The Government of Canada developed the Accessible Canada Act to remove the barriers to inclusion persons with disabilities continue to face in society every day.
The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility, attended the Royal Assent Ceremony at the Senate of Canada for Bill C-81, the Government of Canada’s landmark accessibility legislation.
Passed in both the House of Commons and the Senate of Canada with unanimous support from all parliamentarians, the new Accessible Canada Act will transform how the Government of Canada addresses accessibility across the country. It will apply to Parliament, Crown corporations, the federal government and private sector businesses under federal jurisdiction, such as banking, telecommunications and transportation. By proactively identifying, removing and preventing barriers to accessibility and by putting in place new mechanisms to address the systems that uphold these barriers, this legislation will help create a barrier-free Canada.
Under this legislation, the Government of Canada will develop accessibility standards and regulations in priority areas such as employment, the built environment, and the design and delivery of programs and services. Organizations under federal jurisdiction will be required to follow accessibility regulations and to develop accessibility plans describing how they will identify, remove and prevent barriers across their operations.
