We Count

About

We Count is a project of the Inclusive Design Research Centre at OCAD University created to address bias, discrimination and barriers to participation and employment for persons with disabilities. We Count is funded by the Innovation Science and Economic Development (ISED) program and led by Dr. Jutta Treviranus, Director of IDRC.

Mission

To address bias and discrimination within the field of data science and data-driven systems and create inclusive, innovative machine learning strategies that will recognize, understand and serve people with disabilities.

Vision

An innovative and fair data ecosystem system that serves diversity through opportunity and outcomes.

Objectives

  • Increase participation of people with disabilities in the data economy by building awareness of data challenges and opportunities within the disability community, removing accessibility barriers, and fostering skills and knowledge of inclusive data science;
  • Address exclusion and bias against people with disabilities in data systems, including artificial intelligence, data analytics and smart systems by co-designing and testing new AI and data analytics processes that are better suited to diversity and complexity, and addressing data gaps related to persons with disabilities;
  • Ensure that people with disabilities help to shape the evolution of the data economy by equipping people with disabilities with the necessary skills and knowledge;
  • Increase employment of persons with disabilities in the data industry by addressing barriers and integrating accessibility features into data systems;
  • Decrease vulnerability of persons with disabilities to data abuse and misuse by establishing data platform cooperatives and creating model implementations of the personal data preference standard.

We Count Advisory Panel

  • Michael Bach, IRIS
  • Sara Basson, Google
  • Pina D’Intino, Aequum Global Access
  • Rich Donovan, Return on Disability Group
  • Charles Finley, VP Marcomms, Co-founder/Chair Code for Canada
  • Catherine Frazee, Retired Professor, Ryerson School for Disability Studies
  • Megan Lawrence, Microsoft
  • Yazmine Laroche, Treasury Board Secretariat Canada
  • Clayton H Lewis, UC Boulder
  • Wendy Porch, Centre for Independent Living Toronto
  • Victor Santiago Pineda, World Enabled Organization
  • Shea Tanis, Coleman Institute
  • Shari Trewin, IBM

Sign up to learn more about We Count

Are you interested in hearing about We Count activities or do you want to be contacted to learn about ways you can participate? If yes then send us your contact information on our contact form.