Image Description: Image of icons of all the different assistive technologies and icons to demonstrate types of disabilities.


Embrace Inclusiveness

What is a disability?  It will mean something different to everyone.  It can affect a person’s capacity to communicate, interact with others, physically move, learn, and/or get around independently.  Disability is part of being human. Almost everyone will temporarily or permanently experience disability at some point in their life. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 1 billion people, 16% of the world’s population, have some form of disability (WHO, 2023)1.  This number is only increasing due in part to population ageing and an increase in the prevalence of noncommunicable diseases. Accessibility and inclusion play a role and broadens opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in every aspect of their life to the fullest extent possible.

A collage of 5 photos including: 1) A black gentleman in a wheelchair at the bottom of stairs with hand in head trying to figure out how to get in a building; 2) A blind man holding cane and using a smartphone; 3) Indigenous woman helping an elderly woman using a smartphone with headphones 4) Diverse group of workers with Caucasian gentlemen, a Mexican man, a Caucasian woman with long blonde hair, and Chinese woman surrounding a Muslim woman in a wheelchair; and 5) A woman with closed eyes and head on forehead.
Closed Caption: What is Accessibility and How it Works for Everyone

What is accessibility? Accessibility is the practice of making information, activities, and/or environments sensible, meaningful, and usable for as many people as possible. “Accessible” means a person with a disability is provided with the opportunity to acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services as a person without a disability in an equally effective and equally integrated manner, with substantially equivalent ease of use. 

The disability market touches 53% of consumers and represents a huge opportunity for business controlling more than $366.5 billion. Globally, this market opportunity is more than $10 trillion (Rich Donovan, Special to the Globe and Mail, 2017)2.


Can people receive your services and/or buy products with physical/motor, visual, audio, mental, neurological and/or cognitive challenges?  Is it easy to navigate and operate with assistive tools (e.g., screen reader), interpret clear and concise language, and offer functionality that is easy to understand and access with safety and inclusiveness? Is it possible for individuals to take part in your classes, events, the community, and be an individual contributor within your workplace? Do your hiring practices and policies include accommodations for people with disabilities? Is it efficient enough to work across platforms, browsers and devices?  In addition to a well-designed physical, digital, and/or virtual space, is your website accessibility-compliant? Is the structure and content accessible to people with visible and invisible disabilities? This is where we come in to help you get access to the global population of people with disabilities, with their friends and family, who have a spending power of $13 billion (WHO, 2023)3.


Our Key Accessibility Services

The word simply beside a large blue circle which has the word accessible inside of it including the statement below "Change starts with us....right here and right now.
Closed Caption: Inclusion for ALL Abilities
  • Accessibility Legislation Integration
    • The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA, 2005)
    • Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 AA (WCAG 2.1 AA)
    • The Accessible Canada Act, 2019 (Bill C-81)
    • Universal Design for Learning (UDL 2.0)
    • Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR)
    • User Agent Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (UAAG 2.0)
    • Accessibility for Manitobans Act, 2013
  • Digital Accessibility
  • Custom Training
  • Curriculum Development via an accessibility lens
  • Document Accessibility Remediation

Did You Know?

  • Inclusive businesses grow profits up to 3x faster than their competitors (Corporate Leadership Council, 2021).
  • Businesses hiring people with disabilities experience a 72% increase in productivity; a 45% increase in workplace safety; 30% higher profit margins; and 2x the net income of other businesses (2018 Accenture study)4.
  • There are 8 million people in Canada with a disability (Statistics Canada, 2023)5 who control an incremental $47 billion in annual disposable income (Abilities Magazine, 2023)6.

Organizations and businesses of all sizes that integrate web, digital, physical, information, and practices of accommodation and accessibility for people with disabilities are more likely to build attraction, be innovative, robust, inclusive enterprises that will have global impact — it maximizes the capacity to connect with the world of opportunities and profit, provides equal access, and equal opportunity to all.

Accessibility should not be viewed as a fix, afterthought, or legal-focused. It is a journey and must be acknowledge and practiced as a continuum as the world becomes more digitally connected. Companies must not overlook the scale of the challenges for disability inclusion that persist in both business and society. Only by continuing to champion accessibility and inclusion will we drive a cultural shift and reap the social and economic benefits of catering to the disability community.

The simple principles… accommodate, hire, respect and design for the widest range of people will benefit EVERYONE.  The results and impact(s) are immeasurably successful with satisfied customers, drive innovation, enhance your brand, no costly retrofits, minimize legal risks, build inclusion and diversity, corporate responsibility, dedicated employees, community, and return on investment!

Let’s give all individuals equal opportunities to learn…with ACCESS, COMFORT, SAFETY, and JOY!

Schedule a call with us to know about your needs and learn how we can support you… click here



REFERENCES:

  1. Disability and Health Fact Sheet. World Health Organization, 2023.
  2. Exploring a $55 billion Untapped Market. The Globe and Mail, 2017.
  3. Driving Disability Inclusion is a Business Imperative. World Economic Forum, 2023.
  4. Getting to Equal: Disability Inclusion Advantage. Accenture Study, 2018.
  5. Canadian Survey on Disability, 2017 to 2022. Statistics Canada, 2023.
  6. Understanding the Disability Market. Abilities Magazine, 2023.


See also…
Customized Training and Curriculum Development (via an accessibility lens)
Learning Support Services
Keynote and Motivational Speaking