Diverse Abilities Programs

Creating accessible schools, workplaces, and communities through education, empathy, and experience.

Building inclusion through understanding.

I’m Gina Martin, founder of Diverse Abilities Programs Inc. As a blindness and disability awareness educator, my mission is to help people see disability through a new lens, one grounded in respect, understanding, and practical action.


Every program I offer is designed to make inclusion something people can confidently do, not just talk about. Whether it’s a classroom, staff team, or community event, each experience starts meaningful conversations and leaves lasting change.


Accessibility benefits everyone. We’ve all had moments when our abilities changed, whether temporary, permanent, or as part of aging. When we build environments that are accessible, we make it possible for everyone to participate and belong.

Our Diversity Programs & Services

We have something for everyone!

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Inclusion & Understanding

Disability is just a unique way of navigating life. It's doing life, only doing it differently than most.

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Accessibility & Universal Design

Learn how to remove barriers by creating universal spaces & culture. Accessibility helps everyone.

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Real Life Practical Skills

Small shifts, make big impacts. Practical changes for individuals, teams, & communities.

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Support & Advocacy

No one is able-bodied forever. Advocate for an accessible world now. Speak up & lead with kindness.

Our Lead Team Members

Real people. Real life experience.

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Gina Martin

Founder, Educator, Author & Speaker

Edmonton, AB

Gina brings a unique perspective to every conversation she has decades of lived experience with multiple disabilities. She is passionate about making a meaningful difference by turning uncertainty into understanding and understanding into practical action.



Gina Martin is dedicated to bringing the reality of living with disabilities - both apparent and non-apparent - into our neighbourhoods, schools, youth groups, post-secondary institutions, retirement facilities, homes, businesses, workplaces across Canada, and communities world wide.

Vanessa Pettinger

Lead Facilitator, Parent, Educator, & Speaker

Victoria, BC

Vanessa brings lived experience, warmth, humour and an engaging approach to disability awareness education. Her passion for working with youth and communities help people discover that meaningful inclusion often begins with simple shifts in understanding.



Drawing from her own experience of adjusting to disability as a young parent, Vanessa is also passionate about helping families navigate and understand new diagnoses and changes in ability, whether affecting a parent, sibling, child or other family member.

A portrait of Vanessa with a warming smile and her hands on her hips.

Featured Programs & Workshops

Proudly Offering Disability Awareness Practical Teaching - aDAPT

Youth aDAPT Workshops

Creating safe & accessible environments for kids.

This interactive one-hour youth program gives students a hands-on understanding of disability, accessibility, and empathy. Through real conversation, tactile tools, and lived experience, Youth aDAPT helps students see how ability, kindness, and inclusion work together in everyday life.


We offer Youth aDAPT in person, for individual classrooms and school assemblies across Edmonton, Victoria, and online for schools anywhere in Canada. For Professional Development Days, I also provide workshops for teachers, educational assistants, and support staff virtually.


Bring Youth aDAPT to your school or help sponsor a classroom by reaching out today.

Youth aDAPT school assembly with Gina standing in front of the students in a gym.
The Youth aDAPT team is presenting to the whole school in the gym.

Sponsor & Donate

Empower our youth to encourage accessible futures.

Help us reach more students!


Every Youth aDAPT session is an opportunity to change the way young people understand disability, shift towards inclusion and build accessibility from the beginning. Businesses can make a powerful difference by sponsoring a Youth aDAPT package to a school locally or at a distance. Workshops and programs are available online as well as in-person.


Book a chat with Gina at a time that works for you to discuss the options. Use the Calendly link below to see her schedule.

Thank You To Our Sponsors & Supporters

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Featured Speaker & Educator

Bringing Lived Experience To Disability Awareness Practical Teaching - aDAPT

IDEAL Team Building

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, & Language

This 90-minute awareness and professional development training session helps staff teams gain confidence in communicating with and assisting people with disabilities. Participants learn respectful language, effective customer interaction, and how small changes can make any business more accessible in Edmonton and across Canada.


Proceeds from IDEAL Team Building help fund Youth aDAPT in schools and community programs. It’s a direct way to make your workplace more inclusive and create social impact.


Testimony:

"I am so appreciative to have had the opportunity to take this workshop. The information was invaluable in helping me to understand how to participate in creating a welcoming and accessible retail space as well as an inclusive work environment. I appreciated learning about the presenter's lived experience and found the workshop very positive, with practical ideas that I feel I can implement in my life, and at work. I learned a lot!"

- Katie

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Gina presenting a keynote speech

Keynote Speaker

Educating, Motivating, & Supporting Leaders

As a national educator and advocate, I speak at schools, conferences, and corporate events about disability awareness inclusion and accessibility. My talks are rooted in lived experience and highlight real-world strategies that make inclusion tangible and achievable.


Consider booking a keynote for your Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives, or for special awareness events such as Disability Employment Awareness Month in October or National Accessibility Week in May.

Hear it from Gina herself...

Disability can be an uncomfortable topic.

It doesn't have to be.

I can help!

Our Google Reviews

"Thank you for sharing how our programs & speaking have impacted you!"

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Connect with Gina & her community online.

Join the conversation by checking out her socials.

Chat with Gina Martin

We’d love to hear from you. Call us now at 778-533-9876 or send a message using the form below we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

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