Canada promised disabled Canadians a better country, but it stopped halfway

Seven years after the Accessible Canada Act became law, the 2040 target for a barrier-free Canada is closer than it seems, yet the chasm between aspiration and architecture keeps growing.

Louise Arbour, left, known for her advocacy of disability rights, and Prime Minister Mark Carney in Ottawa on May 5 announcing her appointment as Governor General. Arbour's appointment is an opportune time for the federal government to refocus its efforts on improving programs for those with disabilities, writes Lorin MacDonald. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Opinion

BY LORIN MACDONALD

June 1, 2026

On June 8, Louise Arbour will be installed as Canada’s 31st Governor General. Her appointment arrives immediately after National AccessAbility Week, which is a coincidence worth thinking about.

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