LEXA BERGEN

Coach . Advocate . Speaker

Disability . Inclusion . Advocacy . Activism . Accessibility . Equity . Diversity 

 

Working towards a more equitable and inclusive culture for all.

 

Creating an inclusive culture starts with looking inward and understanding how we truly feel about the people in our community. By becoming more self-aware, we can identify our own biases and preconceptions. Then, with care and intention, we can take steps to remove those biases and build a community where everyone feels welcomed and valued for who they are. When we open our hearts and minds, approach others with genuine interest and goodwill, and make room for all voices, we plant the seeds of belonging that allow an inclusive culture to bloom.

Presentations 

 

Accessibility: 
  • why it matters.
  • business case.
  • culture and policy.
  • small things that make a big difference any business or group.
  • why this work is done with the disabled community not for the disabled community.
  • the overarching benefits of accessibility for all people. 
  • communicating effectively / avoiding defensiveness.
  • your impact.

 

 

Disability Culture and Awareness: 
  • what is disability.
  • understanding ableism.
  • where the culture started, where it's going now and who's leading the way.
  • talking about disability, intersectionality and more about the disabled community.
  • "nothing about us without us"
  • communicating effectively / avoiding defensiveness.

 

Being an Ally to the Disabled and Chronically Ill Communities:
  • culture -- where it started and where it's going. 
  • inclusive practices -- how to be a powerful ally.
  • how to talk about disability while being inclusive and respectful. 
  • navigating learning and growth, moving away from ableism.
  • visible and invisible disabilities and what to keep front of mind before you act.

 

Understanding Advocacy -- supporting a loved one.

  • how to be an impactful advocate without taking over.

  • our culture and understanding ableism.

  • models of disability and knowing where you are at.

  • offering to help, giving support.

  • navigating when to step in or up for the disabled community.

 

What does it takes to be a great Advocate:
  • autonomy.
  • who to talk to.
  • planning the route towards desired outcomes.
  • knowing which supports to chose.
  • keeping supports reliable and on track. 
  • celebrating the wins.
  • vulnerability, personal power and setting boundaries.

 

Self Advocacy 
  • self leadership and autonomy.
  • creating a vision.
  • setting boundaries and effective communication.
  • asking or accepting help also, NO is a full sentence.
  • personal power how to step into it and when and how to rest and recover.

 

Language

  • why it matters.

  • when to ask questions and how to do it respectfully. 

  • Accessibility .  Accommodations . Adaptations-- know what is being asked.

  • how to correct language by calling people in and not out.

  • resources and micro learning to stay on track.


 

These presentations are offered independently or can be grouped together.

 

Please contact me for more information or for something specifically designed for your group or team.


 

Workshops

 

Creating a framework for accessibility in your small business.

  • measuring your starting point -- culture and the built environment.

  • business case for accessibility

  • vison for action and impact.

  • who benefits from your accessibility efforts.

  • diverse and inclusive culture wins.

  • visible and invisible disabilities.

  • disabled, chronically ill, neurodiverse, mental health -- who are your considerations for and why?

  • training, learning and growth of the team.

  • celebrating the wins and navigating challenges.

  • self assessment, measurement and time lines.

 

Advocacy for parents of children with disabilities.

I first want to note that after 18 years of advocating for my child -- this continues to be a space of growth for me. That this work is changing as quickly as my child is. I have a guiding principle that I stand in every time I make a decision with and for my child  which is -- his autonomy first.

 

  • understanding ableism my own and culturally.
  • models of disability.
  • Leadership.
  • the importance of autonomy.
  • if not you, who? -- if not now, when?
  • being that parent -- navigating judgement, shame and outer pressures.
  • recognizing and celebrating the wins.


 

 

 

“It’s important to think about how we talk about disability, because the way we talk shapes how we think, and the way we think shapes the way we talk.”

~Emily Ladau

 

Testimonials

Lexa invited us to expand our understanding by providing current facts and information about the Accessibility Acts in both BC and Canada. She asked questions and interwove personal stories to enhance and deepen our awareness, which added relevance and relatability. Student teachers were impacted by the conversation and ideas formed within the presentation, and by personal connections made between Lexa’s experiences, their own experiences, and their opportunity to implement true integration into future teaching practices.

 ~ Deanna Gestrin, Faculty Associate, Faculty of Education Simon Fraser University 

"Always enjoyed Lexa speaking to my Design Ethos classes at UFV. She is very attentive and engaging. Moreover, she would bring resources that we need to know as creators. Very knowledgeable and loves to share them. Lastly, we can tell how passionate she is with advocating. Thankful that she is willing to share her stories and knowledge."

 ~ JESS DELVES (she/her), Sessional Instructor University of the Fraser Valley 

Get in Touch

Have questions? Let's Connect!
A charcoal grey Disability Pride Month flag with a diagonal band from the top left to bottom right corner, made up of five parallel stripes in red, gold, pale grey, blue, and green.
progress Flag. five-colored chevron to the classic Rainbow Flag to place a greater emphasis on “inclusion and progression.” Quasar’s Progress Pride Flag added five arrow-shaped lines to the six-colored Rainbow Flag, which is widely recognized as the symbol of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBTQ+) community. The flag includes black and brown stripes to represent marginalized LGBTQ+ communities of color, along with the colors pink, light blue and white, which are used on the Transgender Pride Flag.

I am a settler living on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Coast Salish People, including Stó:lō Nation.