The Accessible Canada Act defines disabilities as impairments or functional limitations that, when combined with barriers, prevent people from fully and equally participating in society.
There are many types of disabilities, including:
Disabilities can be visible or invisible. You should not assume that someone has a disability or that they do not. Disabilities can be temporary or permanent. They can also be episodic, which means they change over time. People can be born with disabilities or develop disabilities when they get sick or injured.
Barriers are things that prevent people with disabilities from fully and equally participating in society. The Accessible Canada Act focuses on barriers in seven areas. Please use the following headings when writing your accessibility plan:
Many barriers that affect people with disabilities also affect other people. Everyone benefits when things are more accessible. For example:
This includes things like job interviews, training and performance evaluations. Here are examples of barriers in this area:
This includes spaces people use like buildings and national parks. Here are examples of barriers in this area:
This includes the way people give, receive and understand information. People communicate in different ways, including through speech, writing, sign language, pictures, body language and communication assistants
Many Deaf people use sign language to communicate. The Accessible Canada Act recognizes American Sign Language (ASL), Quebec Sign Language (QSL) and Indigenous sign languages as the primary languages of Deaf people in Canada
Here are examples of barriers in this area:
This includes technologies that organizations use to communicate with employees and the public, broadcasting and telecommunications.
This includes things like websites, emails, text messages and computer programs. Here are examples of barriers in this area:
This includes radio and television. Here are examples of barriers in this area:
This includes phone and internet services. Here are examples of barriers in this area:
This includes buying and renting goods, services and spaces. Here are examples of barriers in this area:
This includes the way organizations design and deliver programs and services for employees and the public. Here are examples of barriers in this area:
This includes travel between provinces or outside of Canada by plane, train, bus or ferry. It also includes vehicles used by organizations that are regulated by the federal government (examples: Canada Post, television stations). Here are examples of barriers in this area: