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Those with disabilities deserve the right to communicate and engage with society as easily as those without disabilities do. Although there are international laws to initiate accessibility standards, Canada has taken extra steps toward becoming a more accessible country for individuals.
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.
There are an estimated 1 billion people with disabilities worldwide. So not only is creating an accessible website the right thing to do, but it’s also good for business.
An accessible website is helpful to everyone. This includes users who are blind or have other visual impairments with low vision that rely on screen readers and audio description, deaf or hard of hearing users that depend on video captions, and those with limited mobility or cognitive abilities that rely on keyboard-friendly site navigation.
And while creating an accessible website can seem daunting, it doesn’t have to be.
Over the years, the financial industry has adapted to the convenience of online banking. It has become an essential service that provides loans, checking and savings accounts, and investment opportunities that millions of people rely on at the click of a button.
The ever-evolving digital world has brought about a revolution in the way we communicate, share information, and complete daily tasks. These changes have become an essential part of our lives, both personally and professionally.
Web accessibility is often associated merely with websites, but it extends well beyond that. It also includes digital documents, mobile and web apps, and just about anything that is housed online. As we strive to create an equitable digital space, understanding the crucial step of document remediation in achieving accessibility compliance is paramount.
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.
Imagine the frustration of not being able to access travel information like schedules, tickets, changes, or policies because a website is hard to navigate, or the confusion when encountering newly procured elevators with touch screens that are still largely inaccessible to blind people because they require the user to locate objects on the screen visually.
In today’s evolving marketplace, accessibility in hiring is a legal requirement. The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) alongside other Canadian legislations, such as the Canadian Human Rights Act and provincial codes, mandate and set the framework for inclusive recruitment practices. But the implications of these policies stretch well beyond compliance; they pave the way for a diverse, innovative, and adept workforce that is imperative for sustainability.
The seismic shift in our work culture post-2020 has turned long-held assumptions about the workplace upside down. Organizations are now more open to a spectrum of work models, from fully remote to the traditional office, and everything in between. With these changes, it’s imperative to examine how each model caters to the needs of the entire workforce, including individuals with disabilities. In this comprehensive exploration, we’ll probe into the core concepts of accessibility and its implications for remote, in-person, and hybrid work models.
