Detailed findings

The results of the consultations are presented in nine sections as follows:

• Attitudes and Awareness
• Goals of the Legislation
• Legislative Approach
• Applying the Legislation: Who Should be Subject to it?
• Accessibility Issues and Barriers
• Monitoring and Enforcement
• Supporting Organizations
• Effectiveness
• A Spotlight on the Youth Perspective

The main themes that emerged from the consultations are as follows:

Overall, there was a great deal of commonality found in the opinions and experiences of people who participated in the Consultations. For example, we see very little variation in the views of online engagement respondents based on their socio-demographic characteristics. Opinions are quite consistent between men and women, across provinces and based on whether one responded as an individual or representative of an organization. We see almost no difference between the views of online engagement respondents who live in urban compared to rural communities. Responses also tend to be consistent across age segments, though on some issues 18- to 34-years-olds have somewhat different views. Where we see the most differences in perspective is between those who self-identify as having a disability and those who do not. These and other subgroup differences are reported throughout this report.

The need to raise awareness

There was strong agreement on the need for awareness-raising, particularly among employers, but also among Persons with Disabilities. Many suggested that one of the keys to changing attitudes was to focus on children and schools (example: through the curriculum).

The interconnectedness of barriers

The most important areas where accessibility could be improved, as identified by online engagement respondents, are employment, followed by the built environment and transportation.

More broadly, transportation, employment, education/training, housing, poverty and barriers to services and programs emerged as key issues for Persons with Disabilities, and thus as areas that should be addressed by new legislation. As part of their discussion, Canadians often stressed the need for everyone to understand the inter relatedness of barriers, particularly the interplay between barriers to transportation, education and employment.

Role of the government

There was consensus that the Government is uniquely positioned to play a leadership role in promoting accessibility and the removal of barriers. Many expected the Government to serve as a model employer and service provider. They also expected the Government to show leadership by working diligently and in concert with other levels of government and the private sector to improve access, and to effectively monitor and enforce the legislation it enacts.

Who should be covered by the legislation?

There were divergent views on who and what new legislation should cover. Some people understood that the legislation would pertain to organizations under federal jurisdiction, and their views and suggestions reflected this. Others, conversely, wanted to see new legislation cover all organizations, including the private sector, in spite of how Canada’s jurisdictional division of responsibilities impacts federal legislation. Regardless of their view of legislative scope, there was strong consensus around the need to clearly communicate what Canada’s “patchwork quilt” of accessibility laws, policies and regulations requires of organizations.

Defining key terms

There was unanimity around defining key terms such as “accessibility,” “barrier” and “disability” to include the wide spectrum of disabilities, including so called “invisible” ones.

Designing the legislation and monitoring its effectiveness

Overall, the Consultations indicated support for legislation that includes a combination of prescriptive measures and outcome-based approaches. Canadians also expressed the need to see the legislation include clear requirements and robust mechanisms for monitoring compliance and enforcing the law. As part of this, there is an expectation that resources would be devoted to raising awareness among organizations and that they would be offered incentives, tools and other supports designed to help them comply.

There was strong support for the creation of an independent office, commission or commissioner that would have the power to investigate specific complaints, monitor compliance at a national level, assess penalties for non-compliance and publicly issue regular progress reports.