Wilf Rieck Recipient, Founder of accessibrand

JOLENE MACDONALD - Founder & Advocate

With 22 years in the graphic design and marketing industry in her back pocket  – including 17 years as a successful entrepreneur and award-winning designer (formerly a founding partner of The Blondes in Kitchener) – Jolene’s career path made a shift.

Faced with her own diagnosis of an invisible disability, and also having one of her own children with a disability, Jolene experienced first-hand how society can create barriers to access and inclusion. These experiences made her desire to serve the disability community even greater. And with it came thoughtful contemplation as to how to meld her personal and work passions. In 2017,she founded Accessibrand™.

Today, Jolene’s company is providing a much-needed service, and creating a more accessible society – one organization/company at a time. When not designing or spending time with her family, Jolene is an avid volunteer, serves on the Grand River Accessibility Advisory Committee for all of Waterloo Region and most recently joined the Canadian Accessibility Network to help further change on a National level.