Feature
Oh My GAAD: Digital Access for All
Diana Varma
If you’re the owner of a printing company, you’ve got a lot on your plate. Your days
are likely spent focused on the necessary details to ensure jobs get out the back
door on time and are up to quality standards. Your days are also probably spent on
the big picture, strategic next steps to stay ahead of your competition. You tackle
the ‘must do’s’ and you don’t always have time to worry about the ‘nice to do’s’ (you
barely get a lunch break, after all!). So why on earth should you care about accessibility?
More specifically, why should you care about digital accessibility (websites, software,
apps, and portals, for example?) Who has time to worry about colour contrast or
screen reader compatibility, when there’s more pressing matters at hand?
Accessibility:
More Than a Buzzword
There are a number of good business
reasons to ensure your digital content
is accessible. First and foremost, It’s
the right thing to do. Ensuring that as
many people as possible, with varying
levels of ability, have access to both
bricks-and-mortar and digital spaces
is a fundamental right.
Secondly, a 2017 Statistics Canada
‘Canadian Sur vey on Disabilit y ’
revealed that one in seven Canadians
aged 15 and over reported having a
disability. (This equates to nearly four
million people!) Furthermore, the aging
population in Canada, North America,
26 | May 2019 | GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE
and globally, means that disabilities
related to pain, flexibility, mobility, as
well as vision and hearing loss will
continue to rise. If you want your products
and services to have as far a reach
as possible, making your content
accessible is a smart strategic decision.
Finally, accessibility is the law. The
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
and the Accessibility for Ontarians
with Disabilities Act (AODA) are both
ground-breaking acts of legislation
t hat remove barrier s by mak ing
businesses comply with a variety of
requirements that promote inclusion.
Furthermore, according to siteimprove,
a software company specializing in
w e b a c c e s s i b i l i t y, 2 3 % o f w e b
accessibility-related litigation since
the year 2000 has taken place in the
last three years. Legislation will likely
become more stringent over time, not
less stringent, so why not ready your
business now?
Oh my GAAD!
On May 16, 2019 you can wish your
co-workers ‘Happy Global Accessibility
Awareness Day’! This annual day of
awareness happens on the third
Thursday in May and it’s in its eighth
year. But what exactly is it?
GAAD is an opportunity to think about,
learn, and experience digital access and
inclusion for individuals of all abilities.
Whether on a computer, tablet, or
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