about tamara
Tamara is a self-started businesswoman, author, musician, athlete, medical consultant, speaker, and disability advocate. Her experiences and expertise cross many fields challenging the perception of what having a disability means.
She runs an accessibility consulting businesses which caters to a diverse range of clientele from families, to 'mom and pop' shops, educational institutions, fortune 500 companies, and more. She endeavours to impart decades of experience in both physical and digital accessibility. to create spaces welcoming for all users. Her music is probably the most influential part of her journey. As a professional performing and studio musician since the age of 9, her performance has crossed boundaries from classical, to pop/rock, and folk and continues to evolve. As a music teacher for the last 15 years, she has fostered a passion to work with young musicians, especially those with physical and cognitive disabilities, to develop musicality and challenges every student’s beliefs of what they are capable. Tamara has authored and published a universally-designed and engaging music theory series for young students. She spent years re-designing and developing the works of her late grandmother Grace Vandendool to bring music theory education into the 21st century. On her blog and YouTube Channel, Tamara addresses the many social and physical roadblocks faced by those who are blind/low vision and disabled on a daily basis. She shares her personal journey of growing up ‘disabled’ from home, to school, to entering the workforce, and losing her remaining vision. From her ups and downs she hopes to impart a few gems of wisdom she’s learned along the way. In her speaking, Tamara endeavours to change the stereotypical social view of disability and foster a message of self-empowerment and inclusivity. She discusses the importance of early intervention for children with disabilities and the community of people needed help those with disabilities succeed and thrive in mainstream society. She believes that everyone deserves a voice and can create the change they wish to see in the world. In addition to her music and consulting, she also continues to run a textile and historical costume recreation company which has been featured on TV and movies. She has raced in NASCAR sanctioned races, downhill skied, danced, and been an equestrian competitively to name a few of her physical pursuits. On top of all of this, Tamara has albinism and has been legally blind since birth, losing the majority of her remaining vision by her early teens. She has a number of other physical disabilities that impact everyday life. |
Social media
@UnsightlyOpinions@UnsightlyOpinioNS@UnsightlyOp |
@UnsightlyGaming@Unsightlyopinions@Unsightlygaming |