Activities and Events 2017-2019

Join me on a journey of Accessibility 101, November 28, 2019

Okanagan Technology, Media and Creative Community is hosting an Universal design for a competitive edge workshop for entrepreneurs. Building a business today means designing for the future. Come learn about the basics of universal design for a competitive edge in the expanding digital economy.

Join me on the city of Toronto YouTube channel

as the Toronto IT leaders celebrate Accessibility Week on Tuesday May 28, 2019. The City of Toronto YouTube channel presents the local city government interactions with residents, visitors and businesses. The City of Toronto’s first-ever Accessibility Forum, as part of National AccessAbility Week, is designed for directors, managers and supervisors. The Forum will focus on de-mystifying the AODA, implementing culture change, and sharing best practices for embedding accessibility and inclusion into what we do at the City to ensure we treat the public and our staff in an equitable way. I will be the keynote speaker, talking on behalf of the
Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians about the digital divide challenges leaders must consider when planning for a more inclusive city.

Keynote: The Digital Divide and More Inclusive Cities, David Best Accessibility IT Specialist

Keynote at the Toronto IT Community Leadership Forum on March 29, 2019.

This forum will explore greater opportunities to support the alignment and delivery of City services. An opportunity for IT senior leaders and subject matter experts for a half-day session that will explore greater opportunities to drive the delivery of a digital government and excellence in IT services at the city of Toronto. Leading in today’s INCREDIBLY fast-paced business environment requires that leaders and managers understand the paradigm shift of the 4TH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION. The decisions leaders make today will dramatically impact the life experiences within the city of Toronto over the next decade.

Keynote: The Business Value of Accessibility, with David Best of Inclusive Media

Download Keynote (PPTX)

Join the Toronto Elevate Tech Festival, September 24 to 27, 2018

At Elevate, we will showcase the people, projects and stories that demonstrate how we can continue to build a more inclusive city together. We will question the status quo and identify ways we can modernize public life. Join us to learn how you can be part of the important change happening in cities and advocate for equality for everyone. I will be speaking at the North York Central Library on September 26, on the topic of social inclusion and how we can revolutionize the design process to create smarter cities for the future. Smart people build smart cities, but life experiences is the best teacher and learning from each other will ensure your inclusion strategy is on track.

Elevate 2018 Social Impact

Download Elevate 2018 Social Impact Powerpoint Presentation

The Toronto Association of Systems and Software Quality (TASSQ) meet up, June 26, 2018

If you have an interest in software quality or software testing, then come and learn why accessibility is important to your organization success. Accessibility has become a mainstream requirement that can transform the business. Investing in accessible and usable technology products and services, workplace environments and facilities opens up new markets, increases productivity, liberates talent, and enables innovation. Good design is the bridge that will close the digital divide, and good company values will bridge the inclusive divide.
the Toronto Association of Systems and Software Quality meet up, June 26, 2018

Join me at the University of Guelph Accessibility Conference, Designing for Diverse Abilities, May 29-30, 2018

As a Inclusive Media and Design partner, I will be speaking on the Digital Divide and The Dark Matter. Technology, as we are frequently being reminded, holds great promise, and a dark side. Automated tools for assessing website accessibility, for example, can be useful up to an extent – equivalent to a small army of analysts combing umpteen lines of code for barriers. However, those analysts lack judgement, or ability to contextualize like humans can. It would be massively complex to teach machines to exhibit (virtual) wisdom. This presentation is not about automated accessibility tools. It’s about the digital divide, how technology can be used to further place the underprivileged at a disadvantage – and what we can do about it. Join us in Room 160 Johnston Hall, on Wednesday, May 30.

Join me at the 26th annual AEBC AGM – Our Journey, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, April 27-29, 2018

The conference will be held at the Metrotown Hilton in Burnaby, BC. For 25 years the AEBC has played a critical role in targeting its advocacy efforts to change the lives of Canadians who are blind, deaf-blind, and partially sighted for the better. With the rapid deployment of technology, however, and the pace of change which surrounds us, the AEBC must learn to become a more nimble organization, capable of responding in a quick and effective way to the world around us. Join us to celebrate, reflect, engage with others, and give voice to AEBC in creating positive social change. On April 29, at 10:45AM, I will speak on the
Let’s Talk About A Digital Canada.

Join me at the Ontario Digital Inclusion Summit in Toronto, February 9 and 10, 2018

This event is sponsored by the Ontario Public Policy Forum and the Government of Ontario. The Ontario Digital Inclusion Summit aims to find, understand and fix the gaps that keep some citizens from accessing and benefiting from the digital world. I will be speaking at this event, on behalf of the Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians national organization. What are the knowledge and systemic gaps that keep blind citizens from accessing and benefiting from the digital world?
Learn more about the presentation background information.

Join me at Canada’s digital government conference, November 1-3, 2017

This is a three-day conference where leading minds in government and technology come together to redefine what’s possible in an era of digital systems and connected citizens. I will be participating on the Inclusion And Accessibility discussion panel. Democratic governments live in the tension between two often competing ideas: The will of the popular vote, and the constitutional rights of the individual. For digital government to work, it must not just be for the masses, but for everyone. And while technology holds great potential to streamline Byzantine government processes, it also runs the risk of widening an already significant digital divide by ignoring those who need it most. In this session, we will look at what accessibility means for a connected citizenry, and why digital government for everyone isn’t just a constitutional right; it’s the right way to build sustainable platforms. The FWD50 conference will take place at the Aberdeen Pavilion, Lansdowne Park, 1000 Exhibition Way), Ottawa, Ontario.
FWD50 2017 Photo Collection.

Join me at the TechWell StarCanada 2017 software conference in Toronto, October 15-20, 2017.

While Information and Communication Technology (ICT) accessibility for a wider spectrum of users, including the blind, and their interfaces is being required by law across more jurisdictions, testing for it remains limited, naive, and too late. Take away an understanding of the three core guidelines for accessibility; components of authoring tools, web content, and user agent accessibility for mobile, web browsers, and media players, and understand their impact on assistive technologies. As a member of the Inclusive Media and Design (IMD) team, I will be speaking on Accessibility Standards and Testing Techniques: Be Inclusive or Be Left Behind (Thursday 19th, at 10:15-11:15AM).

Join me at the FITC Front-End Developer Conference, Web Unleashed 2017, September 25 and 26.

I will be participating in the panel session
Making the Web Accessible for People with Disabilities,
taking place on September 26 at 11:30Am to 12:15PM, at the Toronto Marriott downtown Eaton Centre hotel, room Salon CD.
FITC stands for Future, Innovation, Technology, Creativity. four words that capture the essence of what our company and events are all about. We produce design and technology focused events worldwide that inspire, educate and challenge attendees. Since 2002, FITC has brought together like-minded professionals in Toronto, Amsterdam, Tokyo, San Francisco, Chicago, Seoul, New York, Los Angeles and many other cities.
FITC2017: How to Build Accessible Products – YouTube

Join me at the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Science third annual Accessibility Innovation Showcase.

The Accessibility Innovation Showcase is an event highlighting innovative assistive technologies and devices through interactive exhibits, and is taking place on September 25-26, 2017, at the Sheraton Centre, 123 Queen Street West, Toronto. The admission is free, and Thousands of visitors are expected and will experience the latest technologies to help improve the lives of Ontarians with disabilities. I will be participating in the Ask the Expert, on the afternoon of September 26th.

Launch Of The Canadian Digital Service – Success or Failure?

By David Best, AEBC Blog, July 23, 2017
On July 18 The Honourable Scott Brison, President of the Treasury Board, Launch the Canadian Digital Service (CDS), a made-in-Canada approach to digital government. This is an exciting announcement, as it is the first step toward a more inclusive Canada. However, should digital accessibility be introduced at the step one design phase, or integrated at a later date once the digital processes have been put in place? The CDS team understands that people expect government services to be simple and easy to use, and realize that there is a lot of work to be done, and yet have marginalized groups that depend upon accessible digital communications, like blind Canadians, from the most important phase of the project. The CDS team, no doubt, is passionate about their work, driven by empathy to get the job done, and committed to making it easier for people to use government services, but yet do not have an obvious accessibility strategy or even an accessibility champion.

The Toronto Association of Systems and Software Quality (TASSQ) meet up, June 21, 2017

Meet Ups are a great way to meet with like minded people and learn new talents and skills. Networking is the key to success, and collaboration is the catalyst for innovation.

University of Guelph Open Learning and Educational conference 2017

Join me at the University of Guelph accessibility conference Becoming a Catalyst for Inclusion, on May 29-31, 2017. As a member of the Inclusive And Media Design group, I will present on the topic Why Site Analysis and Remediation is a Feel Good Thing, in Rozanski Hall 101, Tuesday, May 30, 2017, 3:15-4:00PM.
Learn about the why of accessibility remediation and the impact that AODA compliance can have on people who use your site. Accessibility should be a measure of productivity that enable people to be productive and satisfied.

Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians 2017 Conference, Celebrating 25 years

The 2017 AEBC National Conference and Annual General Meeting will take place in Toronto, Ontario, at the Court Yard by Marriott Downtown Toronto, from April 28 to April 30, 2017. The theme is Celebrating AEBC’s 25th Anniversary. Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians (AEBC) is a national grassroots, peer support organization that comprises Canadians who are blind, deaf-blind or partially sighted and our supporters from the public at large. We work to ensure we have a voice on all matters affecting our participation in Canada’s mainstream society. I believe we are at a critical turning point in the evolution of independence for blind Canadians. Scientists and engineers are pushing the boundaries of technology, and creating greater independence for persons living with vision loss. At the AEBC AGM this year I will be standing for nomination in a Directors position.
AGM2017 Nomination Introduction text transcript

Parks Canada Consultation round Table Feedback

Let’s Talk Parks, Canada! invites all Canadians to share their views on Canada’s national parks, national historic sites, and national marine conservation areas and on the Parks Canada Agency. For the first time ever, all Canadians are being invited to participate in the Minister’s Round Table required by the Parks Canada Agency Act (1998).
As the representative for The Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians (AEBC) I was invited to participate in the Round Table discussion that took place in Markham Ontario on January 11, 2017. Read my Round Table Discussion feedback, and help shape the Parks Canada of tomorrow.