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 hearing.
Information and Communication Technology and People with Limited Hearing
Many ICT products and services have audio interfaces, inputs, and outputs. For example, people listen to audio output on:
- Phones
- Movies or videos
- Presentations that include narration
However, many people are deaf, hard of hearing, or deafblind. Therefore, the standards require that ICT products and services with audio interfaces must have at least one (1) mode of access that does not involve audio.
For example, people may use Sign language interpretation to understand spoken words. Furthermore, people may read captions or transcripts of words and other audio content, such as sound effects or music. Transcripts should include the text of captions, as well as the text of audio description. People may read this text visually, or by touch with a Braille display.
Similarly, devices with locking or toggle controls that display their status non-visually should have at least one (1) mode of access where the status is displayed visually. Locking or toggle controls have only two (2) or three (3) states that people can switch between. For example, these controls include:
- Caps lock on a computer
- Pay phone volume controls with three (3) options
People should be able to verify visually, such as through a status indicator on a keyboard, whether:
- Caps lock is on or off
- Volume is set at normal, loud, or extra loud
Alternatively, people may access audio with assistive listening devices, such as headsets with noise cancellation, connected to ICT through:
- Bluetooth
- Wireless networks
- Cables
Audio should be clear and without background noise. Moreover, people should be able to adjust elements of the audio to meet their needs, such as:
- Hearing all audio through one (1) earphone, rather than two (2)
- Balance between multiple audio channels
- Range of volume
- Louder volume for sounds in high frequencies