Amanda Listens’
Monthly Roundup
Blog
June 2025 Roundup
Media is a major consumption of information for the general public that can influence how we perceived global issues. Learn how narratives can play a significant role and how you can utilize the media.
Part of advocacy and activism is showing the impact you have made. In the era of digital technology, the approaches of communications has expanded with an emphasis on social media. However, there are many ways communication is needed to take action that goes beyond showing impact.
Taking action can be intimidating as an introvert. With the image of an activist being vocal and present, it is easy to miss the small impacts that can be big! Read about Amanda’s experience advocating as an introvert and the lessons learned along the way.
May 2025 Roundup
If you did not plan for accessibility from the beginning, do not worry. You can still find ways to improve your activity by reading some tips to help during a busy time.
When your body is different than what is consider an abled bodied person, a diagnosis means everything. As the healthcare system is struggling with the increasing demand and pressure, many people who are searching for that answer is waiting to fully get the supports to meaningfully participate in society. Do you want that?
Accessibility can be overwhelming when it is not considered from the start. It does not mean that action cannot be taken to improve experiences for persons with disabilities. Read to get an overview of why accessibility in design is important and some quick tips for whatever stage you are in.
April 2025 Roundup
Accessibility and disability inclusion co-exist in the space of including persons with disabilities in society but what is the difference? Explore the difference in action and how the interconnection is the goal.
Accepting your disability is quite a journey. With many ways to learn the value of living with a disability, each person approach is unique. Learn the 5 approaches that Amanda took to accept her disability to take on your journey.
Energy is a limited resource, even more so if you are living with disabilities. There are still tasks that needs to be done and basic needs that need to be met. Learn how you can still be productive even when energy is not optimal.
March 2025 Roundup
Part of advocacy is knowing when you can contribute and when you may need to take a step back for your own needs. Learn the lessons and advice on balancing advocacy with life.
Reflecting on the time on doing advocacy work including the intersectionality of gender equality. Read more to learn what I have learned over the years on women and girls rights.
Imagine having an amazing opportunity to go to the United Nations Headquarters to be part of international conversations but you cannot participate due to lack of accessibility accommodations. That was my experience at CSW67. Read to learn what I did, how I navigated the barriers, and what I learned to help provide more access to international conversations
February 2025 Roundup
There are many ways to contribute to taking action. However, there are qualities tht can make taking action to design a better world a little easier (and more fun). Read to see what the 6 qualities are.
When considering activism and advocacy, many times, it is the personal connection and local impact that motivates people to do the work. How do we not work in silo? Read to learn how connecting global concepts to local work can help you work.
Being in the international cooperation sector for two years now, it is time to reflect on the inaccessibility in the sector. Is there still hope to improve disability inclusion in the sector?
January 2025 Roundup
The attitude of status quo in accessibility is the concept of “extra steps” in the process. This is a mindset that requires rethinking of the processes that exists, especially with information. Read how it is not "extra steps."
Do you want to take action on the issues you care about? Read this blog post to learn about activism and advocacy and some tips to help sustain your efforts.
When you look at a collective movement, it can be rewarding that there is so much momentum. It can also be intimidating. Read how applying the concept of breaking tasks down into smaller steps can apply to social movements to show how taking action through smaller initiatives can still make a big impact.
December 2024 Roundup
Activism and advocacy is hard. You likely enter the work with the energy and passion to make change you care about, only to be faced with difficulties and turmoil on whether it is worth it to continue on. Come explore why the question will keep popping up and how to evaluate your decision for yourself.
Gaining a disability is life-changing, especially if you gain it later in life. Getting a diagnosis for a disability that has always been there is freeing. But losing something that you can vividly remember experiencing is difficult to let go. Learn what Amanda sees is the key step to embracing the disability identity from her journey.
Can everyone access any event? program? As society puts emphasis on accessibility requests, the incentive to design events with access in mind is not always high on everyone’s list. If inclusion is important to you, learn why it is time to start designing from the start to allow full participation for everyone.
November 2024 Roundup
Universal Design is a process. It is not something that can be developed and implemented in an instant. There are principles, steps, and considerations to make into your process. Learn more how these key steps are important and how it can be included in your process effectively.
In social movements, the radicals are the ones that get the most mainstream media attention and shapes the public’s perception of activism. Do you know that there are more roles in a movement? Even better, being radical can exist anywhere when advocating for social change. Read to learn how working within the system can also utilize the radical energy.
As the society we live in puts emphasis on healthy as a fully abled bodied person, living with a disability is still seen as inferior and less than. Ableism impacts us all, so read more to gain insight on how much accessibility is crucial to both the disability community and for all.
October 2024 Roundup
When access needs are not considered, boundaries can be crossed to gain some access. Long term, this is not helpful when living with a disability. Read to learn how important setting boundaries can be and how it can help with your access needs.
Self-advocacy is a common tool that is preached to persons with disabilities to obtain the access they need. But should it be? Learn about how self-advocacy is currently being preached, how it should be utilized, and where the line is to switch over to greater advocacy.
A diagnosis means something to a person with a disability. While it should not be the key to participation, it can open doors to informed decision-making and quality of life. Read three reason why a diagnosis can be crucial.
September 2024 Roundup
Description of an art piece of a drawing of the various tools being used to get through the day as someone with disabilities.
Accessibility and disability inclusion are becoming part of the mainstream conversation to improve standards, experiences, and quality of life. Read how the focus should be updating your process, not following the crowd when improving accessibility.
When it comes to accessibility and disability inclusion, most people think they are doing the “standard” of what is expected from them. However, it requires taking initiative to improve access in our community. Learn how to navigate the structures that currently exists and how to reframe thinkig about accessibility.
Recent Blogs
With World Environment Day coming up, the discussion of climate solutions is needed. Mostly overlooked, disability experience is need to ensure that solutions are accessible and inclusive to last long-term.
It is that time again of highlighting the work of persons with disabilities and the work to improve accessibility. Read more about Access Awareness Week Nova Scotia.
The question of what is fully accessible always comes up from people who don’t usually do work within the disability community. Learn about the challenges of being fully accessible and what you can do to work towards the vision of full access.