Understanding and complying with accessibility laws is essential for all businesses, non-profits,public sector, municipalities, educational institutions, and community groups such as banks, pharmacies, libraries, airports, recreation centres, hospitals, nursing homes, health care clinics, and universities.
The Federal Government just passed Bill C-81, the Accessible Canada Act: An Act to ensure a barrier-free Canada. Besides reducing barriers, creating a more inclusive society, and improving service delivery, compliance with accessibility laws is important due to possible enforcement consequences such as steep fines, public reporting of non-compliance, or criminal charges. Provincially, there are also three provinces with accessibility laws - Nova Scotia, Manitoba, and Ontario.
The Federal Government just passed Bill C-81, the Accessible Canada Act: An Act to ensure a barrier-free Canada. Besides reducing barriers, creating a more inclusive society, and improving service delivery, compliance with accessibility laws is important due to possible enforcement consequences such as steep fines, public reporting of non-compliance, or criminal charges. Provincially, there are also three provinces with accessibility laws - Nova Scotia, Manitoba, and Ontario.
Federal Accessibility Laws
According to their website, the Government of Canada is striving to create a more accessible Canada by creating new legislation which will allow people to more fully participate and contribute in our communities and workplaces without barriers. These barriers limit the social, political and economic inclusion of persons with disabilities across Canada. The legislation should apply to all areas under the control of the Government of Canada including:
- buses, ferries or air travel across provincial and international borders
- the broadcasting and telecommunication sectors
- the banking and financial sectors
- federal lands, including parks and First Nation reserves
- the Government of Canada as an employer, service provider, builder and buyer
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Senate Third Reading Bill C-81 Passed The Accessible Canada Act: An Act to Ensure a Barrier-free Canada https://www.parl.ca/LegisInfo/BillDetails.aspx?billId=9990870&Language=E https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/accessible-people-disabilities/act-infographic.html#1 |
Spotlight on Invisible Disabilities: Community Consultations on Federal Accessibility Legislation
Year 2 Report
https://www.chha.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/PAP_CHHA_Spotlight_ReportY2_EN_WEB_Final.pdf
Year 2 Report
https://www.chha.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/PAP_CHHA_Spotlight_ReportY2_EN_WEB_Final.pdf
Provincial Accessibility Laws
Nova Scotia's government has recently moved forward with its promise to help make Nova Scotia a more accessible and inclusive place to live and work. Bill 59, which is now law, passed third reading on April 27, 2017 and received Royal Assent on April 28th. Its purpose is intended to:
a. achieve accessibility by preventing and removing barriers that disable people with respect to:
c. facilitate the timely implementation of accessibility standards with a goal of achieving an accessible Nova Scotia by 2030
d. monitor, review and enforce compliance with accessibility standards
e. establish an Accessibility Directorate that is responsible for supporting accessibility initiatives and advancing broader disability-related issues.
a. achieve accessibility by preventing and removing barriers that disable people with respect to:
- the delivery and receipt of goods and services
- information and communication
- public transportation and transportation infrastructure
- employment and education
- the built environment
- a prescribed activity or undertaking
c. facilitate the timely implementation of accessibility standards with a goal of achieving an accessible Nova Scotia by 2030
d. monitor, review and enforce compliance with accessibility standards
e. establish an Accessibility Directorate that is responsible for supporting accessibility initiatives and advancing broader disability-related issues.
Nova Scotia
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Manitoba
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The Accessibility for Manitobans Act:
http://www.accessibilitymb.ca/ |
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Ontario
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Accessibility Policies
Accessibility laws are an important component to removing barriers. Other policies have been written to reduce systemic barriers such as the Canadian Human Right’s act of 1977 which protects Canadians from discrimination when they are employed by or receive services from:
Accessibility laws are an important component to removing barriers. Other policies have been written to reduce systemic barriers such as the Canadian Human Right’s act of 1977 which protects Canadians from discrimination when they are employed by or receive services from:
- the federal government;
- First Nations governments; and
- private companies that are regulated by the federal government like banks, trucking companies, broadcasters and telecommunications companies.
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In 1948, the United Nations created the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which recognized the inherent dignity and equal and unalienable rights of all members of the human family as the foundation of freedom, justice, and peace in the world (UN, 2008). The Canadian Charter of Right and Freedom (1982) states it is unconstitutional for any government or law to discriminate based on a physical or mental disability. It states it is a discriminatory practice in the provision of goods, services, facilities or accommodation customarily available to the general public to “deny, or to deny access to, any such good, service, facility or accommodation to any individual.”
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National Building Code
Requirements for assistive listening compliance are also prepared under a National Building Code (2014). Provinces that use the National Building Code are Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, and all three Territories. The National Building Code requires that assembly rooms, classrooms, auditoria, theatres, and meeting rooms greater than 100 square metres will have an assistive listening system. Signage is also required to identify the availability of assistive devices in both official languages.
Canada is in the process of creating new Federal Accessibility Laws. Make sure you stay up to date on your rights.
https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/planned-accessibility-legislation/consultation-legislation.html
Canada is in the process of creating new Federal Accessibility Laws. Make sure you stay up to date on your rights.
https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/planned-accessibility-legislation/consultation-legislation.html
"Society benefits when all Canadians can fully participate. The proposed accessible Canada act represents the most important federal legislative advancement of disability rights in Canada in over 30 years. Thank you to the many community leaders and advocates who have worked for years and decades to make this happen. With the proposed act now in Parliament, we are one step closer to our goal: to have a truly inclusive and accessible Canada.”
– The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities
Please note: Accessible Hearing Solutions Inc. has provided information on accessibility laws for general information purposes only and the information contained within this site may not be up to date or accurate despite our best attempts. Your use of any of the information on this site or in documents uploaded are at your own risk, and you should not use any of these documents without first seeking legal and other professional advice.