Accessible Canada Act

CDAC provided extensive input on communication access to the government of Canada on Bill C-81 (Accessible Canada Act)

On Oct 22, 2018, Barbara Collier, on behalf of CDAC presented to the HUMA Standing Committee and successfully proposed an amendment to the Bill to include “communication” as a priority accessibility area.

On Nov 21, 2018, Hon. Carla Qualtrough (Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility, Lib.) amended the bill to include communication. In her address to the House of Commons, she said “….the current purpose clause was amended to add communication as a priority area. We heard compelling testimony in committee that spoke to the impact of barriers to communication, particularly for persons with communication and language disabilities. This amendment prioritizes the barriers experienced by people with communication and language disabilities that can be caused by conditions such as cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder and learning disabilities. By making communication a priority in and of itself, we can guarantee a consistent, harmonized approach to addressing the barriers to accessibility faced by people with communication disabilities in every federally regulated sector. “

Reports and Correspondence: