Accessibility Reporting Regulations for Broadcasters and Telecoms

Summary#

This Canada Gazette page collects short public notices from a few federal bodies. It corrects an earlier charity revocation error, announces two procurement inquiries, posts many CRTC broadcasting decisions, and publishes new accessibility reporting rules under the Accessible Canada Act that set digital-access requirements and deadlines for broadcasters and telecommunications providers. It also lists several permissions from the Public Service Commission of Canada allowing federal employees to seek elected office.

What it does#

• Erratum: says a previously published notice to revoke the registration of LA FABRIQUE DE LA PAROISSE DE SAINTE BRIGIDE ARCHIDIOCÈSE DE MONTRÉAL was published in error.
• Procurement inquiries: the Canadian International Trade Tribunal decided to open inquiries into two complaints about government procurements:
  • Complaint by Luminaction Inc. about an outdoor lighting fixtures procurement (decision to inquire on February 16, 2021).
  • Complaint by Cache Computer Consulting Corp. (Cache Consulting) about an informatics services procurement (decision to inquire on February 18, 2021).
• CRTC postings: the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission listed recent Part 1 applications, decisions and consultations (these are the Commission’s routine public listings of licence decisions and open consultations).
• Accessibility Reporting Regulations (key points):
  • The document publishes the Accessibility Reporting Regulations that implement parts of the Accessible Canada Act for broadcasting and telecommunications entities.
  • It creates classes of entities (separate classes for broadcasting and for telecommunications) and fixes compliance start dates: June 1, 2022 for the largest classes and June 1, 2023 for some smaller classes.
  • Requires regulated entities to publish an accessibility plan and a feedback process on their main digital platform, in clear language and in a format that meets WCAG Level AA.
  • Entities must provide alternate formats (print, large print, braille, audio, or accessible electronic formats) on request and respond “as soon as feasible.”
  • Entities must publish annual progress reports (by June 1 in relevant years) and notify the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission of publications within 48 hours with a hyperlink to the document.
  • The regulations come into force when they are registered (the notice does not give a separate registration date here).
• Public Service permissions: the Public Service Commission of Canada published approvals allowing named federal employees to seek municipal or provincial office (for example, Gregory Keith Dempsey was granted permission and leave without pay during the election period for a provincial election scheduled on or before June 22, 2022). Several other employees were granted permissions to run in municipal elections held in May 2021.

Who's affected#

• Broadcasting organizations and telecommunications providers regulated under the Accessible Canada Act — they must prepare and publish accessibility plans, feedback processes, and progress reports by the dates above.
• Users with disabilities and accessibility advocates — they get clearer access to plans, a feedback route, and the right to request alternate formats.
• Companies that bid on federal procurements (including Luminaction Inc. and Cache Consulting) and the departments that ran those procurements (for example, Public Works and Government Services Canada acting for Department of National Defence) — those contract awards may be reviewed in Tribunal inquiries.
• The specific charity named in the erratum — its revocation notice was published in error.
• Federal public servants named in the permission notices — they may run for elected offices and, if granted, take leave without pay during campaigns.

Why it matters#

• The new accessibility rules put concrete, public-facing obligations on broadcasters and telecoms (including specific deadlines and the requirement to meet WCAG Level AA). That can lead to more accessible digital services and clearer accountability for accessibility progress.
• Procurement inquiries can affect which suppliers win government contracts and may lead to re-tendering or corrective action if irregularities are found.
• The erratum prevents confusion for the charity involved by correcting the public record.
• Permissions from the Public Service Commission of Canada show how federal employees may take part in local or provincial politics while protecting public service rules (for example, by taking leave during campaign periods).