Canada doing online consult re: new disability legislation

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slightlysequitur
Emu Egg
Emu Egg

Joined: 21 Dec 2016
Age: 36
Gender: Male
Posts: 1

12 Jan 2017, 10:27 pm

Has anyone responded to this[1] already or plan to? I've copied the questions below, and there is some more background in this pdf[2]. Thoughts?

[1] canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/disability/consultations/accessibility-legislation.html
[2] canada.ca/content/dam/esdc-edsc/documents/programs/disability/consultations/No.653-Layout%20Discussion%20Guide-EN.PDF

Attitudes:

  • How can the Government of Canada raise awareness of and change attitudes in relation to accessibility (in the short term and long term)?
  • How can the Government of Canada show leadership in improving accessibility and removing barriers for Canadians with disabilities?
  • Do you have examples of collaborative models that have led to the creation of shared expectations and sustained culture change within organizations in relation to accessibility?

Goal of legislation - to increase the inclusion and participation of Canadians in society and promote equality of opportunity by improving accessibility and removing barriers in areas of federal jurisdiction.

  • Do you have any input regarding this goal?
  • How should the legislation define “accessibility” and/or “barrier”?

Approach - outcome vs. prescriptive-based:

  • Which approach or approaches do you think would be best for accessibility legislation? Are there other approaches that you would suggest?
  • If a prescriptive-type approach were to be taken, do you have any input on how standards could be developed?
  • If an outcome-based approach were to be taken, do you have any input on how accessibility outcomes could be established?

Who should be covered - within federal jurisdiction (parliament, crown corporations, gov. institutions etc.)

  • Are there other organizations within federal jurisdiction that should be covered by the legislation?
  • Are there organizations that should be exempt from the legislation?
  • The legislation could potentially set out different requirements and timelines for different types and sizes of organizations. Do you have any comments or suggestions for this?

Accessibilty/barriers - The legislation could state that it will improve accessibility and remove barriers in specific areas, such as: the built environment; program and service delivery; the procurement of goods and services; employment; transportation; information and communications.

  • We have listed six areas where accessibility could be improved. Of these, which are the most important to you? Are there other areas that should be included?
  • We have listed some potential mechanisms(advisory council, consultations) that the legislation could describe for the ongoing identification and prioritization of accessibility issues. What do you think of these mechanisms? Are there other mechanisms you would suggest?
  • Canada has a number of laws in place to address human rights issues and improve accessibility. Do you have any comments on how the new accessibility legislation could interact with these existing laws? Should the legislation describe a process by which these laws would be reviewed and potentially revised?
  • Should the legislation build on accessibility standards already developed by provincial/territorial governments and other countries?

Compliance - action plans, progress reports, audits/reviews, complaints, mediation, penalties, etc.:

  • What monitoring mechanisms do you think should be considered for the legislation (including ones not listed here)?
  • What enforcement mechanisms do you think should be considered for the legislation (including ones not listed here)?

Organizational support:

  • Do you have suggestions for how the Government could help organizations to improve accessibility and remove barriers?
  • Do you have suggestions for how the Government could encourage, support and recognize organizations that show accessibility leadership?

Effectiveness of legislation:

  • In relation to the implementation and effectiveness of the legislation, how often would you want the Government of Canada to report to Canadians?
  • What kinds of things should this report look at?
  • How often should the legislation be reviewed?
  • Are there specific considerations for how any such review should be conducted?