Long-term Actions
- Collaborate with other organizations and SDOs to provide and coordinate accessibility services for joint initiatives and events
- Advocate for system-wide access funds modelled after successful initiatives like the Swedish Disability Rights Federation which is the national umbrella group for disability organizations in Sweden. It speaks on behalf of the Swedish disability movement, raises awareness about disability issues, and provides advice to the government, parliament, and national authorities.
Examples
- The Accessibility Exchange connects disability and Deaf communities with organizations to support accessibility projects. Rather than each organization building expertise on its own, it provides a shared platform, resources, and connections to accessibility expertise.
- The Swedish Disability Rights Federation is an umbrella organization representing 54 disability organizations. It receives government funding and project funding, coordinates advocacy across the disability movement, and provides a collective voice in government consultations. While it is not an accessibility fund, it is an example of organizations pooling resources and influence to improve accessibility system-wide.
- Canada – Standards Council of Canada (SSC) partners with the government and industry to fund assistive technologies and interpretation services for national events.
- USA – American National Standards Institute (ANSI) collaborates with organizations like the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) to share costs for captioning and interpreters, reducing financial burden.