Federal organization working to instill accessibility standards across Canada by 2040

United Nations Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and, through its Accessible Canada Act, has committed to removing barriers to accessibility for people with disabilities by 2040.

But the Act, which came into effect in July 2019, only applies to organizations under federal responsibility such as Crown corporations, banks, airlines, railways, roads and marine transportation providers, and the broadcasting and telecommunications sectors. It also applies to the Canadian Armed Forces, the RCMP and the House of Commons and the Senate, among other government departments.

Accessibility standards are being drawn up by a body created under the Act called Accessibility Standards Canada (ASC).

These standards are developed and revised by technical committees of 12 to 18 experts, a majority of whom have lived experience and who know first-hand the challenges and frustrations of trying to use places and services that aren’t accessible.

The common practice of standards design has been to accommodate 75 percent of the population. The aim of ASC is to provide the standards, in the form of technical requirements and equity-based guidelines, for making products, services, programs and facilities accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities.

This is known as “the curb cut effect,” an accessibility feature that benefits more people than it was originally intended for. An actual curb cut (the portion of the curb that is graded down to the level of the street) is intended as a path for wheelchair users. However, it also benefits people pushing strollers, pedestrians with walking aids, cyclists or people carrying heavy packages.

While these standards are voluntary when initially published, ASC encourages every organization, from private business to federal and non-federal organizations, to implement them. The standards would become mandatory for all federal organizations if the minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities chooses to adopt them into regulations.

The standards focus on seven priority areas, including employment, transportation and built environment.

To help provinces and territorial governments get on board, ASC has been working with them as well as with First Nations, Inuit and Métis organizations to standardize accessibility across all Canadian jurisdictions.

So far, it has signed eight memoranda of understanding with six provinces: Alberta (1), Nova Scotia (1), Manitoba (1), Saskatchewan (1), British Columbia (2) and Ontario (2).

“As you can see, we’re part of a culture shift seeking to influence change,” said Dino Zuppa, acting chief executive officer, Accessibility Standards Canada. “We’re creating standards, funding accessibility research and even sharing our expertise and knowledge free of charge through our website. We’re part of a momentum for inclusivity that aims to foster lasting and meaningful change for all Canadians, including people with disabilities.”

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Share your experiences with accessibility in the Greater Montreal and surrounding areas with us. We’re interested in knowing about both negative and positive ones! For a personal opinion, click here (https://inspirationsnews.com/inspirations/articles/the-right-to-accessibility-is-for-all)  to read “The right to accessibility is for all” by Wendy Singer.