Oarcid Services

Success is measured in many different ways and when you are disabled success looks very different and it's not any less valid.

http://oarcidservices.ca/2022/04/05/success-measured-in-spoons/

Success Measured in Spoons *Please note: the picture above has descriptive alt text that we wrote, but is only usable for screen readers as it is a featured image. As Disabled people we view success very differently from non…

Are you really listening or just hasty in response?

The Disability Community highly values active listening, as it is crucial to understanding their needs.

Check out our new blog post for a further discussion on active listening and it’s essential qualities for Disabled people.

Find it here at: https://oarcidservices.ca/2022/03/14/listening-to-respond/ -1712

[Image Description: In the centre of a white background is a multicoloured drawing of an ear. There are three curved, multicoloured dotted lines slightly above the ear to depict sound waves for the action of listening. At the bottom centre slightly below the picture of the ear is the word Listening in small caps, which is also multicoloured.]

Here is a different view of Community care and what people currently view community care as. Find it here at: https://oarcidservices.ca/2022/01/03/community-care-is-more-than-a-gofundme/

[Image Description: A bunch of hands with various skin tones centered into a pile. All are wearing blue Emfasis bracelets. In the forefront in white writing reads: self-care is not a replacement for community care.]

A new post is available about disability and self-care. It is certainly not your regular read. Check it out at:
https://oarcidservices.ca/2021/12/15/the-positive-self-care-mindset/
[Image Description: On a white background on the top-half of the image is a cartoon of a yellow chick with an orange beak, with its eyes closed holding a white mug with a red blanket wrapped around it, in the red blanket there is faint writing that reads: chibird. Above the chick in black writing reads: sometimes self care means saying no. Below the chick in black writing reads: and sometimes it means yes. Below the black writing are three more cartoon yellow chicks with orange beaks and rosey cheeks with outstretched wings and shadows underneath them. The one to the left is winking, the one in the middle is looking straight with three lines above their head, and the one on the right is smiling. There are tiny pink flowers with yellow centres around their heads].

New blog post out about proper social media accessibility. Click link to read now.

https://oarcidservices.ca/2021/12/01/3-social-media-accessibility-tips/
[Image Description: on a white background a colorful hashtag with hues for purple, blue, green, red, orange, yellow and pink mixed and looks like paint splashed on the hashtag.]

New post about Disability and Employment, check it out here: https://oarcidservices.ca/2021/11/15/working-to-work/

Image Description: Grey cat in a white and green striped shirt, typing on a grey Apple Mac book. There is a beige leather couch in the background.

Working to Work *Please note: the picture above has descriptive alt text that we wrote, but is only usable for screen readers as it is a featured image. As a Disabled individual it’s really difficult to find work…

Please welcome Kenesia Lawrence to the OARCID Team. She will be handling research and programming for upcoming training sessions. To read more about her please click our about teams link.

https://oarcidservices.ca/about-us/our-team/

[Image Description: A picture of Aerilyn who has white pale skin and blue eyes and is slightly smiling. She is wearing black squareish framed glasses. Her hair is purple with lighter purple highlights and is wearing a necklace with a pentagram and the tree of life. She is wearing a white shirt with purple flowers and green leaves. The background is beige. ]

Our Team Image Description: A picture of Aerilyn who has white pale skin and blue eyes and is slightly smiling. She is wearing black squareish framed glasses. Her hair is purple with lighter purple highligh…

You are worthy and valid always!

[Image Description: White lettering on a black background reads, Shout out to disabled people who aren't "inspirational". Who are unemployed or stuck with a job they don't like, who didn't do well academically and/or had to drop out of school, who aren't in a position to live and take care of themselves independently even if they would like to. Who don't just "get on with things without complaining". Whose lives didn't work out in the way they were hoping for. Who haven't "overcome" their disability in the way that society tell us you're supposed to. You exist, you're worthwhile and you matter.]

Just freshly up two videos about Facebook accessibility, this is part of the AIMS program that has been created to address social media accessibility. You can find both videos at the OARCID Services YouTube channel.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_LD8NMLuXC6BlNhjnGmzHw

Video's are closed captioned, no autocraptions here!

[Image Description: OARCID Service's logo that looks like a green stick figure in the shape of an "L" and circle for a head and three circles to make a person in a wheelchair and a purple outline of a flower connecting to the green image with 4 points.]

OARCID Services - YouTube Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

Have you reached out to your disabled friends or family lately? It might be time to check in on them, sometimes messaging others can be overwhelming, so it's important to reach out to them from time to time.

A poorly written image description is just as bad as no image description. Image descriptions need to be described properly, meaning if you can see it, it needs to be described. Describe the person, logo, or colors, don't just say the person, company logo, or multi-colored when it's only 3 colors. This is only some examples in how people are not describing images.

We need to do better for those who use screen readers to have access to the world around them.

Hey folks sorry it's been a while since I've posted anything. Between a couple of contracts, working on the Vocational Learning Outcomes for Child and Youth Care Practioners of Ontario, appealing for for my disability benefits, and managing my own disability it's been a bit hectic.

I'm in the process of creating instructional videos for accessibility and they are taking some time because I need to create closed captions for each one.

I've also been working on the Accessible Social Media content to create a training program for folks who want to take it to be more accessible in their posts and videos online and with different platforms.

I may not post a lot of content online to be popular or get a lot of likes, but there is a lot of meaningful work being done in the background. When I'm able and things have settled down I will be posting more and creating more blog post content for folks to read and relate to.

Plus I will be making merch like buttons, stickers, keychains, t-shirts, heating packs, and possibly crocheted comfort blankets that are all disability themed that can be bought to support OARCID Services so that I can offer free services to community members.

A big thank you for all of you who are here and support me this means so much and really pushes me to do better for the community and those of who I want to support.