13 years ago, Daniel O’Connor met Bradley Heaven when he became his full-time aide, supporting him as he attended high school. Together, the two have gone on to not only complete high school and university degrees, but they’ve also built a friendship and business partnership that has helped fuel the success of their company, All Access Life.
Bradley was born with nonverbal Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy, which affects his muscle tone regulation, coordination, and movement control. After seeing the life-changing effects that adaptive products have had on Brad’s life, the two realized that they could help others connect with the best tools on the market through an informative (but more importantly, fun!) platform that outlines the current trends and movements in adaptive products and assistive technologies. As Brad outlines “Assistive technology has given me a voice, given me the ability to complete a college degree, stay connected with my friends and family, run a business with Dan, and even attend Zoom Meetings”.
Brad and Dan first came to YES Employment + Entrepreneurship early in their entrepreneurial journey, when they had built a website but needed help figuring out the next steps in building their business. “YES gave us confidence. They gave us the vision to see that it was possible to turn this into a business,” details Daniel.
The two have expanded beyond their website to build a huge social media following and, more recently, to give presentations to youth. Watch any of the pair’s videos highlighting the newest tech, and you’ll see the key to their success – their easygoing friendship, humour, and the accessibility of their content.
As All Access Life embarked on their next growth phase (hiring a team!), they once again turned to YES for support. While perusing the many support services offered at YES, the call for applications for the Iris Unger Recognition Award caught their eyes. With a $1,000 cash prize, the award recognizes artists and entrepreneurs whose project best reflects the values that Iris Unger, YES’ former Executive Director, instilled during her 18 years at YES: dedication and passion, success through hard work, and a true commitment to making a difference in the community.
All Access Life excels in all of these areas. All Access Life helps not only connect viewers to the latest in adaptive products and technologies, it also helps break down barriers and shine a light on the possibilities those technologies can bring – and that’s something worth supporting.
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