2025: Accessibility - Creating Inclusive Environments

Accessibility has been a subject that I am more and more interested in. From physical accessibility to cognitive accessibility, there seems to be a wide array of considerations. I obviously have a neuro-distinct lens when looking at accessibility, but that is somewhat biased by my personal experience as someone with dyslexia and ADHD.

Over the last year, I’ve had the opportunity to work on an accessibility specialist position, and let me tell you, there are not a lot of these roles on the market — and I think that’s quite unfortunate, to be quite frank! Kudos to my accessibility specialists reading this; please don’t be too harsh on me, as I am by no means an expert.

I recently underwent a training program by The Coaching Association of Canada, and they specified that programs should be at minimum 70% accessible to all. I thought this was a great idea — setting clear, measurable objectives for accessibility. There was an entire section on what accessibility could look like, with examples of ways to cater to different needs.

When we think of accessibility, we often think of physical accessibility, such as wheelchair ramps, braille signage, and accessible restrooms. However, 1 in 4 adults in the U.S. lives with some form of disability, and not all disabilities are visible. Digital accessibility is equally vital, ensuring that information and communication technology (ICT) is accessible to all and compatible with assistive technologies like screen readers or text-to-speech programs. Over 98% of the top one million websites still fail basic web accessibility standards, which is a staggering statistic for something so integral to modern life. Coming back to the Coaching Association of Canada, I was surprised to see how easy it was to get digital accessibility features of the training! Here are a couple: an ADHD component to reduce distractions, a learning disability function, a high/low contrast mode, different font choice.

Another area I'd like to shed light on is attitudinal awareness: the recognition of personal attitudes and feelings and their impact on others. Attitudes can be enabling or disabling. This plays a major role in accessibility because negative assumptions and stereotypes about people with disabilities are one of the largest barriers to inclusion. While you may not be able to implement a wheelchair ramp yourself, your willingness to assist someone or advocate for necessary accommodations can make a big difference.

For example, if someone needs a rail to navigate safely, offering them support while also advocating for a permanent solution can be a small but meaningful action. It’s these everyday moments of consideration that build a truly inclusive culture.

This brings me to what I hope for in 2025. The training I attended last year made me reflect on the importance of accessibility training for HR teams and managers. Awareness of ableist language — such as replacing “the player was blindsided” with “the player was surprised” — is just one part of building an inclusive culture. Research shows that 56% of employees believe that their organizations lack adequate training and resources to support employees with disabilities.

Accessibility shouldn’t be an afterthought. We need to integrate accessibility into the entire employee journey, from recruitment to retention, ensuring that environments are proactively designed to meet diverse needs. For instance, companies that prioritize accessibility from the start often experience higher employee satisfaction, retention rates, and innovation.

Finally, one statistic that struck me: managers are 37% more likely to feel anxious about providing feedback to employees with disabilities compared to those without. This highlights the need for intentional training to overcome bias and discomfort in these interactions.

Accessibility is not just about compliance or checklists. It’s about fostering environments where everyone feels valued and empowered to contribute. So, as we move forward in 2025, let’s champion accessibility at every level — physical, digital, cognitive, and attitudinal.