Accessibility Standards Canada has published CAN-ASC-5.2.1:2026, Accessible Service Delivery. The standard carries a May 2026 publication date, and the department announced it on 1 June 2026, during National AccessAbility Week. It is the first edition of the standard and a National Standard of Canada.
What the standard is
The standard sets out technical requirements for accessible service delivery. In its own words, it “provides requirements for the realization of an equitable, inclusive, and barrier-free service delivery experience for all people throughout the delivery of services.” Its stated purpose is to allow all people to obtain, use, and benefit from services. That includes receiving essential information about a service in a format that meets a person’s communication needs, accessing a service through any means offered (in person, by phone, digitally, or through any other means of access), and receiving services in a manner that meets individualized needs.
Rather than organizing requirements by disability, the standard addresses barriers by category. The categories it names include language and comprehension; memory, attention, and processing; emotional and distress-related barriers; information access and navigation; visual, hearing, and format barriers; digital and interactive accessibility; environmental barriers such as scents and chemicals; physical barriers; policy barriers; and attitudinal and knowledge barriers.
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Accessibility Standards Canada is a Government of Canada departmental corporation mandated through the Accessible Canada Act. The standard’s content was prepared and formally approved by the organization’s Technical Committee on Design and Delivery of Accessible Programs and Services. Accessibility Standards Canada states that at least 30 per cent of the technical experts on its committees are people with disabilities and lived experience, and a further 30 per cent are from equity-seeking groups.
Legal status
The standard is voluntary. Accessibility Standards Canada publishes voluntary standards and states that it “has no power, nor does it undertake, to enforce conformance” with them. Its standards can be recommended to the minister responsible for the Accessible Canada Act for adoption into regulation, and this standard can be used for conformity assessment. It is the responsibility of users to verify whether any law or regulation makes its application mandatory.
Related standards
The standard is intended to align with other published standards, including CAN-ASC-1.1 (Employment), CAN-ASC-3.1 (Plain Language), CAN-ASC-EN 301 549 (accessibility requirements for ICT products and services), CSA/ASC B651 (accessible design for the built environment), and CSA/ASC B651.2 (self-service interactive devices), as well as with the Accessible Canada Act and the Accessible Canada Regulations.
Where to find it
The full standard is available at no cost on Accessibility Standards Canada’s website, in multiple formats, including plain-language, American Sign Language, and langue des signes québécoise summaries. Accessibility Standards Canada will initiate a review of the standard within four years of its publication date.
Sources: Accessibility Standards Canada, CAN-ASC-5.2.1:2026 Accessible Service Delivery; Accessibility Standards Canada, Canada launches new standard for accessible service delivery (news release, June 2026)
