RC Design Launches Non Profit Website Providing Online Accessibility for All
Toronto, ON (PRWEB) September 10, 2013 -- RC Design, a graphic design and website design agency in Newmarket, Ontario, integrates the new provincial Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) standards seamlessly into web design and development procedures as illustrated by their recent launch of Toronto Children’s Aid Society’s (CAST’s) new website.
The Children's Aid site features enhancements and functions that make it AODA compliant including but not limited to: high contrast colours and text, simple and clear copy, large-print options, keyboard navigation operability, screen reader adaptability, label description in form fields, and pre-recorded audio descriptions where required.
On Monday, August 26th 2013 the Toronto Star reported that the organizers from the Pan/Parapan American Games invited David Lepofsky, lawyer and chair of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance, with an email invitation that the visually-impaired lawyer could not read. The issue – the email was sent as an image attachment instead of plain text in the email body, the former of which is not compatible with software used by the blind.
While this recent event illustrates the uphill battle of implementing accessibility standards across Ontario there are some small businesses that are on the ball.
Rob Clark, owner of RC Design ensures that creative integrity can operate in tandem with these government standards. “A lot of people assume that adhering to a strict set of guidelines will stifle creativity and sacrifice design,” he states. “It’s simply not the case. In reality, a good designer can come up with ways of integrating new processes. It’s integral - it’s what we do.”
Special consideration was shown when the team designed and developed online communications that follows accessible information and communications standards imposed by the AODA. RC Design redesigned and redeveloped CAST’s online presence by creating an intuitive and easy-to-navigate custom website. The redesign is welcoming, simple and organized coherently making it easily accessible to everyone.
Nicole Gall, Lead Developer at RC Design states, “As a team, we've integrated much of the AODA requirements into our custom content management system. The rest is simply a matter of changing our own coding habits and maintaining an awareness of the requirements to meet the standard.”
The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 exists to prevent barriers for people with disabilities in key areas of daily living by 2025, with five-year milestones that must be established until full compliance is reached. According to the Ministry of Community and Social Services, Ontario, disability impacts the lives of 15.5% of Ontarians, a number that grows as the population ages.
About RC Design
RC Design Inc., located in Newmarket, is an award-winning agency that combines the power of technology and creative design. For nearly 15 years the business has been entrenched in the communities of York Region and the Greater Toronto Area to deliver powerful results to clients from Toronto to Napa Valley to Vancouver. Whether collaborating with leaders in the global financial industry or with first time business owners of a local cupcake bakery, or with not-for-profit organizations, RC Design has only one goal: to produce compelling creative solutions that provides impact and delivers.
Rob Clark, RC Design, http://rcdesign.com/, +1 (905) 898-5026 114, [email protected]
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