Summary of the Accessible Canada Act and Accessible Transportation Planning and Reporting Regulations: A Guide on Progress Reports

1. Purpose

This is a summary of the Accessible Canada Act and Accessible Transportation Planning and Reporting Regulations: A Guide on Progress Reports, which explains the requirements of the Accessible Canada Act (ACA) and the Accessible Transportation Planning and Reporting Regulations (ATPRR) related to the development of progress reports. The ATPRR apply to transportation service providers (TSPs) that operate in the federal transportation network and that are required to comply with any CTA accessibility-related regulations. More detailed information can be found in the original guide.

2. Contents of a Contents of a Progress Report

A progress report provides updates on the implementation of a TSP’s accessibility plan, and on other accessibility-related progress that has been achieved which may not have been captured in the previous accessibility plan.

TSPs are required to consult persons with disabilities in the preparation of their progress reports and set out how they consulted persons with disabilities in their report.

Progress reports must also include information about feedback received by TSPs through their feedback process. This may include feedback received from people who have not travelled with them.

The ACA and the ATPRR only set out a few details in terms of content requirements that TSPs must include in their progress reports. This flexibility allows TSPs to develop their progress reports in a way that works best for their organization. However, progress reports must include the following headings, which relate to the required content:

• General;
• Information and communication technologies (ICT);
• Communication, other than ICT;
• Procurement of goods, services and facilities;
• Design and delivery of programs and services;
• Transportation;
• Built environment;
• Provisions of CTA accessibility-related regulations that the TSP is required to follow;
• Feedback information; and
• Consultations.

3. Publication of Progress Reports

TSPs must publish their most recent progress report in clear, simple and concise language.

TSPs that use a digital platform, such as a website, must publish their progress report on the main digital platform or website, in a format that meets the requirements of Level AA conformance that are set out in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

A TSP must publish this information in a manner that makes the progress report accessible either directly on the homepage or home screen, or by way of a hyperlink from that homepage or home screen.

No Digital Platform

TSPs that do not use a digital platform to communicate information to the public must publish a print copy of the most recent progress report and display it in a visible place in the main reception area of each of their publicly accessible business locations. Print copy progress reports must also be published in clear, simple and concise language.

4. Notice to the Agency

A TSP must notify the CTA by electronic means (e.g., email) within 48 hours of publication of each version of its progress report.

5. Alternate Formats

A person can request that a TSP make its progress report available to them in the following alternative formats:

• print
• large print
• braille
• audio format, or
• an electronic format that is compatible with adaptive technology that is intended to assist persons with disabilities.

A person may make the request for an alternative format through the same way the TSP communicates with the public, including by mail, by telephone, or via electronic means, such as email.

TSPs have prescribed timelines that they must meet for alternate format requests, based on whether they are public or private entities and on the size of operation they have. In general, TSPs must make their progress reports available in the alternate format requested as soon as feasible after the request is received.