The MP for Windsor-Tecumseh wants answers about the upcoming Accessibility Act for persons living with disabilities.
New Democrat Cheryl Hardcastle stood up during Question Period in the House of Commons on Monday and asked about a report released by the federal government last week that summarizes eight months of consultations held with Canadians across the country.
“Public consultations on Canada’s first national law for disabled people identified key issues that need to be addressed immediately” said Hardcastle, the NDP Critic for Persons Living With Disabilities.
Those key issues included high unemployment rates, inaccessible buildings and barriers in transportation.
Hardcastle went on to ask “In these consultations, Canadians also voiced a strong preference that the government set up an independent body to oversee compliance with the new laws., Will the minister implement an independent body to oversee compliance with the upcoming Accessibility Act?”
The Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, Carla Qualtrough, responded by saying “I can assure the member that we had many excellent suggestions from Canadians, including specifically with respect to enforcement and compliance. We are looking at these and looking forward to continued discussion as we craft this new law and have discussions in the House.”
The Accessibility Act, which disability rights advocates have been seeking for years, would govern areas that fall under federal jurisdiction, such as banks, telecommunications, and interprovincial transportation.
The report released last week currently estimates one in seven Canadians has some form of disability. It projects that number will increase as the population ages.
About 6,000 Canadians participated in the consultations between June 2016 and February 2017. An additional 90 organizations also offered input.
