By Lana Milley
On May 18, #A11yTO Camp opened the doors of the Ontario College of Art and Design for a full day of accessibility learning. People of all abilities and experiences were welcomed to learn and share their experiences about digital inclusion in the Greater Toronto Area.
Speakers from a variety of backgrounds presented over 20 sessions to those in attendance. During the day, participants learned about digital accessibility, modern web and development practices, how to design with empathy and how to overcome service design barriers.
Software developer Alex Tait, of Rangle.io Inc., gave an inspiring talk about fostering an accessibility community of practice.
“Build trust in the community," Tait said. "Demonstrate a willingness to 'not know,' and explore ideas from a beginner’s mindset [even when you do know].”
Patrick Dunphy, Digital Accessibility Program Manager at CBC, stressed the importance of digital accessibility workshops and how to use objectives and key results to develop a larger accessibility strategy.
Kalamuna's Director of Design & UX, Crispin Bailey, shared his experience redesigning the American Foundation for the Blind's (AFB) website. The AFB underwent a major shift in strategic direction and Kalamuna helped to create the best user experience for the website's audience.
“That might have been the most successful #A11yTOCamp we've ever run!" Billy Gregory, #A11yTO co-organizer, tweeted. "The talks were awesome, people came from far and wide, and everywhere I looked, people seemed to be making new friends!”
#A11yTO holds regular meetups, annual camps, conferences and recently launched #A11yIRL, a one-day event focused specifically on inclusive design, universal design and all things accessibility in real life.