Pricing & Info

I operate a sliding scale payment system.

What is sliding scale pricing?

The sliding scale represents the idea that financial resources, including income, are not and should not be the only determining factor in whether or not someone can access services/care/etc.

Often, organisations that use sliding scales seek external funding to establish financial stability and fill in the economic gaps that sliding scale does not provide for. For a small business like mine, I do not receive any outside funding to supplement sliding scale discounts, so I must take into account what I am able to offer and still be able to support my family.

For a sliding scale to work it relies on the principles of truthfulness, respect for complexity, and accountability. I do not ask for income verification. I trust my clients to be honest. Community thrives when accountability is a central value.

Alexis J. Cunningfolk offers a great example of the idea of sacrifice versus hardship when examining access. If paying for a class, product, or service would be difficult, but not detrimental, it qualifies as a sacrifice. You might have to cut back on other spending in your life (such as going out to dinner, buying coffee, or a new outfit), but this will not have a long term harmful impact on your life. If, however, paying for a class, product, or service would lead to a harmful impact on your life, such as not being able to put food on the table, pay rent, or pay for your transportation to get to work, then you are dealing with hardship. Folks coming from a space of hardship typically qualify for the lower end of the sliding scale. I find the idea of sacrifice versus hardship to be a very useful nuance when talking about class and access because it recognises and respects that paying for something might still be a challenge even if it is just a short-term one, while giving appropriate space for those who are dealing with financial hardship.