Contrary to what some might believe, TikTok is about more than viral dance videos. The video-centric social media platform empowers individuals to create and share a wide array of content, from memes to updates on world events. Many people have harnessed TikTok’s potential as a stage for advocacy and activism, as creators are able to draw attention to pressing social issues locally and globally.
One community that is reclaiming time and asserting their voice on this app is the disabled community. This large, diverse group has leveraged TikTok to spread accessibility awareness and challenge ableism. Each creator brings a unique perspective to this discourse. Take, for instance, Tyler Lima-Roope (@Tylerlimaroope), whose witty, tongue-in-cheek videos humorously recount personal experiences of ableism, or thoroughly analyze whether characters on Scooby-Doo or the Office would be “ableist or ally.” For others like Imani Barbarin (@crutchesandspice), TikTok is a platform for delivering incisive societal critiques on the intersecting issues of disability, race, class, and more.
Another notable advocate is Taylor Lindsay-Noel (@accessbytay), a 31-year-old woman living in Toronto. A former competitive gymnast, Taylor experienced a spinal cord injury during sport at age 14 which left her paralyzed from the chest down. Post-high school, she pursued studies in Radio and Television Arts at Toronto Metropolitan University, and eventually established the podcast Tea Time with Tay. This podcast explored a variety of topics with special guest athletes, actresses, advocates, and more. Today, Taylor is the busy owner and CEO of a luxury tea brand and cafe, Cup of Té, a motivational public speaker, and a content creator and advocate on social media. Viewers of Taylor’s content are drawn in by her candid and joyful approach to life and advocacy.
As a student studying inclusion, I was eager to speak to Taylor to hear her thoughts on TikTok as a space for disability advocacy and community building. I reached out to her to inquire as to whether she would be open to speaking on the subject and she was kind enough to agree to a meeting via Zoom. In that call, which took place in November, we discussed TikTok, accessibility, advocacy, and more.
To begin our conversation, I asked Taylor about what had inspired her to start creating content on TikTok. Her response harkened back to the COVID-19 lockdowns when she and her friends would daydream of going back out into the city to visit their favourite local haunt. “We kept talking about this one place we would always go to. We went there every single time we met up. And the question of ‘why are we always going to the same place?’ was asked…” she explained. “And the answer was that we knew it was accessible and that we knew it would be easy for me. We started talking about how that shouldn’t be the case. There should be way more options.”
This realization sparked a conversation about the lack of reliable information on accessible alternatives, leading to a crucial turning point for Taylor. It was in this vacuum that Taylor’s restaurant accessibility reviews were born. As she put it, the aim of her early videos was to “start documenting our experiences – the good and the bad – so that people can have a visual idea of how inaccessible places have a real-life effect on people with disabilities or accessibility needs.” For her reviews, Taylor and company travelled to local restaurants to review the food, drinks, ambience, and most importantly, the accessibility of the venue. Her commentary would hone in on details like automatic doors and the layout of washroom spaces – important features to consider for those with extended mobility needs.
In one of her most widely viewed restaurant review videos, Taylor visits the Shameful Tiki Room in downtown Toronto and soon discovers that she had been misled by the accessibility information provided by the restaurant on the web and by phone. While the establishment claimed to be wheelchair accessible via Yelp and confirmed this to Taylor over the phone, her visit revealed the opposite to be true. The venue did not have an automatic door, and there was virtually no room between tables to maneuver her wheelchair. She also discovered that there was a step leading to the washroom area and that there were no wheelchair-accessible stalls. After Taylor’s review went up, showcasing the restaurant’s poor accessibility standards and noting their hypocrisy in declaring the establishment “wheelchair accessible,” viewer support came pouring in. The Shameful Tiki Room is now no longer listed as wheelchair accessible.
Reflecting on her restaurant reviews, Taylor told me she had originally imagined that these videos would only be of interest to other members of her local disabled community. However, she soon discovered that there were many types of people watching her videos for information on accessibility. Parents with strollers, elderly folk, and caretakers were also benefiting from her insights. Moreover, she was surprised and amused to discover that her viewers were also interested in watching her videos as food blogs. This struck her as ironic because “I’m not much of a foodie… I was always a chicken-fingers-and-fries girl. So my friends and I find it so funny that people say now that I’m the restaurant girl.”
Given the support she had received from her broad audience base, Taylor felt motivated to continue to grow and evolve her content. In principle, she aims to “change the narrative about what a disabled person’s day-to-day looks like.” In reviewing comments left on her videos, Taylor has had the chance to see the impact that her mission has had on others. For instance, she shared “I talked about a fork that I use, and I see “Oh my god, I’ve been looking for something like this for my grandpa. Thank you so much for this resource.” So, knowing that people can look to me as a resource… I love that. That’s really cool.” Being able to help others on their personal journeys with accessibility has brought her a sense of meaning and fulfillment.
On her mission to show what an accessible life can look like, Taylor welcomes viewers into both her personal and professional worlds. In her series, Day in the Life of a Paralyzed CEO, Taylor shares her entrepreneurial endeavours. In one such video, Taylor takes viewers through her day from her morning routine where she is assisted by nurses, to a brief stop at a studio where she is filming a special project, to finally ending her workday at her own café to meet with her team of staff. In a different video series, Dating Disabled, Taylor speaks to deconstruct myths surrounding disability, dating, and sex by drawing on her own experiences.
“I think there’s just a lot of misconceptions when it comes to people with disabilities and their dating life, and I just want to change that perception. I’m just like everybody else with the same wants and needs, [and] a lot of the same capabilities,” she said, expanding on why this project in particular was so important to her. In these videos, Taylor often adopts a fun, gossiping tone to answer viewer questions on more intimate topics. She shared that she is comfortable and enjoys having these conversations on camera.
However, in as much as Taylor seeks to dispel misconceptions of what it is like to live with a disability, she emphasized that her experiences should not be generalized to all disabled people. “I don’t want people to think that what I do, or my experiences, or my outgoingness, are exactly the norm. So, I don’t want people to expect that from everyone. But more so leave my page with a broader perspective of what is capable for somebody like [me],” she said.
In considering the sheer magnitude and variety of projects Taylor has on the go, it’s no surprise that she feels overwhelmed at times. She had not anticipated that her TikTok page would grow to such an extent that she now works with professional management to run campaigns and offer consulting on accessibility. This overwhelming success has led Taylor to reconsider her future goals.
“It’s made me reexamine where I want to go, what my goals are for the future as an entrepreneur, and if it’s time for me to pivot and just focus on social [media] and just be an advocate. So, I’ve had a lot of self-development and reflection over the last year and a half,” she explained.
As she looks forward and imagines a future more dedicated to her social media platform and advocacy, Taylor considers a range of projects and possibilities. She would like to take her accessible restaurant reviews international, and in doing so simultaneously tackle the notoriously inaccessible travel industry. For Taylor, her advocacy goals take on the utmost importance. Even as she considered the possibility of someday having a family, she mentioned that she looks forward to tying it into her advocacy work, as “it would be a really powerful thing to talk about parenthood as a disabled mom.”
As Taylor looks forward, she is propelled by the desire to make her province, the country, and the world “a more accessible and understanding place.” She identifies TikTok’s role in providing her with a platform to foster advocacy, challenge societal norms, and transform our world. On TikTok, she has carved out a space to share crucial accessibility information with the public, engage in candid discussions around disability, and expand and evolve her various businesses.
“I’ve always been looking for the why after my accident. Like, why did this happen to me? And I feel like I’m stepping into my why. I was put in this position so I can have a platform in order to make changes for the communities I represent. I feel lucky to do that and a lot of that is because of TikTok,” she explained.
In navigating the digital landscape with authenticity and purpose, Taylor continues to derive joy and meaning from her work as she leads the way to a more accessible and inclusive future. As her platform grows, Taylor remains committed to using her voice to advance positive change for the disabled community in Toronto and beyond.