Minister Designated for Accessible Canada Act

Summary#

This order — Order Designating the Minister of State (Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities) as the Minister for the Purposes of the Accessible Canada Act: SI/2023-72 — names which federal minister is responsible for the Accessible Canada Act. The change was made by Order in Council P.C. 2023-1064 on October 27, 2023 and registered in the Canada Gazette on November 22, 2023. It also repeals the earlier designation, P.C. 2019-1043 of July 9, 2019.

What it does#

• Repeals the previous designation, P.C. 2019-1043 (the earlier order that named a minister for the Act).
• Designates the Minister of State (Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities) as the minister responsible for the Accessible Canada Act (the federal law about accessibility).
• The order was issued under section 4 of the Accessible Canada Act.

Who's affected#

• Federal ministers and departments directly involved in applying the Accessible Canada Act will be most directly affected, because the order names which minister they report to on matters under the Act.
• Disability advocacy groups, service providers, and people with disabilities who deal with federal accessibility issues may notice the change when looking for the government contact or accountability for accessibility work.
• If it is unclear whether any operational duties or programs change because of this designation, the order itself does not explain those details.

Why it matters#

• It clarifies who in the federal government is officially responsible for the Accessible Canada Act, which helps people know which minister to contact about federal accessibility policies and enforcement.
• This is mainly an administrative step: it assigns responsibility but does not, by itself, change the text of the law or add new obligations.