Phase 1 Report

Participants agreed that a collaborative, community-led program with an inclusive and diverse leadership would be most likely to achieve success.

Participants agreed that a multi-pronged strategy that promotes awareness and offers simple, actionable solutions would be most attractive to businesses in the short term and most sustainable in the long term.

Questions for business owners and managers

A certification model would carefully consider which incentives would be most effective – for instance, awards, recognition, press coverage – as well as which resources and educational support businesses might need.

Participants agreed that there were many existing programs that could serve as funding model templates, though the choice of funding model may largely depend on the governance, leadership, and scope chosen for an accessibility certification model.

Participants agreed that the eventual goal of this process would be a voluntary, independent accessibility certification model that applies to different business types and sizes. Further discussion will determine whether this is feasible or whether the model should pilot in one area and grow to others.