We recently wrapped up our largest annual fundraising event, Evening in the Maritimes, celebrating its 30-year milestone of impact, connection & community. It came together seamlessly, but behind the scenes, this one evening represents months of planning, coordination, and care from a small but deeply committed team, supported by an incredible group of volunteers.
As I watched the room come together that night, I found myself thinking less about the event itself and more about the people behind it—the quiet leadership, the extra hours, the small decisions that no one sees but everyone benefits from. It was a reminder, not just as an Executive Director but as someone who has spent decades in this sector, that the people behind the work are our greatest asset.
It’s National AccessAbility Week from May 31st to June 6th, a time to celebrate the accomplishments and leadership of Canadians with disabilities. But I find myself reflecting on how we should also be celebrating the people behind the work, the ones showing up every day to drive the mission forward, often in ways that go unseen.
Over the years, I’ve come to believe that the organizations creating the most sustainable impact aren’t necessarily those with the biggest budgets. They are places where people stay and do meaningful work, without burning out in the process. They are the ones who have sustainable workplace environments, built with intention and a clear understanding that people need the right conditions to do their best work.
We often speak about accessibility in programs and communities, removing barriers so individuals with disabilities can fully participate. That same thinking should also apply within our organizations. Staff well-being needs to be treated as part of the accessibility standard.
At ABLE2, that understanding has shaped our approach to workplace culture. Our work in disability advocacy has taught us that barriers aren’t always visible. Someone might struggle because the environment wasn’t designed with them in mind. Rigid systems exclude people, inflexible expectations wear people down, and the one-size-fits-all approaches leave people out. These patterns exist in workplaces too, even when we don’t immediately recognize them.
When we ask staff to build resilience, we sometimes ask them to work around barriers we could remove. When we praise people for going above and beyond their roles or being available outside of their working hours, we reinforce a culture where overextension is seen as the norm. When someone reaches a breaking point, the focus shifts to self-care and boundaries, without fully examining whether the work itself was ever sustainable.
Resilience matters. But it cannot be the only strategy.
What if we spent equal energy asking a different question: What barriers are making the work harder than it needs to be?
When ABLE2 transitioned to remote work, the goal was to improve access by meeting people where they are, and to invest our resources more intentionally in our programs and services. In doing so, we removed barriers like commuting, rigid office hours, and the limitations of a physical office space. What became clear over time was how much this also mattered for our team. Staff who were managing chronic health conditions, caregiving responsibilities, sensory sensitivities, or mobility challenges were able to direct more of their energy into the work itself, instead of constantly adjusting their lives to fit around it. The work didn’t just get easier, but it became more possible to sustain.
I also recognize that remote work isn’t an option for every organization. Many roles in our sector are rooted in in-person services, requiring physical space and equipment to deliver programs. And even in our own experience, working remotely comes with its own challenges like feeling disconnected at times, blurred boundaries between work and home, and differences in people’s home environments. It’s not a universal solution. But the principle holds: how we structure work can have an outsized impact on people’s capacity to contribute.
It can look like flexible scheduling that doesn’t require justification, so people can manage medical appointments, caregiving responsibilities, or different productivity patterns. Clear role boundaries so people know what success looks like and aren’t constantly wondering if they’re doing enough. Trust-based work cultures where output matters more than when or where work happens.
It also means leadership that models these expectations. When leaders take time off or truly step away, it makes it easier for others to do the same without guilt. When leaders stop expecting after-hours email responses or deliverables, it signals that sustainability matters more than constant availability. When leaders are honest about their limits, others feel comfortable setting realistic expectations.
These shifts don’t require major budget allocations. They require the willingness to examine how things are done and question whether they still make sense. And these shifts don’t just serve employees with disabilities; it benefits everyone.
I’m not suggesting we can eliminate all stress from work. The nature of our work will always carry weight. We respond to real needs, often with limited resources, and the stakes are high. But we can be intentional about where the difficulty comes from.
At ABLE2, we are still learning. We strive to distinguish between challenges inherent to our mission and challenges we’ve created through our remote workplace culture. We try to get better at asking: What’s getting in the way of people doing their best work? What can we change?
We’re also learning that supporting staff well-being isn’t separate from mission effectiveness. When people have what they need to succeed—clarity, flexibility, trust, reasonable workloads—they do better work. Programs improve, creativity flourishes, people want to stay and build expertise—ultimately strengthening everything we do for the people we support.
National AccessAbility Week is a time to recognize progress and reaffirm our commitments for the work ahead. For me, it is also a reminder that inclusion starts within our own walls, in how we run our organizations. It’s reflected in how work is structured, what we ask of people, and what we are willing to change. When well-being is treated as part of accessibility, the work becomes steadier, more thoughtful, and ultimately, more sustainable.
Thirty years of Evening in the Maritimes is a milestone to celebrate. But what stays with me is not just the event itself, but the people behind it. The staff and volunteers who have shown up year after year, carrying the work forward in ways most will never see. After another successful event, I find myself asking a different question: not how we sustain the event, but how we sustain the people who make it possible.
When we remove barriers for our teams, we build a stronger organization capable of sustaining impact over time. When we model the inclusion we advocate for, we create environments where people can bring their best without compromising their well-being. And when we truly take care of our people, the mission moves forward with purpose.
For leaders in my network, what is one expectation or norm in your organization that you’ve had to challenge once you realized it wasn’t actually working for your team? I’d love to hear about your experiences.
Published by
Experienced Non-Profit Executive Director