Creator: Parliament of Canada
Date Updated: October 21, 2022
Overview
This is a digital version of Canadian legislation that applies to accessibility in public spaces. It is relatively dense and technical but should be a document any Library Director or manager has on hand. It is one of the few pieces of Canadian legislation that is a reference for accessibility in Canada.
The information is summarized from the Bill C-81: An Act to ensure a barrier-free Canada document and the Summary of the Accessible Canada Act.
Quick Facts
- The purpose of this act is to create a barrier-free Canada by 2040 by ensuring all of the following areas are accessible (and more):
- Physical spaces and buildings
- Digital spaces (websites, communications, etc.)
- In the workforce
- Creating and delivering programs and services
- All transportation (trains, planes, and automobiles)
- These principles must be followed when implementing this act:
- Treat all people with dignity.
- Make sure all people have equal and fair opportunities.
- Ensure that everyone contributes to society.
- Everyone should be free to make their own choices.
- All services, laws, and policies must consider how barriers and discrimination intersect.
- Persons with disabilities need to be involved with the design of services, laws and policies.
- The goal of standards and regulations should always be to create a completely accessible environment.
- The act applies to federal government agencies and select private sectors (those that the Canadian Government regulates).
- This act requires organizations to:
- Plan and report the accessibility requirements for their organization.
- Create accessibility standards for their organizations.
- Enforce accessibility standards.
Visit a Summary of the Accessible Canada Act
References
Statutes of Canada Bill C-18 (2019). An Act to ensure a barrier-free Canada. Bill. Retrieved from: https://www.parl.ca/DocumentViewer/en/42-1/bill/C-81/royal-assent
Government of Canada (2020). Summary of the Accessible Canada Act. Web page. Retrieved from: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/accessible-people-disabilities/act-summary.html