Completed Projects

This research project funded by Accessibility Standards Canada will develop a simple tool to apply a neurodivergent lens to standards development. Guided by the active and creative participation of the neurodivergent community, our work will contribute to the reduction and elimination of barriers for neurodiverse thinkers.

Visit the Neurodivergent Lens: Recommended Practices for Neuroinclusivity project webpage for more information.

Following the successful completion of the David C. Onley Initiative 1.0 (2018 – 2020), the DCOI 2.0 project is continuing the efforts toward improving employment outcomes of post-secondary students with disabilities in Ontario. The DCOI 2.0 project aims to share and build the foundational knowledge of Ontario post-secondary institutions towards increasing accessibility by introducing an online platform to guide the implementation of best practices and learnings of DCOI Collective Impact Strategy.

Visit the DCOI 2.0 project webpage for more information.

A study funded by Accessibility Standards Canada to determine which practices and technologies can provide the most practicable solutions to acoustic accessibility barriers in different spaces and to communicate that knowledge in a clear and usable way.

Visit the Informing Standards for Acoustics and the Built Environment project webpage for more information.

One of the pillars of the Accessible Canada ACT is to ensure “accessible digital content and technologies,” however standards for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) technologies do not exist.

With the goal of remedying this lack of standardization, researchers conducted a multi-year research study to inform the development of recommendations and guidelines to impact and improve the use of AAC technologies and devices.

Visit the Accessibility Standards Canada Augmentative and Alternative Communication Project webpage for more information.

The Accessibility Institute collaborated on an initiative led by the Inclusive Design Research Centre at OCAD University to examine the accessibility of the digital tools and systems used in the workplace.

As a supporting partner, the Accessibility Institute contributed to the project by serving as a member of the advisory board and providing subject matter experience.

Visit the Inclusive Design Research Centre Equitable Digital Systems webpage for more information.

The Accessibility Institute has been engaged by Transport Canada to investigate the current state of accessible vehicles in taxi and rideshare services in Canada. This collaborative project endeavours to develop a quantitative picture of the number of accessible taxis and rideshare vehicles and a contextual qualitative understand of accessible vehicle availability and requests in Atlantic provinces. The goal of this work is to provide a strategy for collecting this data that will enable Transport Canada to later expand data collection into a Canada-wide project.

Visit the Transport Canada project webpage for more information.

The Accessibility Institute received funding from Accessibility Standards Canada to investigate the key transition points unique to the public service that are necessary in creating conditions for success related to the employment journey/life cycle of an employee with disabilities (such as onboarding, retention and career development, transition support, mentorship, etc.).

This research provided a critical map for targeted action and interventions that can build on and further support the Accessibility Strategy for the Public Service of Canada and the development of relevant employment standards under the Accessibility Canada Act.

Click here for more information.

The Accessibility Institute developed a collective impact strategy for making positive changes in the transition to work and employment outcomes for post-secondary students with disabilities.

The goal of this initiative was to enhance campus-wide knowledge and understanding of the relationship between accessibility, disability, and employment.

Visit the Research Impact Canada project webpage for more information.

The Accessibility Institute (then READ Initiative) was awarded funding from the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development to undertake a project called: “Training Series in Accessibility for Employment: Supporting Employer Readiness and Employability of Post-secondary Job Seekers with Disabilities”. A consortium of partners from the Ottawa region (Carleton University, Algonquin College, University of Ottawa, La Cite, EARN/United Way, Ottawa Employment Hub, Ottawa Board of Trade) and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, will bring together expertise and lived experience of disability to create a set of training videos, tools and trainer guides to provide accessibility training and ensure that workplaces benefit from the full potential of its highly skilled population.

This project is in response to the growing amount of university and college graduates with disabilities seeking work, and the concern that employers lack the experience necessary to meet the specific disability and accessibility-related needs of the incoming job seeking population

Click here for more information.

Through the lens of different disciplines including social science and ergonomics, researchers from Carleton conducted literature reviews and physical environmental scans to look at the physical and digital accessibility considerations that have been or need to be implemented in these systems, considering current and new technology, and various factors like usability and effectiveness.

Click here for more information on this study.

The David C. Onley Initiative for Employment and Enterprise Development, led by Carleton University and funded by the Government of Ontario, was a two-year applied research project in partnership of four postsecondary institutions in Ottawa to develop knowledge, resources, and tools to support students with disabilities in their employment readiness and career aspirations.

‎Click here for information about the David C. Onley Initiative for Employment and Enterprise Development.

The Carleton University Accessible Experiential Learning (CUAEL) Project ran as a collaboration between Carleton University’s Career Services, Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities, and the Accessibility Institute to address the employment gap that exists for students with disabilities.

The success of the project and high student interest in the concept of a dedicated employment program for students with disabilities, led to the CUAEL Project evolving into the ACT to Employ Program during the 2019-2020 academic year.

The Accessibility Institute’s role in this project was to provide research support when conducting research for the funding applications, as well as assist in identifying the overall objectives of the project and what issues the funds would be best suited to address.

Learn more the CUAEL Project.

One of the developments arising from the Paralympic Sport Festival is a relationship with Triathlon Canada and our Athletics Department. Together we hope to create a Patatriathlon Academy as a model for universities across the country to develop.

Learn more about the Paratriathlon Academy.

The Accessibility Institute (formerly READ Initiative) formed an employment discussion committee in response to the discrepancy in employment success between students with disabilities and the general student population. The committee spearheaded many pilot projects with diversity employers and the Public Service Commission, and negotiated and contributed to the 2016 environmental scan of employment preparation programs.

Learn more about the Preparing for Employment – Trends and Best Practices Project.

A collaboration between the Hindu Society of Ottawa Carleton and the Kasese District Union of Persons with Disabilities in Uganda raised funds to support a local enterprise that manufactures hand cycles for district residents with disabilities.

The Accessibility Institute (formerly READ Initiative) brought Carleton expertise to bear on the production process as well as the communication and organization strategies of the project.

Learn more about the CanUgan Project.

In 2012, the Accessibility Institute (then READ Initiative) held a contest to improve overall accessibility of Carleton University. With over 12,000 individual accessibility audits conducted using the Rick Hansen Foundation’s accessibility map, the contest was a success.

This was the first step in a larger project that will address these barriers and ensure that Carleton University is even more accessible.

Learn more about the Plan@t Contest.

The Accessibility Institute developed a wiki-style captioning software that allows multiple users to simultaneously caption a small section of a video or online lecture. This allows for the production of timely captioned versions of videos and online classes so that students requiring this accommodation will have access to the course material.

Learn more about the C.A.M.P. Project.