Technology Accessibility for Canadians with Communication Disabilities

Organization

Canadian Association of the Deaf

Published

2021

Summary

Canadians without access to online networking platforms, software applications or professional development tools are disadvantaged in the global economy. This is especially true for Canadians with a communication disability. As a result, they face added barriers connecting and communicating online. Meanwhile, Canadians with a communication disability have little say in the research and development of technology designed for their use. Therefore, it may not meet their needs. Canadians with a communication disability may require expensive wireless packages so that they can communicate effectively. In addition, there is general confusion about how the Accessible Canada Act applies to communication technologies and services.

The goal of this report is to address two key issues. What barriers exist for consumers with a communication disability when choosing between competing services and how can we ensure that emerging communication technologies comply with the Accessible Canada Act?

The report made several recommendations, starting with a call to establish a program to support low-cost, high-quality data connections for persons with a disability. It suggested that telecommunications relay services (TRS) should have minimum standards in place and high-quality captioning standards should be enforced. In addition, the report underlines the importance of ensuring that individuals in Canada who are Deaf, hard-of-hearing, and Deaf-Blind (DHHDB) are able to receive alerts and messages in the event of an emergency.

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OCA Funded Research
This research received funding support through the Office of Consumer Affairs' Contributions Program.

Contact information

Source: Consumer Policy Research Database