Heather McCain, LET’S Founder-Executive Director, was contacted to ask if we would participate in a short interview for INDEED (INvestigating the DEvelopment of Accessibility Standards in Canada and the Inclusion/Exclusion of Episodic Disabilities) regarding the Accessibility Standards Canada project. They stated “As the leader of a disability organization in Canada in the disability sector, and a key member of the INDEED project advisory team, you are uniquely placed to share the following:
- Perspectives on how well episodic disabilities have been incorporated into Canada’s accessibility standards.
- Perspectives on how people or organizations use existing accessibility standards and what these standards have achieved in relation to people living with episodic disabilities.
- Knowledge of barriers and facilitators to accessibility experienced by people living with episodic disabilities in Canada.”
Themes of the Project
- Understanding of Episodic Disability
- Incorporation of Episodic Disabilities
- Meanings of Accessibility
Existing Practices and Challenges - Future Development of Accessibility Standards
Questions Discussed
- How would you define or describe episodic disabilities?
- In your experience, what are some common misconceptions about episodic disabilities?
- Theme: Awareness of Accessibility Standards
- Please describe your experience with employment accessibility standards in Canada (your province)?
- Have you encountered any challenges or limitations in implementing these standards in your work?
- Do you believe that employment accessibility standards in Canada adequately address the needs of people with episodic disabilities? Why or why not?
- Can you provide examples of how these standards have been applied or implemented in your organization or sector?
- From your perspective, what does employment accessibility mean for people living with episodic disabilities?
- How can the concept of accessibility be further refined or expanded to better accommodate episodic disabilities?
- What promising or best practices have you observed in the inclusion of episodic disabilities in employment accessibility standards or initiatives?
- What are some key challenges or barriers that hinder the effective inclusion of episodic disabilities in accessibility standards?
- What recommendations would you make for improving the integration of episodic disabilities into future accessibility standards?
- How can stakeholders like yourself contribute to the sustained utilization of episodic disabilities principles in the development of future standards?