Accessible Weekend Getaway with Whimble: Ottawa Attendant Care

By: Andrew Gurza

I love the idea of just going away. You know, hopping on a train or a plane and just getting out of the doldrums of everyday life. The idea of just getting away is so freeing to me, but, if I am honest, as a severely disabled person who needs a whole lot of personal care needs, trips like that are usually inaccessible to me. I don’t really bother because of the work that goes into finding an attendant, finding an accommodation that is actually accessible… The list could go on and on. Well, a few weekends ago, all that changed for me, thanks to my team on tap with Whimble, and I want to tell you all about it.

Preparing for the Trip

I decided to go visit my best friends in my old university town – the Capital Region – Ottawa.  Since I knew that Whimble was beginning to offer attendant care on tap, I reached out to them to see if they could accommodate me. I was instantly impressed by how efficient and prepared they were for my request. Almost immediately, the team from Whimble worked to understand what my needs were and what they would need to help me with when I arrived. Usually when I work with new care staff, I am apprehensive about it, unsure of what might happen, but I could tell that Whimble was on the ball.

A Welcome Relief: Meeting Whimble at the Train Station

On the afternoon of my arrival, my train was 2 hours late due to an engineering issue, and I didn’t have any help to pee on the train during that time (one of the other big reasons why I rarely travel alone). Right away, Whimble stepped up and offered to help by meeting me at the train station so that I could use the washroom. I was so relieved that they were there for me in this regard. It took so much worry and pressure off of me, and it allowed me to just relax into my weekend without any worries.

Encouraging Independent Travel for People with Disabilities

I think that was one of the best parts of working with Whimble and the attendant team; there were no worries – literally. They made the care easy, simple, and fun and allowed it to shift as needed… And believe me, as someone who uses care every single day, this very rarely happens. Usually, you are stuck within a very rigid, regimented routine that cannot deviate even one little bit. Not so with Whimble - I moved some morning bookings around a few times without a problem. They truly lived up to their slogan, “Your Team on Tap.” The team at Whimble made it easy to communicate changes with staff and easy to contact them should my needs change. It was like having a friend pop in to help, and that was a really nice feeling. 

The Freedom of Flexible Care with Whimble

What I liked most about using Whimble to get away for the weekend was the freedom that it afforded me to have a life, see my friends, and know that my care needs would be absolutely taken care of no matter what. That is a big reason why so many people with disabilities can’t travel - because of care needs - and programs like Whimble demonstrate that once your care needs are met, you can have a weekend away without worries or stress. With Whimble, you don’t have to worry about who will help you pee, or get into bed, or help you get up for that early morning train.

Most importantly, Whimble listens to what you want, and they make that happen for you. At one point during the weekend, I thought I might have to pee during the Taylor Swift Eras movie, and there was an attendant ready and willing to meet me at the theatre if I needed help – because it’s what I needed – no questions asked.

Cost-Effective Attendant Care with Whimble

You may be wondering, but, Andrew, what about the cost? While I was given an early adopter rate of $20/hr (which you can get for the first few hours when you sign up), knowing that I could have more care needs met for $35.00/hr was really affordable, especially considering that they will help you when you want, wherever you are in Ottawa. So, if you’re thinking of visiting Ottawa for a few days from out of town, you would have to save up (but you would have to pay an attendant anyway), but I absolutely guarantee this: You cannot get this kind of commitment to on-demand care anywhere else. If you are disabled and you have dreamed about going on a solo trip but have put it off because of care, choose Ottawa because Whimble will make that dream come true.

We’re live in Ottawa! Join our beta here if you’re in the city. For those outside of Ottawa, join the waiting list here so we know where to expand next!

Header image (two people looking out of a train window) via Fredrik Öhlander / Unsplash

Andrew Gurza is an award winning Disability Awareness Consultant and the Chief Disability Officer and Co-founder of Bump’n, a sex toy company for and by disabled people.  Andrew uses they/he pronouns and identifies proudly as disabled. Their work has been featured on BBC, CBC, Daily Xtra, Gay Times UK, Huffington Post, The Advocate, Everyday Feminism, Mashable, Out.com, and several anthologies. He was the subject of an award winning National Film Board of Canada Documentary “Picture This”. Andrew has guested on a number of podcasts including Dan Savage’s Savage Love and Cameron Esposito’s Queery. He has spoken all over the world on sex, disability and what it means to be a Queer Cripple. 

He is also the host of Disability After Dark: The Podcast Shining a Bright Light on Disability Stories which won a Canadian Podcast Award in 2021, a Queerty Award and was chosen as an Honoree at the 2020 Webby Awards. The show is available on all platforms. Andrew is also the creator of the viral hashtag #DisabledPeopleAreHot. You can find out more about Andrew by going to www.andrewgurza.com and connecting via social media @andrewgurza1.