Disability and Accessibility Resources

Blind, Low-vision, and Print Impaired Patients

• Phyiscally differentiate medication packaging
• ScripTalk to print braille, or to print QR code labels that can be read with a patient's phone.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing (HOH) Patients

• Summary of communication recommendations
• Booking Interpreters (Saskatchewan) and Immediate Interpreting
• Communication Cards and Communication Healthcare Boards

Communication Disabilities

• Communication Disabilities Access Canada has excellent tools, resources, and continuing education recommendations
• Writing and Communicating in Plain Language (Centers for Disease Control)
• Supported Decision Making

Accessibility Guide for Community Pharmacies: This resource is designed for Ireland, but most of the accessibility recommendations apply globally, and follow best practices to higher standards than we do in Canada.

Access to Medical Care for Individuals with Mobility Disabilities: This resources is created by the Americans with Disability Act department and covers accessible medical equipment, accessible exam rooms, and commonly asked questions.

Mencap Pharmacy Accessibility Checklist: This resource provides an extensive accessibility checklist as well as reasonable adjustments pharmacies or pharmacists can make.  

Federal Legal Requirements (Canada): Employer federal requirements to accommodate disabled employees (Government of Canada). This resource includes HR Inclusive Policy examples and requirements that range from recruiting disabled employees, to employees that have changing disability status.

Duty to Accommodate (Canadian Human Rights Comission). *Note: different provinces will have slightly different wording when it comes to the Duty to Accommodate, however, many of them are based on federal guidance, so if your province does not have Duty to Accommodate laws or explanations, using the federal standard is a good place to start. 

• Example of Provincial Specific: Duty to Accommodate (Ontario Human Rights Comission).

Alice Wong on Being Disabled and Chronically Ill

• Alice Wong, Disability Visibility Project
• Cost: Free
• Content Description: This is a link to blog posts and articles she has written that address various concerns she has as a disabled woman who constantly interacts with the healthcare system. The series also features many other disabled perspectives from a variety of disabled writers.

Communication Disabilities and Supports 

• Communication Disabilities Access Canada
• Cost: Free
• Content Description: This website provides substantial access to free continuing education on Communication Disabilities. There are opportunities specific to legal responsibilities, tools for healthcare providers, and exercising legal capacity for important decisions. Many of these resources were developed in consultation with disabled people. 

Understanding Disability Justice

• Mia Mingus, Beyond Access
• Time Estimate: 20 minutes.
• Cost: Free
• Content Description: This is a video interview with one of the leaders in the disability justice movement. It provides a more indepth view on disability oppression, the different models of disability, and abelism.