Accessibility has become a scary word for a lot of businesses, especially in Ontario with the looming deadlines of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), which requires that web content pass WCAG 2.0 level AA accessibility guidelines by 2021. It might be less intimidating to think of accessibility as a design philosophy.

My goal has always been to build an even greater awareness of our need to move from a view that accessibility is just about getting in and out of buildings to a view of intentionally designing and creating fully inclusive communities, so that people with disabilities can fully participate.

This week has been an emotional roller coaster for Canadians who follow the news. Lost in the shuffle were two stories that were of no particular importance, relatively speaking, to Canadians. One of them is about the way well-heeled Manhattan moms have worked the lineup system at Disney by hiring a disabled person to be a "family member" for the day.