Author name: Michelle Landeiro

NDEAM—short for National Disability Employment Awareness Month—takes place every October, where we recognize the skills of employees with disabilities that contribute to the workplace.

What do you think of when someone mentions Accessibility Barriers?
Does it perhaps pertain to buildings or sidewalks with a narrow walkway unsuitable for wheelchairs? How about infographics with no alternative text (alt text)?
While society has come a long way in creating more accessible environments, persistent challenges remain as barriers to total inclusivity.
Accessibility barriers are challenges or obstacles that limit individuals with disabilities from accessing or using either digital content, products, or physical spaces. These obstacles not only affect individuals with disabilities but also impact the broader community by:

The commitment to inclusivity has become a cornerstone for organizations across the public sector spectrum. From federal agencies to provincial bodies and municipal entities, diverse public sectors share a common goal — ensuring their digital landscapes are accessible to everyone.

It’s no secret that digital accessibility has become a crucial aspect of web development. Digital content that’s up to date on the latest accessibility standards ensures that all users, regardless of disabilities, can access and interact with online content seamlessly.

However, the increase in digital communication and services for healthcare means that disabled people become limited to the quality of their treatment if they cannot access those digital resources effectively. Therefore public and private healthcare providers in Ontario must prioritize accessibility to meet the needs of all patients and clients.

Think about all the new technology that’s been introduced within the last few years like 5G internet, voice assistants, contactless payments, and artificial intelligence (AI).

Today, websites serve as windows to businesses, services, and information as our world continues to shift online. Because of this shift, ensuring equal access for everyone is more important than ever.

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines were developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and have been around since 1999. The W3C launched multiple versions of WCAG over time to ensure the guidelines evolved with the accessibility needs of society.. At the moment, the latest version is WCAG 2.1 with version 2.2 pending approval.

Here’s something you probably didn’t know.

Of all the content written on a webpage, roughly only 20% of that content is read by the user. Nowadays, users consume mostly images and videos, so when they consume text, they scan it and pick out the most important words.

However, not all users have the ability to scan through text seamlessly.

Roughly five to ten percent of Canadians live with Dyslexia, a disability that can be difficult to diagnose. Due to the different severity levels of Dyslexia, it’s essential to update your digital content so all users can easily consume that information.

Planning is part of creating, maintaining, and growing a business. You plan for the initial start-up. You plan for its ongoing progress. And you plan on how to increase your business’s success. However, within that plan should be a strategy to address accessibility barriers affecting your staff and clients. Although new legislation mandates companies and organizations to create a more accessible environment, there are still barriers that affect the everyday life of people with disabilities.