Federal Post
Federal Government Seeks Input on Accessibility Standards
Date: September 10, 2020
The federal government is seeking input from interested participants on the development of federal accessibility standards under the Accessible Canada Act (Act), which came into force in July 2019.
The Act applies to all federally regulated employers and its purpose is to benefit all persons, especially persons with disabilities, with a “Canada without barriers” in specified areas. It sets out the following key areas in which to improve accessibility:
- employment
- the built environment
- information and communication technologies
- communication (other than information and communication technologies)
- the purchasing of goods, services and facilities
- the design and delivery of programs and services
- transportation.
Among other things, the Act establishes the Canadian Accessibility Standards Development Organization whose mandate includes developing accessibility standards which set out how organizations can identify, remove and prevent barriers, and making recommendations on the standards to the Minister. The Act states that the accessibility standards are to be developed by way of regulation.
Further to the development of the accessibility standards, Accessibility Standards Canada is consulting with interested participants, who it identifies as:
- organizations working with and for persons with disabilities
- Indigenous persons, organizations and governments
- provincial and territorial governments
- municipal governments
- technical experts
- industry.
Participants may share their ideas by completing an online form, by mail, by email, by sending a video of responses in American Sign Language or Langue des signes Québécoise, or, where required, through an alternate format.
The consultation periods runs from September 1, 2020 to September 25, 2020.
The article in this client update provides general information and should not be relied on as legal advice or opinion. This publication is copyrighted by Hicks Morley Hamilton Stewart Storie LLP and may not be photocopied or reproduced in any form, in whole or in part, without the express permission of Hicks Morley Hamilton Stewart Storie LLP. ©
