Long-sought new accessibility law coming in 2018, but what will it look like?
TORONTO — Canadians with disabilities have their sights firmly set on 2018 when the federal government is expected to usher in long-sought legislation designed to increase accessibility nationwide. The governing Liberals have promised to create a bill that would remove barriers in federally regulated sectors such as banking, interprovincial transportation, telecommunications and government-run services such as Canada Post.
But what will the expected legislation look like and what will it accomplish? People close to the process weighed in:
— What is Canada’s current accessibility picture?
The pending federal legislation would mark the first time Canada has moved to tackle accessibility at the national level. Other countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia have all had federal legislation in place for years or decades. Even most provincial governments have yet to take on the issue. To date, only Ontario, Manitoba and Nova Scotia have laws in place to address the needs of disabled residents.