Government of Canada announces new funding for accessible technology

Investments through the Accessible Technology Program support organizations in developing new devices and technology solutions to help Canadians with disabilities participate in the digital economy

May 4, 2023 – Ottawa, Ontario

Canadians need to be connected to fully engage with the professional, social, economic and cultural networks in our communities. Yet even today, many with disabilities still face barriers to participating fully in the digital economy. That’s why the Government of Canada continues to push the envelope to find new and innovative ways of helping remove barriers to accessibility and inclusion.

Today, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced that 11 organizations in communities across the country will receive funding as part of the $5.8 million investment in the second phase of the Accessible Technology Program. This investment will support the development of new assistive and adaptive digital devices and technologies to make it easier for Canadians with disabilities to participate fully in the digital economy.

While the price of mainstream technologies typically decreases as they become more readily available, the opposite is true for assistive and adaptive devices because they must be customized to the unique needs of their users. Therefore, the current level of support for the development of accessible technologies needs to be increased, given the unique needs of Canadians with disabilities.

The Accessible Technology Program will help overcome these barriers, reduce the costs associated with developing assistive and adaptive technologies, and address the employment challenges that Canadians with disabilities face. This will help ensure that they can be more independent and get the well-paying jobs they want.

The 11 organizations receiving funding are:

• AAVAA Inc.
• CanAssist
• CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind)
• Compusult Limited
• Concordia University of Edmonton
• Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital
• Horizon Health Network
• Neil Squire Society
• Technologies HumanWare Inc.
• TrySight Inc.
• Université Laval