Accessibility Standards Canada hosts second annual public meeting: Building Momentum for a barrier-free Canada

Collaboration with people with disabilities and other stakeholders is at the heart of Accessibility Standards Canada’s mandate. Today, the organization hosted its second annual public meeting online, along with close to 250 participants from across Canada.

The meeting offered participants a chance to gain a clear understanding of the organization’s mandate and learn about the progress made toward a Canada without barriers. They also had the opportunity to hear about:

current standards development;
the grants and contributions program;
collaboration with provinces and territories; and
the organization’s plans for the future through the Roadmap to 2040.
More importantly, this was the first time that three key players under the Accessible Canada Act (the Act) came together in one place. Invited to speak about their important roles in carrying out the Act were:

Stephanie Cadieux, Canada’s first Chief Accessibility Officer;
Michael Gottheil, Canada’s first Accessibility Commissioner; and
Phillip Rizcallah, Accessibility Standards Canada’s Chief Executive Officer.
Together, their mandate is to contribute to the realization of a Canada without barriers on or before January 1, 2040. The Act aims to improve accessibility in the federal sector and to support consistent experiences of accessibility across Canada.