Established by Barbara Collier and Hazel Self in 2000, Communication Disabilities Access Canada (CDAC) is a Canadian, disability, non-profit organization, with charitable status. In partnership with people who have speech, language and communication disabilities, CDAC promotes communication accessibility to goods and services. Over the years, CDAC has developed a range of resources that are used by thousands of people in Canada and internationally. These include individuals who have disabilities that affect their communication, accessibility policy makers, human rights lawyers, researchers, and clinicians, as well as community businesses, organizations and government groups.

As of January 1, 2022, due to lack of sustainable funding, CDAC is an online resource only.

Our online resources and trainings continue to be available at no charge to users, in order to advance accessibility to goods and services for people who have communication disabilities. Please direct inquiries to admin@cdacanada.com

COVID-19

CDAC recognizes that the implications of COVID-19 are serious for people who have disabilities that affect their communication. To help people communicate about and during Covid-19, we have compiled some resources that may be useful. We will do our best to add to these resources throughout Covid-19. We also suggest that you follow us on social media for updates.

See COVID-19 Resources

Communication

Communication is an interactive, two-way process that involves both understanding and being understood. Communication includes speech, gestures, body language, writing, drawing, pictures, symbol and letter boards, communication devices, as well as human services such as informal and formal communication assistance, sign language interpreting, captioning in real time etc.

Communication Access

Communication access refers to policies and practices within service entities to ensure that people understand what is said or written and can communicate what they want to convey in face-to-face and telephone interactions, teleconferencing, online learning, meetings, conferences, public consultations, reading (print, websites and digital), and writing (forms, signatures, surveys and notetaking).

About CDAC

Founded by Barbara Collier and Hazel Self in 2001, CDAC is entirely project funded. We focus on communication accessibility policy and legislation, conduct research, and develop conceptual frameworks, resources and educational opportunities on a range of social justice, accessibility and human rights issues for people who have speech, language and communication disabilities.

People who have communication disabilities may have cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, Down Syndrome, learning disability, intellectual disability, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, traumatic brain injury, aphasia after a stroke, dementia, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (or ALS), Parkinson’s disease, or Multiple Sclerosis. We do not address the needs of people who are Deaf, deafened or have a significant hearing loss and who require sign language interpreting services as there are other organizations that do this.

Our online resources are used by thousands of individuals and organizations to promote equal access to goods and services for people who have disabilities that affect their communication. Visitors to our website include people who have communication disabilities, family members, disability services, businesses and organizations, human rights agencies, government agencies, healthcare professionals, social service providers, capacity adjudicators, police, legal and justice services, accessibility policy makers, legislators, and communication clinicians.

We do not provide clinical communication services. To find out about communication clinical services, please contact your provincial Speech-Language Pathologist and Audiology Association.