Founder Story
One letter. One question.
How Kaysee Kevin Burke turned a single letter into a card, and a card into a community.
The idea
It started with a letter.
On October 1, 2022, Kaysee received his Persons with Disabilities (PWD) designation from BC’s Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction. What came with it wasn’t access or clarity. It was a single letter, meant to serve as proof.
Holding that letter, he asked a simple question:
Why is there no discreet, dignified, and recognizable way for persons with disabilities to access the supports designed for them?
What he found was a system full of gaps. Supports existed, but reaching them meant paperwork, explanations, and more hoops. For many people, that’s enough to stop asking for help at all.
The idea came late one night, as a sketch of a card. Days later, he found the WorkBC–YMCA Self-Employment Program, and SEEN began to take shape. In March 2026, SEEN Access Status Card Inc. was incorporated in British Columbia.
- Access without explanation.
- Recognition without disclosure.
- Support without stigma.
The SEEN Ecosystem
From one card to a community.
The card comes first. Around it, a family of programs is growing to connect persons with disabilities, their supports, businesses, and organizations.
Founder experience
Connecting the dots.
SEEN draws on a lifetime of very different work. Each part shaped how it’s built.
Lived experience
Kaysee brings lived experience with mental health diagnosis and a PWD designation since 2022. SEEN is built with, by, and for persons with disabilities, starting with its founder.
Organizing for equity
Through the student movement, he helped organize one of BC’s largest transit rallies for #OnePassNow, which won U-Pass access for public post-secondary students across the Lower Mainland. As National Queer Commissioner for the Canadian Federation of Students, he helped revive End The Ban! against Canadian Blood Services’ ban on gay donors. He also championed Education Shouldn’t Be A Debt Sentence; BC later removed interest on provincial student loans.
Retail and partnerships
Years leading stores and teams in luxury and airport retail, including Hugo Boss and Polo Ralph Lauren, taught him what a partnership that works for both sides looks like.
The stage
Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Opera Performance from UBC brought discipline, creativity, and the habit of taking an idea all the way to opening night.
An entrepreneurial family
Growing up around family businesses taught him resilience, and what it takes to build something from the ground up.
Vision
Communities where people with disabilities belong, are supported, and are authentically SEEN.
Mission
To create a unified disability community and provide a verified access credential that enables recognized accessibility across society.
SEEN8 Core Values
Eight values that guide every decision we make.
Dignity
Every person has worth. Support comes without judgment or shame.
Community
We thrive when we share responsibility and include everyone.
Authenticity
Show up as your full self, without masking or explaining.
Visibility
Being recognized makes support possible, without stigma or fear.
Belonging
Feel welcome and valued, without having to justify your needs.
Inclusion
Remove barriers so everyone can take part in daily life.
Advocacy
Stand together to change systems, policies, and attitudes.
Elevation
Lift voices, open opportunities, and grow together.
When we help one another, we unlock what is possible.
Kaysee Kevin Burke, Founder