The first deadline for compliance with the Accessible Canada Act (ACA) and its regulations is only two and a half months away. By June 1, 2023, federally regulated employers¹ that had 100 or more employees in 2021 must comply.

Subsequent compliance deadlines are set out below:

• By June 1, 2024, federally regulated employers that had between 10 and 99 employees in 2021, or who were established or became federally regulated in 2022, must comply; and
• By June 1, 2025, federally regulated employers that are established or become federally regulated in 2023 must comply.

Purpose of the ACA

The federal government passed the ACA in 2019 for the benefit of persons with disabilities. Its purpose is to remove existing barriers and to prevent new barriers in employment; the built environment; information and communication technologies; communication other than information and communication technologies; the procurement of goods, services and facilities; the design and delivery of programs and services; and transportation.

Key Definitions

The ACA defines a “barrier” as:

…anything — including anything physical, architectural, technological or attitudinal, anything that is based on information or communications or anything that is the result of a policy or a practice — that hinders the full and equal participation in society of persons with an impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication or sensory impairment or a functional limitation.

The...

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