The Importance of Allyship and Lived Experience
For more than a decade, the Accessibility Institute at Carleton University has been working toward a fully inclusive world by committing to advancing accessibility across disciplines and sectors, through collaborations with key stakeholders, including persons with disabilities. This mission drives the Institute’s work within the community, engaging diverse voices to shape more inclusive policies and practices.
A powerful example of this approach is the continued allyship with Yazmine Laroche, who has led pioneering and transformative work in accessibility in Canada’s federal public service. When Laroche first entered the public sector, she noticed few people with disabilities in senior roles. Determined to make a difference, she rose to become Deputy Minister of Public Service Accessibility, using her platform to lead a groundbreaking initiative.
By consulting with more than 12,000 public servants, Laroche ensured that accessibility policies were shaped by real, lived experiences, creating a blueprint for a more inclusive, accessible federal workplace. Her work exemplifies the “Nothing About Us Without Us” approach the Accessibility Institute champions, prioritizing community-driven change and collaboration for accessible environments.
“Nothing About Us Without Us”
“I didn’t want to be stereotyped; I didn’t want to be typecast as “that disabled girl”, recounts Laroche, “I felt I had to prove that I was competent, so I did everything I could to downplay my disability.”
This is a reality for many persons with disabilities in Canada. Often is the case that they’re pushed or “encouraged” into diversity roles. When she rose to the most senior levels of the federal public service, Laroche decided that it was time to become an advocate and an ally.
Under Laroche’s leadership, the Office of Public Service Accessibility consulted with over 12,000 federal workers over six months across Canada to develop a strategy to transform the federal workplace. The goal, from the top-down, was to make the federal public service as accessible as possible. It was through extensive engagement, with the community and with key decision makers, that led to their strategy and implementation plan.
The key to getting it right, according to Laroche, was building a community of input.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities
When drafting the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the United Nations (UN) declared, ‘Nothing About Us Without Us’, emphasizing the importance of inclusion of people with disabilities in any plan for accessibility. And the Accessible Canada Act goes further, requiring organizations to develop plans based on the input of people with disabilities. This was reflected in the approach taken by the federal government when adopting their accessibility plans.
“You need to engage with people who have lived experience, internally or externally, to develop these policies”, Laroche says. If your organization doesn’t have people with disabilities, or at least people disclosing their disabilities, it’s time to ask why. People with disabilities make up 27% of Canada’s population. Smart employers are tapping into that talent pool.”
Building a Network of Networks in Accessibility
To further its efforts towards inclusion in the workplace and nationwide, the Accessibility Institute founded the Canadian Accessibility Network (CAN) in 2019. It represents a groundbreaking national effort to advance accessibility. CAN brings together over 100 collaborators from academic, public, non-profit, and private sectors across Canada.
By pooling resources, expertise, and innovative ideas, CAN provides a coordinated approach to breaking barriers to accessibility. It is this change that Laroche and the Accessibility Institute continue to advocate for.
“Making something accessible doesn’t make it less beautiful, it just makes it accessible,” concludes Laroche. “Accessibility isn’t about taking things away from other people, it means making things open to everyone.”
Through the work of champions like Yazmine Laroche and institutions like the Accessibility Institute at Carleton University, Canada is taking meaningful steps toward a more inclusive and accessible society. Laroche’s leadership in transforming the federal public service shows the impact of listening to and engaging with people with lived experience. Her approach not only broke down barriers within government but also set a standard for other organizations. The Accessibility Institute and the growing CAN community are inspired by accessibility champions like Yazmine Laroche to continue this momentum, bringing together experts, resources, and allies across sectors to advance accessibility as a foundation of inclusivity. Together, they are reshaping workplaces, communities, and policies to ensure that accessibility isn’t an afterthought but a core value, making spaces truly open to everyone.