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Digital Transformation Human Resources Most platforms that businesses use are ‘letting them down,’ says accessibility expert
Samira Balsara @itbusinessca
Published: June 29th, 2021
With files from Jori Negin-Shecter
Starting today, Ontario is implementing the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) which requires businesses to meet accessibility guidelines or face hefty fines as repercussions.
Siteimprove and Fable conducted a survey with 55 Canadians who said their disabilities affect how they browse or use websites. Fable is a platform that connects people with disabilities to digital teams for user research and accessibility testing. SaaS firm Siteimprove helps companies ensure their websites are up to particular accessibility guidelines such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 standards.
The results revealed that 63 per cent of respondents felt limited in their ability to use the internet when compared to those who do not have a disability. When confronted with barriers while shopping online, some respondents switched store brands, others even opted for shopping in person.
Samuel Proulx, an accessibility evangelist at Fable, is a screen reader user and an accessibility advocate who has a visual impairment [...]