Note de la rédaction : À l’occasion de la Journée internationale des personnes handicapées, Ashley Gaudet nous raconte son histoire afin de sensibiliser le public à la réalité de ces personnes et de promouvoir leur inclusion au travail et dans la société, pour qu’aucune d’entre elles ne soit laissée pour compte. Medavie se joint à elle pour appuyer le leadership et la participation des personnes handicapées dans la construction d’un monde plus inclusif, accessible et viable.
Ashley Gaudet is an Audit Investigator with Medavie Blue Cross. In her role, she uses state-of-the-art fraud prevention and detection capabilities to protect the benefit plans we insure and manage.
She is also a member of Medavie’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Council, an advisory group comprised of senior leaders and employees who are committed to ensuring that Medavie is constantly progressing towards a more inclusive environment.
“All I ever wanted to do with my life was make a difference. I didn’t know how I wanted to do it, but as soon as the opportunity arose, I knew the DEI council would be a great way to use my voice to help people who may not have a voice of their own.”
Ashley Gaudet is an Audit Investigator with Medavie Blue Cross. In her role, she uses state-of-the-art fraud prevention and detection capabilities to protect the benefit plans we insure and manage.
She is also a member of Medavie’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Council, an advisory group comprised of senior leaders and employees who are committed to ensuring that Medavie is constantly progressing towards a more inclusive environment.
“All I ever wanted to do with my life was make a difference. I didn’t know how I wanted to do it, but as soon as the opportunity arose, I knew the DEI council would be a great way to use my voice to help people who may not have a voice of their own.”
When asked about her prognosis, Ashley says every person experiences PCD differently. PCD has a broad spectrum of symptoms, and because it’s a rare disease, there is limited data on life expectancy and the rate of lung transplants.
“Having the ability to work from home has made it much easier to continue working when I’m having a flare-up. I set alarms to remind myself to do treatments and take medications and working from home means I never have to stress about forgetting medications at home—I’m already there.”
Ashley says there is still much that can be done in the workplace and society to improve accessibility and remove barriers.
“Start with making entrances to buildings accessible. A braille sign isn’t helpful if it’s behind furniture or difficult to find. An accessible door button isn’t really accessible if it’s too far away from the door. A public washroom is not accessible if the only way to get to it is down a flight of stairs.”
“Find a community who gets you. Look online on sites like Facebook and there is likely a support group that fits your needs.”
