Digital accessibility is
everyone’s responsibility. Even if it is not your immediate responsibility to
ensure that your organization’s website and web content are in an accessible
format, you should still have a general understanding of what digital
accessibility means. For example, do you know how colour use of a website can
affect the experience of someone with a disability?
You should also be aware of any accessibility regulations that
apply to your organization. In Ontario, the Information and Communications
Standard under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act was
introduced to help Ontario businesses and organizations make their information
accessible for people with disabilities. In terms of digital accessibility,
Ontario requires organizations with 50 or more employees to make new websites
and web content launched accessible according to the World Wide Web
Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0.
What about social media?
If you do any marketing on platforms such as Facebook and LinkedIn, do you have
to ensure that the content is in an accessible format? The short answer: no,
you do not. The law only applies to content that you control.
Accessibility is not just
about complying with the law. It’s also about giving consumers with
disabilities the opportunity to use or buy your services. Did you know that
people with disabilities in Canada have an estimated spending power of $25
billion per yea?
If you are not including
consumers with disabilities as part of your target audience, you may be losing
out on a lot of business.
What digital barriers
is your organization removing to help people with disabilities?
If you are interested in learning more about Accessibility for Ontarians with
Disabilities Act (AODA) or
how to make accessibility a natural part of your business through the application
of Corporate Social
Responsibility, please
contact Sandra Broekhof
@ 416-579-1035 or sandra_broekhof@sympatico.ca
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