About

Jennifer Barnable is an award-winning business communicator and disability inclusion changemaker, advisor and creator from Atlantic Canada. Passionate about equity and inclusion for all people with disabilities, she shines a light on the importance of anti-ableism education in schools, workplaces and all community spaces.

As a speaker, educator, facilitator and thought leader, Jennifer creates authentic, intersectional and awareness-raising content to educate others on the importance of disability rights and inclusion. Her vibrant public relations career spanned 20 years, intertwined with 10 years of progressive Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging experience.

Today, Jennifer is a dedicated disability inclusion advocate, anti-ableist educator, and communications advisor. She’s passionate about ending disability discrimination and its pervasive systemic and social barriers in society (particularly in workplaces, healthcare and education), while increasing authentic Disabled representation in media and community leadership.

Living with multiple disabilities, Jennifer has both lived and professional experience within the Disability community. She believes social stigma and systemic barriers disable and harm people far more than their actual health conditions do.

We live in a world deeply entrenched in ableism (disability discrimination), which is also rooted in capitalism, colonialism, patriarch, racisms, ageism and other oppressive systems. Simply put, ableism is the harmful, dangerous and discriminatory belief that disabled people are “less than” and therefore deserve less rights and access than those who are not disabled.

Jennifer has decades of experience working in allyship with marginalized communities, including the Indigenous, newcomer, 2SLGBTQ+ and Disability communities. She has witnessed, lived and advocated through the complex societal and systemic barriers facing intersectionally marginalized people.

She has gained respect and reputation from her active leadership on regional and national boards and advisory committees, tireless community volunteerism efforts, community outreach and mentorship of disabled youth and peers.

Sought out as a keen advisor, problem-solver and changemaker, Jennifer is known for her openness, relatability and straight-forward, approachable style. She’s been trusted as a high-level advisor and strategist across multiple industries, bringing her diverse skill set and lens.

Recent Accomplishments

Jennifer was nominated and later named a finalist for the 2026 Halifax Chamber of Commerce’s Halifax Business Award (Best New Business) for her disabled small business. She was the only sole proprietor finalist across all categories in the awards program. She was again nominated for the 2026 Feminist Creator Prize for her disability and gender justice activism and contributions through podcasting, video series and other advocacy efforts on a national level.

In 2025, Jennifer was shortlisted for the Canadian Women’s Foundation Feminist Creator Prize for her advocacy work as a creator of educational and awareness raising content both online and in person, with her inclusive, intersectional feminist approach as a disabled activist. Based on non-prize-related community recognition programs like Community Votes and the Canadian Choice Awards, Jennifer was voted as a 2025 finalist for HR Services and Disability Services, respectively.

In 2024, she received a federal government ADM Medallion for Service Excellence for co-facilitating and presenting at a disability inclusion segment of Service Canada’s Atlantic Executive Council annual session. That same year, Jennifer was also named the inaugral receipient of NSCC’s Alumni Award: Transformational Change for her advocacy, activism and inclusion leadership.

In 2023, Jennifer was thrilled to be honoured among Atlantic Business’ 25 Most Powerful Women in Business for her career leadership in communications and DEI advocacy, and the impact in she has had in the Atlantic region and beyond. The following year, she served as an alumna adjudicator for the Powerful Women awards program and conference.

In 2018, Jennifer’s work received and International Association of Business Communicators (IABC-NL) Pinnacle Award for Merit for outstanding success in a social media campaign she led, developed and delivered for a provincial disability rights organization, garnering over one million online engagements, widespread media attention and participation of community champions and celebrities.

As a student, Jennifer was awarded the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS-NS) Award of Excellence, a NSCC Community Leadership Award along with the institute’s Highest Academic Achievement (Business Faculty) and Halifax Campus Valedictorian. At both post-secondary institutes she studied at, she was an active leader in student life as a peer mentor, excursion leader, orientation week group leader, international and local campus tour guide and ESL tutor. Featured as a star student in several post-secondary publications, trade booths, student recruitment fairs and alumnni relations activities, Jennifer was an example of the diversity and opportunity that her career pathway brought, blending arts and cultural studies with business and public relations.

She has been featured in regional and national news publications, magazines, podcasts, social channels and professional events at local, regional and national levels.

Getting to know Jenna

A proud East Coaster, Jennifer is from Newfoundland and Labrador, and has lived across Canada, the UK and Europe. In pursuit of lifelong learning, humanitarian and animal welfare volunteering, and developing her intercultural and language competencies, she has travelled mindfully and responsibly through 60 countries with an open mind, pen and camera.

Supporting local businesses, makers/artisans and artists/performers, particuarly those led by women, Indigenous, BIPOC and 2SLGBTQ+ communities is a priority for Jennifer. From participating in community beach clean-ups, to her lifelong creative pursuits in photography, writing and storytelling, Jennifer leads a quietly vibrant life centred on community.

Known best as “Jenna” to those close to her, she now lives in Nova Scotia where she spends her time by the ocean, travelling to remote places, making art through writing, photography, creative projects, and spending quality time with her loved ones and pets. She’s a cinephile, avid reader, supporter of art, culture and music makers, communtiy volunteer and mentor for Disabled youth and peers.

Disability continues to impact her daily life, making things frequently uncertain and difficult as she navigates harmful systemic and attitudinal barriers. Remember, what you see on social media or online is nowhere near anyone’s reality. Disabled people mask our pain, symptoms, neurotypes, traits and struggles to a high degree to avoid discrimination and mistreatment. Our privacy and struggles should not be downplayed if we appear “fine” or “resilient” or “positive” online. The barriers and difficulties are beyond what you could ever imagine.

Never assume or judge. Disability has no one look, presentation or outcome. We may be changing the world one day and fighting for our lives the next. There is so much you don’t see. Be kind. Disabled folks don’t need to be exceptional to have value and be treated with respect and dignity. For every success Jennifer has worked hard to win, there are painful, private chapters of struggle in a world that punishes and harms disabled people, especially women whose disabilities are not immediately apparent. Anti-ableism education is extremely important, so if you’re reading this, please challenge yourself to learn and unlearn about disability and the discrimination that harms us.

Respect Disabled people’s privacy, celebrate our wins with us, and commit to helping remove the societal and systemic barriers that limit us far more than our actualy disabilities do. Your allyship matters.