Inclusive by Design

Letter from the Editor

Welcome to the April 2026 edition of the IABC/Toronto Communicator. The theme of this edition is Inclusive by Design. Our contributors have brought a variety of perspectives, as they challenge professional communicators to go beyond the basics, and consider our audiences and inclusive communications in new ways.

Do people see themselves in your stories? Are you unintentionally leaving people out? Accessibility expert Matisse Hamel-Nelis explores these questions and solutions in her article, “When Good Stories Exclude.” She also provides a practical audit with key questions professional communicators can ask themselves to ensure stories are not inadvertently excluding anyone.

In “From Friction to Flow – the Power of Inclusive Communications,” Caterina Valentino writes about designing for the edges and how shifting mindsets from compliance to inclusive design not only creates human connection, but can help you avoid potentially excluding a large section of your audience. She has also created a flow audit and a 60-second accessibility audit, designed to help communicators turn friction into flow.

Karen Traboulay reflects on the job search process in her article, “Where Trust Works: Why CareerLine Matters Now,” and how it can exclude and erode trust. She discusses how a tool like IABC/Toronto’s CareerLine creates trust and credibility for both job seekers and employers.

Finally, in “Accessibility Beyond Contrast, Captions and Fonts,” Elvin Jacob encourages communications professionals to go beyond basic accessibility requirements and be mindful of cultural considerations in language choices, and an audience’s comfort level with digital platforms and tools.

This edition is full of great information, tools and tips. I thank all of our contributors for their rich contributions and hope you enjoy reading it.

Regards,

Tina Dealwis
Editor-in-Chief, IABC/Toronto Communicator