Ean Price is the CEO of ICAN Resources, focused on solving challenges related to accessible travel, design, and technology. Due to his complex needs, he considers himself “pretty high maintenance” – but that means if he can physically explore the world, anyone can with the right resources. Ean joins Sam and Nikki on the podcast for wide-ranging discussions on work, exploration, and innovation.

References

Transcript

[00:00:00] (Music)

[00:00:05] Sam Proulx: Welcome to season one of Disability Bandwidth,

[00:00:12] Nikki Nolan: A show where we talk with disability leaders each week about career, life, and technology.

[00:00:17] I’m Nikki Nolan.

[00:00:18] Sam Proulx: And I’m Sam Proulx. Let’s get started.

[00:00:20] Nikki Nolan: We’re so excited to have you here today. If you could just introduce yourself?

[00:00:23] Ean Price: Absolutely. My name is Ean Price. And my pronouns are he/him and I’m CEO and founder of ICAN Resource Group. And the description- I am 39. I am physically disabled in a wheelchair. I use a ventilator, which you’ll probably hear in the background. I’m bald and I have a red beard and a giant smile.

[00:00:56] Nikki Nolan: Welcome!

[00:00:56] Sam Proulx: Amazing.

[00:00:57] Ean Price: Thank you.

[00:00:57] Sam Proulx: Love the beard. I’m a fellow beard aficionado myself.

[00:01:01] Ean Price: Yes, love it.

[00:01:05] Nikki Nolan: So to get started, we would love to know your story. What got you into your line of work?

[00:01:09] Ean Price: I’m going to say, I think it was a necessity. I went to school. My big dreams were to take psychology and become a psychiatrist. And after a number of years of university and understanding that in the winter, especially here in Canada, that I would get sick and I would have to drop out.

[00:01:36] And then the next summer I would try to catch up with my schooling and then the following winter, the same thing would happen. And I just realized that maybe I should try something different and I’ve always been into computers and technology. And so that’s kind of where it stands. Really needing to out a plan B didn’t involve so much education.

[00:02:01] Sam Proulx: I hear you there. I think you perhaps did the smarter plan B than I did. My original plan was to go and be a journalist, plan B was cryptocurrency and now I’m on plan C. So I don’t know.

[00:02:14] Ean Price: Too funny of you. Hey, I think those are all great plans.

[00:02:18] Sam Proulx: Absolutely. You got into this line of work, the saying is the necessity is the mother of an invention about, about ICAN Resource Group. What do you do?

[00:02:28] Ean Price: Sure. So we have three main divisions. The first is design. So I have a wonderful team of colleagues. We work on red pages, graphic design, obviously you name it, from a digital perspective, moving into 3D printing. And we design printed circuit boards, videography- I think for the one group, everybody has their own skill set.

[00:02:58] And, so that’s part one. And then part two would be assistive technology. We have developed a device that has been helping me, quite a bit over the years. And then the third part, which is the newest sector, is accessible travel, which is a huge passion of mine. And I felt that it was time to share not only my stories, but other people’s stories. And help inspire and encourage others to travel with complex needs. Cause I’m pretty high maintenance. And I figure if I can travel around the world, then anybody can.

[00:03:41] Sam Proulx: Exactly. And you know, the fascinating thing about that is you’ve been involved in basically all of the aspects of accessibility from design and web and digital products through developing assistive technology through accessibility in physical spaces, through your work with travel. So when you think about that, is there one kind of sector of accessibility or section or part of it that stands out as the most challenging piece? Or are they all equally challenging, but in different ways? Or is there some sort of thing that you went into thinking like, oh, this is going to be really, really hard and a really big lift, and it turned out to be way easier than you thought it was going to be?

[00:04:22] Ean Price: I honestly, I think traveling to Southeast Asia really is so much easier than I thought it would be once I arrived. Getting there and the logistics and preparing for the trip was a bit of a headache. Being on a ventilator can be somewhat challenging with airlines and such. And so the initial plan was to travel throughout Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

[00:04:54] And after figuring out the first three, I thought, you know, this is too much on my plate. I shouldn’t go to Vietnam. It’s not as developed. I don’t know anybody there or at least I didn’t at that time and so I scrapped it. And then, through travels, especially in Cambodia. I thought this is actually pretty easy, like, it doesn’t matter that they don’t have high rises and curves that are accessible.

[00:05:28] I can just drive on the road in my chair with all the tuk-tuks and it’s a piece of cake. I think it really perspective on what I felt would be a large barrier and it actually a bonus. Because visiting a place where everything is pretty much, level ground or ground floor meant that I didn’t have to worry about stairs and elevators and things like that.

[00:05:58] So it actually turned out to be a blessing. And the fact that if I go back two years, I would have extended my holidays significantly.

[00:06:05] Sam Proulx: Wow. That’s really interesting. I mean, I know, kind of from our perspective in North America and Canada and the US do you think we get too fixated on technological solutions and maybe not on cultural solutions? I mean, I know there are obviously some cultural differences throughout East Asia and sometimes we hear that as like, oh, well, they don’t have a culture of accessibility and you don’t seem to have found that to be the case.

[00:06:30] What do you think was it that made it easier? Was it just not seeing technology as a solution to everything? Or was it a different culture or like what, where did that come from?

[00:06:39] Ean Price: I think a bit of both, there’s a long line of red tape. An example of that is we went to a nightclub and they had provided a ramp. They built it many years prior. And so we thought, hey, perfect. We need to check this place out. And we went inside and we found that the inside wasn’t as accessible as the outside, ironically.

[00:07:04] And afterwards the owner came up to us and said, you know what? I’m so sorry. I didn’t even think about you being able to access parts of the club on the inside. I just wanted to make the entrance very welcoming. And he said, you know what, if you come back next week, I’ll have a crew here and they build a ramp. That’s something that you don’t really see here in Canada, at least it’s not happened to my experience, people aren’t that quick to help. And, I think that that’s very much a cultural thing as well. They’re very, very kind. And like I said, the red tape, or you don’t need to worry about permits. You just bring in a couple of friends and, some, some managing you, you start fabricating.

[00:07:55] Sam Proulx: Yeah. So it’s easier for the people who want to do it to do it. It’s very interesting to me. We also talk a lot in Canada and the United States about the ADA, about compliance, about laws, about forcing people to do the right thing. Do you think it works? I mean, some people say, oh, well it doesn’t work, but it’s better than nothing.

[00:08:13] There’s some sort of opinion that like, oh, well, we’ve got to change hearts and minds, but in the meantime, the law’s a good stop gap and there’s some feelings that, oh, this is all we need to just gotta make the law. I mean, with your experiences in East Asia, how does that sort of maybe change your feelings about accessibility and regulation and all of this stuff that we have in North America?

[00:08:32] Ean Price: Okay. I said no but, it is important to have regulations. I think that no two ramps are the same. And I’ve been to countries where I wouldn’t even consider it a ramp. I would consider it a jump or just a drop-off like, yes, yes it is. Yeah. There is a swerve to it. But it takes three people to hold my chair so I don’t tip over.

[00:09:02] Right. I think that, yeah, regulations are important. I know some of the places that I’ve traveled to, especially if transportation has been quite sketchy where we’ll just remove their seats out of their vehicle and then pull a piece of plywood. Or I know in Mexico, a friend of mine borrowed a piece of his neighbor’s fence and turned that into a ramp.

[00:09:28] And that’s not for everybody. Tokyo specifically, I was absolutely blown away at how empowering they are with everything, not just people with physical disabilities, but I’m Jewish, I’m blind. I think that they really set the gold standard, in my opinion, at least for the traveling I’ve done, the places I’ve seen.

[00:09:54] But, if I were to vote for a golden rule book on how to do it properly, I think that Japan and specifically Tokyo has it figured out.

[00:10:06] Nikki Nolan: It sounds like you love to travel. What are some of the ways that you’ve discovered to overcome some of the challenges that arise with travel?

[00:10:14] Ean Price: Finding people, all over the world that are like-minded, that are visionaries that, some are physically disabled. Some are not. It really doesn’t matter. I think finding the right people ahead of time to ask the question, is it accessible? What is your definition of accessibility?

[00:10:37] And then from there, figuring out if it is a realistic adventure. Because there are places that I would love to go to that being on a ventilator, it would be so challenging that it would take the fun out of it. Hey, I’m not a thrill seeker, so that’s a bold statement, but it is true. I think that as soon as you find that network and they’re able to tell you where they went, it’s not, I certainly said that it was cheating to me once and I don’t think it’s cheating because I’m not pulling somebody else’s itinerary and then following it to the letter. It’s just learning the hotspots similar to somebody using a travel guide. Where are the best waterfalls are, the best restaurants? I think of it the same way or where are the most accessible waterfalls?

[00:11:42] Nikki Nolan: Wow. So, this book that you mentioned, is it a real thing? Is there something out there that’s like the travelers guide to accessible places? Does that exist or, it’s just about your network?

[00:11:54] Ean Price: I wish, yeah, I think that would be a magical book. I have not found it yet, but there are so many resources online, whether it’s a social media app, travel rec sites, you name it. Yeah. Once you start asking the questions online, I feel that the community globally are very responsive and they’re willing to help.

[00:12:19] Sam Proulx: Yeah, I love that you sort of mentioned kind of networking because there seems to be from my perspective, as someone who is blind as a screen reader user, sometimes there seems to be this feeling in the disability community that we should be independent, like to the exclusion of all else. And if we can’t do it independently by ourselves, we shouldn’t do it. Right?

[00:12:40] Ean Price: Yes. Yes.

[00:12:42] Sam Proulx: How do we negotiate that? Like, it’s something that I struggle with, right? How much dependence is too much, but then how much of dependence is just cutting yourself out of an experience because you don’t want to depend on someone?

[00:12:52] Ean Price: Absolutely. And I wonder sometimes about my choices when I travel, because nowadays, I try to pick some of the most challenging locations and then I hear from others and saying, yeah, I am, I’m booked up all in the first year. [I have] vehicles that brought me from the airport to the hotel. And every restaurant had a ramp.

[00:13:17] And then I’m thinking back, you’re like throwing my wheelchair in the back of a pickup truck and having eight guys trying to carry me up the side of a hill. I think everybody has their own idea. What is their limit?

[00:13:35] Sam Proulx: What’s the limit for you? You said there were some places, like what? What are the key things that make a place a no go for you?

[00:13:41] Ean Price: It’s a tough one. I’m very stubborn, but for many years I’ve been trying to figure out how to experience Burning Man. And I know that it’s very dusty and I have had issues with my ventilator overheating in certain climates. And then, I wonder if maybe there’s an inventor out there. They can build me some Frankenstein air filtration system that I can connect to my ventilator and it will allow me to experience this.

[00:14:16] But yeah, but I think that one right now is the one I’m still working on, but it’s a tricky one.

[00:14:24] Sam Proulx: That’s such an interesting answer because Burning Man compared to Japan is a lot closer and probably a lot easier to get to.

[00:14:30] Ean Price: Yes.

[00:14:31] Sam Proulx: And yet, it’s something that you’d find very, very challenging. I think that that really highlights what you were saying before, but it’s lot of it is about our own personal experiences and the choices that we make.

[00:14:40] Nikki Nolan: I also love the ways that you’ve discovered to overcome challenges hasn’t necessarily been an assistive technology. It is networking and other humans and that’s really, really fun. I want to change this a little bit into what are some of the assistive technologies that you have developed?

[00:14:57] Ean Price: Well many years ago, my father and I worked on a project, and it’s a device I’m still using to this day, actually. Because I can’t swallow. And I use something similar to a dentist’s office, it’s a retractable straw and it sounds very simple. And it is to some extent, where I have some micro switches that I can press with my finger and the suction machine turns on, the straw extends and then as I remove my finger off the switch, then the straw retracts and the suction machine turns off and I can keep talking. And, prior to that, I relied on friends and family and caregivers to assist me, for either 10 or 15 minutes. At one point I had a straw that was connected to a switch on the ground.

[00:15:54] I would kick the flip plate in my wheelchair and that worked for many years when I was at home. But this is something that I can use wherever I am in the world. And, it gives me a lot of confidence that I can be independent and not rely on somebody every 15 minutes or so. So that’s an open-source project that I’m quite proud of.

[00:16:21] Sam Proulx: Amazing. And, you know, sometimes it’s the simplest products and inventions that are the best, right? Because they don’t break, you can depend on them. and they’re easy to use and to maintain and to fix, there’s this desire to build GPS-enabled electric canes and wheelchairs that can climb stairs and our robots that walk.

[00:16:41] Ean Price: Yes.

[00:16:42] Sam Proulx: And maybe it’s not what we should be doing.

[00:16:43] Ean Price: Yeah, don’t get me wrong. I wish it had some sort of a laser targeting system where it really hit my mouth in the exact same spot every time. But no, you’re right. My dad who’s a retired engineer has taught me a lot over the years where I tried to connect an Arduino to everything and, and he says, listen, it doesn’t need to be that complicated.

[00:17:06] Nikki Nolan: Yeah. Sometimes simplicity really, really can solve things. Our environment is getting ever more complex.

[00:17:12] Ean Price: Yeah, but hey, it has its applications. Okay. I think that is something that I borrowed. And, yeah, sometimes the simplest solution, it’s just a written stick and, other times, some sort of a brain interface. I like to learn about all new technology and really understand how it will benefit us.

[00:17:41] And you’re right. Sometimes you just have to step back and say, is this really needed?

[00:17:46] Sam Proulx: Yeah, you should never decide not to do something because it’s too complex, but you should never do something simply because it is complex, right?

[00:17:53] Ean Price: Well said.

[00:17:54] Sam Proulx: I hope you’re enjoying listening to this podcast as much as we enjoyed recording it, but it sponsors that make it all possible. So let’s take a brief break to talk about our wonderful sponsor.

[00:18:03] Hi, I’m Lynette. I’m the Community Manager at Fable. I’m also a full-time screen reader user. And before becoming the Community Manager, I started out as a member of our community of accessibility testers. Now I help build and support the community of assistive technology users that powers everything we do here at fable.

[00:18:21] If you’re listening to this podcast, You probably know just how important it is to integrate the voices of people with disabilities into every aspect of your accessibility journey.

[00:18:32] Fable could help you do that. From improving your team’s accessibility training with Fable up-skill to working directly with assistive technology users, with Fable Engage, we can help you take the next step on your accessibility journey to learn more. Please check out our website at makeitfable.com.

[00:18:52] Nikki Nolan: We’re back from our break. Thank you for listening to our sponsors. You are the president of the Kelowna chapter of the Disabled Sailors Association. What got you into sailing?

[00:19:01] Ean Price: Honestly, I was downtown one day and those gentlemen came out of nowhere and said, hey, have you ever tried sailing? And I thought he was crazy. I said, well, of course not, look at me. And, he said, nonsense, here’s the number for the organization in town. And I’d really like you to phone them and try it out.

[00:19:26] I showed up with a roll of duct tape. And we literally taped me into a boat and it was so much fun that I came home and we started thinking about different ways for me to operate the sailboat. And, after about a year or so, I joined their board of directors and then eventually became the president.

[00:19:50] And I got such an incredible experience racing this 16 foot sailboat and only using my thumbs because that’s how I operate the boat.

[00:20:04] Nikki Nolan: That’s amazing. What is your favorite part of sailing? I recently took some sailing classes and I would say I got very overwhelmed and scared and I’m also dyslexic. So it was like, oh, what am I tacking, what am I doing right now? What do you enjoy the most about sailing?

[00:20:24] Ean Price: I think you nailed it. I think it’s that things change so rapidly and your environment changes, the wind shifts and you have to adapt to it as fast as possible. And even though the boats we use are very safe and untippable, there’s always that unnerving part where the boat is leaned over so much that there’s actually water coming in. And I looked down to see if my ventilator is safe and, yeah, that it gives me that adrenaline rush that I’m always looking for.

[00:21:01] Nikki Nolan: What would you say is your most significant success in your life?

[00:21:05] Ean Price: That’s hard, but I really, I don’t know. There’s so many incredible things that I’ve been fortunate enough to experience. Whether it’s starting my own company, being able to travel, just living your quote on quote normal life to the best of my abilities. I think that every day and every week I’m faced with a new obstacle and that’s what keeps me going.

[00:21:33] And I know that’s a cheesy answer, but I can’t think of one specific thing that really makes it for me. It’s everything combined.

[00:21:46] Sam Proulx: Interesting. I mean, there’s kind of the two ways to see challenges and obstacles, right? As a new challenge and as something fun or as something that is overwhelming, and that is irritating, and that is annoying. Was that like an intentional shift that you sort of had to make in your philosophy as you live your life or have you just always felt like, oh, I just love challenges?

[00:22:08] Ean Price: I don’t know either. I don’t think I’ve always loved challenges to that extent. I think that both of my parents are go-getters and, and, very, very good at overcoming obstacles. And they’ve taught me over the years, not to stress over the little things and how to problem solve and how to have that never say no attitude.

[00:22:36] Sam Proulx: It’s something that I feel a lot as well, but upbringing and education and role models are so important and so critical. And sometimes it can feel like maybe the younger folks coming up and perhaps for some of the folks, you know, in university or college who are listening and have a disability and who are just starting their careers and setting out on the journey.

[00:22:58] We perhaps don’t do as well by them as we should or could. And I wonder, a) what tips do you sort of have for the next generation coming up? And b) where should we be focusing our time and energy to make sure the next generations have it better than we did, right?

[00:23:19] Ean Price: Yeah, I think the first part of your question would be never giving up because you’re going to meet people that say, no, you can’t do that. Or that’s a horrible idea. But if you truly feel like that’s something that you need to do in your life, you need to accomplish this, then I say go for it. Things don’t always work out the way that you hope it will. That’s just part of life. If you don’t try these things and push yourself out of that comfort zone, then you’re really missing some fantastic opportunities. The second part of that question, I think it’s important for people to be treated equally. I think that for me, I went to public school and there were very few people with physical disabilities in my small town. I think that worked in my favor. Like my friend’s joke that they forget that I’m in a wheelchair at times. And I know that they forget I’m in a chair because they keep trying to pass me things, even though I can’t use my hands.

[00:24:37] It’s good that the principal and teachers over the years have kind of picked up on that, and they really tried to not treat me any differently. And I think that that has helped me immensely because then I don’t feel different. Like sure, there are things that have needed to be adapted for me and that’s fine, but, but not to dwell on that, just to do it and move on and then everybody working together.

[00:25:09] Sam Proulx: Yeah, maybe we sometimes get too focused on our disability and our differences.

[00:25:14] Nikki Nolan: You and Sam both had such wonderful parents that seem like they were really, really supportive and helpful.

[00:25:21] I think growing up for me, feeling different or othered, and then having it reinforced to me that I have a disability or that I’m different has really, I think psychologically messed me up a little bit. Then I have to overcome it. I just want to get to that place where people just treat me, like they would treat any other human.

[00:25:39] I love hearing you say that. That people were able to get to this point where you didn’t feel othered. I think that’s so important to hit on. I think it’s so important for people not to feel othered.

[00:25:48] Sam Proulx: Yeah. And everybody’s different. Everybody grows up in a different environment. Absolutely the number of my low vision friends, who have had experiences where they have been told directly by someone they barely know that they are faking it is truly astonishing. Whereas when you’re completely blind, nobody gets to say that to you, right?

[00:26:06] Nikki Nolan: Yeah, it’s interesting. Cause like I just found out that handicap restrooms flush quieter. And so they’re actually better for autistic people. I just learned this from an autistic creator and that she was like, I always use the handicap bathroom because it’s quieter.

[00:26:24] It makes me feel less stressed out. I was also told that if you are neuro-diverse or on the spectrum, you can actually board an airplane earlier as well. When they ask, if you need more time. Traveling is overwhelming And, I just learned about that too. And I was like, none of those things have I ever taken advantage of or even thought about, but it’s really cool to know that there are things out there that make people’s lives better and we should be trying to gravitate towards the things that make our lives simpler and easier.

[00:26:55] Sam Proulx: Yeah. And I think even in our communities maybe we over judge each other. How many times have I been tempted to sort of judge the person, obviously not disabled taking up the elevator, or using the handicapped washroom? Right? How do we navigate that? It’s hard.

[00:27:10] Nikki Nolan: What is some problems or challenges that you’ve solved that you’re just like, wow, it’s made a world of difference in my life.

[00:27:16] Ean Price: I think that technology is advancing so rapidly and I’m so fortunate because I do have a neuromuscular disorder that means I become weaker every year or two. And I think that as technology is improving and evolving, so quickly that it really makes me feel like there’s hope.

[00:27:44] And some of the things other people take for granted, like being able to turn the lights on and off in my house, by voice. That’s something that wasn’t around when I was younger and believe me, I think I drove everybody crazy for the first six months. Cause I’d go around the house, randomly turning things on and off and it was the best. I know my van, the first time I figured out that I could connect a module to it where I could open the door and extend the ramp on my own. I did it over and over to the point where I killed the battery in my vehicle, in my driveway, just because it’s something that I had seen people do and people have been helping me with for so many years and now I could do it on my own.

[00:28:39] So I think that those are the little things that keep me going. That they put a smile on my face and together, made me feel so independent. And I’m actually more independent now than I ever have been. Even though 10 years ago, I could shake your hand, and today I can smile and wiggle on my thumb.

[00:29:06] Sam Proulx: As an entrepreneur, as a founder, CEO of a company, we don’t see enough people with disabilities doing that. And what are some of the biggest challenges that you have found in business doing entrepreneurship and how do you overcome them?

[00:29:22] Ean Price: I think, in the beginning, I received a lot of mixed messages from people telling me that you’re disabled and you will get more work. And then other people said don’t tell people that you’re disabled because they’re not going to hire you. And it was really confusing because I heard these polar opposite suggestions from so many people.

[00:29:46] And I was shocked. I thought, but is this really the thing that I should be focusing my attention on? Like, well, I’m in the red tape business. Right? I figure out a good accountant or good lawyer, figuring out my business focus. There were so many things that were confusing in the beginning that, I think that was, that was really hard.

[00:30:12] And, the plus side, I think the real reason why I started it is to be over there and make my own hours so that if I do get sick, then I’m off work for a month, then I’m not going to lose my job and I can jump back into it and start up where I left off.

[00:30:33] Sam Proulx: Absolutely.

[00:30:33] Ean Price: I don’t know if I answered your question.

[00:30:35] Sam Proulx: Yeah, that was great. For someone else who’s there now, hearing those polar opposite messages, what is the one true ultimate answer? No, I’m kidding. But like, what worked for you? Was it disclosing that you had a disability or was it not?

[00:30:52] Ean Price: Yeah, I think for me, it’s very apparent that I have a disability. So even if I tried to hide it, you’d know within the first three seconds of meeting me. I have used it to my advantage, but in a way where I’m helping others. So for example, the websites that we design, making sure that they are inclusive is very important and it doesn’t matter what kind of a business my customer has, I need them to understand that their site will be accessible to all. And some of them say, well is that going to cost extra? I don’t really need that functionality. That’s not what I’m looking for. And say, listen, now, you came to the guy in the wheelchair and the guy in the wheelchair is gonna make sure that your website is inclusive. So that, I think in the long run, it does help.

[00:31:57] Sam Proulx: And perhaps it gets you, as they always say, sometimes you need to fire your customer, right? It gets you perhaps the right customer.

[00:32:04] Ean Price: Yes. Right. And then after they understand that wait for a second, they’ll find me, have you make a website that everybody can access, then more people are going to visit it. Their revenue sees a real increase then they get excited. But in the beginning, really connect the dots sometimes not everybody, but sometimes.

[00:32:26] Nikki Nolan: Yeah, disabled people are such a large market of people. And one lens, which another guest of ours went through is like, it’s just such a big market. Why would you want to exclude people from a revenue source?

[00:32:38] Ean Price: Yes. Yeah. I noticed that quite a bit actually, whether it’s through the digital industry or travel. I think everywhere that people are slowly starting to understand that people like that quote on quote disabled person, they might actually have money and they might have family and friends and they, it might for me, as I said before, I’m pretty high maintenance for my travel.

[00:33:09] It’s not just me hopping on an airplane. It’s me and an entourage of people. So, if you think about the additional revenue that these companies are making because I show up at the hotel or a restaurant or a transportation company, you name it. And quite possibly I’ll have 2, 3, 5 people with me.

[00:33:32] Nikki Nolan: One of the things that I’ve been seeing a lot in the news is that with travel, especially travel with wheelchairs, a lot of wheelchairs get damaged. Have you had any issues with traveling and working with airlines and having any issues with your chair being damaged?

[00:33:49] Ean Price: Fortunately, no. I have a custom-built shipping crate that we put my wheelchair into and then they load that into the aircraft and that has saved my wheelchair multiple times. I know from some of the longer overseas trips that my crate comes back not quite as shiny as it was initially.

[00:34:15] Right. I’ve had chunks missing, I’ve had holes through the side of it and it’s the armor that the wheelchair needs.

[00:34:25] Nikki Nolan: What can people do that can’t necessarily… I mean, sorry to put you on the spot, but have you thought of any solutions for helping people who maybe can’t afford to crate their wheelchairs, be able to travel? I mean, you’re a travel expert in solutioning. I’m just curious.

[00:34:41] Ean Price: Yes. Okay. So, there is an organization called the Tetra Society and they have volunteers all over North America. And they now have plans to build something similar to what I have. So anybody in a power wheelchair or that has sensitive equipment, then I would recommend reaching out to them and if one of their volunteers can help.

[00:35:13] Nikki Nolan: Oh, that’s wonderful. I just saw somebody recently who was able to convince the airline to allow her to get an extra seat and strap her wheelchair into the seat. She has a compatible wheelchair and, at first, they said no, but then she was able to convince them and she did it in both directions.

[00:35:31] And then the captain of the airplane came out and was like, thank you for teaching me that, I didn’t even realize that was possible. So do think there’s a lot of advancement that needs to happen with the airlines around education and things like that. To make it more accessible for people to travel.

[00:35:46] Ean Price: Oh, for sure. And they’re learning and I think that they are open to learning. There’s a huge movement now for removing seats from aircraft and then allowing people in power wheelchairs and manual wheelchairs to just roll on and be strapped down similar to a bus or a taxi.

[00:36:08] And I think that that will be incredible. When that day comes, I will be plane jumping for life. I can’t wait. And we are so close.

[00:36:20] Nikki Nolan: I hope so. I hope that comes really, really soon. That sounds like an amazing advance. What are some myths around disability that you want to bust?

[00:36:28] Ean Price: I think the biggest one would be that we are not employable and that our time is not valuable. I know I fell for this and that taught me a lot of very great experiences. I volunteered for the first number of years. And then I realized, wait for a second, why am I volunteering when the person beside me is getting paid to do the same exact job. So I think that’s something that really needs to change. And, it saddens me that I’ve met people recently who are very educated and very qualified and they feel like they’re not employable because everywhere they provide their resume to, as soon as they find out they’re disabled or they have some sort of limitations, then they’re rejected.

[00:37:23] Sam Proulx: I think there’s sometimes guilt, right? It’s like, well, we’re, we want you to do accessibility testing to make the product more accessible. So you should do it for free or we’re trying to do a good thing. So you should do it for free, right? Yeah.

[00:37:35] Ean Price: We’re trying to help you, but we’re not going to pay you. So yeah, that’s hard.

[00:37:42] Nikki Nolan: I just talked with Elsa Sjunneson. She’s a deaf-blind writer. She just did an ablism in the workplace for the ERG that I lead. And she’s been trying to find a job for two years. As soon as they find out she’s disabled, they ask her if she can do the job. And it’s just so incredibly insulting because disabled people have so much to give and so much to provide and it is worth paying for and is worth being employed.

[00:38:06] I don’t, there’s no question there. I’m just like, it’s just like very, it is very frustrating.

[00:38:11] Sam Proulx: Yeah. And I think the frustration too comes on, for context, I work at an accessibility testing company that works with folks with disabilities. And the other thing that I frequently find myself saying to people is stop agreeing to do this for free. Right? It’s very frustrating. We need to raise awareness in our own community.

[00:38:28] Right. I wonder how we do that.

[00:38:30] Ean Price: Yeah, it’s hard. I know in the beginning when starting web design that somebody would say yeah but, my niece or my nephew will do it for half the price. And I’m like, well, okay. After they build your website and you’re not happy with it, then you’re free to give me a call. Like I’m not going to lower my prices. I think the same can be said for accessibility testing or auditing, like sure. Maybe there is someone out that, that will do it for free because they’re bored or they feel like they’re not employable. But then I think you really, you get what you pay for. I know it’s a cliche, but it’s true. And we are experts.

[00:39:20] Sam Proulx: Exactly. If you give someone free advice, sometimes they treat it, with the value that they paid for it.

[00:39:24] Ean Price: Yes.

[00:39:25] Nikki Nolan: Yes.

[00:39:25] Oh, that’s so great.

[00:39:26] So we’re getting close to the end and we love to end with this. What is the first piece of technology you remember using and what was it for?

[00:39:33] Ean Price: The first piece I remember would be, I had a toy called the Iron Claw. It was a RC tank that had a mechanical arm attached to it. And my dad modified the controllers so I was able to operate it and it was the best thing ever. I was able to pick up my GI Joes and my action figures and move them around the house, which I wanted to do with my hands.

[00:40:12] And, and this was something that allowed me, that independence and that creativity.

[00:40:19] Sam Proulx: Yeah. And, that’s so amazing that it starts out as, like, a piece of mainstream technology that we modify to suit our needs. Right? It’s the invention and the creativity in this community. That’s really exciting to me. Absolutely. I mean, I just need a tank. Nevermind.

[00:40:41] Nikki Nolan: There’s such amazing innovation that happens in the disabled space that I just think is so cool. And just so creative. This is a conversation that is ongoing, and you’re doing such great things, in the space and so involved in every aspect, where can people find you? Where can people keep up with you? What do you have that you would like to promote on your end?

[00:41:02] Ean Price: Sure, this sounds like your very shameless pitch, but I think it’s important to talk about. I work with an organization here in British Columbia, called Technology for Living. And one of our programs is providing assisted devices and technology to people with physical disabilities at no cost.

[00:41:24] And I highly recommend anybody in the AT field to look us up, technologyforliving.org. and learn from our business model because it is possible to provide free assistive technology to people. It is a thing. And I wish I could see more of it globally. Visit my website https://icanresource.ca/. And please feel free to send me a message. And I’d love to connect.

[00:41:57] Sam Proulx: Absolutely. Thanks so much for joining us today. It’s been, it’s been really great.

[00:42:01] Nikki Nolan: This was so exciting. I’m so glad we got to talk.

[00:42:04] Ean Price: Thank you for having me!

[00:42:08] Sam Proulx: Thanks for listening to Disability Bandwidth. If you liked this episode of Disability Bandwidth, please subscribe and share it with friends and family. Today’s episode was hosted by Sam Proulx and Nikki Nolan. Edited and produced by Nikki Nolan.

Transcripts are written by Emma Klauber. Feed music is created by Efe Akmen.

Special thanks to everyone at Fable who without their support. This show would not be possible.

You can find out more about Disability Bandwidth on Twitter, @disability_band and Instagram, @disabilitybandwidth, or on our website https://disabilitybandwidth.com/.

[00:42:43] (Music)

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