LET’S has been working with the City of Vancouver on a variety of ongoing workshops. These workshops vary in length and have been delivered to different departments. In September 2023 we held our first full day workshop for the city with staff from various departments including planning, plumbing, and libraries. This workshop was well received and there was engaged conversation with the attendees.
We also held a shorter workshop with the City Leadership Team about disability awareness. The City Leadership Team includes the city manager, deputy city managers, and the heads of major service groups. Attendees were very participatory with activities.
There were great discussions about the materials presented. For example, the question of who gets to set the parameters of who and what is professional led to a robust discussion around expectations of professionalism and how there is often not a critical eye turned towards where these expectations come from.
People enthusiastically enjoyed the stim tools. At all of our workshops we provide stim toys for people to experience and use. They are good way to model how accessibility doesn’t have to be big to be impactful.
Stim tools change the atmosphere by inviting play and this helps to challenge “professionalism” in a workshop space and encourages people to relax and engage differently in the workshop space.
We’re developing online courses for City of Vancouver folks who are not able to come to in-person workshops, as well as providing people with materials to review in advance.
(Photo of Karen Fry, Vancouver’s Fire Chief, a workshop participant. She is holding her water bottle, which has, among other stickers, a tactile sensory sticker from LET’S.)