Accessibility
Canada needs to be more accessible to persons with disabilities. It is the right thing to do. It also makes good sense economically and socially. Canada’s population is getting older. Twenty years from now,more than 20 per cent of people living in Canada will probably have a disability of some kind. When barriers get in the way of persons with disabilities participating fully in society as a result of their disabilities, everyone in Canada loses.
The Accessible Canada Act (ACA) and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) provides a way for Canada to become barrier-free. The ACA and the AODA covers both the public and the private sectors. They both use the Human Rights Code’s definition of disability. This definition includes physical, mental health, developmental and learning disabilities. A disability may be visible or not visible.
A barrier is anything that keeps someone with a disability from participating fully in society because of his or her disability. A barrier can be visible or invisible. An example of a visible barrier is a building with steps but no ramp. An example of a barrier that is invisible is a policy that sets a time limit for completing a test for employment or for training or promotion opportunities.
Persons and organizations must comply with the accessibility standards that apply to them, it is the law. They must also send a report to the government to provide the information that the government will require to determine if the person or organization is complying with the standards. They must send the reports every year or when the director, under the ACA or AODA, requests the report. These reports must be available to the public. There could be reviews to check the accuracy of the reports and to check if the person or organization is complying with the standards. Individuals or organizations that do not comply with the requirements of the Act could face an order to take an action to comply with a standard, or financial penalties.