Roberta McDonald looking out from a coffee shop window with an engaging smile. She has multiple tattoos and is carrying a tote bag

Hello! Roberta is my given name, but most folks call me Robbie.

My pronouns are she/her.

I’m proud to be a part of a dynamic accessibility and disability inclusion movement. Storytelling for impact and community building are my guiding forces. Nothing about us without us. As a deaf and neurodivergent accessibility professional, I am heartened by the incredible work taking place here in BC and beyond. Accessibility is a human right.

Over the past 20+ years, I’ve written three books, countless magazine articles, newsletters and blogs. For the past 8 years, I’ve been contributing to a wide range of accessibility initiatives and was recently nominated by the Open Door Group as a Workplace Inclusion Champion.

After consulting with innovative organizations around accessibility, including Untapped Accessibility, Accessible Employers, BC Access Awareness Day, and Open Door Group, I launched Accessible Dimensions in early 2023. My work has evolved and I am now Project Manager for the Accessible Organization Project with DABC. I still provide accessibility consulting on an ad hoc basis for values forward organizations, including hcma architecture and select clients, depending on capacity.

A woman with black curly hair wearing large black glasses and smiling. She has a blue top, a beaded necklace, and a background with green plants.

Robbie has been a great partner on many projects with Untapped Accessibility including writing blogs, facilitating accessibility dialogues and presenting to decision makers. She always brings an honest and values-forward approach to her work, which we love. She has extensive experience but also isn’t shy about trying new things.

Trish Kelly
Managing Director, Untapped Accessibility

A smiling Japanese women with glasses and a brightly coloured headband

Robbie's personal lived  experience, professional work experience, and knowledge provided us a great introduction to what neurodiversity means, and how we can work together to create an inclusive and accessible work environment.  It was great for all our staff to come together to learn with her and we particularly enjoyed the breakout rooms and having deeper, meaningful discussions with my team. Thank you Robbie!

Izumi Inoue and the leadership team
Whistler Community Services Society