Seeing disability and accessibility through an Indigenous lens can help small business owners create more inclusive spaces. To learn more, Small Business BC invited Evelyn Hutchins from Dawn Canada and Advocate Sandra Pronteau to share their expert and lived experience on the topic of accessibility from an Indigenous lens.
Evelyn is the director of Indigenous Initiatives, leading the organization and amplifying the voices of Indigenous women, girls, and gender-diverse people living with disabilities.
“There is a teaching among our peoples that persons with disabilities are a gift from the creator to remind us of our humanity as they teach us to love, have compassion, and be creative,” said Evelyn. “To understand what it means to live with a disability is an important step in the path towards inclusion.”
Evelyn is a Xeni Gwet’in First Nation member and has over eight years of leadership experience in the Indigenous disability and health sectors. In the Accessibility from an Indigenous Lens webinar, Evelyn led the presentation while inviting Sandra Pronteau to add her perspective.
Sandra is Cree, Metis, and Ojibwe and is a survivor of the Sixties Scoop. She grew up in Winnipeg and moved to BC in the mid-1980s. She’s known for her activism in the Vancouver School Board and as an advocate for inner-city families, focusing on Indigenous and social issues.
This article summarizes some key takeaways from the Accessibility from an Indigenous Lens webinar. The video is also available online.
Understanding Indigenous Experiences
Evelyn shared the importance of understanding current and historical Indigenous experiences as a path toward inclusion. “Understanding the intersection of displacement, disability, and Indigenous rights is crucial for the promoting of justice and equity,” said Evelyn.
Historically, Indigenous peoples have been displaced by colonization in Canada. The Residential School System is one example of ways that the Canadian Government displaced Indigenous people, dispossessing them of their culture, stripping their self-governance, and severing their connections to their land and community.
Indigenous people with disabilities can encounter racial discrimination (racism) and disability-related discrimination (ableism), which can both negatively affect their health.
Today, there is not adequate access to appropriate disability and health-related needs for Indigenous peoples. This causes continued displacement of Indigenous peoples from their communities as they must leave to seek care.
As business leaders, it’s important to simultaneously recognize and dismantle these parallel and intersecting barriers to help create a more inclusive society.
Sandra’s Story
Sandra’s experience as an Indigenous woman living with multiple disabilities is invaluable to small business owners who want to understand how to create inclusive environments.
Sandra is Cree, Metis, and Ojibwe. She was part of the 60’s Scoop Generation and was taken away from her home, family, and community.
She was born with multiple disabilities, including scoliosis, which has affected her mobility, and partial hearing loss. Due to her multiple disabilities, her family was given no options but to place her into foster care.
Because of her hearing loss, Sandra had difficulties talking. It took her longer to learn how to speak. Doctors would also misdiagnose her often, assuming that she had fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Due to her being hard of hearing, she was also labelled as a “slow learner,” which affected her educational experience as many instructors had assumptions about what she could achieve.
Today, Sandra uses a walking pole to help her maintain her balance. She experiences complex chronic pain, fatigue, and arthritis. “I also have PTSD, which impacts the mental and emotional well-being due to the trust and abandonment issues…I have experienced, at a very young age, displacement from my community and family,” said Sandra.
She is also a survivor of gender-based violence, from experiencing domestic violence and other abuse growing up.
Experiencing Racism as an Indigenous Woman with Disabilities
Sandra recalled an experience on public transit where a bus driver pulled out without giving her a chance to sit down first. She was taking the bus with her two sons, and when the driver suddenly pulled out, she lost her balance, fell over, and hit her head. She began to cry, and her son asked the bus driver to help his mom get up, but the bus driver did not help.
“That was a very horrific experience, not just for me, but for my two kids,” she said.
In addition to experiencing racism firsthand, Sandra has also experienced ableism and biased attitudes towards her. She shared one example that she encountered in the workplace.
“One colleague shared to another colleague that she didn’t know how she could talk to me. She didn’t know how to interact with me. My colleague told her, well, just talk to her like a regular human being.”
She’s also been rejected for work opportunities due to her abilities, which has broken the trust between her and her employer.
Indigenous people living with disabilities battle issues related to racism, ableism, and colonization. These issues can seriously affect their well-being and life outcomes. A path forward is to invite Indigenous perspectives on disability that are informed and led by those with lived experience.
Two Eyed Seeing
An example of an Indigenous approach to working with disability is the concept of Two-Eyed Seeing, which weaves together Indigenous and Western ways of knowing.
Two-eyed seeing is a concept introduced by Doctor Murdena Marshall from the Eskasoni First Nation and Albert Marshall, a Mi’kmaq Elder. In Marshall’s words, “Two-Eyed Seeing refers to learning to see from one eye with the strengths of Indigenous ways of knowing and from the other eye with the strengths of Western ways of knowing and to using both of these eyes together.” (Bartlett, Marshall, & Marshall, 2012, p. 335).
Two-eyed seeing is an ongoing acknowledgment of the role everyone plays as storytellers. It’s also an ongoing effort to deepen our understanding of our common ground and our differences and to build respect for them.
Trauma-Informed Lens
Understanding trauma, its prevalence, and how people are affected by it can help create a culture of safety, empowerment, and healing. When you understand a person’s unique circumstances, you can better support them.
“Much of the trauma experienced by Indigenous persons in Canada is a result of our colonial history,” said Evelyn. “Trauma can impact physical, mental, and social well-being…Anyone can implement trauma-informed care by being aware of how common trauma is.”
Here are some examples of how businesses can use an intersectional framework and a trauma-informed approach:
- Take time to understand your Indigenous customers and employees
- Be honest and compassionate, approaching in a non-judgmental way
- Know that healing is possible, and survivors can make changes to manage the impact of their trauma
- Collaborate by sharing knowledge, power, and including Indigenous peoples in decision-making processes to increase their sense of safety and control
- Commit to creating better access to your business
Business owners are encouraged to have more accessible businesses so that everyone, regardless of background or ability, can have access.
Tip: Learn more about creating a more accessible business by visiting our Workplace Accessibility Resources page.
Experiencing Accessibility Barriers
Sandra shared some common accessibility barriers that she faces in her life. She highlighted the importance of businesses addressing snow and ice during the winter. “A lot of times, I have to stay home due to fear of falling,” said Sandra.
Sandra can experience fatigue and pain. It can cause her to feel unable to leave and she experiences anxiety about getting stuck or not being able to walk for long periods of time.
If small business owners can make adjustments like:
- Being mindful of sensory overwhelm in environments (i.e. light and sound)
- Making aids like shopping carts available
- Making places to rest available
- Being accepting of service animals
Tip: Read our resource for making the workplace accessible for neurodiverse employees for more information.
Workplace Trainings
Both Evelyn and Sandra also recommend Disability and Cultural Awareness training for small businesses. Ideally, disability awareness training should emphasize cultural competence.
Cultural safety training is Indigenous-led cultural sensitivity and learning resources that have been developed specifically for businesses. The purpose of this training is to create more open-mindedness, reflectiveness, and sensitivity to unconscious and conscious biases in the workplace. Indigenous cultural training is also a great way to demonstrate your commitment to Truth and reconciliation.<
Commitment To Truth and Reconciliation Within Businesses
Commitment To Truth and Reconciliation means establishing and maintaining a mutually respectful relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. It involves awareness of the past, understanding the history and legacy of colonization, and the acknowledgment of harm. Here are a few ways that small businesses can get started:
- Recognize Truth and Reconciliation Day
- Use land acknowledgements
- Seek out Indigenous peoples’ perspectives, respecting their time, knowledge, and willingness to share their lives with an honorarium
- Do not appropriate Indigenous cultural items
- Do not hire non-Indigenous people for Indigenous training or Indigenous positions
Resources
Continue your Accessibility Journey with SBBC
Small Business BC is a non-profit resource centre for BC-based small businesses. Our Workplace Accessibility Resources page is full of tips, tools, and more to support your next stage.
We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction.
