TORONTO (Sept. 12, 2013)—The American Red Cross joined a group of global brands in a coalition led by Toronto-headquartered eSSENTIAL Accessibility, a company that helps organizations and brands reach, serve and empower people with disabilities. Through the coalition, the Red Cross offers an assistive technology application on its website,www.redcross.org, to better engage people with disabilities around the Red Cross’s mission and lifesaving, information, tools and services.

eSSENTIAL Accessibility’s assistive technology application provides a suite of keyboard and mouse replacement solutions, among other tools, designed to help people with physical, learning and age-related disabilities get online. The app is free of charge to the end user and can be downloaded by clicking the blue wheelchair and keyboard symbol located on the homepage of www.redcross.org.

The American Red Cross also worked with eSSENTIAL Accessibility to create the American Red Cross Disability Channel (https://www.levelaccess.com/americanredcross), a custom gateway that hosts Red Cross assistive technology as well as communicates vital Red Cross services, blood donation opportunities, jobs and community initiatives that are relevant to the disability community and their family and friends.

“The Red Cross has long been committed to being an inclusive organization — from the services and resources we offer to the volunteers and staff that we hire,” says Craig Oldham, vice president of Digital Engagement at the American Red Cross. “We are proud to join this important coalition and to further reach and raise awareness of our mission by being able to grant people with disabilities better access to the information they need so that they can give or get help when they need it most,” he says.

“The American Red Cross is a truly admirable organization and we are thrilled to have them join our coalition and to lend their influence to this important movement,” says Simon Dermer, Managing Director of eSSENTIAL Accessibility. “By making the Red Cross’s online communications available to people of all abilities, we are able to help further uplift and bring exposure to their important work and mission,” he says.

About eSSENTIAL Accessibility:

eSSENTIAL Accessibility leads a coalition of organizations dedicated to creating social and economic value in the disability space. Our members feature assistive technology on their websites and use our digital communications platforms to reach and engage people with disabilities. For more information, please visit https://www.levelaccess.com.

For more information, please contact:

media@essentialaccessibility.com | (647) 725-1003