TD and March of Dimes Canada announce collaboration aimed at improving online accessibility
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March of Dimes Canada to integrate the TD Accessibility Adapter, an online accessibility tool available to the public at no cost, into their national operations.
TORONTO, May 16, 2024 /CNW/ - TD Bank Group (TD) and March of Dimes Canada (MODC) today announced their collaboration to integrate the TD Accessibility Adapter, an accessibility browser plug-in, across the March of Dimes Canada (MODC) footprint, including service users and MODC employees across Canada.
The tool, which enables users to personalize their online experience by updating their individual accessibility preferences, includes accessibility features such as reading guides, adjustable font size, turning off auto-play videos, a dyslexia-friendly font, and monochrome and dark modes. It is also explicitly designed to be used without using overlays and to co-exist with other assistive technologies, such as standalone screen magnification software.
"At March of Dimes Canada, our vision is to create an inclusive, barrier-free society for people with disabilities. But as technology moves at an increasingly rapid pace, we're seeing more and more barriers like cost and accessibility appear," said Lesley Smith, Executive Director and Vice-President, Skills Development & Employment March of Dimes Canada. "The TD Accessibility Adapter helps address some of those barriers, which is why we're so excited to leverage the tool with our network – including our employees – to help level the playing field."
March of Dimes Canada is a leading national charity committed to championing equity, empowering ability, and creating real change to help the more than eight million people with disabilities across Canada unlock the richness of their lives. MODC's collaboration with TD will be one of the many accessible technology programs the charity offers its community, which includes its Hi, Tech!, SkillingUp, and Tech for Good programs, helping to empower people with disabilities in Canada to build their digital skills and be actively engaged digital citizens.
The TD Accessibility Adapter was initially developed through TD Invent, the Bank's approach to innovation, to help increase the accessibility options available to TD colleagues, whether they identify as having a disability or not. Its initial pilot started with over 6,000 retail colleagues from TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank® (AMCB) in the U.S. and in June 2023, the tool launched to more than 95,000 TD colleagues around the world. The internal launch of the TD Accessibility Adapter provided all TD colleagues – regardless of their disability self-identification – with a tool to help customize their online accessibility preferences. In September 2023, following extensive positive feedback and testing, the Bank made this tool available to the public in Canada and the U.S. at no cost.
"When we launched the TD Accessibility Adapter to the public, we did it because we believed it was the right thing to do," said Baanu Ratneswaran, Vice President, Enterprise Innovation, TD Invent. "We approach all innovation at the Bank through human-centred design and to see the uptake of this tool across Canada and the U.S. tells me that we've helped to support a very real need."
The TD Accessibility Adapter can be downloaded via the Chrome Web Store. Once installed, users can follow the below steps to initiate the extension:
- Click on the Extension (puzzle piece) icon to access extensions.
- Select the "TD Accessibility Adapter" extension.
- Pin the TD Accessibility Adapter to your preferred extensions for ease of access.
- To access tutorials on how to use the TD Accessibility Adapter, open up the extension and click the Help link. You'll find tutorials on:
- How to access and pin the Chrome extension for easy access
- How to save and manage user profiles
- How to select and modify an individual feature
Today's announcement is part of TD Tech and Innovation Day, an annual event showcasing the Bank's unique technology and innovation story. This year's theme is Human-Centered Innovation, which highlights the people behind our innovation and the customers, colleagues and communities we innovate for.
March of Dimes Canada
March of Dimes Canada is a leading national charity committed to championing equity, empowering ability, and creating real change so the more than eight million people with disabilities across Canada can unlock the richness in their lives. We do that by providing programs and services that empower our service users to thrive at home and in their communities. Our work is grounded in the voices of the people we serve, built on a foundation of service, and backed by a more than 70-year history of success. Learn more at www.marchofdimes.ca.
About TD Invent
TD Invent drives innovation at the Bank. Through our three areas of focus— Colleague Ideation, Human-Centered Design and Innovation Acceleration —we work across our innovation ecosystem to help meet the evolving needs of our customers, colleagues and communities, accelerating future growth opportunities. To learn more about how we're helping to shape the future of banking at TD, visit tdinvent.td.com.
About TD Bank Group
The Toronto-Dominion Bank and its subsidiaries are collectively known as TD Bank Group ("TD" or the "Bank"). TD is the sixth largest bank in North America by assets and serves over 27.5 million customers in four key businesses operating in a number of locations in financial centres around the globe: Canadian Personal and Commercial Banking, including TD Canada Trust and TD Auto Finance Canada; U.S. Retail, including TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank®, TD Auto Finance U.S., TD Wealth (U.S.), and an investment in The Charles Schwab Corporation; Wealth Management and Insurance, including TD Wealth (Canada), TD Direct Investing, and TD Insurance; and Wholesale Banking, including TD Securities and TD Cowen. TD also ranks among the world's leading online financial services firms, with more than 17 million active online and mobile customers. TD had $1.91 trillion in assets on January 31, 2024. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades under the symbol "TD" on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges.
SOURCE TD Bank Group
