Inclusive Design Research Centre

What Inclusive Design Research Centre does

The Inclusive Design Research Centre (IDRC) is a research organization founded in 1993 by Dr. Jutta Treviranus and hosted at OCAD University in Toronto, Canada. It coordinates the Inclusive Design Institute and operates as an international community of open source developers, designers, researchers, educators, and co-designers focused on ensuring emerging technology and practices are designed inclusively. The centre offers four primary service lines: (1) IDRC Consulting, which delivers accessibility and inclusive design services to organizations, governments, corporations, and non-profits; (2) the Vision Technology Service, a Regional Assessment Centre for High Technology Vision Aids operating under Ontario's Assistive Devices Program at $100 per assessment for eligible clients; (3) employment accommodation services billed at $140 per hour; and (4) training workshops covering inclusive design thinking, applied accessibility, and accessible graphic design.

IDRC's intellectual property portfolio centers on open frameworks and tools, including the Inclusive Design Mapping Tool, the Virtuous Tornado planning methodology, the publicly available Inclusive Design Guide, and the Inclusive Learning Design Handbook. The April 2025 launch of the Trust Meter Technical Specification under the Standards Council of Canada's AI and Data Governance Program extends IDRC's scope into AI governance, defining requirements for flagging AI systems when decisions fall outside their training data distribution. Government funding from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, Employment and Social Development Canada, and Accessibility Standards Canada underwrites core operations. Named enterprise clients include Canadian Digital Service, IKEA, Lululemon, RBC Ventures, Bell, Telus, Scotiabank, CIBC, Greater Toronto Airports Authority, City of Toronto, Sidewalk Labs, Ontario Cannabis Store, and National Geographic. The organization's go-to-market combines direct enterprise consulting sales with community-led engagement through workshops, design crits, and the inclusive design mailing list, supported by a monthly newsletter (The Recount) and active social presence on LinkedIn, Bluesky, Medium, and YouTube.

Name

Inclusive Design Research Centre

Legal name

Inclusive Design Research Centre

Website

https://idrc.ocadu.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Inclusive Design Research Centre is a Toronto-based research centre at OCAD University, founded in 1993, that delivers accessibility consulting, inclusive design training, and assistive technology assessments to enterprises, governments, and Ontario residents with visual impairments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Accessibility and Inclusive Design Consulting

NAICS

Engineering Services (54133)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Accessibility, ADA Compliance & Universal Design Audits (EDAEAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Computer Access & Alternative Input (Switch, Eye Gaze, Head/Mouse, Keyboards) (EDAKAIAD), Accessible Testing, Accommodations & IEP/504 Management Platforms (EDAFAKAF), Special Education & Accessibility-Optimized Media (UDL, AAC, Captioning) (EDAGALAH)

Keywords

• Accessibility consulting services
• Inclusive design training
• Assistive technology assessments
• Digital accessibility standards
• Inclusive design research

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services: Customized consulting services for organizations, governments, corporations, and non-profits to ensure their offerings are inclusive. Services include accessibility evaluation, training, and flexible consulting support.
2. Vision Technology Service - Assessment Fees: Assessment services for Ontario residents with visual impairment. Assessment fee is $100 for ADP eligible clients and 100% funded if client receives social assistance.
3. Employment Accommodation Services: Hourly rate of $140.00/hour for assessment, research and documentation for workplace accommodations
4. Training Services: Training workshops and experiential learning activities including inclusive design sprints and inclusive design challenges. Topics include inclusive design thinking, applied accessibility training, and accessible graphic design.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Inclusive Design Research Centre (IDRC) delivers accessibility and inclusive design consulting, training, and applied research to organizations, governments, corporations, and non-profits. It also operates the Vision Technology Service, a Regional Assessment Centre for High Technology Vision Aids serving Ontario residents with visual impairment through the provincial Assistive Devices Program. Additionally, IDRC develops technical specifications and standards (e.g., the Trust Meter Technical Specification for AI governance) and publishes open educational resources including the Inclusive Design Guide and Inclusive Learning Design Handbook.

Product overview

The Inclusive Design Research Centre (IDRC) is a research center at OCAD University offering a portfolio of services, standards, and educational resources focused on inclusive design and accessibility. The core offerings include IDRC Consulting (accessibility consulting and training services), the Vision Technology Service (assessments for vision aids through Ontario's Assistive Devices Program), and the Trust Meter Technical Specification (an emerging AI governance standard for Standards Council of Canada). Supporting these are educational resources including the Inclusive Design Guide and Inclusive Learning Design Handbook, plus the monthly Recount newsletter. The center does not offer a unified software product but rather consultative services, technical specifications, and open educational resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Vision Technology Service: A Regional Assessment Centre for High Technology Vision Aids for the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care's Assistive Devices Program, providing assessment and equipment services for Ontario residents with visual impairments.
• IDRC Consulting

Products and services

• IDRC Consulting

Named customers13 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Standards Council of Canada (SCC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 April 2025IDRC is developing the Trust Meter Technical Specification under SCC's AI and Data Governance (AIDG) Program. This specification will support development of an inclusive and balanced data environment, beginning with persons with disabilities and extending to other marginalized groups.
• Accessibility Standards CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported in part by Accessibility Standards Canada, which funds and oversees accessibility standards development in Canada. IDRC works on initiatives aligned with Canadian accessibility policy development.
• Ontario Ministry of Health - Assistive Devices ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Vision Technology Service operates as a Regional Assessment Centre for High Technology Vision Aids under the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care's Assistive Devices Program, providing assessments and funding access for eligible clients.
• OCAD UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIDRC is hosted within and partners with OCAD University. The centre was founded by Dr. Jutta Treviranus and coordinates the Inclusive Design Institute from this academic institution.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Deque Systems: Deque is a leading accessibility consulting and tooling firm offering WCAG audits, training, and software (axe). It directly competes with IDRC for the same enterprise and government accessibility mandates.
• Level Access: Level Access provides enterprise accessibility services, managed testing, and an accessibility platform. It targets the same large-customer digital accessibility engagements IDRC serves.
• AbilityNet: AbilityNet is a UK-based charity providing digital accessibility services, training, and resources. It is comparable to IDRC in mission, consulting model, and inclusive design community focus, but primarily serves the UK.
• WebAIM: WebAIM is a nonprofit accessibility organization providing training, evaluation, and research services, similar to IDRC's research-plus-consulting model in digital accessibility.
• TPGi (The Paciello Group): TPGi is an accessibility consultancy offering audits, training, and advisory services. It competes head-to-head with IDRC in digital accessibility consulting for enterprises and public-sector clients.
• G3ict: G3ict is a global initiative for inclusive ICTs that works with UN agencies and governments on accessibility policy and CRPD alignment, overlapping with IDRC's policy and standards work.

Regional players

• Fable: Fable is a Toronto-based accessibility user-testing platform connecting companies to people with disabilities. It shares IDRC's Toronto base and inclusive design ethos, but focuses on user-testing rather than consulting.

Emerging players

• Center for Universal Design: The Center for Universal Design at NC State is a research center that develops universal design principles and resources, comparable in mission and methodology-development role to IDRC's inclusive design work.
• Knowbility: Knowbility is a nonprofit that provides accessibility consulting, training, and community programs. It overlaps with IDRC's training and community-engagement model but is US-focused.

Others

• Perkins School for the Blind: Perkins is an education and accessibility organization that develops assistive resources and inclusive design content. It is adjacent to IDRC's inclusive learning design and vision accessibility work, though not a direct commercial competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCBT-cBmvdLAhCm58ulpBulQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/inclusive-design-research-centre
• Xx.com/idrc_ocadu
• Facebookfacebook.com/idrctoronto

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Inclusive Design Research Centre