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What I find so bogglingly demoralizing about Accessibility Standards Canada's expectation that "organizations" work for free is that we, accessibility professionals, are in a constant battle to have our work valued and paid for. https://twitter.com/AccStandardsCA/status/1281211332222730244
How often are we asked to join projects which haven't had accessibility built in as part of the budget? Not just in space planning, but in having experts on the project team?
We are in a global recession. Most businesses are looking at layoffs, if they haven't done that already. Staff have to be on billable projects or business development which leads to billable projects. It's survival.
Any reasonable expert knows that a standards development project is incredibly time consuming, detailed work - if done with any level of rigour and innovation. If that is non-billable time, it comes out of the profit on other projects one way or another.
Last thing about the business side: yes, if a PwD is representing a firm that's part of this project, they should be paid by their employer. Why does that even need to be stated?
To be clear: It's a very low bar to say that any individual PwD who gets involved will be compensated for their time (no details on that that I've seen, and the volunteer link was broken).
So aside from the business world or individuals, who's left? Probably service organizations and not for profits that have the mandate of representing people with disabilities. I bet we all just thought of the same four names.
It's been a long time since I was part of the finance department of a NFP, but I don't ever remember there being a lot of extra money around - everything tied to grants, program delivery, and survival.
Any org worth its salt that claims to represent PwD is directly, materially involved with the current health, economic and human rights crises disabled people are facing; asking them to work without additional grant funding is to ask them to take away from the life-saving work.
(This is getting into the weeds a bit, but are we going to trust a procurement policy from people who, when push comes to shove, can afford not to get paid?)
I don't usually engage like this but I've got the time.
Why? Because I'm one of thousands laid off in the first few weeks of the pandemic.
My unbillable hours - that is, work not tied to revenue - have always been high.
Why? Because I'm one of thousands laid off in the first few weeks of the pandemic.
My unbillable hours - that is, work not tied to revenue - have always been high.
(Hmm, suppose I should say "temporarily laid off" but with this economic downturn, and already battling for accessibility being paid work, I don't see getting called back.)
