Meet Darby Lee Young, founder of Level Playing Field

Darby Lee Young founded Level Playing Field, an accessibility agency, in 2015. Born with mild cerebral palsy, Darby works to mitigate barriers that people like her face daily. Accolades for her strides creating a more inclusive, accessible built environment include a Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 Award, the Calgary Stampede’s Western Legacy Award for Innovation, and an Inspired Albertan feature.

My first job ever was…

At the Calgary Stampede, as a gate attendant, when I was 14. Back then, there were no apps—you had to buy a paper ticket and show it at the entrance. I loved meeting all the different people from all over the world, saying hi, and of course the mini doughnuts. 

I created Level Playing Field because… 

I was born with mild cerebral palsy and as a person with a disability, I was tired of trying to go out for lunch or dinner with my friends and not being able to find a great place where we could all meet for a simple social gathering. Where to grab a bite for lunch, drinks after work, a coffee: these should be a simple, quick decisions, not a two-hour logistical headache. It was frustrating and isolating—until I realized that lack of accessibility was a problem for many others but it was rarely seen, yet I had a first-row seat. And I knew we could solve it if we could get more people to understand the issue and work together.

Leaders should prioritize accessibility because… 

If we have leaders who understand and think about accessibility and inclusion in their professional life, in their daily life, they will use that perspective when we think about where we want to meet. We think about what our office would be like for someone to visit as a client or to join our staff. Lack of accessibility is an issue that once seen and understood cannot be “unseen”. 

Once you see the issue, it becomes unthinkable to overlook accessibility as a priority. Leaders with this insight literally pave the way and open doors. Leaders break barriers so that people with disabilities who had been isolated to get involved in their communities, to become active in the workforce, to enjoy parks and public spaces together. Accessibility is part of inclusion; it enriches our society because we all have something to offer and when we all have this chance to be included, everyone is better off.

My proudest accomplishment is… 

Not giving up and standing up for others. Growing up, I heard that because of my disability, sports were going to be a difficult option for me. It was heartbreaking because sports looked like so much fun and I longed to jump in the fray. It’s hard to keep hearing “you can’t do that” over and over. The words stung but I didn’t let them get to me. So I not only participated in sports, I volunteered with Hockey Canada the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and competed in Para-Alpine downhill skiing. It was great fun! 

In sports I found not just some of my truest lifelong friends, cheerleaders and mentors, but also my self-confidence. Those lessons I carried forward into starting a business. It was hard to be taken seriously in the beginning. Over and over, I got the condescending looks, the judgemental top-to-bottom looks. The same looks that Julia Roberts got in the movie “Pretty Woman” when she went into a boutique in Beverly Hills.

Five years in, I feel proud and grateful to run a business that has survived two world crises. To have a strong, inclusive team. To be building not just more accessible spaces, but also a network of forward-thinking architects, designers, space owners, builders and policy makers who “get” why accessibility is important. Together, we are breaking down barriers and building pathways of hope and inclusion for people with disabilities.

My proudest achievement has yet to happen because there is really so much more that needs to be done. 

Being an entrepreneur is hard. It is exhausting because you’re always on – there are no days off. But it’s worth it if you and your team are building something that’s greater than yourselves.

I surprise people when I tell them… 

That I have a shoe obsession. I was having trouble finding cool, fashionable shoes that were practical and accommodated my disability. Last year, Canadian shoe designer John Fluevog decided to build a shoe and even named it after me! Now it comes in multiple colors due to the popularity. 

I’m heavily involved in volunteering in sports—Hockey Canada, the Vancouver Olympics, and most recently, until COVID, tennis—on the team services side. We take care of coordinating the details, the user experience, so that athletes can walk right up to the court and are able to concentrate on the game. It’s coordinating little things like making sure that the have clean laundry, clean equipment, dressing room setup, logistics. These are low-profile tasks that nobody wants to do, but I’m happy to pitch in to help us win. 

My best advice to people starting out in business is…

Rally a good core team around you, and support others in whatever big or small ways you can. A clean towel might be what helps the team win a gold medal—you never know!

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Nobody can go it alone.

Being an entrepreneur is hard. It is exhausting because you’re always on – there are no days off. But it’s worth it if you and your team are building something that’s greater than yourselves.

People might question your ability and they might judge sometimes, but don’t respond in kind. Just bring your A-game consistently. Prove them wrong. Listen to their point of view and have a conversation. I have found that 99% of the time, people of integrity will always be ready to support what’s right. The other times, they might be really tired because they’re also on all the time…

Last but not least: please think about accessibility! It’s the right thing to do, but it’s also good for business. Your next big client or top-performing staff might have a disability. Be open for that and plan for it. 

The once piece of advice I give that I have trouble following myself is… 

Have a work-life balance. I was up at 4:30 today, but I guess passion never sleeps.

I would tell my 20-year old self… 

To work out more. Find the time to exercise and not just work, work, work. I still haven’t been able to figure that out. It was hard at 20 and frankly it’s still a struggle for me.  Maybe I just need some clean towels…!

My biggest setback was… 

Financing. It’s hard to get started and to get ahead in a small business. There is some funding eligibility but it’s far from being enough. It’s hard to be small, build credibility and prove ourselves in a field like accessibility that is not well understood.

I overcame it by… 

Creativity, perseverance, and talking to people. One thing that helped me overcome the financing catch-22 was growing my voice through Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2018. ATB is a local sponsor. They believe in accessibility, they believed in me, and I got a small loan. 

If I were to pick one thing that has helped me succeed, it would be… 

My friends and family. In my inner circle of supporters and mentors, we have each other’s backs, and in tough times we remind each other that giving up is never an option.

The best thing I’ve done for my business so far is…  

Looked after my team and clients to build a superior brand. At the end of the day, we are a business but businesses are made up of people, and people are at the heart of what we do. Problems can happen but when they do, we have a conversation and listen to each other.

In accessibility and inclusion, what we are building is so much greater than just dollars and cents. We are all working towards a more accessible world.

If you googled me, you still wouldn’t know… 

(Until today!) that my legs sometimes give me lots of trouble, so I slip and fall. 99% of the time I fall backwards and therefore I turtle. But you know what’s bigger than a fall, though? The laugh. I’ve learned to laugh at myself when I fall. It makes getting up again so much easier.

I stay inspired by… 

Trying to make a difference for others, so that they don’t have to face the same challenges that I have faced. 

My parents. One of the strongest women I know is my Mom, Joanne. She is a tough businesswoman with an amazing sense of humour. I take after her in those things. My love of sports I got from my Dad; one of our favourite things to do together is to watch a good game. Go Raptors! Go Flames! Go friends and family in sports! 

The future excites me because… 

Accessibility is coming more and more to forefront and people with disabilities deserve to be considered and included in their community.

My next step is… 

To make my company one of the top new accessibility firms in Canada.

In business, yes there is competition and there is a place for that. But beyond competition, there’s a bigger picture, too. In accessibility and inclusion, what we are building is so much greater than just dollars and cents. We are all working towards a more accessible world.

When we truly do accessibility right, we compete, but we also cheer for each other. It can’t just be about whose company took what particular step. We have a very long way to go, and every well-grounded step towards universal design and inclusion moves the needle for everyone. So that’s a win for team Canada.