Access at the Accessibility Professional Network Conference

By Linda Bartram 

I recently attended the Accessibility Professional Network (APN) Conference 2025 in Vancouver. The theme this year was Building for People. The conference participants were primarily architects, designers, municipal planners, certified Rick Hansen assessors and government employees. Naturally the sessions were aimed at this audience and consequently were a little above my head at times. What I did take away however, is that there are professionals doing research and designing projects that demonstrate their true commitment to the principals of universal design. 

They spoke to the need for engaging persons with lived experience at the conception stage of projects; it can cost 23% more to bolt on rather than build in accessibility. There is also a need to harmonize standards across the country. Research has shown that engineers have the highest lack of empathy so when they are calling the shots, accessibility beyond building code may not be considered. Architects are often left with the job of juggling competing needs and wants. There is a need for educating architectural and design students in universal design, putting people first.

My other takeaway as a participant at this event, is that there is still a long way to go to achieve accessibility for persons who are blind and who like to attend conferences--even events that focus on meaningful access. Here are a few of my observations and some actual barriers I encountered. 

I suggested to my Victoria colleagues that we should leave cars at home and use public transit. This would avoid the cost of taking the cars on the ferry, hotel parking, being caught in heavy traffic, and the stress of driving in Vancouver. I have travelled to Vancouver many times walking onto the ferry, then travelling by bus and Canada Line to downtown destinations. I assured them that I would show them how to do it and it would be a fraction of the cost. They insisted on taking their cars however, and the trips were expensive, frustrating and no-doubt stressful for the drivers, in spite of or perhaps because of GPS constant re-routing. Sometimes the way people who are blind do things actually works better, but we run into challenges because of a sighted mindset.

We finally arrived at our hotel, having to walk two blocks from the parking, only to find that the front desk had a flat screen point of sale device and it was necessary for myself and another blind colleague to whisper our PIN to the sighted driver. Had I been travelling alone, I would have had to give it to the desk clerk or find another hotel as they had a policy not to accept credit card taps. After a couple of discussions with the front desk employees and emails with the manager, I am pleased to report that this barrier has been removed and they now have a tactile lay-over for the device which I will check out when next in Vancouver.

Upon registering at the conference the next day, I discovered that they did not have a grade 1 Braille version of the agenda, despite having asked me my preference on the application form. As a result, I had to rely on others for agenda information. 

The conference was held at the Vancouver Convention Centre, which was built in the 80s.  There is no indoor navigation or accessible way-finding and none had been set up for the conference, despite one of the presenters currently promoting an indoor navigation app he has developed. Again, it was necessary to rely on sighted assistance to navigate around the venue, and the conference volunteers had not been trained on sighted guide technique.

One accommodation I had not experienced before was that the conference MC asked for the sound system to be shut off momentarily so we could hear where his voice was coming from, better orienting us to the front of the room.

As I mentioned earlier, the presentations were geared towards design professionals, but they were also very visual in nature, with very little time for verbal explanation. The presenters did take time to describe themselves and what they were wearing. I learned that architects all wear black turtle necks and colourful artsy glasses. Interesting, but not helpful when it came to understanding what they were speaking about. And we were not offered electronic versions of their presentations before or after the event.

Menti, a polling app was also used throughout the event with most participants taking part in the polls. I checked out the guide to this app, which was provided ahead of time, and found the guide to be inaccessible with many unlabelled graphics. I was unable to participate in the polls and do not believe any of the other blind attendees were able to participate either. 

The lunchtime roundtable I attended was held in the same room as others were eating lunch and networking. It was impossible for me to hear what those at the other end of the table were saying. The only person who seemed to be able to hear everything was the individual with hearing loss who was equipped with a hearing device connected to the microphone we all spoke into. My sighted colleague said she had to lip read. Not an accommodation I could utilize. 

I am pleased to report that my feedback regarding these barriers to my participation were gratefully accepted by the conference organizers who have committed to making next year’s APN more accessible for those attendees experiencing vision challenges.

FEATURED IMAGE ALT TEXT: Linda comes across as confident and determined. Her bright red blazer and the yellow sign with the text "ACCESS FOR ALL" convey a strong message of advocacy and empowerment for people with disabilities. The white cane she is holding signifies her independence and ability to navigate the world despite the numerous barriers a blind person encounters. Overall, the image portrays a sense of positivity and a commitment to promoting accessibility and inclusion for all.