Accessibility: Enabling people with disabilities to live independently and participate fully in all aspects of life, having access to all aspects of society on an equal and equitable basis with others (Source: ACA Plain Language Standard Opens a new window.).
Accommodation: A modification to rules, policies, practices, or the physical environment that allows a person with a disability to fully and equally take part in areas such as work, education, and the use of goods and services (for example, banking).
American Sign Language (ASL): The language used by most Deaf Canadians in anglophone communities. It is a visual language made up of specific gestures involving the hands, face, and body. It has its own grammatical rules and sentence structure (Source: ACA Plain Language Standard Opens a new window.).
Assistive Technology: Equipment, product system, hardware, software, or service that is used to increase, maintain, or improve a person’s capabilities (Source: ACA Plain Language Standard Opens a new window.).
Barrier: Anything that hinders a person’s full and equal participation in society. These may include architectural features, attitudes, physical conditions, technologies, communication methods, information formats, or policies and practices that create exclusion (Source: ACA Plain Language Standard Opens a new window.).
Captioning: Real‑time (live) or pre‑recorded on‑screen text that shows spoken words and important sounds in videos and other media, making audio content accessible to people who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing (Source: ACA Plain Language Standard Opens a new window.).
d/Deaf: “deaf” (lowercase) refers to the medical condition of having little or no functional hearing. “Deaf” (uppercase) refers to a cultural and social identity based on shared experiences and the use of sign languages, including ASL and LSQ.
Disability: Disability refers to conditions that make it harder for someone to complete daily activities, access information, or interact with their surroundings. A disability might include a condition or functional limitation that is physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication, or sensory. Disabilities can be permanent, temporary, or episodic, and they can be apparent to other people or not. Types of disabilities may include, but are not limited to: seeing or vision, mobility, speech, hearing, flexibility, dexterity, pain related, learning, cognitive, developmental, mental health related, or memory.
Disability etiquette: Guidelines on how to interact and communicate with people with disabilities to ensure all individuals with disabilities are treated with dignity, respect, and professionalism.
Inclusion: The practice of using proactive measures to create an environment where people feel welcomed, respected, and valued, and to foster a sense of belonging and engagement (Source: ACA Plain Language Standard Opens a new window.).
Inclusive design: A methodology for creating products, services, and environments that enable everyone, including people with disabilities, to participate fully and equally.
Langue des signes Québécoise (LSQ): The language used by most Deaf Canadians in francophone communities. It is a visual language made up of specific gestures involving the hands, face, and body. It has its own grammatical rules and sentence structure (Source: ACA Plain Language Standard Opens a new window.).
Plain Language: A communication is in plain language if its wording, structure, and design are so clear that the intended audience can easily do each of the following (Source: ACA Plain Language Standard Opens a new window.):
- find what they need;
- understand what they find; and
- use that information.
RDSP: Registered Disability Savings Plan. The RDSP is a long-term savings plan created by the federal government to help Canadians with severe and prolonged disabilities, and their families, save for the future.
TTY: Teletypewriter. A keyboard-operated device that allows people who are d/Deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech impairment to communicate by typing messages over a phone line.
WCAG: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), Canada uses WCAG as the basis for its own Standard on Web Accessibility to ensure digital content is accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. At the time of writing, the prevalent version in regulations and standards is WCAG 2.1 AA.
Workforce: Refers to our regular (full-time and part-time) employees, who are working or on paid leaves, as at October 31. Excludes temporary employees, retirees, employees on unpaid leaves, contingent workers, and CIBC Caribbean.
