Accessibility

Accessibility "Cheatsheets"

"These [links to] one-page accessibility resources, or 'cheatsheets,' have been developed to assist anyone who is creating accessible content."

Adapted from former IDC

Creating Accessible Documents

A. What Is an Accessible Document?

An accessible document can be followed and understood by anyone.

When documents are designed to be accessible, the need for individual and specialized accommodations is reduced, removing barriers before they affect people with disabilities. What’s more, the features of an accessible document can be of benefit to everyone, regardless of their abilities.

The main features of accessible documents include:

Adapted from former IDC

A. Accessible Education

Accessible education is the process of designing courses and developing a teaching style to meet the needs of people from a variety of backgrounds, abilities and learning styles.

Providing accessible education is mandatory in Ontario as a result of the passing of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) in 2005 and the subsequent establishment of the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR).

The regulation is being phased in between 2011 and 2021 and includes accessibility standards for customer service, employment, information and communications, transportation, and the built environment. These standards seek to identify, remove and prevent barriers so that people with disabilities have more opportunities to participate in everyday life.