This consultation ran from November 24, 2022, and will close to new input onto February 1, 2023. See the “What we heard” report for summaries of the discussions that took place.
Employment and Social Development Canada is starting to develop the next set of regulations under the Accessible Canada Act (ACA). These regulations would deal with removing barriers and improving accessibility in the area of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). ICT covers all the things we use to communicate and do business in the digital world. Digital products and services are everywhere. But, for many persons with disabilities, access is difficult and even impossible. Accessible ICT ensures that all Canadians can access and use these products and services without barriers. New ICT accessibility regulations made under the ACA would apply to federally regulated entities. This includes sectors like banking, pipelines and the Government of Canada itself. Sectors like retail, health, education and manufacturing usually come under provincial or territorial jurisdiction. Regulations made under the ACA would generally not apply to them.
The Government of Canada sought input and ideas around the following topics:
The input that we gathered from this process will be used to guide future ICT accessibility regulations. Next, we will prepare draft regulations, and publish them in Part I of the Canada Gazette. This will give everyone an opportunity to review and comment on the draft regulations.
Accessible Canada Directorate
Employment and Social Development Canada
1st floor
105 De l'Hôtel-de-Ville Street
Gatineau QC J8X 4H7