Introducing Catarina Rivera (Blindish Latina)
Photo Credit: Nikki Rumph. Graphic Artist: Sarai Pak
The need for diversity, equity, and inclusion is not exclusive to the outdoor industry, nor is it something that involves a certain demographic or population . The very meaning of these terms encourages the integration of people from every background. Catarina Rivera has made it her career to teach companies and speak to the public about how to do just that, making it so that everyone is included in the narrative of inclusion.
Catarina, aka the Blindish Latina, has Usher Syndrome, which narrows her vision and requires the use of hearing aids and a white cane for daily navigation. But she will be the first to tell you that these truths are not meant to inspire or elicit any sense of sympathy, and instead, she uses her experience with disabilities to identify areas where adaptive and inclusive practices need to be implemented.
Creating an accessible environment should be a standard practice in areas of recreation, transportation, public spaces, and workplaces. As Catarina points out, however, “our world is designed, and [in] most cases favor[s] the nondisabled…there are many barriers for disabled people that nondisabled people don't notice and don't understand.”
Featured on platforms like LinkedIn, Thrive Global, and Nasdaq’s ‘Women to Watch’, Catarina “work(s) with companies to help advance disability awareness, inclusion, and accessibility,” making sure they are providing a space that is flexible to every employee's experience. She even encourages businesses to consider adding options on their website for people to express their accessibility needs and to make sure promoted information is presented with a better color contrast.
But the workplace isn’t the only space where Catarina says we need an adjustment. She recognizes that disabilities are often underrepresented in the outdoor diversity conversation even though the restorative benefits of nature are not exclusive to a certain experience.
She suggests that simple actions like making trail markers more visible, eliminating stairs for ramps, or even adding guide rails can ease the experience of a disabled person's navigation through nature.
Catarina encourages folks to get to know her through her work promoting representation and educating on inclusive diversity, as well as through her travels on Instagram. “I try to make that a place where people feel like they can get to know me, and that if a nondisabled person doesn't have any disabled friends in their life…they can know me.” Traveling all over the world while working location independent, Catarina also hosts events that promote ease of access in the travel industry.
“ The way that disabled people do things; it might be a little different, but we do them.”
If you’re interested in learning more about Catarina or how to be a better advocate for the disabled community, the next opportunity to join the conversation is on July 20th as part of the Wanderful Workshop: “Use Accessibility to Expand Your Reach”. If you’d like even more guidance on the best ways to be an accessibility ally, check out her Free eBook on the best practices for being an ally.
It’s clear that Catarina Rivera is an essential communicator in the movement toward a more diverse and equitable experience for everyone. However, to be truly inclusive we must all recognize that “ableism is powerful, and everyone needs to be involved in undoing it.” With this incredible work, she encourages us to rediscover what inclusion really means so that we can not only acknowledge the barriers but also create accessibility.
