Have you ever heard of an entrepreneur hoping to go out of business?!?
Check out a recent episode of AMI “Mind Your Own Business” series to hear what our Executive Director, Luke Anderson, hopes for the future of StopGap and barrier-free design.
Hosted by Kevin Shaw and Purdeep Sangha, “Mind Your Own Business” is a series that supports entrepreneurs from the disability community aiming to take their businesses to the next level.
➡️ Watch the rest of Luke’s episode at https://www.ami.ca/category/mind-your-own-business/media/stopgap to see what these business experts have to say 👀
#StopGapFoundation #StopGapInTheMedia #Community #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs
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Video description: A compilation of short clips that show Luke Anderson being interviewed and Kevin Shaw and Purdeep Sangha in the studio introducing the episode.
I Love Ramp
This #GivingTuesday, we partnered with the news team from KVWN's Channel 4, based out of San Diego!
Enjoy this video from the crew and join our incredible community of monthly donors at stopgap.ca/get-involved/donate/ 💛🧡❤️
#DonateToday #ILoveRamp #Parody
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Video description: Adil Dhalla, Montina Hussey, Russell Winkelaar, and Luke Anderson do a parody of Anchorman's "I love lamp" scene. They are wearing vintage clothing, surrounded by some retro props and decor.
We hope you can take a few minutes to hear from our Co-Founder and Executive Director, Luke Anderson, as he shares his re-birthday wish.
Thank you for sharing such an honest and heartfelt message with us, Luke! ❤️
If you would like to become a monthly donor to StopGap Foundation, please visit https://stopgap.ca/get-involved/donate/ and click "Monthly" on the first page of the donation form. You can also get to our donation page through the link in our bio.
A sincere thanks to all of our donors, past and present.
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Video description: Luke Anderson shares a message about his re-birthday and his re-birthday wish.
This is a call to action! Enough is enough.
What happened to our dear friend and fellow advocate Maayan Ziv from AccessNow cannot happen again. People travelling with mobility aids deserve care, comfort, trust, and peace of mind that their device will end up at their destination in the same condition as when they left it when they departed.
We need your help to hold Air Canada and all of the other airlines accountable for these situations that keep occurring. No more insulting $300 gift vouchers. We need your help to raise awareness about the need for an attitudinal overhaul. People with disabilities and their mobility aids can no longer be treated as luggage. Your voice and your stories matter.
Together, let’s raise awareness about the overdue need for change to physical infrastructure and policies within the airline industry and beyond.
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Video description: Luke Anderson delivers a call to action, demanding that people with disabilities and their mobility aids are treated with care and respect by the airline industry.
Over the last two years, we’ve seen how valuable flexible work arrangements and working from home can be.
The opportunity to work from home provides employees with more time and energy to enjoy their lives outside of work and it can be especially beneficial for people with disabilities. Employees with disabilities no longer have to deal with barriers they may have faced in their commute, inaccessible offices or desks, or allergens in the workplace. Remote work also provides more convenient access to restrooms, medications, and appointments.
That being said, while the benefits of remote work are evident, what works for one employee may not work for another, so if you’re a manager or employer, be sure to talk to your team to find out what type of work arrangement suits them best. 🙂
Luke is here to kick off a mini series in which we’ll be sharing thoughts from members in our community about why having the option to work from home is so very important. We hope that you will join us in advocating for flexible work arrangements wherever they are possible! #WorkFromHome #WFH
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Video description: Luke Anderson talks about the importance of flexible work arrangements.
#WinterAccessibility
At StopGap's Board meeting earlier this week, our ED, Luke, and Board Member, Russell, shared how the recent snowstorm in Toronto impacted them as wheelchair users, leaving them snowed in and unable to venture beyond their front doors for a few days. Russell was particularly affected because he lives on a side street and side streets generally don't receive the timely attention of city snow removal services.
The significant snowfall we received covered our sidewalks and side streets in snow and ice, many of which have still (11 days later!) not been cleared to provide proper access.
In this video, Luke shares a brief message, asking anyone who is able to do so, to please shovel and clear the sidewalks and intersections near your homes and places of work to help make them #accessible so everyone in our communities can move around freely and safely.
❄️ If you have any other recommendations for #accessibility in Winter, let us know in the comments! ❄️
#Access4All
To our beloved community,
Thank you for gifting us your continued support, in all forms, amidst the extremely challenging issues that people and the planet have endured this past year. Our commitment to our awareness-raising work is stronger than ever and we look forward to the re-launch of our programming in the Spring/Summer of 2022.
We wish that this holiday season and the year ahead brings health, safety, connection, love, joy, equity, and access to you, your family, your community, and beyond. ✨
Still looking for holiday gift ideas? If you have the means, consider making a donation in someone’s honour towards StopGap’s important mission at stopgap.ca/get-involved/donate/
With sincere gratitude,
Luke and the StopGap Team
#Accessibility #HappyHolidays #StopGapRamp
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Image description: Colourful holiday lights are laid out in the shape of an access ramp. The lights are alternating different colours. STOPGAP.CA is written in a stencil font underneath.
Okay, this is the cutest thing! We love to see your little ones enjoying our ramps 🥺🥰
Thanks for capturing this moment @ecomomica333!
#StopGapRamp #Accessibility #Community #Inclusion #ToddlerLife
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Video description: A toddler happily runs up and down a red StopGap ramp in front of a single step.
Thank You!
“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” - Vincent Van Gogh
We want to express our gratitude to our community of supporters who have signed up to become a monthly donor, made a donation, or shared our campaign. Every one of your actions has made a significant impact in helping to further StopGap's mission.
As of today, we have welcomed 20 new monthly donors and 53 one-time donors! Our hearts are full and we are excited to ride this wave right into the new year. If you haven’t already done so, please consider supporting StopGap by becoming a monthly donor. You can do so by visiting: https://stopgap.ca/get-involved/donate/
Video Description: A short video clip honing in on a deliberate arrangement of StopGap signature-coloured ramps: red, green, blue and yellow. The shot fades to black and in white text reads “To our supporters, THANK YOU” followed by “stopgap.ca” written in a spray-painted aesthetic.
Access symbol design challenge!
Grab your markers, paints, pencil crayons, or your fave pen and use your mini ramp or a blank piece of paper as your canvas - and get your design hats on!
StopGap Live Craft Activity!
In part 1, we will be hosting a live mini ramp building activity that will be taking place Today! Take a look at the materials that you will need to build your own mini ramp! Don’t worry, we will only be using common household materials, and there is always an alternative if you do not have something on the list!
