

Because accessibility is a word.

Usability is an experience.

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

DiverseAbilities.ca



Image description
Text reads.
Let’s talk about setting up the workplace for success.
Every workplace is set up for success. Who success was it designed for?
Clear pathways. Easy to move. Thoughtful furniture. Flexible spaces. Good lighting. Easy to see. Everyone belongs. Everyone benefits.
We are all temporarily able. Today’s small changes support.Tomorrow’s success.
Small changes. Better workplace. Everyone benefits. Practical strategies to create, inclusive, accessible and usable, spaces for employees, customers, and our future selves

Hello I wanted to introduce myself. I’m Vanessa Pettinger, Lead Facilitator for our aDAPT programs here at Diverse Abilities Programs Inc.

Today, August 13, marks nine years since the car accident that completely changed my life.

These nine years I have faced barriers, frustration, loneliness and isolation. Most days are better, but don’t get me wrong, some days are definitely crappier than others for various reasons.

These nine years have also helped me find confidence, purpose and a passion for teaching, bringing awareness and helping build kinder, more inclusive communities. I must give thanks to my parents and my loved ones who have supported me, along the way.

Working alongside Gina has given me the opportunity to discover more about who I am, what is important to me and what I am actually capable of. I found something positive that I could build from something tragic.

Today, I get to bring my passion into interactive workshops with youth, communities and workplaces, helping change perspectives one conversation at a time.

One of the most rewarding parts of this work is creating a safe space where young people can ask the curious questions, learn about differences and understand that inclusion often starts with something very simple: kindness.

I see the impact of that education in my own life.

I became totally blind as a result of the car accident. What I have really missed is not seeing the smile, nod or wave that is often given when someone recognizes me. Since presenting within my community, I have noticed more people simply say, “Hello.”

That one word matters.

It tells me I am not invisible and that makes me feel included.

My lived experience has also led me to become involved with

SD63 Equitable Access Team,

The Family Support Institute of British Columbia,

My school Parent Advisory Committee,

Air Cadets and

Children’s International Summer Villages (CISV.)

Perhaps my most important role, though, will always be, being a parent.

My children are growing up, working hard and travelling the world. Their childhood has not always been typical, but I couldn’t be prouder of the people they are becoming.

Someone once told me that I was teaching my children one of life’s most important lessons: when life gets tough, you keep going.

Nine years later, I think they have taught me that lesson just as much as I have taught them.

I wouldn’t have chosen this road, but I can choose what I do with it now.

Choosing to connect with others who are experience similar barriers, has helped me tremendously because we learn so much from one another.
I have chosen to keep learning, keep giving back and keep bringing awareness.

Most of all, I am choosing to use what I have learned along the way to hopefully make the path a little more inclusive and accessible for the generation coming behind us.

Nine years ago, my life changed forever.

Today I’m still discovering where this journey is taking me.

In an Everyone belongs.





Photo description.
Vanessa stands with her white cane. Her ling straight dark brown hair falls over her shoulders. She is smiling and on her forearm is a tattoo that is written Perfectly imperfect.

If you’ve ever seen me at an event and weren’t sure whether to come say hello…

This post is for you.

I am prettu social and enjoy meeting new people. I attend networking events across Edmonton because I’m rebuilding my business in a brand-new city.

Every time I walk into one of those rooms, I do it alone.

I can’t scan the room to see who I know.

I can’t catch someone’s eye from across the room.

I can’t read a name tag or recognize a familiar face.

Everyone else arrives with visual information.

I arrive with courage.

People often assume my biggest barrier is blindness.

It isn’t.

The hardest part is wondering whether anyone will come over and introduce themselves.

I know many people notice my white cane.

I also know many hesitate.

Not because they’re unkind.

Because they’re afraid of saying the wrong thing.

So they wait.

Or they avoid the interaction altogether.

Meanwhile, I’m standing there hoping someone will simply say hello.

The irony is that we’re both there for exactly the same reason.

To connect.

The difference is that I can’t make eye contact across the room or recognize someone I’ve met before.

That first step has to come from someone else.

The beautiful thing is that inclusion often begins with something incredibly small.

A simple introduction.

A conversation.

A willingness to say hello.

Those few seconds can turn an intimidating room into one where someone feels they truly belong.

That’s why I keep showing up.

Not because it’s easy.

Because I know I belong in those rooms just as much as anyone else.

“Having a disability doesn’t change who I am, it changes my interactions with the world.”- Gina Martin

Photo description.
Gina is outside, sun shining and she is seated on a bench and smiling.

Your organization may have an accessibility policy.

Your team may have completed mandatory training.

Your building may even meet accessibility standards.

But when a real person with a disability comes through your door, does your team actually know what to say and do?

Would every employee know how to guide someone who is blind without grabbing them?

Could they give useful verbal directions without pointing and saying, “It’s over there”?

Do they know which disability-related language is respectful, which terms are outdated, and when personal preference should lead?

If someone asks whether your space is accessible, can your team answer meaningful questions
about entrances, seating, washrooms, communication, sensory needs and actual usability?

This is the gap I help organizations close.

My Disability Awareness Practical Teaching is not built around memorizing the right answers from slides, textbooks or handouts. It is rooted in more than 40 years of personal lived experience, close connection with the broader disability community, real conversations, practical example that challenge perspectives and solutions your team can actually use.

Through our IDEAL Framework, we help organizations strengthen:

Inclusion�Diversity�Equity�Accessibility�Language

I create space for people to get curious, ask the questions they may have been afraid to ask, make mistakes, challenge assumptions and build genuine confidence.

When people know what to say, what to do, what to notice and how to respectfully respond:
-interactions change.
-Confidence changes.
-Culture changes.
-Belonging changes.

Accessibility is not the same as usability and Compliance is not the same as inclusion.

If you are ready to move beyond standard training and build a team that is more confident communicating, interacting with and assisting people with disabilities, I would be happy to work with you.
Change happens when our conversation starts.

Visit my website to learn more DiverseAbilities.ca

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



Photo description a purple mug with the word hello is written in white.
Text Reids a simple hello can change someone’s entire interaction?