My Journey
The moment I realized that change was
Dealing with broken hearing equipment, my accommodations were no longer meeting my educational needs. The system was dictated by a 30 year old policy which was heavily dependent on the opinion of medical professionals that see my equipment as the “best” tool. When that policy became the main topic of conversations, my brain kept wondering why a provincial policy affecting peoples’ educational access is outdated and limited with no commitment to update consistently with societal change. Well, that made my decision of what I wanted to do after high school so much easier.
needed.Deciding that my interests
matter.I was so excited to pursue Public Policy Studies at Mount Saint Vincent University as I could get my raging questions answered. To my surprise, my initial questions were answered quickly. With exposure to economics and concepts such as policy image, I was enlightened by the knowledge provided by both professors and students alike. To my excitement (and frustration), I found more questions that revealed what I would be working with for the years to come.
The spark that ignited inside of
me. I was so inspired by my education, I saw the need for knowledge sharing. As I worked at MSVU Library as Library Lending and Digitalization Assistant, knowledge sharing to me became more crucial to social change. The more I was sourcing and sending requested materials for patrons, I realized how inaccessible knowledge can be from both a person participating in society and as a person in the disability community.
Stumbling into a new
direction. As the pandemic prevented in person campus jobs, I shifted to remote work in a new position as an Accessibility Assistant. It connected both my passion for accessibility with policy work due to the Nova Scotia Accessibility Act. Surprisedly, I stumbled into my first experience in communications with social media and creating resources. As a creative, this was an eye-opening experience of combining creativity and social issues.
Learning to listen to my
surroundings.As I was searching for an internship for my degree, I knew I wanted to combine policy with my initial experience in communications in connection to nonprofit leadership. The Atlantic Council for International Cooperation gave me the opportunity to develop my skills as a Communications Associate while engaging in local, national, and global issues. While I have my critiques about the international cooperation sector due to the historical and colonial context, it exploded with learning and unlearning discussions to understand the discomfort of the sector. As I continue to take the approach of listening and critiques, I joined ReImagine17 (RE17) as a Communications Coordinator due to the connection I felt towards their mission. Eventually, I led RE17’s communications to engage youth to reimagine approaches to social, environmental, and economic challenges.
As I listened to youth about their advocacy experiences, I am finally starting something that I always wanted to do, where you are currently reading from, Amanda Listens. Sharing about different challenges, ideas, and advice about accessibility and activism is my approach to advocacy by encouraging others to take action on what they care about.
forward.