About the Owner

LATE BLOOMER

by María Carmen C. Cruz

Before 2006 starting an online business hadn’t occurred to me, and in fact, wouldn’t have been possible.  Several things had to come together before I could think about working.  Although I was born almost totally blind and with mobility impairments, for some reason people seemed to assume my disabilities weren’t very severe.  Because of these assumptions and neglect it took a very long time for me to get the services and equipment I needed.

Things started looking up for me in 1990 when I got the chance to go to the W. Ross Macdonald School for the Blind.  I was only there for my last three years of high school, but in that short period I was finally taught to use Braille, talking computers, Braille-speech notetakers and a white cane.  Schoolwork, homewerk and finding my way around got much easier for me. And having access to audiobooks made reading enjoyable instead of a slow, strenuous chore.  All this helped me get to university in 1993, although my financial situation and physical problems only made it possible to complete two years of university.

It wasn’t until 2004 that I learned about the CCAC (Community Care Access Center), where I was able to self-refer for an occupational therapist.  Around the same time I’d also learned about companies that sold wheelchairs and other assistive devices.  I found these companies online and learned more about the wheelchairs they sold.  When I got an O.T. I asked for homemaking services, a shower chair with a back, and a power wheelchair.  She got me the homemaker and the shower chair, and encouraged me to reapply for Wheel-Trans.  I’d applied before and been turned down because Wheel-Trans didn’t feel my disabilities were significant enough to qualify. But although I was skeptical I reapplied anyway.  This time I was accepted, probably because by then I had more information about my disabilities.

I finally got a wheelchair in 2005 with funding from the Ontario ADP (Assistive Devices Program) and ODSP (Ontario Disability Support Program).  Because I’m blind I had to go through a series of steps before I was even assessed.  Some of these steps were frustrating and made me feel like I was banging my head against a wall, but I finally got my power chair.

Now getting around was so much easier.  I had much less fatigue and less pain too.  No more sleeping for hours after going out for just an hour or two!  The chair helped me with basic tasks at home, and now even grocery shopping wasn’t a big hassle anymore.  One of the great features on my chair was a series of side supports that allowed me to sit more comfortably.  Whoo-hoo!

In 2005 I learned about the PIC program offered by CILT (Center for Independent Living in Toronto).  CILT is a member of CAILC (Canadian Association of Independent Living Centers), and through the PIC application people with disabilities can apply for services, programs and supportive housing.  I’d heard of attendant services and supportive housing before, but I thought they were only for "severely" disabled people.  So I figured I’d never be entitled to have them.  When I learned I was entitled I thought, "What the hell, all they can do is turn me down."  I applied, had a few interviews, and was accepted for attendant services.

My attendant services started in February, 2006, and I noticed a difference right away.  I finally had help with some things I couldn’t do, and help doing things I’d always done myself but with a lot of difficulty or fatigue.  I couldn’t believe the increase in my energy level!  It was so amazing for me to realize bathing didn’t have to be a major drain.  I still get tired during the day, but I have a lot more energy than I ever did before.

So now the ideas in the back of my mind came bursting forward.  I wanted to design products that make life easier for everyone, including disabled people like me.  I also hoped to provide information about other available products and services.  With funding and support I figured I could run my own business, so I started looking for resources for disabled entrepreneurs.

The TBDC (Toronto Business Development Center is a great business self-help resource, and my first business advisor there gave me the tips and information I needed to get started.  She helped me research things like domain name providers, web hosting, affiliates, business logos, marketing strategies, link exchanges and much more.  She also helped me develop my business plan and sales forecast, and gave me the information I needed to get a business loan.  On my own I researched different product suppliers and manufacturers, since I didn't yet have the money to get my own products made.  Getting my website up and running was no easy task, but with my e-commerce provider's help I learned a lot of HTML code along the way to make this site even more user-friendly.  And here I am, bringing you Access-r-ease.  Hope it works for you!

Catch my blog at http://cruzviewz.blogspot.com.