Communication technology has transformed how people with disabilities connect with others. Video calls enable sign language and lip-reading. Text messaging allows communication without speech. Augmentative and alternative communication devices give voice to those who cannot speak. Yet the same technologies that enable connection can also exclude when designed without disability in mind, and the rapid evolution of communication platforms creates ongoing accessibility challenges.
Video Communication
Video calling platforms—Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, FaceTime—have become essential communication infrastructure. For people who are deaf or hard of hearing, video enables visual communication that phones never could: sign language, lip-reading, written chat alongside video.
Accessibility features vary across platforms and evolve constantly. Auto-captioning quality differs and often fails with specialized vocabulary, accents, or multiple speakers. Sign language interpretation integration exists in some platforms but not others. The ability to pin a video of an interpreter isn't universal.
People with visual impairments face different video conferencing challenges. Screen reader compatibility varies. Visual interfaces may be difficult to navigate without sight. The social cues that sighted participants read from video may be inaccessible.
Fatigue affects video communication users differently based on disability. Deaf users processing visual information for extended periods face particular exhaustion. Screen reader users navigating complex interfaces experience cognitive load. Recognition of "Zoom fatigue" should include understanding of how disability intersects with these demands.
Text-Based Communication
Text messaging, email, and chat applications provide communication options that don't require real-time speech processing. For people with hearing loss, speech disabilities, or anxiety around phone calls, text communication may be strongly preferred.
The accessibility of text communication depends on implementation. Email and messaging clients vary in screen reader compatibility. Emoji and GIF communication may be inaccessible to screen reader users if images lack descriptions. Group chats with rapid message flow may be overwhelming for people with cognitive disabilities.
Professional and organizational communication increasingly expects text literacy—the ability to communicate effectively in writing, navigate threaded conversations, and manage information flow across platforms. These expectations may disadvantage people with certain learning disabilities or communication differences.
Augmentative and Alternative Communication
AAC encompasses tools that enable communication for people who cannot speak or whose speech is difficult to understand. These range from low-tech communication boards to sophisticated speech-generating devices powered by eye tracking or other input methods.
Digital AAC has expanded options dramatically. Tablet-based communication apps cost a fraction of dedicated devices while providing similar functionality. Symbol-based systems serve people with various cognitive and language profiles. Text-to-speech with modern voices sounds more natural than earlier synthesized options.
Yet AAC access remains uneven. The technology exists, but funding programs may not cover optimal solutions. Assessment and training to use AAC effectively aren't universally available. The gap between what AAC could provide and what people actually access remains substantial.
Integration of AAC with mainstream communication platforms presents ongoing challenges. Someone using AAC should be able to participate in video calls, group chats, and social media like anyone else, but technical barriers often interfere.
Real-Time Text and Relay Services
Real-Time Text (RTT), which displays text as it's typed rather than after completion, enables more natural conversation timing for text-based communication. RTT support in telecommunications is mandated in some jurisdictions but implementation varies.
Relay services—including traditional TTY relay, video relay for sign language users, and captioned telephone—enable communication between people using different modalities. Canada's relay services have evolved but face challenges with mobile integration and service quality.
IP-based communication has largely superseded traditional telephone networks, but relay services designed for the phone era don't always translate smoothly to video apps and messaging platforms that have replaced voice calls for many users.
Social Media Communication
Social media platforms have become primary communication channels, but accessibility varies. Twitter/X has made some accessibility improvements; other platforms lag. The fast-moving nature of social media and the informality of content often means accessibility considerations are neglected.
User-generated content accessibility depends on users providing alt text for images, captions for videos, and considering readability in their posts. Platform prompts and defaults can encourage or discourage accessible posting. Cultural norms about accessibility practices differ across communities.
The visual nature of platforms like Instagram and TikTok presents inherent challenges for users with visual impairments. Audio descriptions, when available, can provide access, but most user-generated content isn't described.
Workplace Communication
Professional communication tools—Slack, Microsoft Teams, email—are central to workplace function. Their accessibility shapes employment opportunity for people with disabilities.
Enterprise communication platforms have generally better accessibility than consumer products, partly due to legal requirements in employment contexts. But implementation varies by organization, and workarounds that individual users develop may not be officially supported.
Communication norms in workplaces may not accommodate disability. Expectations for immediate response, participation in rapid-fire discussions, or attendance at poorly captioned video meetings all create barriers. Technology accessibility is necessary but not sufficient—organizational practices matter too.
Emergency Communication
Emergency communication systems have historically assumed phone calls and auditory alerts. Text-to-911, visual emergency alerts, and accessible emergency information have improved but remain inconsistent.
The ability to text 911 exists in many Canadian jurisdictions but not all. Registration requirements may apply. Awareness of text-to-911 availability among people who might need it remains limited.
Public emergency broadcasts—Alert Ready in Canada—have visual components but accessibility review found gaps. Emergency apps and websites may not meet accessibility standards precisely when accessibility matters most.
Privacy and Security in Accessible Communication
Communication accessibility sometimes conflicts with privacy and security. Relay services necessarily involve third parties in conversations. Caption services may process sensitive content. AAC devices may store communication history.
End-to-end encryption, increasingly standard in messaging, can complicate accessibility features that rely on server-side processing. Balancing privacy protection with accessibility needs requires thoughtful design that isn't always achieved.
People with disabilities may face particular surveillance risks. Communication data about disability status, health conditions, or patterns that reveal disability may be collected by platforms. The tradeoff between functionality and privacy deserves attention.
Questions for Reflection
Should communication platforms be required to meet accessibility standards, similar to requirements for physical spaces? What would enforcement look like?
How can employers ensure workplace communication practices—not just tools—accommodate employees with disabilities?
What responsibility do individual users have to make their social media communication accessible to people with disabilities?