You’ve probably heard of the disability tax. Life just costs more when you have a disability. But there’s another disability tax that doesn’t show up on your bank statements. The disability time tax.
Sometimes can you try to respond again your disability slows you
I live with a chronic pain condition, which means I need frequent breaks throughout the day. Something that might take someone else 30 minutes could take me an hour or more. My body makes the schedule.
Lack of accessibility causes most of the time tax
The bigger problem is the world wasn’t built for people with disabilities. I have to spend hours on the phone to ensure my wheelchair is registered before a flight and show up early to navigate spaces that weren’t designed for me.
But is it a tax if we can’t quantify it?
In December 2024, the Government of Canada published a Regulatory Impact Analysis for proposed amendments to the Accessible Canada Regulations. The analysis quantifies the time cost of digital barriers, and the numbers are significant.
45% of Canadians with disabilities reported encountering digital accessibility barriers when dealing with federal organizations. When websites, apps, and documents aren’t accessible, people are forced to make phone calls or visit offices in person just to do things that others handle online in minutes.
The cost-benefit analysis estimated the value of this lost time at $544 million over 10 years, and this figure relates only to digital barriers in federally regulated industries (banks, airlines, etc.). The true value is way higher!
Let’s rethink accessible
We tend to think about access as a yes or no: can someone do the thing, or can they not? But if someone with a disability can technically complete a task and it takes them five times longer, that is not accessible.
When we design systems, workplaces, and services, we need to think about time.
Time can’t be refunded, so let’s prioritize it!