AS016: The Joy of Obstacles

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? Let's begin. Welcome to the accessibility solutions podcast.

Linda 1:02

So today, I am welcoming Kathryn Johnson with me. And we're going to talk about something that is actually passionate to both of us. And that's overcoming barriers, in my case to leadership and Kathryn is going to talk about her experiences and what she's been able to accomplish while overcoming some barriers that she's faced. So welcome Kathryn to the accessibility solutions podcast. And I'm just gonna let you get started with kind of your message that you've got for our guests.

Kathryn 1:32

Hi, I'm so happy to be here. Thanks for having me. I teach people to find the joy and obstacles and see them as a greatest gift, something that should be embraced. And they are a catalyst for connection. Most people think obstacles are something that often pulls us apart and separate, I'd say no, they are catalyst for today. Because if we didn't have any obstacles, we would need other people's help. And then all these creative ideas that come out of difficulty and crisis before in the world actually would stagnates. I believe, obstacles are forced to help us grow and connect each other and they move the wall together.

Linda 2:11

Yeah. And I got to agree. Kathryn, will you give us your story in terms of the obstacles that you faced and what you've been able to accomplish? And then we'll touch a little bit about some of the things that I've been able to accomplish facing those same types of odds.

Kathryn 3 2:26

Sure, Linda? Well, I was born with cerebral palsy. And so from a very early age, people had certain perceptions of me, and I've had a lot of No, you can't. And every time I heard them, it was just something within my personality that said, Yes, I can. And it would fuel me to prove them wrong. I don't know, I just have this inner fire that knew that I was more than their opinion of me at that moment. And I embraced the challenge because I enjoy challenge. And it pushes me to the next level, I walk with walking games, I've always had some form of walking age. So today, I have three degrees, I have two World Championship bronze medals from competing in Germany and Wiltshire track in my 20s. And I have a best selling book called The Joy of obstacles. It's available on Amazon mp3 format.

Linda 3:23

And that's wonderful. So and I totally agree. My mantra has always been adapt, adapt, adapt, and living with the myself for 25 years living with a chronic disease where we've always had to figure out and that's really what it is, Let's figure out if I can't do something this way. How can I adapt and be able to do it in a different way, which is, as you said, very much taking an obstacle. And I mean, we're problem solving thinkers, persons with disabilities are problem solving thinkers, because by the very virtue of the obstacle that we've had to face in our lives, then we very much have to think of ways to adapt and do something differently, or as you've indicated, yes, kind of overcome that obstacle and be able to achieve as much as you have. And I really do think that certainly sitting there with three degrees, a couple of world medals, and a best selling book is something that is regardless of ability, are certainly great accomplishments. And so thank you so very much for coming on the accessibility solutions show and sharing your story. I just want to talk a little bit about you, know the kind of your view in terms of from the business perspective and what I call the business case for accessibility. And if you can just give us share with us your thoughts on the importance for businesses to recognize that being accessible is good for business, and the more people that I can get to kind of come on board with me and share that message, then the more businesses I believe, will bring embrace accessibility and inclusion as part of their business practice. So just give me your thoughts on that, Kathryn.

Kathryn 5:10

Absolutely done that. Well, accessibility comes in many forms. And I am grateful for all the accessibility codes that are in place in terms of building construction, and elevators and all of that. It's wonderful. It's also important, I think, to continue to be accessible in terms of our mindset, and our perceptions around people with disabilities, because I know when I was five, and entering school was just at the time where mainstreaming was happening in Canada, which means that it was just a brand new concept that any child with a disability could go to normal school, more than we were in schools that were segregated for people with disabilities. And my parents, of course, didn't want anything to do with that they wanted me to have be integrated as fully as possible. And thank God. And, you know, I think it's a, it's a challenge, because what that did was secondary people with disabilities from able bodied people. And so culturally, people were exposed able bodied people or, you know, and they have perceptions like, why are they separate? Is it something to be afraid of? Is it something, you know, are they not like us? I mean, by keeping people separate, it creates fear, its opening your mind and being inclusive to people, and breaking down those emotional barriers can really help people be more and more included in society. I think, you know, as you said, people with disabilities are tremendous problem solvers. Absolutely agree 100%. And also, for me, personally, listening, I move in differently compared to other people. So my other senses have had to be stronger. And for me, that's listening, and verbal communication and organized, I have to be incredibly well organized, or pipelines. So I'm being logistically organized very, very well, just because it makes sense for me, I am astounded at the way so called, you know, gone challenge people run their lives. And that's someone efficient, why are you doing that? And really, because they, they don't have an idea of how to do better. They don't have to know they can just forget something at the store, they can just hop in the car and go get it in five minutes, or whatever. And don't, you know, we have these heightened skills compared to others that may be overlooked that, you know, because people are afraid to hire someone with a disability, maybe because they're different, or, you know, they make assumptions. And they might take a lot of sick days, I personally have never taken a sick day from work other than like dentists or something. But I never actually missed work because I was sick ever.

Linda 8:11

Yes, that is one of the projects that we do work on accessibility solutions is helping businesses embrace inclusive hiring practices. And there are a lot of myths around hiring a person with a disability. And those myths are simply not true. And as you said, it's one of them is that they're going to be off sick a lot. And there are statistics and I could do a whole podcast on this statistics around hiring persons with a disability and how, first of all, it is very good for your bottom line. But also from the social perspective, there are people that are your customers that are seeing that you're hiring people with disabilities. And that is gives you a competitive advantage because for every person with a disability, there is what I call sphere of influence, their family and their friends are all more likely to frequent a business that is inclusive and does hire persons with disabilities so that they can support that business for being inclusive. Not only in fact that they're serving their customers from an inclusive perspective, but they are embracing inclusivity in their hiring practices as well. So that that's that's definitely an advantage that no business can ignore. I want to kind of wrap up there and Kathryn's information will be in the show notes and I'm going to I personally am going to check out her best selling book and I encourage all of our listeners to get Kathryn's book. Please leave us a review or rating on this podcast and as I said Kathryn's contact information will be in the show notes so please feel free to reach out to either so or Kathryn, if Do you want to find out more about either one of us do. So thanks again Kathryn, for your time today. And with that we will sign off for this week. Thanks again for joining us. Until next week. Cheers.

Thank you for joining us on The Accessibility Solutions podcast hosted by Linda Hind. 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 Linda will work closely with you to develop innovative solutions tailored to your unique needs and challenges. Together, you'll navigate the complexities of accessibility regulations, 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 schedule your 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.