Hey everyone! Welcome to Day 2 of my July 2026 series: Deaf Accessibility Wins.
One of my favourite parts of my job every day is getting the chance to have real conversations with people who aren’t familiar with ASL or Deaf access. Even though I’m not particularly fond of the words “access” and “inclusion” (they can feel like buzzwords), they’re the terms most people know and understand.
The reality is that society wasn’t designed or built with Deaf people in mind from the start. Too often, we become an afterthought — and accessibility becomes about patching up barriers that were there in the first place.
Until the Accessible Canada Act (ACA) was passed in 2019, accessibility wasn’t treated as a real priority. Sure, there were some features like captions and text, but rarely proper ASL or LSQ interpretation. Then came Bill C-81, which officially recognized ASL, LSQ, and Indigenous Sign Languages as the primary languages of Deaf Canadians. Change has been happening since then — slowly but surely.
Still, progress isn’t moving at the pace many of us hoped for. Deaf people have been communicating through sign language for generations, long before these laws existed. For many hearing people, this is still new territory, which is why Deaf access often gets de-prioritized.
At its core, this comes down to lack of awareness.
That’s why I genuinely enjoy these conversations — whether the person is motivated by internal values (doing what’s right) or external obligations (avoiding fines or meeting requirements). Once people become aware, educated, and empowered, those conversations turn into meaningful action. They lead to real change and new opportunities for Deaf people in government, businesses, and communities.
These dialogues are wins in themselves — small steps that build toward bigger systemic change.
What about you? Have you ever had a conversation that shifted your perspective on accessibility? Or what’s one thing you wish more people understood about Deaf access?
Drop your thoughts in the comments — I read every one, and these conversations are how we keep moving forward.
See you tomorrow for Day 3!