Check out this video- it's a funny look at some major accessibility fails. (I'd embed it but I don't think it's on youtube yet)

customer service

photo: sherlock77

Customer service is an important part of every business. When it comes to customers with disabilities, though, the same standards don't always seem to apply. This is likely due to people not knowing how to best serve customers with disabilities, as well as people underestimating the importance of treating customers like me well.

Accessibility and a welcoming atmosphere make a huge difference. They're good business -
 I know when I find a restaurant, for example, that is accessible and whose staff treat me well, I'm likely to return regularly (and I'm a good tipper!). Little things make a big difference, like greeting me when I come in, looking at and talking to me as well as whoever is with me, and bringing me my own menu.

Stop Ableism, an organization based in Ontario, has a quick accessibility test you can take to see how welcoming your business is to people with disabilities. The Ontario government also has some resources to help businesses become more accessible.

If you'd like to provide excellent customer service to everyone, including people with disabilities, but aren't sure how, there are some guidelines here. They're a pretty good summary; the only thing I would add would be tips for customers who may not speak. For more specific advice, York University has some really thorough tips on interacting with customers with  a wide variety of disabilities. You can also find some good information as well as individualized tip sheets for different disabilities here.

update on motala the elephant

photo: http://animom.tripod.com/motala.html

At the beginning of the summer, I posted about Motala the elephant who has a prosthetic leg. Since then, I've learned more about her story. She now has a real prosthesis instead of just a bag of wood shavings. This is a picture of her from this past February. You can see more pictures and read more about her story here.

photo: edomond

Hello all! I hope you've had a relaxing and enjoyable summer. Now that the days are getting shorter and classes have started up again, I'll be back to updating more regularly.

I've got a bunch of posts planned, including an accessibility guide to the University of Alberta, ableism in volunteering, and an inside look at inclusive education, so stay tuned! In the meantime, if you happen to be on the U of A campus, stop by APIRG in HUB Mall to pick up a copy of their just-released zine for new students, including an article by yours truly.

photo: oddee.com

Motala the elephant lives in Thailand and has been using this old-school prosthetic leg since 2005. It's just a bag filled with wood shavings.

on giving

Yesterday I spent the day helping out at the Edmonton Emergency Relief Society. I spent several hours sorting through donations and boxing them up so that they can be sent to Slave Lake once there are facilities in place up there to handle donations.

So far, TONS of stuff has been donated. In fact, the EERS has no more room for donations until stuff can be shipped up north. What they don't have, though, is enough volunteers to process all these donations. It's not an exciting job, but it needs to be done.

It's been amazing to see such an outpouring of support for the victims of the Slave Lake fire. But it's easy enough to give away some old clothes you don't need anymore. It takes more commitment to actually spend time working.

Now, don't get me wrong. I think donating resources is very important and should be encouraged, and I know a lot of people work during the day and can't take time to volunteer. Just remember that what is easiest for you to give might not be what is needed the most.

If you still want to do something to help the people in Slave Lake, you can donate to the Red Cross (www.redcross.ca), call the EERS and see if they need more volunteers, or hang on to your donations until there's somewhere for them to go. Thrift stores like Value Village also always accept donations, and the money always goes to a good cause.

nobuyuki tsujii

Nobuyuki Tsujii is a world-renowned piano player from Japan. He has won many awards and medals for his piano playing, and enjoys hiking, skiing, and swimming in his free time. He has been blind since birth.

not acceptable

If you haven't seen it yet, this PSA aired during last week's episode of Glee, and stars Lauren Potter and Jane Lynch. Check it out.