Businesses

BIG IDea a Platform to support businesses in Ontario in leading and innovating accessible inclusive practices.

ACCESSIBILITY IS YOUR BUSINESS

Accessibility is more than ramps and accessible washrooms. Accessibility means more business. Several facts you need to know about this market:

  • Approximately 6,200,000 Canadians have a disability, that’s almost 1 in every 5 Canadians.
  • $55.4 billion CDN is the estimated buying power of Canadians with disability . This number grows to $366.5 billion CDN when you add in friends and family.
  • The prevalence of disability increases steadily with age: 1 in 3 Canadian seniors have a disability.
  • Seniors are Canada’s fastest-growing age group. They are expected to make up 25% of our population by 2036.
  • Globally, there are approximately 1.3 billion people with disabilities. Their buying power is estimated to be greater than $1.2 trillion USD, or $8.1 trillion USD when friends and family are included.

If you want to learn how to make your business more accessible you can use our free resources

Do you have an accessibility or inclusion challenge that you want to suggest we tackle at our next design challenge?

MEMBERSHIP

Why join BIG IDeA?
Understanding the importance to your business of becoming accessible and inclusive of people with disabilities is the easy part. Knowing what needs to change and how to do it may be more challenging.

As a BIG IDeA member, we help you assess what’s needed in your business, build your knowledge, understanding and ability to implement accessible and inclusive practices into all areas of the business.

You will have access to a range of business-focused resources, and advice that will put your business at the front of inclusion practices. In addition, you will have regular opportunities to participate in inclusive design challenges events. These events bring together businesses, designers, customers with disabilities in order to unfold various real-world Accessibility Challenges and to draft inclusive solutions for them.

What is BIG IDeA Membership?
Big IDeA Membership connects you to customers, advocates and inclusive designers, to help you to bring accessibility in your business. Membership is Free, and you’ll have:

  • RESOURCES: Online resources and training on accessibility for your business and employees.
  • CUSTOMER FEEDBACK: Private customer feedback from your customers and potential customers (an AODA requirement).
  • DESIGN CHALLENGE PRIORITY: Get your accessibility challenges to the top of our list at inclusive design challenge events.
  • SOLUTIONS: See solutions to accessibility challenges from your business and other businesses like yours.
  • ACCESSIBILITY BADGES: Show potential customers your commitment to accessibility through our self-assessment badging system.
  • PROMOTION: Get your business will be promoted on bigidea.one and listed on major accessibility advisor applications.

Get resources and training

We’re gathering and creating resources and training materials to help you learn about and become more inclusive. Visit the Resources section to learn more about:

  • How inclusion increases market share
  • Providing Inclusive Customer Experience
  • Communications that are Inclusive
  • Free Accessibility Training for You and Your Employees
  • Quick and Simple Inclusion Approaches

Get suggestions from customers

BIG IDeA has an accessible customer feedback system. Get listed now for free access to the system.

Get help with accessibility and inclusion challenges

Create a business listing on the Accessibility Map

Let potential customers know what you have in place to make their visit inclusive. Get listed on accessibility cloud–it’s easy to do and will get your business on all of these great accessibility applications:

  • AXS Maps
  • Planat
  • AccessNow
  • J’accede
  • Wheelmap
  • Strut

Submit your business to our Inclusion Showcase

Have you made a small or big change that makes your business more inclusive or accessible for your customers? Tell us about it and we may showcase your business on our web site.