A vibrant city plaza showcasing the spirit of the Accessible Canada Act, with diverse people, including wheelchair users, engaging in various activities, surrounded by lush greenery and modern urban architecture.

A Quick Guide to the Accessible Canada Act

The Accessible Canada Act (ACA), enacted in 2019, represents a significant step forward in creating a barrier-free Canada. This legislation aims to identify, remove, and prevent accessibility barriers in areas that fall under federal jurisdiction. Here’s a quick guide to understanding the ACA and its impact on businesses and individuals.

What is the Accessible Canada Act?

The ACA was created to ensure greater inclusion and participation of Canadians with disabilities in all areas of society. The Act applies to the federal government and to federally regulated sectors, including telecommunications, and transportation. The goal is to make Canada barrier-free by 2040.

Key Objectives of the ACA

The ACA is built around seven key principles:

  1. Respect for dignity: Individuals with disabilities must be treated with respect and their autonomy acknowledged.
  2. Independence: People with disabilities must have the freedom to make their own choices.
  3. Participation and Inclusion: Full participation in society is a right for people with disabilities.
  4. Equality of Opportunity: There must be a level playing field, providing equal opportunities for those with disabilities.
  5. Barrier-free and inclusive design: Environments must be designed without barriers from the outset.
  6. Systemic removal of barriers: There must be proactive identification and removal of existing barriers.
  7. Economic and Social Inclusion: People with disabilities must be able to fully participate in the economy and society.

Responsibilities for Organizations

Organizations under federal jurisdiction must:

  • Create and publish accessibility plans that outline strategies for identifying and removing barriers.
  • Set up feedback mechanisms for employees and customers to report accessibility issues.
  • Regularly update and report on the progress of their accessibility initiatives.

Compliance and Enforcement

The ACA establishes the Canadian Accessibility Standards Development Organization (CASDO) and the Accessible Canada Directorate (ACD). These bodies are responsible for developing accessibility standards and overseeing compliance with the Act. Non-compliance can result in penalties, including fines.

Impact on Businesses

Businesses within the federal jurisdiction must integrate accessibility into their operations, from employment practices to customer service and digital accessibility. Proactively addressing accessibility not only ensures compliance but also opens up markets, as products and services become accessible to a broader audience.

Conclusion

The Accessible Canada Act is a transformative piece of legislation that underscores Canada’s commitment to a barrier-free society. It calls for collaborative efforts from all sectors to build an inclusive and accessible Canada. For businesses, this is not just about legal compliance; it’s an opportunity to lead in social responsibility and innovation in accessibility.

For more information on how your organization can meet ACA requirements, visit Accessibility Partners.

Our Popular Blogs

A stressed woman sits at a desk, flanked by two men—one holding a clipboard and the other with documents—amid scattered charts, highlighting the need to get Web Accessibility Certification.
When we talk about accessibility, we often think about physical accessibility. However, document accessibility is just as important. An accessible document allows all people, regardless of ability or disability, to access and use the document.
Overwhelmed woman in a suit resting her head on a stack of papers, holding a sign that reads "DEADLINE," with a laptop and coffee cup nearby — representing businesses missing accessibility and struggling to meet important requirements.
Thousands of Ontario businesses have missed deadlines aimed at making the province accessible by 2025, but the government isn’t using all its resources to crack down on them.
A woman sits at a wooden table, typing on a laptop, with a cup of coffee and glasses nearby, as sunlight streams through windows, highlighting the importance of the role of accessibility audits in improving user experience.
When it comes to improving the accessibility of your website, documents, or built spaces, the first step is always a detailed accessibility audit. It might sound like an involved and complicated task. Yet, it’s a critical tool when it comes to improving the accessibility and inclusivity of your organization.
A diverse group of professionals holds a meeting around a large wooden table in a modern conference room with large windows, navigating consultations with people with disabilities.
Accessibility is fast becoming one of the core service pillars of government organizations and businesses. Now more than ever, organizations work to ensure that their spaces serve people with disabilities respectfully and comfortably. This shift is due to the advocacy of various disability groups, growing social consciousness, and accessibility laws such as the ADA, AODA, and ACA. Embarking on the accessibility journey can be daunting
Illustration of diverse people collaborating on a large screen to explore what tools are available to remediate WCAG issues effectively, showcasing teamwork and accessibility solutions.
Achieving WCAG compliance is key to creating an inclusive user experience and staying on the right side of legal requirements. Thankfully, numerous tools are available to help organizations address accessibility issues efficiently. In this article, we’ll dive into the importance of WCAG, and common accessibility challenges, and Discover what tools are available to remediate WCAG issues and ensure web accessibility compliance with effective solutions for
Yellow wheelchair symbol on a Canadian flag background, highlighting accessibility and inclusivity in Canada, representing Accessibility Acts in Canada.
Those with disabilities deserve the right to communicate and engage with society as easily as those without disabilities do. Although there are international laws to initiate accessibility standards, Canada has taken extra steps toward becoming a more accessible country for individuals.