Why You Need to Stop Using Stakeholder (And What to Say Instead)

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Why You Need to Stop Using Stakeholder (And What to Say Instead)

One of the perks of being a keynote speaker is attending a lot of conferences. As someone who’s committed to continual learning, I always stay to learn from the other speakers. This not only helps me connect with the audience (reading the room before I speak) but also keeps me current in my public relations practice.

A big learning for me – one that I implemented a couple of years ago, but still see many clients using - is removing the word stakeholder from my vocabulary.

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Building Bridges, Not Barriers: Why Relationships Matter in Advocacy

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Building Bridges, Not Barriers: Why Relationships Matter in Advocacy

Not only do I spend a lot of time helping people strengthen their advocacy skills, I also spend countless hours advocating for my own family members. While there are times I’d love to shout and say what I really feel, I believe in the saying: you can attract more bees with honey.

This is why I focus on building relationships – even in challenging situations.

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Decades Later, the Fight for Educational Supports for Kids with Disabilities Remains Unchanged

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Decades Later, the Fight for Educational Supports for Kids with Disabilities Remains Unchanged

This summer, I spent time cleaning out my parents’ basement. Having lived in the same house for over 50 years, it was a treasure trove of old magazines, family photos, expired foods, vases and so much more.

One of the interesting things I came across in my purging was a binder from the 1980s about my brother. I know many parents and caregivers of kids with disabilities are familiar with this binder (I have a few in my house). It’s a summary of letters to the school, medical and therapy reports, assessments, and report cards.

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The Power of Setting (and Respecting) Boundaries

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The Power of Setting (and Respecting) Boundaries

I recently wrote an article on Why Family Can Be the Most Challenging Advocacy Conversations. Not only did the content strike a chord with readers, it also generated much conversation about the importance of setting boundaries. 

Readers had questions on how to set boundaries, share these boundaries with others and enforce boundaries. This is also a hot topic with my coaching clients when it comes to their professional and personal lives.

Since I spend a lot of time talking about boundaries, I wanted to share some tips to help you set and respect your boundaries.

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Why Family Can be the Most Challenging Advocacy Conversations

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Why Family Can be the Most Challenging Advocacy Conversations

Over the last month, I’ve delivered a number of workshops on How to Share Your Story and Advocate for Change. In discussions with participants about advocacy challenges a common theme has emerged – conversations with family members.

While you’d hope that family members would be non-judgemental and supportive of individuals with disabilities, sadly this isn’t always the case. They can be the harshest critics.

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How Your Parent Expertise Can Help Teachers

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How Your Parent Expertise Can Help Teachers

When my child was first diagnosed with ADHD, I was completely overwhelmed. I wasn’t sure how to help him or what resources were available. As additional diagnoses were added to the list, I decided it was time to get educated.

Simply put – I’ve become a semi-expert on my son (acknowledging he’s the true expert).

This means I often (if not always) know how to motivate and support my son more than his teachers, support staff or other family members.

Armed with all this knowledge, I encourage you to share your learnings with your child’s teachers.

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Navigating Gaslighting When Advocating for Your Child

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Navigating Gaslighting When Advocating for Your Child

Have you ever advocated for your child only to have your words twisted and facts distorted to the point where you question what’s true? Sadly, one real challenge that way too many parents and caregivers face when advocating for their kids is gaslighting.

 Wikipedia defines gaslighting as “manipulating someone into questioning their own perception of reality.”

Learn how to prevent this from happening to you or responding when it’s clearly gaslighting.

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Autism Acceptance Month: Shining a Light on the True Cost of Neglect

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Autism Acceptance Month: Shining a Light on the True Cost of Neglect

April is Autism Awareness Acceptance Month. It’s a month where organizations and individuals try to raise the profile of autism, highlighting the successes of many incredible people. With 1 in 29 children in British Columbia having been formally diagnosed with autism, chances are you know an autistic individual.

While there’s lots of talk about autism acceptance, sadly governments and employers have taken little action to truly support these individuals so they can lead their best lives.

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Unleashing Confidence: Our Journey with a Service Dog

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Unleashing Confidence: Our Journey with a Service Dog

Since she little, my daughter has gravitated towards animals. Over the years, she’s ridden horses, had dogs, raised ducks and helped at barns. While I knew the important role animals play in her life, I had no idea how transformative getting a service dog would be to her confidence and independence.

Our service dog journey began with a panic attack. Having panic attacks wasn’t new. But the location of the panic attack, touring a university campus on a high school field trip, was the catalyst our service dog journey.

This panic attack made our daughter realize she couldn’t go to university without a support animal. The campus environment is just too overwhelming – lots of people, different buildings and lots to process.

We had no idea how difficult it is to get a service dog.

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Empowering Voices: Importance of Self-Advocacy for People with Disabilities

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Empowering Voices: Importance of Self-Advocacy for People with Disabilities

I consider myself a strong advocate. I take an active role in advocating for kids with disabilities and don’t shy away from asking tough questions.

I’ve taken my advocacy skills for granted until the day I had to stand up for my brother. It realized that what comes naturally to me is a challenge for him. Being raised in the 80s and 90s, he was never encouraged to ask questions, give his opinion or speak up for himself.

Sadly, this is the case for many people with disabilities. While there are now self-advocacy groups and conferences, not everyone feels empowered to use their voice.

Yet self-advocacy skills are key to increasing independence, improving quality of life and creating a truly inclusive world.

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