Record of decisions for Board of director's Regular Meeting – September 9 to 11, 2025 – Virtual

Tuesday, September 9, 2025

1. Welcoming remarks and roll call

• 52-1 Motion presented, seconded, and carried by all to open the meeting at 12:03 p.m. EST.

2. Land acknowledgement

3. Declaration of conflict of interest

4. Board meeting agenda

• 52-2 Motion presented, seconded, and carried by all that the Board approve the agenda as modified. Item 17 (Rights of Persons with Disabilities to be Involved in Research) will be postponed to the November 2025 Board meeting.

5 to 9. Consent agenda – (Document 5A)

• 52-3 Motion presented, seconded, and carried by all that the Board approve the consent agenda and the Record of Decisions for July 16, 2025, as presented.

10. Business arising

• None to report for this meeting.

11. What’s happening

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

• The Chairperson shared his report which outlined the importance of reaching out to various individuals and groups who could benefit from the implementation of accessibility in their work and environment.

13. CEO’s report – (Document 13A)

• The CEO shared his report outlining the implementation and ongoing realization of standards, guidelines, Centre of Expertise as well as various collaborative engagements.

14. ASC By-Law and Governance policy-modifications on administrative sections – (Documents 14A, 14B, 14C, 14D, 14E)

• 52-4 Motion presented, seconded, and carried by all that the Board approve the administrative changes to Accessibility Standards Canada’s By-law No 1 and the Governance Policy, as presented.

15. Items pulled from the consent agenda

• No items to report for this meeting.

18. Partnership with the Rick Hansen Foundation

• Director M. Shaw recuse himself from the discussion on this item.
• Board members reviewed the work at the Rick Hansen Foundation and the potential working partnership in regard to built environment standards and accreditation.

27. Standards development update – (Document 27A)

• The update outlined the many accomplishments in publishing guides and standards with more to be published in the fall. For more information on these developments, Board members can consult the organization’s “Standards and technical guides database” on the organization’s website.

28. Update on pilot session on Emergency egress standard

• Director L. Berlinguette-Saumure presented the latest update on this activity. Confirmation of date for the consultation is still being determined. There will be two more pilot consultation sessions prior to the end of the year: childcare centres and wayfinding and signage.

19. Board discussion – Day 1

20. Adjournment

• 52-5 Motion presented and seconded to adjourn the meeting at 3:13 p.m. EST.

Wednesday, September 10, 2025

21. Welcoming remarks and roll call

• 52-6 Motion presented, seconded, and carried by all to open the meeting at 12:02 p.m. EST.

22. New standard on equitable communications

• The equitable communications standard aligns with other existing standards and can be referenced in all standards as it provides a consistent approach to communication.
• 52-7 Motion presented, seconded, and carried by all that the Board approve the proposed scope of work for a standard on Equitable Communication, as presented.

23. In-camera session: Employment and accessible-ready housing standards

• 52-8 Motion presented, seconded, and carried by all that the Board proceed to the in-camera session with an invitation to the CEO to participate.
• 52-9 Motion presented, seconded, and carried by all that the Board close the in-camera session.

24. Joint ASC/W3C standard: authoring tool accessibility guidelines 3.0 – (Document 24A)

• 52-10 Motion presented, seconded, and carried by all that the Board approve the proposed approach to:
  • Develop a joint standard with World Wide Web Consortium (W3C);
  • Change the title of the joint standard to “Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines 3.0”;
  • Expand the scope of work of the new standard to include both AI and non-AI authoring tools.

25. Centre of Expertise (Website demonstration)

• This item was postponed to the November 2025 Board of Directors’ meeting.

26. Presentation by the Commissioner of the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) – (Document 26A) 

• Board members welcomed the presentation by Shereen B. Miller, Commissioner of the FCAC and Ian Dewhirst, Accessibility Consultant, followed by an exchange with Board Directors.

16. In-camera session: Grants and Contributions

• 52-11 Motion presented, seconded, and carried by all that the Board proceed to the in-camera session with invitation to the CEO to participate.
• 52-12 Motion presented, seconded, and carried by all that the Board close the in-camera session.
• 52-13 Motion presented, seconded, and carried by all that the Board of Directors of Accessibility Standards Canada adopt a policy that formally removes the Board from all aspects of the organization’s Grants and Contributions Program. This includes priority-setting, applicant review, outcome assessment, and all program-related decisions or influence. This policy establishes a clear separation of roles and responsibilities, ensuring compliance with good governance principles and federal conflict of interest standards.

29. Board discussion – Day 2

30. Adjournment

• 52-14 Motion presented and seconded to adjourn the meeting at 3:18 p.m. EST.

Thursday, September 11, 2025

31. Welcoming remarks and roll call

• 52-15 Motion presented, seconded, and carried by all to open the meeting at 12:01 p.m. EST.

32. Team building activity for November 2025 Board meeting

• Director M. Haan presented preliminary plans for the team building activity to be held in November 2025. The planning team is comprised of Directors M. Haan, S. È. De Lisle and M. Yazdani-Seysan.

33. Board self-evaluation: new approach and questionnaire - (Document 33A)

• Director M. Yazdani-Seysan presented a new approach to the process of Board self-evaluation which included eliminating fixed external Board evaluation, pausing full annual evaluations, implementing post-meeting surveys and data collection from departing Board members.
• 52-16 Motion presented, seconded, and carried by all that the Board approve and include recommended updates to the Board’s self-evaluation process, as presented.

34. Update on engagement strategy – (Document 34A)

• Director L. Berlinguette-Saumure presented updates to the Engagement Handbook for Directors, which included modifications such as streamlined language, new tables for engagement requests, and tips for representing the organization in media.
• 52-17 Motion presented, seconded, and carried by all that the Board approve the update to the Engagement Handbook for Directors, as presented.

35. Presentation by the Chairperson/CEO of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) – (Document 35A)

• Board members welcomed the presentation by Vicky Eatrides, Chairperson and CEO of CRTC, accompanied by staff members Scott Hutton and Nanao Kachi followed by an exchange with Board Directors.

36. Preliminary consultation: 3-year Strategic plan 2026 to 2029 and reporting template – (Document 36A)

• The consultant and Board members identified key elements to build the foundation for Accessibility Standards Canada’s strategic plan for 2026-2029.
• The next section of the consultation with Board members will be held at the November 2025 Board meeting.

37. Concluding remarks – adjournment

• 52-18 Motion presented and seconded to adjourn the meeting at 4:02 p.m. EST.