Level Playing Field
810, 105 12 Ave SE T2G 1A1 Calgary, AB, Canada

Did you know that Women's Entrepreneurship Day, or #WEDO, happens every-mid November? This organization "was founded in 2013 as a non-governmental, non-racial, non-gender, and non-political volunteer non-profit organization ... to bring awareness to the 250 million girls living in poverty globally that deserve to be given a chance in life, while simultaneously inspiring and empowering the 4 billion women on the planet! WEDO ... works globally to empower women and girls to be...come active participants in the economy by igniting a network of women leaders, innovators, and #entrepreneurs to initiate startups, drive economic expansion, and advance communities around the world. It seems appropriate then, to be recognizing our favourite female #entrepreneur, Darby Young, the brain child of #LevelPlayingField, the innovative mind behind our awesome #accessibility and #inclusion projects, and of course, #LPF's founder, owner and principal accessibility strategist, by sharing her recent video conversation with The Walrus. "A lot of the times, we forget how to involve persons with disabilities or how spaces can become dangerous at times," Darby tells the audience. "We want to be a part of society just like everybody else." "When we build new buildings and we build festivals, we need to think of everybody that would attend and hopefully enjoy themselves, because we want to go and be able tell all of our friends 'hey yeah, I've got a disability, but you know what, I had a great time, and the building made it easer, or the festival event people made it fun." Watch the whole talk on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/pUF8drCiOVc #AccessibilityMatters #AccessibilityAwareness #InclusionMatters #InclusionAwareness #AccessibleConversation #InclusiveConversation #AccessibleCanada #InclusiveCanada #AccessibleWorld #InclusiveWorld #TheWalrus #TheWalrusMagazine

#TipTuesday! #COVID19 forces everyone to adapt. Many are working from home. Others are planning to return to the office. Check out our hands-on workplace acc...essibility guidelines. Get easy tips to ensure #accessibility for everyone! #AccessibleCanada https://accessible.canada.ca/resources Image: On the left, a chartreuse yellow square containing the title "#COVID19: Workplace accessibility guideline" overlaps a robin egg blue background. On the right, an image of two people sitting one in front of the other 2 meters apart at their workplace. Behind them is a large media wall that reads "Together toward an accessible Canada" on the left and "Ensemble, vers un Canada accessible" on the right. At the bottom of the media wall is a multi-coloured bracket design. At the bottom of the photo is the Accessibility Standards Canada banner with the Canada wordmark in black on the right side.

"The City of Moose Jaw’s Special Needs Advisory Committee wants your opinion. A new survey was released to learn more about #accessibility for those with special needs in the city. 'We wanted to see what the concerns are from the average people living with #disabilities or supporting people that live with disabilities. What's most important to them so that we can make sure we're providing the best focus possible for our services,' said Mike Bachiu, member of the Special N...eeds Advisory Committee. "The committee acts as a liaison between the city and special needs organizations and provides policy and recommendations to city council on matters that affect those living with special needs. The survey will be available until Dec. 11." Read more here: https://discovermoosejaw.com//special-needs-committee-rele #AccessibilityMatters #AccessibilityAwareness #AccessibilityNews #AccessibleSaskatchewan #AccessibleCanada #LevelPlayingField #LPF

"Deadlines can be a great forcing function. So, too, are global #pandemics. Canadian businesses are facing a January 1, 2021 deadline to make websites and web content #accessible. The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) requires organizations with 20 or more employees to file a compliance audit in advance of this filing deadline. This law is a meaningful step forward for the 22% of Canadians, or 6.2 million people, with at least one #disability who face b...arriers in the #digital world via inaccessible websites and web content... "Many of the improvements disability advocates have been urging for have been made recently because of the emphasis on digital channels and user experience. According to a May survey by the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) and G3ict Research, 83% of #accessibility practitioners surveyed reported that #COVID19 has raised the profile and importance of digital channels within their organizations, and 90% expect their work to increase or stay the same in the next three months. Accessibility is for everyone. When a #website is accessible, all users benefit from the enhanced experience... "For many years, people living with #disabilities have pushed for digital alternatives that would make it possible for them to experience life more fully and equally. The pandemic has shown that we can and should be doing better and by doing so, we improve the experience for all, not just those with disabilities. "Canada is already making a strong push to make digital accessibility a reality. Only time will tell if the U.S. will follow suit." https://www.forbes.com//digital-accessibility-timing-is-/ #DigitalAccessibility #AccessibleTech #AccessibleTechnology #AccessibilityAwareness #AccessibilityMatters #InclusiveTech #InclusiveTechnology #LevelPlayingField #LPF

"Predating my #disabilities, I still faced a multitude of #inaccessible infrastructure and practices. Whether it’s having to go through a maze to reach the nearest elevator or not being provided the option of #ClosedCaptioning for videos, I found #inaccessibility everywhere. Irregular breathing and preferring to learn by reading (rather than listening) were never adequate excuses for these kinds of accommodations. Now that I have the label of #disabled, which I use exclusivel...Continue reading

How awesome is this!? Our founder and principal accessibility strategist, Darby Young, is featured this week as a global Women Of Influence. "I was born with mild cerebral palsy and as a person with a #disability, I was tired of trying to go out for lunch or dinner with my friends and not being able to find a great place where we could all meet for a simple social gathering," Darby tells www.womenofinfluence.ca. "Where to grab a bite for lunch, drinks after work, a coffee: th...ese should be a simple, quick decisions; not a two-hour logistical headache. It was frustrating and isolating until I realized that lack of #accessibility was a problem for many others but it was rarely seen, yet I had a first-row seat. And I knew we could solve it if we could get more people to understand the issue and work together." Thank you, Women of Influence! Learn more about what motivates and inspires Darby here: https://www.womenofinfluence.ca//meet-darby-lee-young-fou/ #WomenOfInfluence #LevelPlayingField #LPF #AccessibleCanada #AccessibilityMatters #AccessibilityAwareness #InclusionAwareness #InclusionMatters #FemaleRoleModels #FemaleLeaders

"An increasingly virtual world has created a mixed bag for students with disabilities exacerbating #accessibility issues in some cases while simultaneously allowing for more flexibility. "Online instruction can often make course material from lectures to readings #inaccessible to certain students for a variety of reasons, such as the need to look at screens for long periods of time due to class format. But while virtual learning creates specific challenges for students ...with #disabilities, it also allows for greater flexibility as students complete courses and attend meetings from home, according to Disability Empowerment for Yale President Mafalda von Alvensleben ’23 and founder and Co-Chair of Divine Abilities Ben Bond DIV ’22... 'Physically speaking, it’s a lot less stressful,' von Alvensleben who identifies as having a physical disability said of getting to class. 'I hope that the option of attending events online through Zoom remains because I think it allows for a lot more people with disabilities to attend more events without having to be at the physical space.' "Director of Student Accessibility Services Sarah Scott Chang wrote in an email to the News that her office has been receiving different kinds of requests since the University moved instruction online. Specifically, she said students face challenges including increased screen time and poorly recorded audio quality. 'We are not seeing many requests related to the physical space, but are seeing many novel requests because of the new online environment,' she wrote... She also pointed out that Yale does not universally provide captions for its lectures, adding that many classes’ PDFs are not compatible with screen reading software. For students with sensory impairment, the lack of such an option can make completing readings all the more challenging." Read more here: https://yaledailynews.com//accessibility-a-mixed-bag-duri/ #AccessibleTech #AccessibleTechnology #AccessibleUniversities #AccessibleSchool #AccessibleWorld #AccessibilityMatters #AccessibilityAwareness #LevelPlayingField #LPF

"When #Twitter introduced voice tweets earlier this summer as a way to send more personalized messages, it caught a lot of flack for not including accessibility features. Now, the company said it will add transcriptions for voice tweets as part of an initiative to promote accessibility within its products. It’s also expanding the voice tweet feature, which is still only available on iOS, effective immediately. "After voice tweets arrived in a testing phase, critics pointed ou...t that it should have had captions from the get-go as required by federal law. Twitter then surprisingly admitted that it didn’t have a dedicated #accessibility team, but instead relied on employees to donate additional time to work on those features. Since then, the company has launched two separate teams dedicated to accessibility, including one for its products." Read more here: https://www.engadget.com/twitter-is-expanding-voice-tweets- #AccessibleTech #AccessibleTechnology #AccessibleSocialMedia #AccessibleInternet #AccessibilityMatters #AccessibilityAwareness #AccessibleWorld #LevelPlayingField #LPF

"Advancing Accessibility in Ontario is a cross-government framework designed to help focus the government's work in four key areas: * breaking down barriers in the built environment; * government leading by example in its role as a policy maker, service provider and employer; * increasing participation in the economy for people with disabilities;... * improving understanding and awareness about accessibility. "To continue moving forward in the area of increasing participation in the economy for people with #disabilities, the government is working with partner ministries, stakeholders and businesses to make it easier for businesses to be #accessible and #inclusive. "Accessible and inclusive #workplaces give employers the opportunity to expand their talent pool with qualified and skilled employees with disabilities." Learn more here and let us know what you think about The Government of Ontario's recently announced plan: https://news.ontario.ca//advancing-accessibility-in-ontari #AccessibilityMatters #AccessibilityAwareness #InclusionMatters #InclusionAwareness #AccessibleOntario #AccessibleCanada #DiversityMatters #LevelPlayingField #LPF

What challenges are you coming across as a person living with a #disability during this #pandemic? "For persons with #disabilities, the pandemic... (has) come with diverse challenges, from sourcing essential supplies to accessing medical treatment, exercising social distancing and much more. "Anjlee Agarwal, co-founder and executive director, Samarthyam, who suffers from muscular dystrophy, commented, 'People with Disabilities (PwDs) in India were anyway the most vulnerable s...ection. Moreover, many PwDs and those living with high-support needs, like cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, paraplegic, etc, need assistance and support for even basic activities of daily living, including feeding, bathing and dressing...' " 'The challenges for PwDs are mammoth and the lockdown has only made it worse, remarked Upasana Makati, founder and publisher, White Print, a monthly magazine for the visually-impaired. 'Some of my readers are desperately looking for work from home jobs, while others face difficulty in accessing delivery apps, which lack disabled-friendly interfaces,' she said." Read more here: https://indianexpress.com//persons-with-disabilities-day-/ #India #AccessibilityAwareness #AccessibilityMatters #InclusionAwareness #InclusionMatters #InclusiveWorld #AccessibleWorld #LevelPlayingField #LPF

Help us shape the future of AMI by joining the nearly 1,500 Canadians who are part of our Research Panel. Visit the Research Panel page for more information and to sign up: https://www.ami.ca/research-panel

This is an excellent #FAQ that answers many questions about why #DigitalAccessibility is so important - perhaps now more than ever before. It's also a win-win for companies because accessibility widens your potential client or customer base. According to Applause, "#accessibility is critical to enable organizations to improve the experience for all users, broaden their market and strengthen their brand image. "Digital accessibility is about making #websites and #applications ...useful for the widest and most #diverse audiences. This includes making #digital properties #accessible for people with #disabilities. According to the CDC, 61 million adults in the United States or 26 per cent of adults live with a #disability of some form. While some disabilities are visible, many others are not, such as colour #blindness. "As the world becomes more reliant on digital properties an evolution currently being sped up by the ongoing #COVID19 #pandemic people with disabilities will take their business away from organizations that don’t provide accessible experiences. For businesses, this can represent lost sales in addition to the risk of being branded as inaccessible and uncaring about the experiences of people with disabilities. "A few specific examples of the ways that organizations can provide accessible experiences for people with disabilities are ensuring that: colour contrasts are not a problem for users with lower vision, discoloured eye lenses or colour-deficient vision (a.k.a. colour #blindness); users can navigate the site without the use of a mouse; people with #dyslexia can access easy-to-read fonts or can change the font; buttons and links can be selected by people with shaking thumbs." There is so much more vital information here that all businesses and organizations should take into consideration AND implement to meet the needs of more potential customers. Learn more here: https://www.applause.com//answering-faqs-about-digital-acc #AccessibleTech #AccessibleTechnology #AccessibleBusinesses #AccessibleOrganizations #OnlineAccessibility #ComputerAccessibility #AccessibleWorld #AccessibilityMatters #InclusionMatters #DiversityMatters #AccessibilityAwareness #InclusionAwareness #LevelPlayingField #LPF

Did you know that ASL dates back to 1817? During the International Week of the Deaf, let’s learn more about Deaf culture and languages. Offering information in... sign language is a step towards inclusion, and shows the Government of Canada’s commitment in building an accessible country for everyone. Image description : Graphic that reads ACCESSIBLE CANADA with the fingerspelling of each letter in American Sign Language.

"U of T’s Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) Office released its 20192020 report, which discussed physical, virtual, and attitudinal #accessibility initiatives. The initiatives targeted multiple areas of university policy to ensure it was in compliance with the AODA and other standards. "Highlights include a review of #design standards for #physical and #virtual spaces, events and training aimed at eliminating stigma toward #visible and #invisible #dis...abilities, and an overview of innovative technology for people with disabilities. "In January 2020, the AODA Office began a review of the university’s Barrier-free Design Standards, a set of guidelines that are part of U of T’s broader instruction on planning, designing, and implementing construction projects. "The review aims to develop standards that are more reflective of legislative and #universaldesign concepts through a consultative approach. The office will also provide a new guideline on how to meaningfully engage in consultations with people with disabilities." Learn more here: https://thevarsity.ca//u-of-t-accessibility-report-detail/ #AccessibleUniversities #AccessibleSchools #AccessibleSpaces #AccessiblePlaces #PhysicalSpaces #VirtualSpaces #BarrierFree #AccessibilityMatters #AccessibilityAwareness #AccessibleCanada #LevelPlayingField #LPF

"#Zoom, which has become one of the most popular video meeting services, added new features... aimed at improving #accessibility for those who are differently abled.. A highlight for the hearing impaired is the ability to drag and drop the video windows around in Zoom's Gallery View, and to 'pin' the ones you want to be spotlighted. "Before the update, the Zoom chat windows were fixed, and you couldn't change the layout. Instead, every time a different speaker spoke, they wou...ld get prominent position, and the windows would shift automatically. Zoom now lets you pin and re-order how you see chat windows. With the update, sign language interpreters' windows can be directly next to the speaker... "For visually impaired users, Zoom beefed up its keyboard shortcuts and streamlined its screen reader interface (which announces commands) to enable an easier log in experience, without need of a mouse. The shortcuts can be found in the preferences section of the Zoom app. "For those who need closed captioning support to understand the meeting, Zoom has new tools to adjust the size of the text, in the accessibility section of the app. The platform touts its interplay with professional captioning services which displays live transcripts. You can adjust the size of closed captioning and specify your screen reader alerts in Zoom's accessibility preferences." Read more here: https://www.usatoday.com//zoom-adds-accessibil/3495730001/ #AccessibleTech #AccessibleTechnology #AccessibleCanada #AccessibleWorld #AccessibilityMatters #AccessibilityAwareness #LevelPlayingField #LPF

Thank you, sign language interpreters! Enjoy your day! Love, the #LPF team.

Courtney spearheaded 23 accessibility improvement projects in Newfoundland. Want to do the same in your community? Apply today to become an EAF Youth Accessibility Leader: https://bit.ly/2HkffDe Image description : Courtney sitting at a picnic table accessible to wheelchairs.

"Brian Campbell just wanted to play with his kids at the beach without having to rely on 'burly' friends and neighbours to get him there. Now, thanks to his advocacy and a pilot project from the city, the 44-year-old can access the sand with his #wheelchair. "A blue and black carpet of sorts stretches from a parking lot near the lift bridge. t's called a Mobi-mat and made using materials including recycled polyester and cardboard packing. The city says the #accessibility mat ...was installed this month and Campbell said he was able to try it out for the first time Tuesday. " 'It's great,' said the father. 'Once you get used to the resistance of the mat itself it's actually quite easy to push around on.' Campbell was hanging Christmas lights back in 2017 when he fell and broke his spine, paralyzing him from the waist down. His family recently moved to the Beach Strip, but he quickly found their new home presented some barriers. "While his kids could run around in the sand, Campbell was restricted to the pathway. 'I've got two young kids and they're always wanting to play,' he explained. 'Being able to get out further on the beach was definitely a priority.' "Campbell's neighbours and friends would help lift him over the dunes, but he was looking for a more permanent solution. Kara Bunn, Hamilton's manager of parks and cemeteries, said he approached the city with the idea of a mat. Staff did some research of their own and Councillor Chad Collins supported the idea, so they purchased one and set it up in September. 'If the mat is successful and well used, the city would like to see more mats at other points along the beach,' she wrote in an email to CBC." Read more here: https://www.cbc.ca//campbell-mobi-accessible-beach-1.57294 #AccessibleBeaches #AccessibleOutdoorSpaces #AccessibleSpaces #AccessiblePlaces #AccessibilityMatters #AccessibilityAwareness #AccessibleOntario #AccessibleCanada #LevelPlayingField #LPF

Guys, check out the trailer for this incredible-looking documentary, Re-Inventing The Wheel Movie! You might shed a couple of happy tears, and that's just from watching the preview! The premise for this documentary is that "a unique wheelchair community in the Okanagan Valley guides newly injured Dan McLean through his first year of life as a #paraplegic." The doc makes its official Canadian premiere this Saturday and fortunately, it's totally #accessible because you can watc...h it from where ever you are. Get your tickets for the virtual screening at the Lunenburg Doc Fest now (we can't wait to watch)!: https://watch.eventive.org/.../play/5f539d76b44887002926f100 #WheelchairLove #AccessibleFilms #AccessibilityCommunity #AccessibilityMatters #AccessibilityAwareness #AccessibleCanada #AccessibleMovies #AccessibleDocumentaries #AccessibleDocs #AccessibleLove #AccessibilityLove #WheelchairLife #LevelPlayingField #LPF

Wow, the fundraising and donating for the 2020 Terry Fox Run continues thank you Canada! In this difficult year we appreciate every extra ask you are making..., email you are sending, thanks you are giving. We are deeply committed to the researchers and research projects that rely on Terry Fox funds. Every dollar has always counted for Terry and the Foundation, but this year that extra dollar might been the difference between funding a project or not. And now we are adding a community of 3.7 million Terry Foxers to the mix students, teachers and staff at 9,000 schools across Canada! They are an amazing force for good in our world. We will be sharing some stories over the next couple of weeks that will make you applaud, feel proud and maybe even donate to your alma mater!

What a daya remarkable, inspirational, beautiful day for Terry and for cancer research. Despite missing the spirit and camaraderie of our community Runs, and f...acing a pandemic that has challenged us all, Canadians showed up for Terry with an enthusiasm and resilience that would have made him so proud. Walkers, bikers, hikers, swimmers, paddlers, families, friends, cancer survivors, young, older, newcomers, lifers, fundraisers, donors everyone did their part. It was a reflection of not only the love we have for Terry but our determination to make a difference, just like he did 40 years ago. Canada, you tried your best for Terryand it was magnificent. Fundraising and donating continues at terryfox.org

Eligible recipients of the one-time payment of $600 will include Disability Tax Credit certificate holders, as well as individuals receiving: Canada Pen...sion Plan Disability Benefits Quebec Pension Plan Disability Benefits Disability supports provided by Veterans Affairs Canada If you are eligible for the Disability Tax Credit (DTC), but have not applied yet, please do it today, so that you can receive the one-time payment for persons with disabilities. The deadline for application is September 25th. Find out more: https://bit.ly/2Dn6Xcg Image description : Graphic displays a series of colored rectangles, icons depicting accessibility and text in the centre which reads One-time payment of $600 for persons with disabilities. Check your eligibility and apply for the DTC before September 25.

Want to make a difference? Your contribution to our consultation is an important step in the development and implementation of our programs. Fill out our survey... today. #MakingADifference #AccessibleCanada https://www.canada.ca//consultat/2020-priorities/form.html Image: Stick figure people, some with various disabilities, against a chartreuse yellow background. Above the people are white speech and thought bubbles outlined in black. At the bottom is Accessibility Standards Canada’s banner with the Canada wordmark on the right side in black.

"A Vancouver Island #wheelchair user who has spent years asking her strata for changes to make it possible to go to and from her condo safely and without help from friends has won $35,000 in damages and an order for action on her complaints. "Last week, the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal ordered the owners at the Eagle Point Bayview complex in Nanaimo to begin the process of making their building wheelchair #accessible, and to pay a penalty to 76-year-old Ada Jacobsen for injury ...to her dignity, feelings and selfrespect. " 'She has essentially been a prisoner in her own home ... Each time Ms. Jacobsen wants to go somewhere, she has to plan ahead with one of her friends so they can assist her,' tribunal member Grace Chen wrote in a Sept. 11 decision... "Ahead of hearings on the complaint, one strata council member told another that Jacobsen was a 'loser' who was just going to cost the owners more money, the tribunal found... " 'It suggests accommodation should be assessed against the number of people who need accommodation. The duty to accommodate is not focused on what is best for the majority,' Chen wrote. "According to the decision, Jacobsen did not have #mobility problems when she moved into the building in 2003, but her health has gradually declined and she was using a wheelchair by 2016. "The decision highlights how simple design decisions in a residential building can make it nearly impossible for people with disabilities to go about their daily lives... The tribunal ordered the strata to hire experts and seek approval for solutions to the hallway stairs, the front entrance and the path to the community centre." Read more from CBC News here: https://www.cbc.ca//bc-human-rights-tribunal-accessibility #AccessibleBuildings #AccessibleHomes #AccessibleDesign #UniversalDesign #UD #AccessibilityMatters #AccessibilityAwareness #DisabilityDiscrimination #HumanRights #HumanDignity #AccessibleCanada #AccessibleWorld #LevelPlayingField #LPF

"Instagram on Tuesday launched AI-powered automatic video captions for IGTV, part of an effort to make the platform more #accessible to all users. The feature is available in 16 languages. "Users will automatically see the captions if their volume is turned all the way down. They can turn on captions via settings, or from an in-video dropdown menu. This feature can be helpful for people with hearing loss, which impacts around 466 million people around the world, according to... the World Health Organization. " 'Audio within Instagram videos is unique in that there are a variety of different languages, topics, acoustic conditions, cultural slang and accents,' a #Facebook company representative said. 'Auto-captioning videos requires cutting-edge research and engineering to power the artificial intelligence that we use in the process.' "This is the latest step Instagram has taken to promote #accessibility in its products. In 2018, the company introduced automatic alternative text, which allows people with visual impairments to hear descriptions of photos through their screen reader while using Feed, Explore and Profile. #Instagram also simultaneously rolled out custom alternative text, allowing users to add stronger descriptions of their photos when uploading, which people using screen readers are then able to hear." Read more here: https://www.cnet.com//instagram-launches-automatic-captio/ #AccessibleInternet #AccessibleTechnology #AccessibleTech #AccessibleWorld #AccessibleCanada #AccessibilityAwareness #AccessibilityMatters #LevelPlayingField #LPF

Thank you again, John Fluevog Shoes ! We're so glad the Darby Fellowships are flying off shelves (in-store & online) both in the new red/pink & blue paisley styles & the original teal tapestry & black designs! Grab your own pair before they're gone!: https://bit.ly/3k2tOcO #AFriendlyReturn #Vog_Darby

Persons with disabilities, other experts and partners: now is the time to speak out! Take our survey today. #NothingWithoutUs https://www.canada.ca//consult...at/2020-priorities/form.html Image: A woman sitting on a couch and looking at her tablet. There is a thought bubble to the right side of the woman to show that she is thinking. At the bottom is Accessibility Standards Canada’s banner with the Canada wordmark on the right side in black.

New data on the impacts of #COVID19 on Canadians living with long-term conditions and disabilities: http://ow.ly/chCs50BaA11. Just over one-fifth of the Canadia...n population has one or more disabilities. However, relatively little is known about their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our new article provides an overview of the #employment and #income impacts of COVID-19 on crowdsourcing participants aged 15 to 64 living with long-term conditions and disabilities. Highlights are also available in this new video using American Sign Language (#ASL): http://ow.ly/sixl50BaA10. #AccessibleCanada #LetsTalkAccessibility