My Story
I am a disability advocate and community leader with more than twenty years of lived experience as a wheelchair user. In 2005, a terrain park accident changed my life overnight — not only physically, but in how the world responded to me. At the time, I was a single parent, a business owner, and deeply engaged in my community. I quickly learned that assumptions about disability can be as limiting as disability itself.
Almost immediately, people spoke over me, questioned my capacity to make decisions, and used language that was infantilizing and dismissive. My family was advised to begin looking for a care facility where I could live. I didn’t yet have language for what I was experiencing, but it was ableism. That moment shaped my long-term commitment to challenging exclusionary systems and advocating for communities that recognize disabled people as whole, capable, and valued.
Since then, I have served two terms as a town councillor, led a non-profit organization, run for provincial office, and held a range of governance roles. I have spoken about ableism and access with Senators, MPs, MLAs, health leaders, researchers, government agencies, and community organizations, as well as in national and local media.
My governance work includes seven years as a Board Director with Interior Health, where I focused on person- and family-centred care, health equity, and psychologically safe workplaces. I currently serve as Co-Chair of British Columbia’s Provincial Accessibility Committee, advising government on the implementation of the Accessible BC Act and supporting practical, accountable approaches to identifying and removing barriers across the province.
Professionally, I work as a Regional PLEX Engagement Liaison with Praxis Spinal Cord Institute, collaborating with the spinal cord injury community, researchers, clinicians, funders, and policy leaders. My work centres lived experience, equity-informed research, knowledge translation, and innovation in medical devices, including wheelchairs.
I am a frequent speaker and educator on disability, ableism, medical systems, and Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD). My approach is grounded, direct, and rooted in lived experience. I ask hard questions, challenge the status quo, and believe deeply that systems function better when those most affected are meaningfully involved in shaping them.
In 2023, I was awarded the BC Medal of Good Citizenship for my advocacy over the years, and in 2024 I received the King Charles III Coronation Medal.
Memorable Engagements
Some of the Organizations I Have Worked With:
- Comox Valley Community Foundation
- CUPE
- Hollyhock Leadership Institute
- UNBC
- HQ BC
- Ontario MCCSS
- The City of West Kelowna
- Columbia Basin Alliance For Literacy
- HSA BC
- Okanagan College
- CAPM&R
- Third Space Charity
Collaborators
Some of the excellent people I get to work with!
Associate Professor of First Nations Studies
Dr. Rheanna Robinson
Dr. Rheanna Robinson is a Citizen of the Manitoba Métis Federation with matrilineal lineage to the Red River Valley. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of First Nations Studies at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) and a Co-Lead for the Indigenous Research Stream with the Canadian Institute of Inclusion and Citizenship at the University of British Columbia (UBC).
Raised in Smithers, B.C., Dr. Robinson began her academic studies at UNBC in 1995 before completing her PhD at UBC in 2016. She has expertise in Indigenous Disability Studies and Indigenous Education, where her research is grounded in her lived experience and guided by relationship and the Four R’s (Respect, Relevancy, Reciprocity, and Responsibility).
Dr. Robinson values the role of Indigenous scholarship in academia and how Indigenous knowledges continue to offer the world meaningful representations of equity and inclusion in diverse and varying ways.
Accessible Playground Specialist
Melissa Grassmick
Melissa Grassmick is the mother of two children with disabilities and brings lived experience to her work in inclusive design. She spearheaded West Kelowna’s first inclusive playground, raising $900,000 for a 10,000 sq ft accessible play space. As an inclusive play consultant, she advocates for environments that offer meaningful participation for children of all abilities.
Melissa also founded a junior wheelchair basketball program in the Okanagan, providing competitive and recreational opportunities for youth with and without physical disabilities. As a Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification (RHFAC) Professional, Melissa applies evidence-based accessibility standards and lived experience to help shape communities that move beyond compliance—creating spaces where meaningful, inclusive access is thoughtfully designed from the ground up.
Her work in accessibility, inclusive play and inclusive sport reflect one shared vision: communities where everyone can participate fully.
Accessibility Consultant
Tanelle Bolt
Tanelle Bolt is a tradesperson, T6 complete paraplegic, adaptive athlete, speaker, and accessibility consultant dedicated to helping people with mobility challenges live active, independent lives. As the Founder and President of RAD Recreation Adapted Society, she works to make outdoor recreation more inclusive by increasing access to adaptive equipment and education across British Columbia.
Drawing from her lived experience and professional work in accessibility, Tanelle speaks and collaborates with communities, organizations, and industry partners to reduce barriers and shift perspectives around ability, access, independence, and adventure.
With extensive education and experience in building design and provincial accessibility legislation, she is recognized as a trusted and well rounded voice within accessibility consulting. Her perspective combines technical knowledge with lived experience, helping shift conversations toward independence, inclusion, and real world usability.