Tag: business

Call for Books!!!

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Truro, Nova Scotia holds a special place in my heart for many reasons. One of them is how they rally together when tragedy strikes.

Recently, there was a significant fire in downtown Truro that decimated several well-loved local businesses. King Koin Laundry and Tanning, T&V Electronics, Truro Kung Fu Kenpo School, and NovelTea Bookstore and Café were all lost in the fire. The people of Truro have done what they always do, and joined forces to help keep these amazing businesses afloat and a part of the community while they figure out how to rebuild.

NovelTea holds an extra special place in my heart. As a used bookstore and café, they sell 2 of the only things I am willing to splurge on for myself, great coffee and BOOKS!

Books do not usually survive any kind of disaster. NovelTea lost so very many goods that are irreplaceable however for folks like me who were born with a reading list we will never complete, we have an abundance of books that we will probably never read (again). We can’t replace the artwork from the Truro Art Society, we can’t replace the beautiful handmade mugs and dishes, we can’t replace the amazing book-themed merchandise, nor the amazing desk/counter made from old books but we can help them replace their book inventory.

Many businesses in Truro and Colchester County are accepting donations of used books to help NovelTea rebuild. The book drive closes October 3rd.

Here’s the list so far:

The Blunt Bartender 563 Prince St, Truro

Skin Decision 1 Queen St, Truro, NS

Masstown Movement Fitness 1101 Masstown Rd, Debert

Jimolly’s Bakery Café 76 Inglis Pl, Truro, NS

Calling Corners 147 Esplanade St, Truro, NS

Engine Room Pub 166 Esplanade St, Truro, NS

Wink Day Spa 49 Inglis Pl Unit #1, Truro, NS

Hub Cycle 33 Inglis Pl, Truro, NS

Bike Monkey 130 Esplanade St, Truro, NS

Mingos Music 590 Prince St, Truro, NS

Truro Farmers Market 15 Young St, Truro, NS

Thrown Together Pottery 37 King St, Truro, NS

Honeycomb Health Market 805 Prince St, Truro, NS

Spencer House 20 Dominion Street, Truro, NS

Nova Scotia Cooperative Council 347C Willow St, Truro, NS

The Trainyard General Store 53 Portland St, Dartmouth, NS

Rolling Sea Tattoo 802 Prince St Suite 102, Truro, NS

G&G Computers 15 Arlington Pl, Truro, NS

My Home Mercantile 10 Inglis Pl, Truro, NS

The Nelson House Bed & Breakfast 138 Main St E, Stewiacke, NS

Truro Brewing Company 53 Inglis Pl, Truro, NS

Anther & Apiary 8 Dominion St, Truro NS

Or by pick up, email olivia@skindecision.ca

Accessible Online Banking?

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Gerianne sitting at her desk wearing her head pointer and typing with it

When out and about in the “real world” we encounter a number of barriers to accessibility. A step into a store that’s too high for a wheelchair to climb safely, sidewalks closed for construction, signs in the middle of paths making it impossible for a wheelchair, powerchair or stroller to pass, doors without automatic openers, the list goes on…

I tend to think of the internet as a place with fewer barriers to accessibility. Most computer users with mobility issues have figured out adaptations to use their hardware, people who are hard of hearing, Deaf, or deaf have access to closed captions, folks who are vision impaired, blind, or have reading comprehension problems have screen readers, people with writing difficulties have voice to text for typing (which doesn’t work well for people with accents or speech impediments but that’s another story), etc…

But sometimes a barrier crops up that I don’t expect, in a place I never imagined. Gerianne was looking into online banking and came across a prompt for a digital signature. This is a barrier to access for folks who don’t have the dexterity to use a mouse and don’t have a touch-pad connected to their desktops.

We’ve encountered other barriers to access online too and they usually involve proving identity or the “I am not a robot” things. Timed tests for proving you are not a robot are the most common ones we encounter but I’m sure there are more. We do our best to navigate through them but I’m growing more aware of the lack of inclusion in the design process in a space that I thought was truly for everyone.

User experience designers need to be more aware of the barriers their users encounter, the same way designers of physical spaces need to build that awareness. I don’t have a solution for any of these barriers but it is important to make note and call them out when we encounter them so that we can have a more inclusive, accessible experience, online and offline.

Having one “standard” model of human that all of our environments are build around prevents full, equal access. No two bodies or minds have the same abilities and that’s part of what makes the world interesting and fun.

Announcement and Recap of 2020 So Far

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An announcement that’s long overdue, but I am still thrilled to make is that Mary Wilson has a new job title. She is now DisabilityPride.net’s Communications Manager and my Personal Administrative Assistant!
This change actually happened back in March at the start of COVID-19 infections reaching high levels in Canada. Several of my attendants had to make the hard decision of choosing one job over another. Thinking back on it now, I smile with a bit of a chuckle because initially, Mary one day looked at me and said “I predict that soon enough it will just be the two of us.” I remember thinking “WHAT?! No way! You can’t be my only attendant!” but then soon enough, sure as shit, Mary was right (Mary adds, “I usually am”), she was the last full-time staff standing.
More incredibly is that while Mary and I got along during this time when we were together almost all day, almost every day, honestly and remarkably there wasn’t the slightest bit of friction or conflict or the tendency to say or think “oh, I’ve had enough of you!” for either one of us. We laughed a lot, smiled a lot and got shit done. Actually, we got a lot of shit done! It was kind of incredible while I heard many people complaining of boredom and apathy, Mary and I were busier in my home office than we’ve ever been! We did videos, came up with projects, redecorated the office to make it more usable, the list goes on and on.
This is only part of why I am so proud that Mary accepted her new position. Mary started in October, 2019 as DisabilityPride.net’s first Social Media Marketing and Public Relations Manager. At that time, DisabilityPride.net’s Facebook page had 173 followers but now has 275. Since October the blog has been viewed over 3,000 times and our Instagram impressions have increased over 400%.
This past May, Mary and I organized a virtual disability pride parade to recognized NAAW, which included many prizes for participants. Mary also designed an awesome banner that we’re now proudly displaying on all our websites. We had also hoped to get a vendor’s license to sell our merchandise on the Halifax waterfront, however due to bureaucratic confusion that has not been resolved as of yet and at this point in the season, it’s likely too late. However, we have made our online store more accessible and our merchandise can be found there and ordered online so, if you’re interested, check out DisabiltiyPride.store.
While all that was being organized, we also had nightly phone calls with Mary’s children, who were stuck in New Brunswick with their grandparents while travel in Atlantic Canada was restricted. They read stories to us every night. I also began a social media marketing course with Shaw Academy and completed the first few modules with distinction.
We’re taking this time to plan and grow. We are looking forward to continuing to do great things and look forward to our future ventures and adventures.

Social Celebration!

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We’re doing some happy dances and celebrating a social media milestone today!

In the past week, we have seen 10 new “likes” and 15 new followers on our Facebook page! We are so excited to welcome our new community members and hope that they enjoy everything we post!

Don’t forget to submit your “floats” for the Disability Pride Parade to virtual2020parade@disabilitypride.net by May 27th to be featured in the livestream and to be entered for prizes! Here is a sneak peek of what we’re working on!

Is it Really Time? By Gerianne Hull, Read by Chelsey Joudrie

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Is it Really Time? By Gerianne Hull, Read by Chelsey Joudrie

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A poem about unconventional friendship, technology and changes in relationships.

The second in our series of poems written by Gerianne Hull and read by fans and friends. To help us make more videos like this, please support us by becoming a patron. Visit the link to our Patreon page and pledge as little as $1 a month. You’ll be entered into prize draws and receive a personal thank you!