Accessibility app receives cash injection to help more Canadians with disabilities

An accessibility application thataims to break down barriers facingCanadians with disabilities has received a major boost infunding from Ottawa.

AccessNow, an online platform thatuses crowd-sourced information to show how mobility-friendly buildings and public transit are,will receive $2.7 million in investment from the federal government.

Carla Qualtrough, the minister of Public Services, Procurement and Accessibility,announced the cash injection Thursday at a newsconference in Toronto. She said the investmentisnot only a boost for Canadians with disabilities but also for aninclusive economy.

The moneywill help the Toronto-based company to expand its reach across Canada and allow more people to share information in both English and French about the accessibility of public spaces.

Users can add information to a location on AccessNow, choosingto give a building one offour designations:accessible, partially accessible, patio access only, ornot accessible. They can also add descriptions.

"By supporting the full participation of persons with disabilities in their communities and workplaces, we are creating opportunities so that every Canadian has a fair chance at success," Qualtrough said.

It will enable AccessNow to "directly address systemic barriers" to engage in the digital economy, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada said in a newsrelease.

The funding is part of the $22.3-million federal Accessible Technology Program thatprovides support for the development of technologies to help make it easier for those with disabilities to participate in the digital economy, the ministry said.

Maayan Ziv, founder and CEO of AccessNow, said the companywas set upto use the "incredible potential" of technology to empower people of all abilities.

"Our goal is to develop a platform which will invite all people, with and without disability, to engage and share info about the accessibility of their own experiences, and overall, to help people get on with their life," she said.