Accessibility

What is Accessibility

The Accessibility Canada Act defines accessibility as “creating communities, workplaces and services that enable everyone to participate fully in society without barriers.” This definition is a broad understanding of accessibility, which we support. We share another definition of accessibility because it is defined differently by different forms of legislation. You might want to be aware of them if they impact how you provide a service.

Ontario’s Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities (AODA) defines accessibility as designing products, electronics, and environments to be used by people with disabilities. This definition is a bit narrower as it focuses on people with disabilities.

At their base, these definitions understand accessibility as creating spaces and tools that are useable by a wide range of people with diverse ways of living in the world. Accessibility for physical space often includes thinking about the following

Transportation to your location
Parking
Entrance of your location
Signage within your location
Accessible washrooms
Stairs and Elevators
Seating
Sounds
Lighting
Air Quality
Emergency Plans and Exits
Use of Service Animals

Canadian Accessibility Legislation

Here is a list of legislation for accessibility and accommodations within Canada (this list was last updated in March 2022).

Like Alberta, some provinces and territories have accessibility legislation, but it is found throughout various bills. Also, people with disabilities have their rights protected through multiple human rights legislation on the national and provincial levels. Some of the federal legislation is

You may also be interested in the international convention that Canada has agreed to, called the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.