Canada adopts the EN301549 – and makes it accessible!
EN301549, the European standard for “Accessibility Requirements for Information and Communication Technologies (ICT),” continues to be adopted outside of the EU. On the 31st of May, Accessibility Standards Canada (ASC) announced its official adoption of the EN 301549:2021.
This standard is now released as a National Standard of Canada under the code CAN/ASC – EN 301 549:2024. The widespread embrace of the EN-standard underscores its significance and the increasing commitment to fostering inclusive digital environments world-wide.
By incorporating best practices already utilized by over 30 countries, the standard aims to enhance the inclusivity of digital technologies across Canada.
Language and format to reach more
The Canadian adoption of the EN-standard was published in both English and French and free of charge in both languages. In the EU, only the English version is guaranteed to be free of charge, as national standardisation bodies may translate the standard and sell the translated versions.
What makes this publication significantly differ from the European approach is that Accessibility Standards Canada has released the standard in html, and made sure it is accessible to people with disabilities.
It is wonderful, and at the same time embarrassing for the European Standardisation Organisations, as “it hasn’t been possible” (sic!) to publish our most important standard on accessibility in an accessible format – despite heated discussions on the topic for many years.
Susanna Laurin, Chair of the ETSI/CEN/CENELEC JTB eAccessibility.
Representation makes a difference
Accessibility Standards Canada ensures diverse representation on its technical committees. The committee responsible for the ICT standard included 50% members living with a disability and 70% members from equity-deserving groups (such as women, visible minorities, 2SLGBTQI+, and Indigenous Peoples). This is also a big difference to how the representation looks in most European standardisation committees.
Accessibility Standards Canada (ASC) is an accredited standards development organisation under the Standards Council of Canada, dedicated to making Canada barrier-free for people with disabilities. ASC develops and promotes accessibility standards for federally regulated entities and organisations and collaborates with stakeholders to enhance accessibility within federal jurisdictions of Canadian society.