Interview with Alicia Jarvis, CPACC, CSM

QUESTION 01 Can you tell us a bit about yourself, and how your disability might impact your experience, as someone who attends live in-person and virtual events?

Sure. I’m a Senior Product Manager at Bell working on the Accessibility portfolio. If you ask me what that means, I would say I’m a diversity, equity, and inclusion strategist, researcher, and culture consultant, who is driven by a deep curiosity about the interactions between humans and technology. I study behaviour and trends to help teams deliver innovative products and services that create delight.

I was born with TAR Syndrome, which is characterized by low levels of platelets in the blood (thrombocytopenia) and absence of the long, thin bones of the forearms (radii). My disability generally does not impact my access to events. I use a standard keyboard and mouse to navigate virtual events. For in-person events, I do have a few extra considerations to think about, like remembering to pack my dressing stick, eating foods that are higher in iron, and getting a good night’s sleep the night before.

QUESTION 02 Thinking back on some of your experiences attending in-person or virtual events, what are some of the worst things speakers, trainers, and other communication experts can do to ruin your experience as an attendee?

Relying too much on visuals and not having clear and concise key points or objectives.

QUESTION 03 Can you share some of the great things speakers, trainers, and other communication experts sometimes do that make a positive impact on your ability to fully enjoy your in-person or virtual event experiences?

Telling a really compelling story that clearly articulates the key messages.

QUESTION 04 If you had one piece of advice to give speakers, trainers, and other communication experts, so their content became more inclusive of people who have disabilities, what would it be?

Understand that your audience may have a variety of different communication and learning styles; so, be flexible in your delivery, and remember that you are not your audience.

QUESTION 05 Thank you for sharing some of your insights with us today. As we wrap up our conversation, is there anything that you’d like to add, such as another thought, another piece of advice, another perspective, etc.?

A few things come to mind:

• Don’t assume what people can and cannot do. We may surprise you!
• Be open to different perspectives and different lived experience; and….
• Learning new skills and developing your craft is a fundamental part of being an effective leader; so, don’t ever stop learning.