LearnAbility: Your 2025 Reach Forum Certified Supplier of the Year
The Reach Forum Certified Supplier of the year is awarded to an IWSCC certified, Canadian Disabled-Owned business who represents the achievement, innovation, and impact on communities entrepreneurs with disabilities are capable of.
Michelle AuCoin.
Founder & President of LearnAbility.
2025 Certified Supplier of the Year.
Michelle AuCoin is the Founder and President of LearnAbility (since 2005). Michelle and her team have taught thousands of students for decades, specializing in Learning Disabilities. A 30 year veteran of education, Michelle completed her Bachelor of Arts in Communication and has a Master’s in Special Education. Michelle is the 2022 Winner of the Businessperson of the Year Award for the Cape Breton Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Next Gen Vital Employer Excellence Award in 2021, the CB Chamber of Commerce Professional Services award in 2013, and the Businesswoman award for ECBC, 2012. Michelle previously worked on multiple initiatives with the Learning Disabilities Association of Canada, including being a contributor on the National manual: A Roadmap on LD for Employers.
Michelle’s business focuses on supporting students with Learning Disabilities and other barriers to accessible education. She has always brought a unique and compassionate perspective to her practice as a woman who learned to overcome barriers due to her own Disability – Epilepsy – which she was diagnosed with over 40 years ago. Michelle continues to run a hybrid education centre based in Cape Breton and offers tutoring, refresher courses, upgrading and professional development services to students, adults, and organizations. Her guiding principle is tailoring learning to the needs of every individual using evidence-based education and employment strategies.
Tell us the story of your business. What brought you to entrepreneurship, and what does success mean to you?
In 2000, after returning from Halifax to Cape Breton to raise my one year old, I began doing contract work with the Learning Disabilities Association of Nova Scotia and the Learning Disabilities Association of Canada. It was very rewarding work. The focus was on identifying individuals who may have been undiagnosed as children and thus, underemployed as adults. It was programming I was proud to be a part of. At the same time, I missed the work I had previously done in Halifax. For almost 7 years, I’d worked with students with barriers to learning, most specifically Learning Disabilities. My background was in reading, writing, math and language intervention and I loved it. Before long, I was receiving private requests from parents in Cape Breton who heard about the work I had done in Halifax and wondered if I could see their kids privately here.
Within a year the knowledge of my tutoring services grew and word of mouth got around. Within two years, I had an extensive number of desperate families reaching out. Their children needed help. I decided it was worth exploring a potential business because they need existed, my heart was in it, and I felt I could make a difference. I approached the CBDC who were very quick to jump on board, help me learn about becoming an entrepreneur, and grow a company on my own. What started in the front room of my house and a couple of kids, led to expansions that now have us with a commercial headquarters in Sydney and an online presence serving students and doing workshops and training across the country. It has been an amazing experience. My team and I have worked with thousands of adults and children and as of July, we celebrate 20 years in business.
How does your business contribute to the Canadian Disabled-Owned business community or persons with disabilities in Canada?
LearnAbility is committed to supporting the Canadian disabled-owned business community and individuals with disabilities by providing specialized educational therapy services that address foundational learning challenges. This approach empowers learners of all ages— children, teens, and adults—to overcome obstacles related to learning disabilities and achieve their full potential.
Inclusive Business Practices: As a business, LearnAbility exemplifies the principles of inclusion and accessibility. By integrating these values into our operations, the business sets a standard for others in the community.
Advocacy and Awareness: Through its services, LearnAbility raises awareness about the challenges faced by individuals with learning disabilities, contributing to a broader understanding and support for the disabled community.
Support for Persons with Disabilities in Canada Specialized Educational Therapy: LearnAbility offers more than traditional tutoring by focusing on identifying and developing the underlying skills critical to each student’s learning success. This includes addressing issues related to dyslexia, ADD/ADHD, executive functioning, auditory processing difficulties, and other co-morbid conditions.
Personalized Learning Plans: The business provides individualized, brain-based programs tailored to each learner’s needs, helping us to improve how student’s acquire, retain, process, and recall information. This personalized approach ensures that learners receive the support necessary to succeed academically and in the workplace.
How does lived experience with disability bring value to your business?
I believe that in essence, my lived experience with epilepsy is not just a part of my story—it is a strength that has enriched my business, enhanced my ability to serve others, and has deepened the impact of LearnAbility in the community. I can speak with authority and authenticity when advocating for educational equity and neurodiversity, because my voice is grounded in lived experience. It gives me credibility and helps shape more effective support services, policies, and partnerships.
Living with epilepsy has given me a practical understanding of accessibility—beyond compliance checklists. I can identify and understand the subtle barriers in education systems, communication methods, or physical spaces and create inclusive solutions that work in real life. This insight has helped tailor my company’s mission and programs to truly support diverse learning needs.
Reach is honoured to recognize LearnAbility, and they've accomplished even more! Learn about their achievements and visit their website with the link below!
Accolades & Awards
- Cape Breton Regional Chamber of Commerce: Shwartz Family Business Person of the Year (Michelle AuCoin)
- CommunityVotes: Cape Breton Education, Lessons, and Tutors Winner 2022 & 2023
Articles and Achievements
Reach: The National Forum for Disabled Entrepreneurship celebrates Canadian Disabled-Owned businesses like LearnAbility every year. Lear more about the Forum’s speakers, award winners, and award nominees when you visit the official page here.
