Partnership aims to help businesses meet website accessibility standards following deadline for the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)
Toronto, ON, January 19 - Ontario-based enterprise website production company Craft&Crew and CNIB, Canada's largest non-profit serving people with sight loss, announced their partnership today. This new partnership aims to help Ontarian organizations create a more accessible digital experience for everyone – including more than six million Canadians with disabilities.
Through the partnership, not only will organizations across the province be able to reach more Canadians than ever before, they’ll also be complying with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) ahead of the government mandated deadline on June 30, 2021.
“The false perception that an accessible website cannot be customer-centric has held businesses back from making meaningful changes to their web practices, even in the face of the AODA compliance requirements,” says John M. Rafferty, President and CEO of CNIB. “We are so thrilled to be partnering with Craft&Crew. Their passion for creating and designing accessible websites, without compromising on design or user experience makes them extremely well-aligned with our mission and cause.”
The AODA was enacted in 2005 with the goal of having a fully accessible province by 2025. Under the AODA, Ontario public, private, and non-profit organizations with 20 or more employees must demonstrate their compliance with a set of guidelines that promote accessibility, including online, by June 30, 2021.
Craft&Crew and CNIB’s partnership will provide businesses with an audit that assesses the accessibility of their digital platforms to the top standard of digital accessibility, WCAG 2.0 Level AA. Businesses will receive a full report with remediation recommendations that blend accessibility with modern website user experience and user interface design best practices. Craft&Crew and CNIB Frontier Accessibility, CNIB’s social enterprise dedicated to accessibility in all aspects of work and life, will conduct audits collaboratively, with proceeds from the work going straight to CNIB’s programs and mission.
“The pandemic has exposed how heavily we rely on the Internet in our social, private and professional lives, and lack of accessibility for individuals living with disabilities severely compromises how they can participate in the community, economy and job market,” says Dave Hale, Founder and Partner of Craft&Crew. “Web accessibility should be a goal that businesses are proud to strive towards, not an afterthought.”
To learn more about Craft&Crew, and their services, go to craftandcrew.ca. To learn more about CNIB and additional resources for Canadians living with sight loss, visit cnib.ca.
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About Craft&Crew: Since 2010, Craft&Crew has produced and optimized the performance of 500+ enterprise websites, significantly increasing their value. The company has experience working with large, “considered purchase” brands and counts Athabasca University, BGIS, Calian, Colliers International, Rakuten, REALTOR.ca, SurveyMonkey, TD Canada Trust, and Xplornet Communications as clients. To learn more, visit www.craftandcrew.ca.
About CNIB: CNIB is a non-profit organization driven to change what it is to be blind today. We deliver innovative programs and powerful advocacy that empower people impacted by blindness to live their dreams and tear down barriers to inclusion. Our work as a blind foundation is powered by a network of volunteers, donors and partners from coast to coast to coast. To learn more or get involved, visit cnib.ca.
Media Contacts
Craft&Crew:
Megan Stangl
Talk Shop Media
CNIB:
Alison Byczok, Director, Marketing and Communications
416-272-0464