A2A Team Page

• Founder
• Board of Director
• Chair of A2A
• Chair of AIM
• Grant & Fundraising Subcommittee Member
• Recipient of the 2023 Ontario Lt. Governor's David C Onley Award for Leadership in Accessibility.

• Carol-Ann has a +25 year career in interactive marketing, sales, promotion, networking, and event planning. She has an extensive background in the real estate industry from sales, property appraisals and property tax assessments.
• 40+ year as a volunteer for many organizations and causes.
• Carol-Ann has many disabilities such as ADHD and dyslexia since childhood, in her youth dealing with depression, anxiety, then in adult years battling the affects /disabilities of a brain tumour and treatments which created further intellectual and physical disabilities. 
• She took her adversities in life, along with empathy for other people with disabilities she met and created Access 2 Accessibility (A2A).
• She aims to fill a gap that her and others found, a lack of resources for career minded and entrepreneurial people with disabilities.
• Carol-Ann looks to others as role models and words of wisdom. One of her favourite's Helen Keller whose quotes help to guide Carol-Ann: "When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the CLOSED door that we do not see the ONE which has been opened for us." And "We are never really happy until we try to brighten the lives of others". These are part of the foundation Carol-Ann uses to find her purpose in life and strive for personal and professional growth.
• Chair, Mississauga Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC), member since 2005 plus being a member of AAC Subcommittees: Facility Accessibility Advisory and Promotional Accessibility Awareness.
• Vice-Chair, Region of Peel's Accessibility Advisory Committee, member since 2018.
• Recipient of the Mississauga 2021 Covid Heroes Award, for her work with A2A during the Covid pandemic.

To contact Carol-Ann:

Carol-Ann@Access2Accessibility.com

• Business Development & Community Engagement
• Board of Director
• Vice-Chair of A2A
• Vice-Chair of AIM
• Grant & Fundraising Subcommittee Member

•  Mary does speaking engagements promoting A2A and advocating for the empowerment of people with disabilities, such as being a Panel Speaker at the Region of Peel 2019 International Day of Persons with Disabilities Event. 
• Co-Host of Entrepreneurs & Professionals, with Disabilities Meet Up. 
• Program and Workshop Developer at Access 2 Accessibility.
• She is the Chair of the Region of Peel Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC). This is her 3rd term as a member of the AAC.
• Mary is a member of the Mississauga AAC.
• Chair of the Mississauga AAC's Promotional Awareness Subcommittee.
• Mary is recipient of 2021 CRLT (Community Recreation and Leadership Training) Alumni Award from Dawson College.
• Mary began her career as a Recreation Therapist by achieving her Bachelor of Arts, Specializing in Therapeutic Recreation, from Concordia University, and a Diploma,  Community Recreational Leadership Training from Dawson College. 
• Mary used her education and transferable skills to become an Employment/Training Specialist with over 20 years' experience in counselling and case management for persons with disabilities. During this time, she achieved her Certification in Community Mental Health Case Management from George Brown College. 
• As a Little Person, Mary is a strong advocate in the community, serving as a Committee  Member for both the Region of Peel and City of Mississauga Accessibility Advisory Committees.
• She is a member of  the Little People of Ontario Association. 
• Mary is a Member of Trillium Toastmasters. 

To contact Mary:

MaryD@Access2Accessibility.com

Board of Director 

•  Marcela is a Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Enterprise Stress Management 
• Senior Advisor, Accessibility, at Metrolinx.
• Accessibility  Consultant and assistive technology expert in higher education. 
• Master’s in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Toronto,
• She has experience researching, designing, and  implementing assistive technologies to improve movement and communications for persons  living with physical or intellectual disabilities. 
• She is an advocate for entrepreneurs with disabilities and has a passion for empowering her clients with technology-based tools to optimize their studying and working environments for performance and success. 

Board of Director

• Paul Daniel has extensive experience as an Audio Producer for over 20 years.
• He was a Newspaper Journalist at the (now-defunct) PULSE Magazine. 
• He's a Published Writer. He is currently researching and co-writing, with his friend Joe Zammit, on a political biography of Louis St. Laurent, Canada’s 12th Prime Minister.
• He has been a Member of Trillium Toastmasters, a public Member of speaking organization since, as he says, “Trudeau was prime minister. Pierre, not Justin.” 
• He has been an Area Director for Toastmasters and a mentor for a new club. 
• He is a vigorous supporter of accessibility for people with disabilities and has never met a cause he didn’t believe in.
• He was a Political Assistant in the Ontario government and a candidate in a provincial election.

Board of Director

• Alicia is a Senior Product Manager at Bell. 
• She solves problems at the intersection where business goals, human needs, & technology meet. 
• Following the War Amps philosophy of “amputees helping amputees,” as well as, taking a human-centered and research-informed approach, her background allows her to see products as experiences and treat them as such. 
• She has more than 10 years of professional experience contributing to all stages of the product and design life cycles — from running discovery research to leading international programs. 
• She has a proven passion for developing innovative solutions that combine cutting-edge technology with a deep understanding of human needs.
• To learn more about Alicia please visit her website:

  Home - Alicia.Design 

Board of Director

• Sumaiya is a third-year criminology, law & society student at the University of Toronto, minoring in sociology and political science. 
• She has volunteered hundreds of hours with various organizations in the local community, gaining valuable experience in community outreach and advocacy.
• Sumaiya uses her analytical skills and knowledge to offer valuable insights and help address systemic barriers in our community.
• As someone with a recurring invisible disability, she's particularly passionate about accessibility, and have inspired her to get involved in making our community more inclusive and accessible for all. 

Board of Director and 

Treasurer

• Juan holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Guelph.
• He is currently pursuing the Canadian Securities Course to deepen his expertise in financial markets. 
•  He is a driven professional with a solid background in communication, client service, and collaborative problem-solving. 
• With a keen eye for detail and strong organizational skills, he excels in managing multiple projects and providing effective solutions to client challenges. 
• He is proficient in tools like MS Office Suite, SAP, and Google Suite. 
• He's fluent in both English and Spanish.
• He has proactive and client-focused approach, with a proven track record in roles such as Administrative Assistant and Finance Intern.