Over 440,000 Canadians have disabilities that affect their speech and/or their ability to understand what someone else is saying. Like everyone, people with communication disabilities have a legal right to equal access to goods and services. For that to happen, they have to be able to communicate successfully. Businesses, organizations, and essential services in Canada are required by law to make their services fully accessible for people who have communication disabilities.
What Is Communication Access?
Communication access is what people who work in businesses and organizations can do to help people with communication disabilities:
- understand what’s being said
- have their messages accurately understood by others
- have the supports they may need to communicate at meetings, public events, and over the telephone
- get written information in ways they can understand and use
- sign documents, take notes, and complete forms
- communicate in the ways they prefer, such as:
- speech (talking)
- gestures
- writing
- pointing to objects or pictures
- spelling words
- typing on a communication device
- having someone assist them
Credits: Adapted from Communication Disabilities Access Canada (CDAC)
