Record of decisions for Board of director's Regular Meeting – June 3 to 5, 2025 – Virtual

Tuesday, June 3, 2025

1. Welcome remarks and roll call

• 50-1 Motion presented, seconded, and carried by all to open the meeting at 12:05 p.m. EST.

2. Land acknowledgement

3. Declaration of conflict of interest

4. Board meeting agenda – (Document 4A)

• 50-2 Motion presented, seconded, and carried by all that the Board approve the meeting agenda as presented.

5 to 9. Consent agenda

• 50-3 Motion presented, seconded, and carried by all that the Board approve the Record of decisions of April 30, 2025, as presented.

10. Business arising

• None to report for this meeting.

11. What’s happening

• Board members shared information on various activities taking place associated with the organization’s mandate and interests of Board members.

12. Chairperson’s report - (Document 12A)

• The Chairperson shared his report.

13. CEO’s report – (Document 13A)

• 50-4 Motion presented, seconded, and carried by all on the following statement:

  • The federal government provides funding to support the design, construction, use and maintenance of different modes of transportation across Canada on the federal, provincial, territorial and municipal levels; and consistent standards in design, construction, use, and maintenance is important to improve safety, accessibility, and efficiency. The Accessibility Standards Canada Board of Directors supports that the ASC’s Accessible Travel Journey Technical Committee develop National Standards of Canada for the design and construction; and the use and maintenance of transportation systems for all levels of government and across all transportation modes, including: airports, ferry ports, cruise ship ports, passenger rail stations, bus stations.

36. Terminology – replacement for the term “stakeholder” – (Document 36A)

• 50-5 Motion presented, seconded, and carried by all that the Board approve Board members and Board documents to use “partners” and “interested parties” instead of the term “stakeholders”.

14. Board discussion – interested parties for the November 2025 Board meeting

• Director L. Saumure-Berlinguette consulted Board members on various possibilities for interested parties to attend the Board November 2025 meeting for a duration of 2 hours for discussion. Director L. Saumure-Berlinguette will be facilitating the discussion.

15. Items pulled from the consent agenda

• No items to report for this meeting.

16. ASC 3-year strategic plan 2026 to 2029 and reporting approach – (Document 16A)

• 50-6 Motion presented, seconded, and carried by all that the Board approve the strategic plan development timeline as presented.

17. ASC Roadmap to 2040 update on merging with Accessible Canada Directorate’s roadmap

• The tasking group will meet with Accessible Canada Directorate in the near future to review their draft version of their roadmap to ensure that ASC’s roadmap is accurately represented in the Directorate’s roadmap.

28. ASC’s accessible-ready housing standard and recommendation – (Documentation 28A and 28B)

• 50-7 Motion presented, seconded, and carried by all that the Board support Accessibility Standards Canada in recommending to the Minister of Jobs and Families that CAN/ASC-2.8:2025 Accessible-Ready Housing standard be considered for adoption into regulation and to support other related government initiatives as appropriate.

27. ASC’s employment standard and recommendation – (Document 27A and 27B)

• 50-8 Motion presented, seconded, and carried by all that the Board support Accessibility Standards Canada in recommending to the Minister of Jobs and Families that CAN/ASC-1.1:2024 (REV-2025) – Employment standard be considered for adoption into regulation and to support other related government initiatives.

23. ASC’s accessible-ready modular housing standard – (Documents 23A and 23B)

• 50-9 Motion presented, seconded, and carried by all that the Board approve the proposed scope of work for a standard on Accessible-Ready Modular Homes as presented.

26. ASC’s accessible artificial intelligence authoring tools standard – (Documents 26A and 26B)

• 50-10 Motion presented, seconded, and carried by all that the Board approve the proposed scope of work for a standard on Accessible Artificial Intelligence Authoring Tools.

24. ASC’s accessible-ready small homes standard – (Document 24A)

• 50-11 Motion presented, seconded, and carried by all that the Board approve the proposed scope of work for a standard on Accessible-Ready Small Homes as presented.

25. ASC’s accessible justice system standard – federal courts and tribunals – (Documents 25A and 25B)

• 50-12 Motion presented, seconded, and carried by all that the Board approve the proposed scope of work for a standard on Accessible Justice: Federal Courts and Tribunals.

18. Day 1 – Overview discussion

19. Adjournment

• 50-13 Motion presented and seconded to adjourn the meeting at 3:36 p.m. EST.

Wednesday, June 4, 2025

20. Welcoming remarks and roll call

• 50-14 Motion presented, seconded, and carried by all to open the meeting at 12:06 p.m. EST.

21. 2024-2027 3-Year interested parties engagement strategy: outreach approach for Directors – (Documents 21A and 21B)

• Board members discussed the engagement strategy.

22. Wayfinding and signage and emergency egress public review

• Action: Director S. È. De Lisle volunteered to facilitate the public review for ASC’s emergency egress standard, along with another staff/technical committee representative. Directors S. De Lisle, L. Berlinguette-Saumure and staff member will meet to discuss the team approach for the public review of emergency egress. Directors B. Adair and M. Shaw will also be consulted.

25. ASC’s accessible justice system standard – federal programs (Documents 25C and 25D)

• 50-15 Motion presented, seconded, and carried by all that the Board approve the proposed scope of work for a standard on Accessible Justice: Federal Programs.

29. ASC’s accessible childcare centres standard and recommendation – (Documents 29A and 29B)

• 50-16 Motion presented, seconded, and carried by all that the Board approve the use of the draft version of ASC-2.9: Accessible Childcare Centres standard by federal government departments.

30. Standards development update – (Document 30A)

• Action: Board requested an update on the published Employment (REV-2025) standard and the Accessible-Ready Housing standard for the September 2025 meeting if possible.

31. Adjournment

• 50-17 Motion presented and seconded to adjourn the meeting at 3:01 p.m. EST.

Thursday, June 5, 2025

32. Welcoming remarks and roll call

• 50-18 Motion presented, seconded, and carried by all to open the meeting at 12:05 p.m. EST.
• It was noted that Director W. Constantin could not be present at the meeting for lack of internet connection.
• 50-19 Motion presented, seconded, and carried by all to add 2 items to the agenda under “Other Items”.

33. Board/CEO information on communications – revised document - (Document 33A)

• 50-20 Motion presented, seconded, and carried by all that the Board approve the following as presented:
  • Approve the Information on Communications document contained in Annex A that sets out principles and roles and responsibilities for the Board and CEO in a concise manner, and which is based on the Accessible Canada Act and guidance from the Federal Government’s directives on communications.
  • Include the Information on Communications document in the Orientation Handbook for new Board members.
  • Archive the following 2021 documents: the Agreement on Roles and Responsibilities of the Board/CEO and its Annex, and the Board/CEO Communication Protocol.

34. Discussion on disability vs barrier removal

• Board agrees to focus standards and research on barrier removal as opposed to disability.

35. Board self-evaluation 2024-2025 – implementation of action plan for recommendations

• The Board agreed to support the Internal Affairs Committee’s recommendations.

37. Plain language

• Board members discussed the important of using plain language for external documents.

39. Other business (A)

• A) A brief presentation was made by Director B. Adair on the status of present standards at the ministerial level.

38. In-camera session

• 50-21 Motion presented, seconded, and carried by all that the Board proceed to the in-camera session.
• 50-22 Motion presented, seconded, and carried by all that the Board close the in-camera session.

39 Other business (B)

• The CEO discussed different approaches to harmonization.

40. Day 3 – overview discussion

41. Concluding remarks and adjournment

• The Chairperson wished everyone a great summer, and the Board will reconvene at the September 9 to 11, 2025 Board meeting.
• 50-23 Motion presented and seconded to adjourn the meeting at 3:00 p.m. EST.