About Katie Ollmann Consulting

Hi, I’m Katie—a community planner, public space advocate, and passionate believer in the power of youth voices and accessibility. With a Master’s in Community Planning and over a decade of experience in community and parks planning, I’ve seen the transformational impact that happens when we truly listen to children, youth, and individuals with disabilities. My work is grounded in a commitment to inclusion, creativity, and evidence-based planning.

I developed a comprehensive guidebook on engaging youth in community planning—now I’m on a mission to share this work more broadly through workshops, consulting, and resources. Shaping Communities with Young Voices at the Center is not just a slogan; it’s our mission to ensure that all voices, especially those of young people and individuals with accessibility needs, are heard and valued in the planning process.

Meet Alex – First Voice Accessibility Expert

At Katie Ollmann Consulting, we are proud to collaborate with Alex, a dedicated first voice accessibility expert who brings lived experience, professional insight, and a powerful voice to our team. Alex is a passionate advocate, researcher, and policy contributor who plays a leading role in making accessibility real—not just in policy, but in practice.

Alex first began working in accessibility as a young adult after transitioning to life in a power wheelchair. Having grown up physically able, Alex brings a unique perspective to accessibility—one that bridges experiences before and after acquiring a disability. His firsthand knowledge of navigating public spaces, services, and systems fuels his mission to close the gaps that many communities still face.

Over the years, Alex has made significant contributions across the country, including:

  • Educational accessibility policy advising for the provincial government.

  • National advocacy and education as a Rick Hansen Foundation Ambassador, specializing in independent living and service dogs.

  • Connecting Nova Scotia's Accessibility Directorate with the Rick Hansen Foundation to help launch the Schools Plus program.

  • Recognition from Rick Hansen and former Minister of Education Eric Churchill for leadership in accessibility advocacy.

  • Policy and safety standards development through the CSA (Canadian Standards Association), where Alex serves on multiple committees focused on modern, technology-driven solutions.

  • Justice and community support projects with the John Howard Society of Nova Scotia, where he played a pivotal role in securing over $100,000 in Enabling Accessibility Fund grants.

  • Hands-on innovation, including designing and building accessibility tools—like ramps used to board the Bluenose II, making historic experiences accessible to more people.

Alex brings an unwavering belief in universal design—the idea that when we embed accessibility into projects from the start, we save time, reduce costs, and make communities more inclusive for everyone. He is especially passionate about helping children with disabilities access meaningful recreation and community experiences.

As part of Katie Ollmann Consulting, Alex provides first-voice expertise that strengthens our work across planning, workshops, and accessibility assessments. His insight ensures that our approach is grounded in real-world challenges and solutions—making inclusion not just an ideal, but a lived reality.

Challenges We Solve

At Katie Ollmann Consulting, we help clients bridge the gap between planning processes and the real-life experiences of children, youth, and people with disabilities. Many organizations struggle to meaningfully include these voices because they don’t know where to start, fear doing it “wrong,” or lack the tools and time to design truly inclusive strategies.

We help you move past uncertainty and into action by addressing challenges such as:

  • Lack of meaningful youth and first-voice representation

  • Unclear engagement methods, tools, and accessibility standards

  • Limited staff confidence or capacity to engage diverse communities

  • Engagement fatigue among young people and equity-deserving groups

  • Planning processes that overlook lived experience and accessibility barriers

Our Proudest Achievements

At Katie Ollmann Consulting, I'm proud to bring years of public sector planning experience into meaningful, actionable support for clients who want to engage youth and build more inclusive communities. While my business is still growing, it builds on the impact I’ve made across multiple roles in government and planning leadership. This includes authoring a groundbreaking youth engagement guidebook, planning with purpose in Newfoundland and Labrador provincial parks, navigating complex planning challenges at the local level, and building capacity for inclusive engagement.

What Makes Us Different

At Katie Ollmann Consulting, we specialize in authentic engagement with children, youth, and people with disabilities—not as an afterthought, but as a foundation for strong, inclusive, and resilient communities.

While many consulting firms offer generic engagement strategies, I bring a focused, evidence-based, and heart-driven approach that ensures young people and those with lived accessibility experiences have a meaningful seat at the table.

My Master’s thesis resulted in a practical guidebook for planners on how to ethically and effectively engage children and youth, and my practice now extends that same depth of care to accessibility planning—developed in partnership with a first-voice accessibility expert.

With experience in municipal, provincial, and regional planning systems, I understand the complexities of working across sectors and jurisdictions. Based in Halifax, with a deep professional and personal connection to Newfoundland and Labrador, I bring a regional lens to inclusive planning across Atlantic Canada.

Ready to Shape Communities Together?

At Katie Ollmann Consulting, we specialize in helping governments, educators, and organizations design inclusive, youth-centered, and accessible spaces—right here in Nova Scotia, across Newfoundland, and beyond.

Whether you're looking to strengthen engagement, spark innovation, or reimagine how planning happens, I’m here to support you with creative, evidence-based strategies that honor lived experience and work for people of all ages and abilities.

Through meaningful youth engagement and first-voice accessibility planning, we help you create communities that are not only inclusive in intention—but in practice.

Reach out today to explore how we can work together to build communities that reflect everyone—especially the youngest among us and those often left out of the conversation.