According to Statistics Canada, over 6 million Canadians have some form of disability. This equates to 1 in 5 people, or 22% of our country’s population, dealing with issues relating to hearing, vision, mobility, memory, mental state or other function. For these individuals, participating in daily activities such as shopping, dining out, attending schools and surfing the web can be a challenge, unless the service providers ensure that their experience is at the same level as everyone else’s. This means providing a fully accessible environment for all Canadians.
In 2019, the Federal Government passed The Accessible Canada Act (Bill C-81) with unanimous support by the House of Commons and Senate. This important Act transformed how the government approaches accessibility standards across the country in sectors such as financial transacting, transportation and telecommunications.
Before this, in April 2017 Nova Scotia passed its Accessibility Act, also known as Bill 59. The goal of this legislation is to make Nova Scotia inclusive and barrier-free by 2030. Through the Act, the government is developing accessibility standards in the following areas:
The Act has established several accessibility standards to be followed when dealing with the public, in both private and public sectors. There are numerous tools and resources available to help with planning and implementation of the various standards.
Whether mandated by government or not, it is important to ensure that all aspects of your business are accessible to anyone. This includes consumers, vendors and service providers, employees – virtually any human being that may walk in your door, talk to you over the phone or visit your website. And, it’s important to remember that not all disabilities are physically obvious, so being prepared to provide an accessible experience to everyone is fundamental.
One focus of accessibility is ensuring your website is usable by anyone. The Act recognizes the standards laid out by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (currently referred to as WCAG 2.1). This includes ensuring your website is:
While Nova Scotia is currently the only province in the Maritimes with a specific Accessibility Act being enforced, this doesn’t mean other provincial mandates aren’t coming. It’s a good idea to begin the work now to ensure your physical and online spaces are inclusive and barrier-free.
The good news is by ensuring all aspects of your business are accessible to everyone, you’ve opened your doors to potentially 22% more consumers who may be looking for insurance.