The AODA has requirements for web accessibility, as well as requirements for the procurement of self-service kiosks. However, the third review of the AODA recommends that future AODA standards should align with existing standards in other parts of the country.
For instance, Accessibility Standards Canada (ASC) has adopted European standards for accessibility in information and communication technology (ICT). Future AODA standards may include some or all of these guidelines and requirements to make ICT products and services more accessible. In this article, we explore guidelines in the federal standards that empower people to find, recognize, and use information and communication technology with limited cognition, language, or learning.
Information and Communication Technology and People with Limited Cognition, language, or learning
The standards require that ICT products and services meet the needs of people with disabilities that affect how they:
- Think
- Learn
- Use language, including reading and writing
ICT products and services should have features and modes of operation that are simple and intuitive to use. For example, instructions should be structured in steps that are easy to follow. Similarly, the focus order of content should be logical. In addition, in tasks with time limits, people should be able to adjust the time provided. Moreover, people should receive alerts if they have entered incorrect information. Furthermore, products and services should provide suggestions to help people correct their errors.
Likewise, products and services should provide supports for people whose disabilities affect writing. For example, supports for writing include:
- Word prediction
- Spelling aids
Finally, audio narration of text on screen meets the needs of all people whose disabilities affect reading, including people with limited vision. In addition, these requirements align with several principles of universal design, including:
In short, requirements to meet the needs of people with many disabilities are useful for all people.