What is the Accessible Canada Act of 2019?

The Accessible Canada Act is the federal statute that aims to identify, remove, and prevent barriers facing persons with disabilities in areas of federal jurisdiction. The Act received Royal Assent on June 21, 2019 and most provisions came into force in stages from July 11, 2019 onward. It applies to federally regulated entities including federal government departments and agencies, the Canadian Armed Forces, the RCMP, banks, airlines, telecommunications and broadcasting companies, and interprovincial transportation companies. The goal of the Act is for Canada to be barrier-free by January 1, 2040.

The Accessible Canada Act covers seven priority areas: employment, the built environment, information and communication technologies, communication other than information and communication technologies, the procurement of goods, services and facilities, the design and delivery of programmes and services, and transportation. Federally regulated entities must develop and publish accessibility plans, establish feedback processes, and report annually on progress. The Act creates accountability through inspection, compliance, and enforcement mechanisms, including administrative monetary penalties of up to $250,000.

The Act establishes several new institutions. The Accessibility Commissioner, located within the Canadian Human Rights Commission, enforces the Act and investigates complaints. Accessibility Standards Canada (formerly the Canadian Accessibility Standards Development Organization) develops accessibility standards in collaboration with the disability community. The Chief Accessibility Officer (currently Stephanie Cadieux, appointed in 2022) reports to Parliament on systemic and emerging accessibility issues. The Canadian Transportation Agency regulates accessibility in federally regulated transportation.

The Act builds on Canada's broader disability-rights architecture including section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (prohibiting discrimination on the basis of physical or mental disability), the federal Canadian Human Rights Act of 1977 (which adds disability to the protected grounds), and Canada's ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2010. Provincial accessibility statutes including the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act of 2005, the Accessibility for Manitobans Act of 2013, the Nova Scotia Accessibility Act of 2017, the Accessible British Columbia Act of 2021, and the Newfoundland and Labrador Accessibility Act of 2021 cover provincial jurisdiction. The federal Accessibility Action Plan was tabled in October 2024.