Inclusive Design Institute

What Inclusive Design Institute does

The Inclusive Design Institute (IDI), officially launched on May 24, 2012, is a multi-university research hub hosted at OCAD University in Toronto that addresses inclusive design of information and communication technologies for the full range of human diversity, with particular focus on people with disabilities. It operates as a consortium of eight Ontario post-secondary partner institutions — OCAD University, Toronto Metropolitan University, York University, Ontario Tech University, University of Toronto, Sheridan College, George Brown College, and Seneca College — each contributing specialized research centers (IDRC, IMDC, IRLT, EILab, Mobile and Pervasive Computing, SIRT/SERC/VDI, I-PORTAL, CDOT). The institute is structurally embedded within OCAD University and operates without a commercial pricing model; its outputs are almost entirely open source software (Fluid, ATutor, AChecker, Floe, GPII, Tecla, ÆGIS, OpenVULab, LiveDescribe, EnACT) and open educational resources distributed globally for free.

The technology stack centers on accessibility and inclusive-design tooling. Core platforms include the Global Public Inclusive Infrastructure (GPII), a cloud-and-web platform for ubiquitous accessibility; the Fluid open-source UI integration community; ATutor, a web-based accessible learning management system; Floe for personalizing open educational resources; and Tecla for switch-based device access. Underlying differentiators include integration/interoperability (Fluid, ÆGIS), low-cost deployment (Tecla, Decapod), and novel methods for accessibility testing (OpenVULab) and captioning (EnACT). Recent AI work includes a fine-tuned Llama2 model (Baby Bliss Bot, April 2024) for English-to-Blissymbolics translation supporting non-speaking individuals with physical disabilities, and policy leadership on the CAN-ASC-6.2:2025 Accessible and Equitable AI Systems standard.

IDI is funded primarily through Canadian federal and provincial research grants from the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Government of Ontario, with additional support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, NSERC, the New Frontiers in Research Fund, Innovation Science and Economic Development Canada's Accessible Technology Program, and Accessibility Standards Canada. The organization has over $15M in research infrastructure at OCAD U and works with 100+ multi-sector collaborators globally. Its go-to-market is community-led and academic: engagement occurs through the IDRC's newsletter (The Recount), social channels (Twitter/X, Bluesky, LinkedIn), events (ACAW conference), webinars, co-design sessions with the disability community, and open-source community channels. International standards influence includes W3C WAI ATAG, IMS AccessForAll, ISO 24751, and Ontario AODA Information and Communication.

Name

Inclusive Design Institute

Legal name

Inclusive Design Institute

Website

https://inclusivedesign.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Inclusive Design Institute is a Toronto-based multi-university research hub at OCAD University that develops open-source accessibility tooling, conducts AI fairness research, and contributes to international accessibility standards for people with disabilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Accessibility Software

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Computer Systems Design Services (541512)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Accessibility & Inclusive Design Tooling for Authoring (WCAG/508) (EDAFAHAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Computer Access & Alternative Input (Switch, Eye Gaze, Head/Mouse, Keyboards) (EDAKAIAD), Open Accessibility & Inclusive OER (UDL, alt formats) (EDAGAJAJ), Special Education & Accessibility-Optimized Media (UDL, AAC, Captioning) (EDAGALAH), Accessibility, ADA Compliance & Universal Design Audits (EDAEAKAM)

Keywords

• Inclusive design research
• Accessibility software tools
• Digital accessibility standards
• Assistive technology development
• Open source accessibility

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Government Research Grants: IDI is funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Government of Ontario. The We Count project is funded by grants from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, IDEA, NFRF (New Frontiers in Research Fund), and supported by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada's Accessible Technology Program. The Regulating the Digital Domain project is funded by Accessibility Standards Canada.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Inclusive Design Institute (IDI) is a multi-university research hub hosted at OCAD University in Toronto that develops open-source software tools, frameworks, and educational resources for digital accessibility and inclusive design. It conducts applied research and builds collaborative platforms that enable developers, educators, and policy makers to create accessible digital experiences.

Product overview

The Inclusive Design Institute operates as a multi-university research hub focused on inclusive design of information technology and digital systems. The organization does not offer a unified commercial product but rather maintains a portfolio of open-source tools, research frameworks, and accessibility solutions developed across partner institutions. Core products include Fluid (open-source UI community), ATutor (learning management system), AChecker (HTML accessibility checker), Floe (open education resources tools), and GPII (global accessibility infrastructure). Additional offerings span accessibility testing tools (OpenVULab), assistive technology (Tecla), audio/video accessibility tools (LiveDescribe, Enhanced Captioning, EnACT), and specialized research centres for visualization, elder research, and screen industries. The organization also maintains research initiatives like ThingTank Lab and the Xetthecum ecocultural mapping framework. Products are primarily open-source and freely available, with no commercial pricing or traditional SaaS model.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IDI Institutions: A network of research centers at eight Ontario post-secondary institutions: OCAD University, Toronto Metropolitan University, York University, Ontario Tech University, University of Toronto, Sheridan College, George Brown College, and Seneca College
• Inclusive Design Research Centre (IDRC)
• We Count
• Regulating the Digital Domain (RtDD)

Products and services

• Fluid Project An open-source community and software framework that supports the development of accessible, customizable web user interfaces and components for developers and organizations building inclusive web applications.
• ATutor An open-source Learning Management System (LMS) designed with built-in accessibility features for educators and learners, particularly those with disabilities, used by educational institutions worldwide.
• AChecker An open-source web-based accessibility checking tool that evaluates HTML content against accessibility standards and guidelines for web developers and content creators.
• Floe An open-source suite of tools and services that enables the creation of flexible, inclusive Open Education Resources (OER) for educators, content creators, and learners with diverse needs.
• GPII Global Public Inclusive Infrastructure — a cloud-based platform that provides personalized accessibility configurations and assistive technology delivery across devices and applications for users with disabilities.
• Weavly An inclusive block-based coding environment designed to enable children of all abilities, including those with disabilities, to learn programming concepts through music, sound, and accessible interfaces.
• Tecla An open-source assistive technology interface that enables individuals with mobility impairments to control mobile devices, computers, and smart home devices using switches and wheelchair-mounted controls.
• Decapod A high-resolution book digitization system that produces accessible digital book content, including tactile and alternative format versions, for libraries, educators, and persons with print disabilities.
• OpenVULab An open-source remote usability testing platform that allows researchers and developers to conduct accessibility and usability evaluations with participants in distributed locations.
• LiveDescribe An open-source tool that supports the creation and synchronization of audio descriptions for video content, designed for broadcasters, media producers, and content creators serving blind and low-vision audiences.
• EnACT An open-source tool that enables automatic and semi-automatic captioning of video content for accessibility purposes, intended for use by educators, media producers, and content publishers.
• ÆGIS An open-source accessibility framework and methodology for evaluating, authoring, and remediating accessibility issues in desktop and mobile applications for developers and accessibility testers.

Quantifiable outcome

• IDI's work has influenced accessibility practices at Microsoft and Adobe

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature12 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• OCAD UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 May 2012OCAD University is the host institution for IDI and its Inclusive Design Research Centre. The IDRC is a research and development centre at OCAD University where the international inclusive design community operates.
• Toronto Metropolitan UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution contributing research through the Inclusive Media and Design Centre (IMDC) focused on inclusivity in technologies for the blind, low-vision, deaf and hard of hearing individuals.
• York UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution through the Institute for Research in Learning Technologies (IRLT), focusing on remote accessibility testing infrastructure, accessible gaming, and accessible video conferencing.
• Ontario Tech UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution through the Educational Informatics Lab (EILab), examining interactions in learning relationships through digital interfaces.
• University of TorontocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution through the Mobile and Pervasive Computing Research Cluster at the Faculty of Information, focusing on context-aware services, smart interfaces, and adaptive games.
• Sheridan CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution through Applied Research and Innovation, known for expertise in animation, interactive digital media, mobile applications, visualization, and elder research.
• George Brown CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution through the Office of Research and Innovation, operating I-PORTAL - a network of research labs focused on clinical device prototyping and health technology assessment.
• Seneca CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution through the Centre for Development of Open Technology (CDOT), working directly with global open source projects including Mozilla, Fedora, Eclipse, and Big Blue Button.
• Mozilla FoundationcoreTechnology or IntegrationCDOT at Seneca works with Mozilla Foundation to develop technologies that expand the inclusiveness of the open web, including Web Audio API, Mouselock API, and Joystick API.
• Fedora ProjectcoreTechnology or IntegrationCDOT works on Fedora ARM Secondary Architecture for pervasive computing using ARM devices.
• Eclipse FoundationcoreTechnology or IntegrationCDOT collaborates with Eclipse Foundation on open source development projects.
• Big Blue ButtoncoreTechnology or IntegrationCDOT works on accessibility features for Big Blue Button, an open source web conferencing system developed primarily for distance education.
• NexJ SystemscoreTechnology or IntegrationCDOT project developing accessibility for mobile devices for NexJ Connected Wellness Platform to deliver interactive health information across diverse mobile devices.
• Global Public Inclusive Infrastructure (GPII)coreTechnology or IntegrationIDRC leads the GPII project which combines cloud computing with web and platform services to make accessibility available everywhere.
• Accessibility Standards CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded by Accessibility Standards Canada for the Regulating the Digital Domain (RtDD) project to develop inclusive digital accessibility standards.
• Digital Research Alliance of CanadacoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides Cedar cluster high-performance computing resources for the Baby Bliss Bot project's Llama2 fine-tuning research.
• Raising the Floor (GPII)coreTechnology or IntegrationGlobal consortium working on the Global Public Inclusive Infrastructure for universal accessibility.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AbilityNet: UK-based non-profit providing accessibility services, tools, and advice. Comparable mission and target audience to IDI for digital accessibility expertise and end-user support.
• Benetech: Non-profit tech organization known for Bookshare and accessibility initiatives. Similar model of building technology tools (Bookshare vs. ATutor) to address disability and accessibility gaps.
• WebAIM: Non-profit providing web accessibility evaluation, training, and tools (including WAVE). Directly comparable to IDI's AChecker and inclusive design training offerings for the digital accessibility community.
• CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology): Non-profit research and development organization that created Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Comparable to IDI in developing frameworks (UDL vs. inclusive design) and tools (UDL Guidelines vs. Floe) for accessible education.
• Raising the Floor Consortium: Global consortium developing the Global Public Inclusive Infrastructure (GPII), in which IDRC is a lead participant. Directly comparable as a co-builder of GPII and shared mission of universal accessibility infrastructure.
• Trace Research & Development Center (UW-Madison): Academic research center on accessible and universal design of technology. Closely comparable to IDRC in producing accessibility research, standards contributions, and design frameworks from a university base.

Broad incumbents

• Deque Systems: Commercial provider of accessibility testing tools (axe) and services. Competes with AChecker in accessibility conformance and offers a commercial counterpart to IDI's open-source tooling approach.
• Microsoft Accessibility: Microsoft's accessibility program, which IDI's inclusive design research has reportedly influenced. Represents a large incumbent that integrates accessibility into mainstream products alongside IDI's frameworks.
• W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI): The global standards body for web accessibility. IDI has collaborated with W3C WAI on ATAG, making it a direct counterpart in accessibility standards development and policy.

Emerging players

• Texthelp: Provider of literacy and accessibility tools (Read&Write, EquatIO) for education. Comparable to IDI's ATutor and Floe in delivering accessibility and personalization tooling to educational institutions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/idrc_ocadu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/we-count

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Inclusive Design Institute