Accessible Canada Act
The Accessible Canada Act (, long title: "An Act to ensure a barrier-free Canada", "Loi visant à assurer un Canada sans obstacles") (ACA) builds on the "Canadian Human Rights Act", focusing on the prohibition of discrimination based on disability. Carla Qualtrough presented Bill C-81 for its final reading on June 21, 2019, where it received Royal Assent. This is a Canada-wide accessibility act that applies to the federal public sector, Crown Corporations, and all federally regulated organizations. It is the first national Canadian legislation on accessibility that affects all government departments and federally regulated agencies. The  federally regulated organizations include the following industries: Preparation. The Office of Public Service Accessibility (OPSA) was responsible for preparing Bill C-81 and creating its implementation strategy. OPSA's mandate will expire in March 2021. Standards development. Accessibility standards required for the "Accessible Canada Act" (ACA) are to be developed by Accessibility Standards Canada (ASC). Priority areas for have been defined as: Employment; Emergency measures; Built environment including parks and outdoor recreation facilities; Information and communication technologies; Indigenous accessibility; Accessible communications. Legislated roles. The ACA created the position of an Accessibility Commissioner and Chief Accessibility Officer. The Accessibility Commissioner has the  authority to fine organizations up to $250,000 per violation. The Accessibility Commissioner has broad powers to conduct investigations of complaints. If the complaint is substantiated, they have the power to order the appropriate corrective measures and pay compensation to the complainant. Mandates and goals. As defined, the ACA will require the public sector to: In the "Backgrounder on Accessible Government" provided by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), several other items have been outlined which pertain to the public sector. Perhaps the most immediate will be the five-year commitment for the public sector to hire a thousand employees  per year who identify as people with disabilities. The government will be investing $53 million over six years, in support of a new Strategy for an Accessible Government of Canada. An “Accessibility Hub” will also be established to provide leadership, coordination and oversight. The details of this strategy and “Accessibility Hub” will be developed and released to the public within one year of the passage of the legislation. Public Services and Procurement Canada will establish an accessible procurement resource centre. The government will adjust its policies to ensure that goods and services procured by the Government of Canada are  accessible. The vision of the ACA is to be the most accessible and inclusive public service in the world. The guiding principles are: The five most-pressing goals defined in ACA include: Many details are under development. Enforcement. Representatives from the five organizations responsible for enforcing the ACA make up the Council of Federal Accessibility Agencies (CFAA) along with the Accessibility Commissioner. The five lead organizations are: These organizations are committed to working together, viewing accessibility as a fundamental human right to be realized across Canada. National AccessAbility Week. The Bill named National AccessAbility Week as the week starting on  the last Sunday in May. This is part of an effort to change the public sector's culture, and celebrate Canadians with disabilities. Upcoming dates for this event: Implementation. On April 1, 2020, the Policy on Service and Digital will come into effect in the Government of Canada. This will make the Chief Information Officer (CIO) of Canada responsible for prescribing enterprise-wide information and data standards for accessibility. The requirements and direction specified by the CIO will guide the deputy heads to ensure their development and delivery. Organizations which fall under the ACA will need to build accessibility plans , incorporate accessible feedback tools and create annual progress reports to mark progress on accessibility. Having measurable progress is a key part of the ACA. OPSA is responsible for developing the strategy and supporting its implementation across all government departments.