Let’s stop having accessibility be an afterthought or worse, not considered at all. Be accessible from the start!
I DARE to Be
Let’s break it down: Inclusion, Diversity, Anti-racism/oppression, Representation, Equity, and Belonging – I DARE to Be.
Deaf and Hard of Hearing residents of Canada who use a signed language enjoy accessible programming and systems, policies and procedures, events and community engagement, and active participation in life when “I DARE to Be” is embedded in design and operations.
Sadly, and still, more often than not, this is not the case, despite the Human Rights Duty to Accommodate, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), and the Accessible Canada Act (ACA). When things are truly accessible to Deaf community members, it is not scrambling at the last minute to plug interpreters in place. It’s having meaningful representation in the design of programs, systems, events, housing, employment procedures, education, training, policies, and processes. It’s being inclusive of the diversity and intersectionalities that make up the Canadian Deaf community from the get go.
Silent Voice Canada has worked with governments at all levels, healthcare systems, early intervention services, employers, and in training and education sectors to engage them with Deaf professionals and incorporate lived experience, cultural wealth, and Deaf community points of view into accessible design.
Transformational
Removing barriers after the fact is far more difficult than not building barriers in the first place. It is not daunting or overwhelming; it is, however, transformational.
When Deaf and Hard of Hearing people are at the table, transformation happens; attitudinal barriers fall away, unconscious biases are brought to light, myths are busted, belief systems are reimagined, and learning takes place. All with little effort, just having meaningful representation (not to be confused with tokenism) at the table.
Not an afterthought
“If you build it, they will come”. No. If you build it with accessibility in mind, engaging those to whom you want to be accessible in the design, then they will come.
Silent Voice Canada is a registered charity, staffed by more than 90% Deaf and Hard of Hearing professionals.. In 2025, we are celebrating 50 years of providing services that open the world to Deaf adults, youth, children, infants, and their families. Through an array of accessible direct client services, resources, and educational programming in ASL, and other signed languages, Silent Voice removes barriers, enhances communication, promotes inclusion, and increases knowledge.
For more information, visit silentvoice.ca.
