Canadian Digital Accessibility Regulations

Rob Power

Digital Accessibility Regulations in Canada

As of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, when many Canadian schools, colleges, and universities transitioned to an extended period of online teaching and learning for all courses, only three Canadian provinces had laws that codified Accessibility standards. While the Canadian federal government passed the Accessible Canada Act (2019), it did not become law until 2021. A number of other provinces and territories have similar legislation in development. For the most part, those standards have been adapted from the WCAG guidelines (W3C, 2022), and from the pioneering work of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA, 2005) — which was one of the first such acts in Canada.

Videos

Alert: List of video resourcesWho is Accessible provides a quick overview of the Accessibility laws that were in place in Canada as of the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, which included the Canadian federal government, Ontario, Manitoba, and Nova Scotia:

Who is Accessible? (2020, April 7). Canada Digital Accessibility Laws and Policies – (ACA, AODA, AMA, and Bill 59). [Video].

ARCH Disability Law Center provides an overview of what is covered by Canada’s new federal Accessibility Act:

ARCH Disability Law Center (2022, June 15). An Introduction to the Accessible Canada Act. [Video].

Short Reads

Alert: List of shorter readings

The Canadian Human Rights Commission provides a comprehensive overview of what the Accessible Canada Act is, what it covers, and who it impacts:

Doyle (2021) and Van Der Blj (2023) provide summaries of the status of relevant Accessibility legislation throughout Canada:

Longer Reads (Optional)

Alert: List of longer readings

The following chapters from Digital Education Strategies (2019) provide more context on AODA, the global perspective on Accessibility, and current international regulations.

The following is a list of links to the current Canadian federal and provincial Accessibility laws. These are NOT required readings, but you may find it worthwhile to familiarize yourself with them. What are the similarities and differences between what each statute covers? Can you identify the sections relevant to accessible teaching with technology for your province?

References

Accessible British Columbia Act, S.B.C. 2021, C. 19. https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/21019

Accessible Canada Act, S.C. 2019, c. 10. https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/A-0.6/FullText.html

Accessibility Act, R.S.N.S. 2017, c.2. https://nslegislature.ca/sites/default/files/legc/statutes/accessibility.pdf

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, S.O. 2005, c. 11. https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/05a11

ARCH Disability Law Center (2022, June 15). An Introduction to the Accessible Canada Act. [Video]. https://youtu.be/HHk4Y_sK5Zo

Canadian Human Rights Commission (2023). Overview of the Accessible Canada Act. [Web page]. https://www.accessibilitychrc.ca/en/overview-accessible-canada-act

Digital Education Strategies, The Chang School (2019). Accessibility Law: Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). In Introduction to Web Accessibility: Essential Accessibility for Everyone. Toronto Metropolitan University. https://pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca/iwacc/chapter/accessibility-law-accessibility-for-ontarians-with-disabilities-act-aoda/

Digital Education Strategies, The Chang School (2019). Accessibility Law: The Global Perspective on Web Accessibility. In Introduction to Web Accessibility: Essential Accessibility for Everyone. Toronto Metropolitan University. https://pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca/iwacc/chapter/accessibility-law-the-global-perspective-on-web-accessibility/

Digital Education Strategies, The Chang School (2019). Accessibility Law: International Accessibility Regulations. In Introduction to Web Accessibility: Essential Accessibility for Everyone. Toronto Metropolitan University. https://pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca/iwacc/chapter/international-accessibility-regulations-2/

Doyle, J. (2021, May 26). A Complete Overview of Canada’s Accessibility Laws. [Web log post]. Siteimprove. https://www.siteimprove.com/blog/a-complete-overview-of-canadas-accessibility-laws/

The Accessibility for Manitobans Act, C.C.S.M. c. A1.7. (2013). https://web2.gov.mb.ca/laws/statutes/ccsm/_pdf.php?cap=a1.7

Who is Accessible? (2020, April 7). Canada Digital Accessibility Laws and Policies – (ACA, AODA, AMA, and Bill 59). [Video]. https://youtu.be/n2IdJDPro7Y

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