FACTSHEET  

Accessible Canada Act

Summary for Video #5: 
Finding and Using Federal Accessibility Regulations
What is this video about?
This fifth video explains where you can find federal regulations once they are made. It will tell you why these rules are important. It will also tell you when you might want to use them. It will tell you what you can do if a federal organization, company, or government office doesn’t follow accessibility rules. 
What are 5 important points covered in this video?
•	Federal regulations can be found on federal government websites. They are put there after they are made. They can also be found on the CanLII website. These websites are listed at the end of this summary.
•	What can you do if you come across a barrier in a federal office, business or organization? One thing you can do is read their accessibility regulations. These rules may say what should be done to get rid of the barrier you experienced. These regulations will give rules for accessibility plans, progress reports, feedback processes, and consultations. They can also help you to understand what the fines or penalties are for breaking the rules.
•	Sometimes, regulations work together with other rules and guidelines. For example, accessibility regulations may work together with voluntary standards or guidance documents. These will have best practices. Federal organizations may use these when they decide how to follow the Accessible Canada Act and its regulations. If you come across a barrier in a federal office, business or organization you could check if the Government of Canada has guidance documents. If the barrier you experience has to do with radio, telephone, television or internet services, you could check if the CRTC has other rules and guidelines. These are called orders, regulatory policies and codes of conduct. 
•	Who do you complain to if a federal organization is not following the Accessible Canada Act or accessibility rules? Who you complain to depends on what the complaint is about. You may be able to go the Accessibility Commissioner with your complaint. You would usually go to the Canadian Transportation Agency if the complaint is about federal transportation not following accessibility rules. You would usually go to CRTC if the complaint is about radio, television, internet or phone companies not following accessibility rules. 
Sometimes you may also be able to complain to the Canadian Human Rights Commission. This process is separate from the Accessible Canada Act. It is about complaints of discrimination based on disability.    
•	Deciding which of these options to choose will depend on a few things. Some of these things are: what your complaint is about, how the barrier has affected you, what outcome you want, and whether it is urgent or not. It is a good idea to get legal advice before you file a complaint. This will help you get as much information as possible. It may help you decide which option is best for you.
ARCH can give you legal advice if you are a person with a disability living in Ontario. If you do not live in Ontario, ARCH will do its best to refer you to a lawyer in your area to help you. 
Looking for accessibility regulations? 
They can be found:  
•	On the Government of Canada’s website. This website lists all federal regulations: https://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/ 
•	On the Canadian Transportation Agency’s website, for transportation regulations: https://otc-cta.gc.ca/eng/acts-and-regulations or
https://otc-cta.gc.ca/eng/accessible-transportation 
•	On the CRTC’s website, for regulations about radio, television, internet, and telephone: https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/statutes-lois.htm 
•	On CanLII: https://www.canlii.org/en/ca/laws/stat/sc-2019-c-10/latest/sc-2019-c-10.html#regulation 
Need a paper copy or alternate format of a regulation?
•	Contact the Government of Canada:
o	Tel: 1 800 O-Canada or 1 (800) 622-6232
o	TTY: 1-800-926-9105
o	Using the Government’s online form: https://www.canada.ca/en/contact/questions.html  
o	The Government of Canada has an office called Employment and Social Development Canada. This office takes feedback about accessibility of federal government information and services. You can call them at:
•	Tel: 1-866-506-6806
•	TTY: 1-866-506-6803 
•	Contact the Canadian Transportation Agency:
o	Tel.: 1-888-222-2592
o	TTY: 1-800-669-5575
o	E-mail: info@otc-cta.gc.ca  
o	Fax: 819-997-6727
o	Mail: Canadian Transportation Agency
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N9
•	Contact the CRTC:
o	Tel: 1-877-249-2782
o	TTY: 1-877-909-2782
o	Using the CRTC’s online form: https://applications.crtc.gc.ca/question/eng/public-inquiries-form?t=8&_ga=2.238377924.553600552.1617564956-1535597458.1596122617 

For more information
ARCH offers public legal education presentations and free, confidential summary legal advice about the ACA and other accessibility laws to persons with disabilities in Ontario. Contact ARCH for more information about these services.

*  The information provided in these materials is not intended to be legal advice. Consult a lawyer or legal worker if you need legal advice on a specific matter. This information is current as of April 2021.

Tel.: 416-482-8255; Toll-free: 1-866-482-2724
TTY: 416-482-1254; Toll-free: 1-866-482- 2728
www.archdisabilitylaw.ca