What is covered by the Act

The Accessible Canada Act is a federal law that aims to find, remove and prevent barriers facing people with disabilities. It applies to the federal government and to organizations that are regulated by the federal government.

The Act focuses on barriers in these areas:

• employment
• the built environment (physical spaces)
• communication
• information and communication technologies
• procurement (buying and renting things and places)
• programs and services
• transportation

Some of these areas overlap.

Employment

This includes things like job interviews, training and performance evaluations. Here are examples of barriers in this area:

• Job postings that are not formatted for assistive technologies like screen readers
• Assuming that someone cannot do certain kinds of work because of their disability

Built environment (physical spaces)

This includes spaces people use like buildings and national parks. Here are examples of barriers in this area:

• Buildings that do not have ramps or elevators
• Fire alarms that do not have visual warnings like flashing lights

Communication

This includes the way people give, receive and understand information. People communicate in different ways, including through speech, writing, sign language, pictures, body language and communication assistants.

Many Deaf people use sign language to communicate. The Accessible Canada Act recognizes American Sign Language (ASL), Quebec Sign Language (QSL) and Indigenous sign languages as the primary languages of Deaf people in Canada.

Here are examples of barriers in this area:

• Complex or technical language that is hard to understand
• Not allowing people to use communication assistants or sign language interpreters

Information and communication technologies

This includes technologies that organizations use to communicate with employees and the public, broadcasting and telecommunications.

• Technologies

  This includes things like websites, emails, text messages and computer programs. Here are examples of barriers in this area:

  • Websites and electronic documents that are not formatted for assistive technologies like screen readers
  • Videos and virtual meetings that do not have captions
• Broadcasting

  This includes radio and television. Here are examples of barriers in this area:

  • Television programs that do not have captions
  • Television programs that do not have video description
• Telecommunications

  This includes phone and internet services. Here are examples of barriers in this area:

  • Phones that are not accessible for people with different types of disabilities
  • Not allowing people to use video relay services (VRS) for meetings

Procurement (buying and renting things and places)

This includes buying and renting goods, services and spaces. Here are examples of barriers in this area:

• Buying or renting buildings that are not wheelchair accessible
• Buying or renting computer programs that cannot be used with assistive technologies like screen readers

Programs and services

This includes the way organizations design and deliver programs and services for employees and the public. Here are examples of barriers in this area:

• Documents that are not available in alternate formats like large print or braille
• Not having a policy on assisting people with disabilities who need help with things like filling out forms

Transportation

This includes travel between provinces or outside of Canada by plane, train, bus or ferry. It also includes vehicles used by organizations that are regulated by the federal government (examples: Canada Post, television stations). Here are examples of barriers in this area:

• Planes and trains that are not wheelchair accessible
• Airports that do not have braille signs