Design and delivery of programs and services

What this priority area is about

Programs and services provide access to benefits that support many parts of daily life. They may be delivered in person, by phone, online, or in other ways. 

Under the Accessible Canada Act, this priority area focuses on making programs and services accessible. This means designing them so they can be used by everyone in an inclusive and barrier-free way.

Why it matters

Accessible programs and services help people navigate processes, understand information, and get the support they need.

Including accessibility from the start ensures everyone can benefit from programs and services equitably. It means using clear communication, inclusive design, and flexible ways to provide programs and services.

Key work in this area

Explore our databases to find expert-developed resources to help you design programs and services with inclusion in mind. These databases connect you with standards, technical guides and evidence-based insights to guide your work.

 

Standards and technical guides: Practical documents to help you apply accessibility from day one

Research projects: Insights and evidence to support innovation in this area

Displaying 1 - 15 of 37
Title Status Recipient Start year Completed year
Addressing Barriers at Federally Regulated Gateways to Legal Capacity Underway New Society Institute (NSI) 2025 Not applicable
Community-Led Research for an Accessible Canada Underway Council of Canadians with Disabilities 2025 Not applicable
Harmonizing Air Travel: Advancing Global Accessibility Standards Underway Access Now 2490196 ONTARIO INC. 2025 Not applicable
Promoting Family Inclusive Accessibility Standards Through the Experiences of Parents and Caregivers with Disabilities Underway Memorial University of Newfoundland 2025 Not applicable
Strengthening the Climate Resilience of People with Disabilities Underway The Social Research and Demonstration Corporation 2025 Not applicable
A roadmap for upgrading existing transit accessibility standards and their implementation Underway Council of Canadians with Disabilities 2024 Not applicable
Accessible Communications of the Needs of Persons with Disabilities Underway Parametric Human Project 2024 Not applicable
Addressing accessibility standards in the criminal justice system Underway DisAbled Women's Network of Canada (DAWN Canada) 2024 Not applicable
Advancing fire and life safety in a built environment for all Underway Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs 2024 Not applicable
All Standards With Us: Integrating Accessibility and Disability Inclusion in All Standards Underway Inclusive Design Research Centre – Ontario College of Art and Design University 2024 Not applicable
Assessing the Accessibility of Proactive and Reactive Emergency Management Standards Underway Carleton University 2024 Not applicable
Identifying barriers to accessing federal financial services and programs for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities Underway People First of Canada 2024 Not applicable
INDEED: INvestigating the DEvelopment of Accessibility Standards in Canada and the Inclusion/Exclusion of Episodic Disabilities Completed Realize 2024 2025
Mapping Representation and Barriers to Participation by People with Disabilities in the Screen-Based Media and Broadcasting Sectors Underway Disability Screen Office 2024 Not applicable
Reducing Risk of Damage to mobility devices during air travel and determining safe slopes for passenger vessel gangways Underway University Health Network 2024 Not applicable