What kinds of businesses does nanushi work with?

nanushi works with businesses of all sizes — from local cafes and retail shops to tech startups and established companies. If you need a website, web app, mobile app, or AI integration, nanushi can help.

How long does a project take?

A simple marketing website can be delivered in 1–2 weeks. A full web application or mobile app typically takes 4–12 weeks depending on scope.

Does nanushi build AI chatbots?

Yes. nanushi builds custom AI assistants and chatbots using Claude (Anthropic) and OpenAI. These can be integrated into websites, mobile apps, or internal business tools.

Where is nanushi based?

nanushi is based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The team works remotely and serves clients globally.

What is a nanushi mission?

A mission is a 6-week collaborative React Native app-building challenge. Teams of developers work together to ship a real, production-quality mobile app.

website accessibility for canadian small businesses: what you need to know

roughly 22% of canadians have a disability that affects their daily functioning, according to statistics canada. many of those disabilities — visual impairment, motor limitations, cognitive differences, hearing loss — affect how people use the web. if your website isn't accessible, you're making it harder for a significant portion of potential customers to do business with you.

beyond the business case, there are legal considerations. here's what you need to know.

the legal landscape in canada

canada doesn't have a single national web accessibility law equivalent to the americans with disabilities act (ada) in the us, but the landscape has real teeth:

the accessible canada act (aca): came into force in 2019 and covers federally regulated organizations (banks, telecom companies, broadcasters, federal government). if your business is in one of these sectors, accessibility requirements apply directly.

provincial accessibility laws: ontario's accessibility for ontarians with disabilities act (aoda) is the most developed. it requires wcag 2.0 level aa compliance for websites and web content for ontario businesses with 50+ employees, and wcag 2.0 level a for smaller organizations. similar legislation exists or is developing in other provinces.

human rights codes: even outside specific accessibility legislation, canadian human rights law has been used to challenge inaccessible websites. courts have found that businesses failing to provide accessible web services may be discriminating against people with disabilities.

the practical risk: for small businesses, the immediate legal risk is lower than for large organizations, but it's not zero — particularly in ontario. more importantly, accessibility improvements tend to also improve your site's usability and seo, so the upside is clear.

what wcag actually means

wcag (web content accessibility guidelines) is the international standard for web accessibility. it organizes requirements into four principles — your content must be perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. within those principles are specific success criteria at levels a (basic), aa (standard), and aaa (advanced).

level aa is the standard most laws reference. it includes requirements like:

sufficient colour contrast between text and backgrounds
text alternatives for images (alt text)
videos must have captions
forms must have descriptive labels
pages must be navigable by keyboard alone
text must be resizable to 200% without losing functionality

for most small business websites, full wcag 2.1 aa compliance requires deliberate attention during development — it's not automatic on any platform.

the practical wins: accessible design often means better design

many accessibility requirements improve the experience for all users, not just those with disabilities:

alt text on images helps seo as well as screen reader users
good colour contrast makes text readable in bright sunlight on a phone
keyboard navigation matters for power users, not just people who can't use a mouse
clear form labels reduce errors for everyone
captions on videos benefit people watching with audio off (which is most social media viewing)

what to actually check on your site

the fastest tools:

wave (wave.webaim.org): enter your url and get a visual report highlighting accessibility issues
google lighthouse: built into chrome devtools, includes an accessibility audit
axe browser extension: developer-focused but thorough

common issues you'll find on small business sites:

missing alt text on images (especially decorative or background images)
low contrast text (light grey on white is a common offender)
form fields without labels
links that say "click here" with no descriptive text
missing language attribute on the html element

if you're building or rebuilding your site

accessibility is much cheaper to build in than to retrofit. if you're working with a developer or agency, ask explicitly: "does this site meet wcag 2.1 aa?" and ask for that to be confirmed in the scope of work.

for an existing site, a targeted accessibility audit and remediation pass is typically less expensive than a full rebuild and can address the most significant issues.

nanushi builds websites with accessibility in mind and can help you understand where your current site stands. reach out if you'd like an honest assessment.