The CNIB Advocacy team monitors the activity of the federal government and regularly provides feedback on new legislation, policies, and programs to add a sight loss lens to everything the federal government does. Here are a few examples of what CNIB Advocacy has been advocating for within the federal government.
Accessible Canada Act
In 2018, the government introduced Bill C-81, An Act to ensure a barrier-free Canada (The Accessible Canada Act) in Parliament. The Accessible Canada Act received Royal Assent on June 21, 2019, and is now law.
The purpose of the Accessible Canada Act is to make Canada barrier-free by January 1, 2040. This involves identifying, removing and preventing barriers in federal jurisdiction in the following priority areas:
- employment
- the built environment (buildings and public spaces)
- information and communication technologies
- communication, other than information and communication technologies
- the procurement of goods, services and facilities
- the design and delivery of programs and services, and
- transportation (airlines, as well as rail, road and marine transportation providers that cross provincial or international borders)
After the Accessible Canada Act was tabled in the House of Commons, CNIB conducted a survey of clients and advocates to hear specific recommendations for strengthening the legislation from the sight loss community.
We used the recommendations and themes from our survey analysis to inform Members of Parliament and Senators as they studied what amendments might be necessary to the legislation. CNIB met with members of all parties to inform their studies of Bill C-81 with specific input from the sight-loss community.
CNIB was asked to appear before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development, and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (HUMA Committee) as they studied the Accessible Canada Act. They heard from several disability groups, federally regulated employers, and Crown Corporations to inform their study of the Bill and hear what amendments might be necessary. CNIB also submitted a written brief to the Committee.
CNIB continues to monitor the implementation of the Accessible Canada Act.
Canada Disability Benefit Act
In 2022, the Government of Canada introduced Bill C-22, the Canada Disability Benefit Act, in Parliament. The Act received Royal Assent and became law on June 22, 2023.
The Canada Disability Benefit Act sets out the framework to create a financial benefit for working-age Canadians with disabilities with the goal of reducing poverty and supporting their financial security. The Act does not create this program itself, but rather sets out general purposes and parameters for the benefit and authorizes the government to establish the benefit program in full through regulations.
On April 30, 2024, the Minister of Finance introduced Budget 2024 to the House of Commons. The Budget includes an investment of $6.1 billion over six years for the Canada Disability Benefit, with an ongoing annual investment of $1.4 billion after that.
CNIB was invited to appear before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (HUMA Committee) as they studied the Canada Disability Benefit Act. We used the recommendations and themes from our participant survey analysis to inform Parliamentarians about what was needed to ensure the Canada Disability Benefit is adequate to strengthen the financial security and independence of Canadians who are blind, Deafblind, or have low vision. CNIB also submitted a written brief to the HUMA Committee.
CNIB submitted feedback to the government’s consultation on the design of the Canada Disability Benefit regulations. Our submission was informed by the findings of our CNIB Canada Disability Benefit Response Panel, which involved over 100 participants affected by blindness or low vision who responded to bi-weekly surveys about each aspect of the benefit’s design, including benefit eligibility, payment amounts, application processes, benefit administration, and appeals processes.
You can review our findings and recommendations in a Microsoft Word document by clicking the following link: CNIB Submission - Canada Disability Benefit Regulations.
The first Canada Disability Benefit payments were issued in July 2025. To learn more about the program and how to access it, visit the Government of Canada’s “Canada Disability Benefit” webpage.
Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations
In 2020, the Canadian Transportation Agency implemented new protections under the Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations (ATPDR).
CNIB consulted with the Canadian Transportation Agency during the development of these regulations to ensure the needs of traveller's with sight loss were included in the regulations. These new regulations are now mandatory and give you more rights. The new regulations include:
- Providing information on recourse mechanisms in large print, Braille, and/or digital formats (upon request);
- Announcing travel updates such as delays and cancellations in both visible and audible formats;
- Ensuring all website content is accessible for people relying on assistive technology;
- Giving the opportunity for passengers with sight loss and their support person or service animal to disembark the aircraft first.
CNIB is pleased to see our advocacy efforts taken into consideration in the Airline Passenger Bill of Rights, that specifically indicate equal access to information and enhanced accommodations for Canadians who are blind, Deafblind, or have low vision. Find out more at the Canadian Transportation Agency website.
Described Video
For Canadians who are blind or have low vision, described video is not just a way to access entertainment. It levels the societal playing field by allowing everyone to enjoy popular culture and participate in water cooler conversations. Described video lets Canadians who are blind or have low vision experience film and television in a comparable way and fully participate in society.
The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) mandated in 2015 that by September 2019, certain Canadian broadcasters are to provide four hours of described video per day during prime time (7 p.m. to 11 p.m.). Programming that is not well suited for described video, including newscasts and sports, are exempt from these requirements.
Months before this requirement was to take place, the CRTC received an amendment proposed by Bell Media Inc., Corus Entertainment Inc., and Rogers Media Inc. to their condition of license that would exempt them from providing described video to non-Canadian programs received less than 72 hours prior to broadcast without described video. The Newfoundland Broadcasting Company then filed their own application to have the described video requirements amended shortly thereafter.
CNIB filed objections to the amendment applications, arguing that the broadcasters had many years to come into compliance with the new primetime requirements for described video.
The CRTC ruled in agreeance with CNIB and the many other individuals and organizations that submitted objections to the broadcaster's applications. The CRTC now requires that all programming broadcast between 7:00 and 11:00 7/days/week contain described video. The only exceptions are for programs received less than 24 hours before being aired. Broadcasters are still required to provide these programs with described video on subsequent airings.
This only applies to content broadcast over conventional distribution channels and not online programs, as at the time the CRTC did not have jurisdiction over online streaming platforms, such as Netflix or Amazon Prime. However, this changed when the federal government passed the Online Streaming Act in 2023, which empowered the CRTC to apply regulations and requirements to online streaming services.
The Online Streaming Act prompted the CRTC to develop described video and audio description requirements for online streaming services. In 2024, CNIB participated in the CRTC’s consultation on this topic and provided recommendations including that online streaming services only procure programming which includes described video tracks, and that described video programs be easily identifiable by users.
Following the consultation, the CRTC published new regulations requiring online streaming services to provide described video for all new scripted pre-recorded programs, as well as new third-party programs and partially scripted live events of national interest. CNIB is pleased to see many of our recommendations reflected in these regulations.
CNIB continues to advocate for all content to contain described video, either in post-production or embedded description as part of production.
Canada Post
In late 2025, CNIB became aware that the federal government’s budget legislation, Bill C-15, proposed an amendment that would remove language from the Canada Post Corporation Act requiring Canada Post to provide its Literature for the Blind program and subsidized postage on interlibrary loans.
These programs are critical to ensure the availability and accessibility of alternate format materials, as reflected by Canada’s international legal obligation to provide a Literature for the Blind program under the Universal Postal Convention. Without a legislative mandate, future governments would be empowered to reduce or discontinue these services without public consultation or parliamentary approval, creating risk and uncertainty.
CNIB quickly mobilized to advocate against this change, alongside partner organizations including the Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA), the National Network for Equitable Library Service (NNELS), BC Libraries Cooperative, and Braille Literacy Canada.
In February 2026, CNIB and our partners provided statements to the Senate Standing Committee on Transport and Communications (TRCM) as they studied the bill, recommending that these essential programs remain protected in legislation. CNIB’s written submission is available on TRCM’s website (PDF only), as well as a recording of in-person witness testimony to the Committee.
We were pleased to see our recommendations included in the Committee’s report to the House of Commons Finance Committee, where an amendment was subsequently adopted that reinserted legislative requirements for Canada Post to provide the Literature for the Blind program and subsidized interlibrary loans.
Our joint advocacy effort came to a successful end when the amended version of Bill C-15 received Royal Assent and became law on March 26. We will continue to monitor updates in this space to ensure mail service remains accessible for all, including those with sight loss.
Continuing Advocacy Efforts
These are just a few examples of areas where CNIB’s advocacy with the federal government has made positive changes within federal legislation and regulations for Canadians who are blind, Deafblind, or have low vision.
The CNIB Advocacy team continues to bring a sight loss lens to a wide range of topics within the federal government to make sure new legislation, policies, and programs do not create further barriers to inclusion for Canadians who are blind, Deafblind, or have low vision.
