Accessibility & Community Care

Independence doesn't mean doing everything alone.

DeKarma connects individuals with sensory, physical, or cognitive accessibility needs to trusted local neighbours who can provide tailored everyday assistance.

Supported Assistance Areas

Vision & Reading

Assistance for members with low vision, visual impairments, or temporary eye conditions.

  • Exam Scribe Support: In-person writing assistant for exams, tests, or academic assessments.
  • Form Assistance: Reading and filling out printed government or utility forms.
  • Sighted Navigation: Sighted guiding through unfamiliar streets, markets, and transit hubs.
  • In-Store Shelf Reading: Identifying product brands, expiration dates, and ingredients.

Mobility & Physical

Physical support for wheelchair users, individuals recovering from surgery, or mobility restrictions.

  • Wheelchair & Walker Escort: Steadying accompaniment on sidewalks and ramps.
  • Carrying & Reaching: Reaching high shelves, carrying heavy boxes, or doorstep deliveries.
  • Accessible Transit Accompaniment: Assistance navigating accessible bus routes and metro stations.
  • Doorstep Package Transfer: Bringing heavy courier parcels directly inside the home.

Hearing & Communication

Communication and alert support for Deaf, hard-of-hearing, and non-verbal community members.

  • Written In-Person Support: Clarifying communications with delivery agents or repair staff.
  • Visual Alert Setup: Setting up flashing doorbells or visual phone notification alerts.
  • Digital Captioning: Enabling live captions on video calls and television systems.

Digital & Assistive Tech

Configuring smartphones and computers to maximize accessibility and digital autonomy.

  • Screen Reader Setup: Installing and configuring Android TalkBack or iOS VoiceOver.
  • Display Customization: Adjusting system font sizes, display scaling, and high-contrast modes.
  • Voice Access: Enabling voice-dictated commands and hands-free phone navigation.
WCAG 2.1 AA Compliant

Built with accessibility at the foundation

We do not treat accessibility as a marketing checklist. Both the DeKarma web portal and mobile app are engineered to strict accessibility standards:

100% Keyboard Navigable All controls, links, and forms feature visible focus rings and logical tab sequences.
Screen Reader Optimized Semantic HTML5 landmarks, clear ARIA announcements, and descriptive non-visual labels.
High Color Contrast Warm Front Porch palette calibrated to exceed 4.5:1 text-to-background contrast ratios.

Guidelines for Helpers Supporting Neighbors

When accepting an accessibility task on DeKarma, we ask all volunteers to keep these principles at heart:

  • Respect Autonomy: Always ask how the member prefers to be assisted before taking physical action.
  • Patience & Clarity: Allow adequate time for communication, reading, or slow walking.
  • Strict Confidentiality: Never disclose personal mail, banking details, or medical info seen during a task.
Accessibility FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

DeKarma is a voluntary mutual-aid community. While requests are actively broadcast to nearby neighbors, we cannot guarantee immediate availability. We recommend posting ahead of time whenever possible.

No. DeKarma helpers are everyday neighbours providing community assistance. DeKarma does NOT provide skilled nursing, medical procedures, or clinical care.

Join our accessible neighbourhood community

Download DeKarma to request or offer accessibility assistance.

Download DeKarma on Google Play