Accessible Transportation Planning Rules

Summary#

This is a proposed set of rules from the Canadian Transportation Agency to implement parts of the Accessible Canada Act for federally regulated transportation. The rules would require transportation service providers to make and publish accessibility plans, set up feedback processes, and publish regular progress reports — with staggered deadlines depending on the size and type of provider.

What it does#

• Creates requirements for an accessibility planning and reporting cycle: an initial accessibility plan, two yearly progress reports, then an updated plan on a three‑year cycle (Plan → Progress → Progress → Updated plan).
• Groups regulated transport providers into four classes and staggers when they must publish an initial plan:
  • Class 1 (federal departments, agencies and Crown corporations): fixed date December 31, 2021 (plans due by December 31, 2022).
  • Class 2 (private providers with 100 or more employees): fixed date June 1, 2022 (plans due by June 1, 2023).
  • Class 3 (private providers with 10–99 employees): fixed date June 1, 2023 (plans due by June 1, 2024).
  • Class 4 (private providers with fewer than 10 employees): no fixed date (effectively exempt for now).
• Sets publication and accessibility standards:
  • Post plans, feedback-process descriptions, and progress reports on the provider’s main digital platform in clear, simple language.
  • Meet WCAG Level AA web accessibility (bilingual) or, if no website is used, post printed copies in a conspicuous place at public locations.
• Requires alternative formats on request:
  • Braille or audio within 45 days.
  • Print, large print or electronic format compatible with adaptive technology within 15 days for Class 1 and 2, and 20 days for Class 3.
• Requires providers to accept feedback by any means they use to communicate with the public, allow anonymous feedback, and acknowledge non‑anonymous feedback.
• Requires providers to notify the Canadian Transportation Agency within 48 hours of publishing a plan, feedback process, or progress report.
• The notice published in the Gazette is a proposal (not yet law) and invited comments within 65 days of publication.

Who's affected#

• Regulated transportation service providers (TSPs), including:
  • Airlines, passenger rail, ferry operators, interprovincial bus services, airports and terminals.
  • Crown corporations and agencies that operate in transportation (examples cited in the analysis include VIA Rail, Marine Atlantic, CATSA, CBSA).
• Smaller operators:
  • Private TSPs with fewer than 10 employees are not covered by these rules.
• People with disabilities who use federally regulated transportation, who would get easier access to information and clearer ways to give feedback.
• The Canadian Transportation Agency itself, which would monitor compliance.
• The CTA’s cost‑benefit analysis looked at 118 TSPs in total (split as Class 1: 7, Class 2: 39, Class 3: 72) and noted that 69 of those are already subject to other accessibility rules (the Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations, or ATPDR).

Why it matters#

• It makes federally regulated transport providers plan, publish and be open about what they will do to remove barriers for people with disabilities. That helps people find the accessibility information they need and gives them a clearer channel to complain or suggest fixes.
• The rules push for accessible websites and documents, so people who use screen readers or other assistive tech should be able to read plans and reports without extra help.
• The government’s analysis estimates the proposed rules would cost providers and the CTA $878,514 (present value) over 10 years but would create benefits for people with disabilities worth $2,015,520 (present value), a net present benefit of $1,137,006 (all figures in 2019 Canadian dollars). The analysis therefore concludes benefits outweigh costs.
• The proposal is meant to help Canada meet its accessibility commitments (including under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) and to nudge transport operators to consider accessibility when they change services, equipment and spaces.
• Because this is a proposed regulation (Canada Gazette, Part I), it was open for comment and not yet in force when published. The rules also phase in requirements to give industry time to comply.