Episode #15
S02 EP15. The Non-Negotiable: Building a Workplace Where Access Comes First
What if the accessibility your organization promises its clients had to be true for your own employees too, no exceptions? In this episode of Elevate, host Joy Fajardo sits down with Angelina Algranti, Vice President, People and Culture at Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada (VLRC), to unpack what it really means to build an accessibility-first workplace, not just as a client promise, but as an internal standard. Angelina's path here wasn't a straight line. She built her HR career across broadcasting, manufacturing, public housing, and one of Canada's most recognized charities before landing at Vision Loss Rehabilitation Canada, where about 15% of the workforce is blind or partially sighted. That mix of experience, plus working alongside colleagues who share the lived experience of the clients they serve, gives her a rare, ground-level view of what accessibility actually requires. Angelina walks through how VLRC builds culture through co-design instead of top-down policy, why accessibility is a non-negotiable line item in every vendor conversation (down to testing 16 different platforms before choosing one), and what changed for her personally the week she learned proper guide dog etiquette. She also gets candid about where she draws the line with AI, and why protecting her own critical thinking matters as much as adopting new tools. This one's for any HR or IC leader who says they care about accessibility and inclusion, and is ready to actually test that claim against their own systems. STAY CONNECTED! LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/linezero/ Website: https://www.linezero.com/resources/podcast ============================= Music: Ramaramaray by Aiyo | Get Up on That Horse by spring gang Via Epidemic Sound © 2026 LineZero
