A motor vehicle accident in 1987 left Alison a T6-7 paraplegic.

“It affects every aspect of daily life,” she explains. “Tasks take longer to accomplish, I fatigue more easily and pain is constant. I have to prioritize my activities to find a balance between doing too much vs. not doing enough.”

Alison was volunteering for a few organizations when she heard about an opening for a Tourism Accessibility Coordinator at the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association (opens in a new window) (CCCTA). The position sounded right up her alley.

Hearing about her interest, Spinal Cord Injury BC (opens in a new window) (SCI BC) referred Alison to Neil Squire’s Working Together program.

“My main goal was to obtain employment with CCCTA and share my personal experiences as a person with a disability to educate others and improve accessibility and inclusion in the region where I live,” she says.

With the help of a wage subsidy through Working Together, Alison soon landed the job. She has been working from home.

In her role, Alison advances accessible and inclusive tourism throughout the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast region. She supports tourism business development and marketing activities, and conducts accessibility consultations of tourism businesses and experiences.

In addition, she works with a variety of industry stakeholders, serving as a community liaison and generating awareness and participation for CCCTA and SCI BC programs.

Alison is enjoying her role and she is working towards increasing her hours.

“I have more confidence in myself and my abilities,” she says. “I feel like my experiences as a person with a disability have value to others in making positive change in understanding the importance of accessibility and inclusion.”