Accessibility Standards Canada: 2021 to 2022 Departmental Results Report
Alternate formats
2021 to 2022 Departmental Results Report (downloadable PDF)
From the Minister
A barrier-free Canada is at the heart of the Accessible Canada Act. Our Government is working hard to ensure it becomes a reality. Together with Accessibility Standards Canada, we took concrete steps toward our goal this past year.
Accessibility Standards Canada was created by the Accessible Canada Act in 2019. A Board of Directors and a Chief Executive Officer govern the organization. The majority of Board members are people with disabilities, making it the first federal organization that is majority-led by people with disabilities.
The organization’s mandate is to contribute to an accessible Canada by 2040. It does this by creating accessibility standards and promoting research into barriers.
In this report, you will read about the progress the organization has made over the last year to advance its mandate.
I am thrilled that, by March 2022, Accessibility Standards Canada already had 11 standards under development, with more planned. These 11 include standards the organization is developing itself, and those being developed in partnership with other standards development organizations. Accessibility Standards Canada also funded 18 new research projects that will move accessibility standards research forward.
In May 2021, the organization held its first Annual Public Meeting. Canadians were invited to share their thoughts, ask questions, and learn about the organization’s achievements and plans for the future. Over 500 participants joined this accessible online event!
Accessibility Standards Canada values the knowledge and experience of people with disabilities. Consultations are key to identifying priority areas for standards development and research funding. The achievements of the past year would not have been possible without hearing from Canadians with disabilities and their allies.
Accordingly, it was an honour for me to join in the Youth Roundtable events in February and March 2022. We know that youth can play an important leadership role in contributing to an accessible Canada. These events provided an opportunity for young people with disabilities to learn about the work the organization is doing. It also gave them a chance to inform that work by expressing their views on accessibility and barriers.
As we reflect on these accomplishments, momentum continues to build toward the goal of becoming an inclusive, barrier-free Canada. I can say with confidence that, by working together, we can become a country where all Canadians are included in every aspect of society.
From the Chairperson
Accessibility Standards Canada has made major progress this year and the results are showing. This document reports on our achievements for the 2021 to 2022 fiscal year.
Over the last year, the Board of Directors has been working hard toward our goal of helping Canada become barrier-free by 2040.
In January 2022, we published our long-term strategy for achieving that goal. Roadmap to 2040: A Plan to Guide the Work of Accessibility Standards Canada is aligned with our mission, vision, and values.
People with disabilities want to experience life without barriers. An accessible society benefits all Canadians. The Roadmap to 2040 explains how we will play our part to get there. It puts us on the road to developing world-class standards. It guides us to be a strong leader, partner, and influencer. For this reporting period, we have held a public review for one standard, which is being developed with CSA Group.
We want to learn from the lived experience and expertise of people with disabilities. That is why consulting with diverse communities of Canadians is key to our mandate. It is also why we need to include people with disabilities in all that we do.
In May 2021, we hosted our first Annual Public Meeting. The theme for the meeting, which was held online, was “Making Canada Accessible—Join Us.” Through the meeting, we engaged with the public on key accessibility topics. The meaningful exchanges that took place are informing our work, including our research priorities. For the current fiscal year (2022 to 2023), these priorities are:
- the built environment, including acoustics
- the design and delivery of programs and services, including employment
- information and communication technologies
- the procurement (buying) of goods, services, and facilities
- the retrofit of existing facilities, including non-traditional work environments and home office environments.
In February 2022, we held our first Youth Roundtable. Minister Qualtrough joined us to welcome the participants, who told us about their priorities for accessibility research and standards. We also learned about ways we can engage with them moving forward. It is important that we do this important work.
Over the year, we also advised the Chief Executive Officer on various policies designed to achieve the Board’s vision for a barrier-free Canada. They include the following:
- the formal standards development process
- the accessibility policy
- the updated communications and stakeholder engagement strategies
- the process for selecting technical committee members
- a protocol for stakeholders who wish to meet with or make a presentation to the Board.
The Board of Directors had other accomplishments over the past year. Specifically, Board members:
- participated in a training session on Indigenous awareness
- began developing a Board engagement plan to ensure members’ skills are put to good use; this includes efforts by Board members to make Accessibility Standards Canada better known to Canadians
- approved reducing the number of Board committees from 4 to 2; this new structure will enable the Board to be more effective and efficient
- provided ongoing strategic direction regarding the terms of reference for technical committees.
Now that we have entered our third year, we continue to move forward with the same passion for our mission that we have brought since day one. We are committed and we have a plan. We know we can count on you to help us achieve our mandate for the benefit of all Canadians.
From the Chief Executive Officer
As I reflect on the past year, I am proud of the work our organization has done. It has been a milestone year on the journey toward an accessible Canada. We have taken significant steps to achieve our mandate. I invite you to read about our successes in the 2021 to 2022 fiscal year. These achievements have moved us closer to becoming a barrier-free Canada.
I am happy to share that, last year, Accessibility Standards Canada was accredited by the Standards Council of Canada as a Standards Development Organization. Our success in achieving accreditation is important to us. It demonstrates that we follow high-quality standards development processes. You can be confident that the standards we develop are reliable and credible. It also increases our voice as an international leader in the development of accessibility standards.
Our main responsibility is to develop and revise standards for accessibility. To do this, we rely on the experience and expertise of our technical committee members. In 2021 to 2022, we launched 3 new technical committees that began working on 3 new standards. Those efforts, along with the 8 other standards being developed, show that we have had a very productive year.
It is key for us to listen to the voices of people with disabilities. On average, they comprise 50% of committee members. Canada is a country with a diverse population, and we want our technical committees to reflect this diversity. We made every effort to ensure that committees include a balance of Indigenous peoples, women, visible minorities, LGBTQ2IA+ individuals, seniors, and youth. We have placed a lot of emphasis on building and maintaining strong partnerships with stakeholders.
We have collaborated with other organizations on accessibility research and standards development. Our partners include CSA Group, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, National Research Council Canada, and the Standards Council of Canada. We also began to engage and establish collaborative relationships with individual provinces and territories.
We hosted our first Annual Public Meeting and a Youth Roundtable. These events help shape our work. They allow us to hear from community members with lived experiences of disability.
Through our Advancing Accessibility Standards Research grants and contributions program, we approved and funded 18 new research projects in 2021 to 2022. We are proud to support these projects and look forward to seeing the findings they generate.
This year has been one of significant growth for Accessibility Standards Canada. Our dedicated team is working hard to make Canada accessible for all. As we work hard to continue our efforts, I look forward to reporting on further accomplishments next year.
Results at a Glance
The Accessible Canada Act (the Act) created Accessibility Standards Canada. The mandate of the organization is to help achieve a Canada without barriers by January 1, 2040. It does this by:
- developing and revising accessibility standards;
- providing information, products and services about new and revised standards;
- supporting and conducting research on barriers to accessibility; and
- sharing best practices for removing and preventing accessibility barriers.
The Prime Minister’s 2019 Mandate Letter the Minister highlights how important the organization’s work is. The letter asks the Minister to:
- keep leading the Government’s work on disability inclusion; and
- support the organization in getting set up in consultation with the disability community.
This Departmental Results Report is for the 2021 to 2022 fiscal year, which began on April 1, 2021 and ended on March 31, 2022. It reports against the plans, priorities, and expected results that we set out in our 2021 to 2022 Departmental Plan, which covers the same period.
Our organization and its structure are now firmly established. We created the Roadmap to 2040 to guide our work for the next 18 years. It sets out timelines for our activities and it will keep us accountable to Canadians.
Our organization was on the move from 2021 to 2022. We produced great results. Below are some highlights listed under 4 result categories:
- Create model accessibility standards
- We received our accreditation from the Standards Council of Canada. We are now a fully recognized standards development organization.
- We had 11 standards under development as of March 31, 2022. Among these are standards we lead and standards we develop in partnership with other standards development organizations.
- We created 3 new technical committees. They cover 3 areas of accessibility: emergency measures, wayfinding and signage (finding out where you are and how to get to your destination), and information and communication technology products.
- Working with CSA Group, we submitted our first co-branded standard for public review. It focuses on accessible design for automated banking machines and self-service interactive devices.
- Support research to inform standards and to help remove accessibility barriers
- Last year, we funded 18 new research projects under our grants and contributions program.
- This year, the program will focus on the following research priorities for 2022 to 2023:
- the built environment, including acoustics
- the design and delivery of programs and services, including employment
- information and communication technologies
- the procurement (buying) of goods, services, and facilities
- the retrofit of existing facilities, including non-traditional work environments and home office environments
- Share information with the public
- We published our Roadmap to 2040. This document shows how we will contribute to achieving a barrier-free Canada by 2040.
- We redesigned our website to improve its accessibility, design, and ease of use.
- It is now easier to find the information you are looking for.
- The look of the website is unique and modern. This makes our website stand out.
- We developed the framework for an online hub for information related to accessibility.
- We continued to grow our presence online through various social media platforms.
- Collaborate with others to improve accessibility
- We held our first-ever Annual Public Meeting.
- We began to engage and establish collaborative relationships with individual provinces and territories. We also held our first Youth Roundtable events to engage with youth.
- We partnered with National Research Council Canada on a project relating to the built environment.
For more information on Accessibility Standards Canada’s plans, priorities, and results achieved, see the “Results: What we achieved” section of this report.
Results: What we achieved
Core responsibility
Accessibility Standards
Description
The following description is taken from the organization’s departmental results framework.
Accessibility Standards Canada:
- Develops and revises accessibility standards by:
- establishing technical committees; and
- providing support and research to them;
- Promotes, supports and conducts research to inform the development of standards;
- Shares information with organizations and the public about standards;
- Provides products and services about standards; and
- Provides best practices used to identify, remove and prevent accessibility barriers.
Technical committees reflect diversity and are made up of:
- People with disabilities;
- Indigenous people;
- Representatives from industries that would have to follow standards if they were made into regulations; and
- Other experts.
Results
1. Standards in priority areas contribute to the removal of accessibility barriers
A key part of our mandate is to create model accessibility standards. We also revise current ones. The Board determines the priority areas for standards. The Board’s decisions are based on input from staff, stakeholders, and the public.
Standards describe how organizations can identify, remove, and prevent barriers to accessibility. When a standard is ready, it is recommended to the Minister. The Minister may then turn it into regulations. When that happens, all federally regulated organizations must follow the standard.
Creating a new standard can take 2 years or more and is an ongoing process. Over the last year, we developed a long-term plan for this work called the Roadmap to 2040. It was written to guide our work over the next 18 years.
We continue to work on the standards started in the last 2 fiscal years (from April 2020 to March 2022):
- employment
- plain language
- emergency egress (exit)
- outdoor spaces • model standard for the built environment – accessibility
- emergency measures (particularly during a pandemic)
- wayfinding and signage (finding out where you are and how to get to your destination)
- information and communication technology products and services
We conducted research in the areas of procurement (buying equipment and other products and services), and acoustics (sound quality) for the built environment. We provided the relevant technical committees with an in-depth review of current national and international standards to identify gaps in accessibility.
We made progress on 3 standards that are co-branded with CSA Group:
- ASC/CSA B651 – Accessible design for the built environment
- ASC/CSA B652 – Accessible homes
- ASC/CSA B651.2 – Accessible design for automated banking machines and self-service interactive devices
This last standard (ASC/CSA B651.2) was submitted for public review in January 2022. This was a milestone event for our young organization.
Technical committees do the work to develop standards. We create these committees by setting out the work they have to do (terms of reference) and recruiting members. We continue to support these committees throughout the standard development process. For example, we provide them with initial (seed) research and carry out other studies, as needed.
- In the past year, we supported 8 technical committees that had started to or were continuing to work on creating standards.
We successfully completed the accreditation process with the Standards Council of Canada. Now, we are a recognized national standards development organization. We announced this impressive result through a message to our stakeholders, a press release, social media posts, and our website.
We initiated a review of national and international standards to identify gaps. This was done to pinpoint areas for future standards development. This helps us prepare for the next wave of accessibility standards.
2. Research informs the next generation of standards
Supporting research is also a key part of our mandate. We do this to gather information that can inform our standards and remove barriers to accessibility. Last fiscal year, we took important steps to achieve this. Our priority research areas in 2021 to 2022 were:
- the design and delivery of programs and services
- the built environment, with a focus on heritage buildings
- accessibility in Indigenous communities
- information and communication technology
- communication (other than plain language)
- procurement (buying) of goods, services and facilities
We funded 18 new research projects.
We assessed 6 final research reports. These projects were completed between April 2019 and March 2021. We shared the reports with various stakeholders.
We assessed the activity reports for projects that were funded between April 2020 and March 2021.
We invited select organizations to submit proposals for research projects. These projects will begin during the 2022 to 2023 fiscal year.
We decided on the next set of research priorities. These will cover the 2022 to 2023 fiscal year and future years:
- the built environment, including acoustics
- the design and delivery of programs and services, including employment
- information and communication technologies
- procurement (buying) of goods, services, and facilities
- the retrofit of existing facilities, including non-traditional work environments and home office environments
3. Organizations and the public access online information
We are committed to sharing information about our work. We want to increase the public’s knowledge and awareness of accessibility. During the 2021 to 2022 fiscal, we made progress on this in the following ways:
- We redesigned our website to improve its accessibility, ease of use, and design. We reorganized information so it is easier for users to find what they are looking for. We did this by using highly contrasting colours and dividing the site into sections. The user sees the section headings as they scroll down the main page. We made our organizational priorities more prominent and noticeable.
- We created alternative communication formats, including:
- accessible forms
- text versions of infographics
- sign language videos
- We made the look of our website unique and modern to make us stand out. The design is clean, professional, and engaging. More importantly, it is accessible.
- We innovated while respecting the Canada.ca Content and Information Architecture Specifications, the Canada.ca Content Style Guide, and the Standard on Web Accessibility.
We continued to grow our online presence in a number of ways:
- We shared information on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn at least twice a week. We did this to update our audience about our programs and initiatives.
- We increased our number of social media followers across all our online platforms. As of March 31, 2022, we had:
- 1,612 followers on Facebook
- 1,762 followers on Twitter
- 1,106 followers on LinkedIn
- We published 4 news releases about important events related to our organization including our accreditation, collaboration with CSA Group, our 2021 Annual Public Meeting, and the release of our 2021 to 2022 annual report.
- We used a consistent and strategic approach for our branding. This was done to increase our online visibility across our 8 platforms.
- We put a process in place to receive, acknowledge, and action public feedback about our website and social media platforms.
We developed the framework for an online hub where people can find information related to standards and research. It will be called the Centre of Expertise. We worked with other government organizations to promote accessible best practices. For example, we co-chair the Community of Practice on Accessible Communications. We promoted our COVID-19 guidelines for accessibility. This was done through multiple presentations, panels, and newsletter articles. We promoted reports on the research projects we have funded to our portfolio partners (federal organizations with complementary mandates).
4. The organization’s work in standards increases opportunities for collaboration in advancing a Canada without barriers
We believe that collaboration leads to better results that contribute to a barrier-free Canada. It is vital that our work reflects the views of people with disabilities as well as other experts and stakeholders.
We continued to establish important partnerships in the 2021 to 2022 fiscal year. These include working with organizations within and outside of government. The goal is to work together toward an accessible Canada.
Working with these organizations helps us to make progress on creating accessibility standards. It also encourages them to consider using our standards as we develop them. Harmonizing accessibility standards nationally means Canadians can experience accessibility in a consistent and seamless way from coast to coast to coast.
We took important steps to achieve this result in the 2021 to 2022 fiscal year:
- We held our first-ever Annual Public Meeting with the theme, “Making Canada accessible—join us!” Over 500 attendees joined us.
- We began to engage and establish collaborative relationships with individual provinces and territories. This was done to formalize the exchange of information and potential harmonization of accessibility standards across jurisdictional boundaries.
- We engaged with youth. We held our first-ever Youth Roundtable events to inform priority areas for accessibility research and standards development.
- We laid the groundwork to engage Indigenous peoples and governments and to establish our role on the world stage.
- We became accredited as a standards development organization with the Standards Council of Canada. This helps us be seen as credible and a leader in the development of accessibility standards.
- We partnered with National Research Council Canada on a project. This project is to develop indicators for a cost-benefit analysis of accessibility in the built environment.
- We hosted a consultation session with the Standards Council of Canada. This was done to provide input on the Council’s National Standards Strategy.
Gender-based analysis plus
We consider “gender-based analysis plus” in all aspects of our work. (The federal government defines this as an analytical process to assess how women, men, and people of all genders may experience policies, programs, and initiatives.) Programs that support our core responsibility (accessibility standards) are designed with inclusion and intersectionality in mind.
Here are the steps we took to make sure we are contributing to inclusive outcomes for Canadians:
- It is key for us that the voices of persons with disabilities are heard. On average, persons with disabilities represent 50% of our technical committee members. Canada is a country with a diverse population. We want our technical committees to reflect that diversity. We also ensured our committees include a balance of Indigenous people, LGBTQ2IA+ individuals, seniors, visible minorities, women, and youth.
- Accessibility in Indigenous communities was one of our priority areas for research in the 2021 to 2022 fiscal year; 4 of the 18 projects we funded touched on that priority. We communicated with the heads of Indigenous organizations and groups to alert them when the call for research proposals was launched. We asked them to share it with their networks and encourage organizations to submit proposals.
- We added questions related to gender-based analysis plus to the research proposal application form that will be used in future. We also included them in a template for reporting current and future project activities. Research applicants will be invited to answer questions about the intersectionality of their project participants. Through the questions, we encourage applicants to consider involving people with other identity factors, in addition to disability, in their projects. We want the projects we fund to represent the diversity we have in Canada.
Experimentation
Grants and contributions program
- We heard that some applicants prefer Microsoft Word versions of the documents the program uses. We began offering this to applicants and funding recipients.
- We revised the application process to be more efficient. In future, the process will comprise 2 phases:
- In the first phase, we will invite applicants to submit an expression of interest for research funding. It is intended to reach a variety of organizations that have an interest in accessibility research. This step will consist of a short application to determine whether applicants meet basic requirements. This will allow us to assess their eligibility, resources, and capacity. We will also consider how well their proposed projects meet program goals.
- In the second phase, selected organizations will be invited to submit a detailed funding application. This reduces the burden on those who do not meet program requirements.
Communications
This involved:
- using the website, quarterly newsletters, email messages, social media posts, phone calls, and alternative communication formats to communicate with our stakeholders;
- finding the best ways to use teleconferencing and making teleconferences accessible;
- working with portfolio partners within government to amplify our messaging by asking them to share our information through their own social media platforms and newsletters;
- adding American Sign Language and Langue des signes québécoise to videos;
- having sign language interpreters join meetings, where applicable (For example, we will invite them to meetings of our Community of Practice on Accessible Communications.)
Results achieved
The following table shows, for accessibility standards, the results achieved, the performance indicators, the targets and the target dates for 2021 to 2022, and the actual results for the 3 most recent fiscal years for which actual results are available.
| Departmental results | Performance indicators | Target | Date to achieve target* | 2019 to 2020 actual results** | 2020 to 2021 actual results | 2021 to 2022 actual results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standards in priority areas contribute to the removal of accessibility barriers. |
The number of new or revised standards in priority areas. These are standards that the organization:
|
1 to 3 suites (groups) | March 2025 | Not applicable | 0*** | 0*** |
| Research informs the next generation of standards. | The percentage of funding invested by the organization in research and development (R&D) projects. These are projects that influence accessibility standards. These are also projects that influence standards development priority setting. | 75% to 85% | March 2026 | Not applicable | 100% | 100% |
|
Organizations and the public access online information about:
|
The number of unique views online of this information. This information is generated from funded projects or other work by the organization and could include (for example):
|
7,000 to 12,000 | March 2023 | Not applicable | 9,300 | 39,861 |
| The organization’s work in standards increases opportunities for collaboration in advancing a Canada without barriers. |
The number of collaborative activities with:
|
10 to 15 | March 2025 | Not applicable | 3 | 16 |
* Note: We based our initial targets on our first Departmental Results Framework. This was done before we received funding from Parliament. We will review these targets and target dates next fiscal year (2023 to 2024). By then, we will have been operational long enough to set ambitious yet achievable results.
** The actual results are not available for previous years. This is because Accessibility Standards Canada was only created in 2019. It is also because our first active year for reporting on these results was 2020 to 2021.
*** For a full description of actual progress against these results, see the results sections above. Financial, human resources and performance information for Accessibility Standards Canada’s Program Inventory is available in GC InfoBase.
Budgetary financial resources (dollars)
The following table shows, for accessibility standards, budgetary spending for 2021 to 2022, as well as actual spending for that year.
| 2021 to 2022 Main Estimates | 2021 to 2022 planned spending | 2021 to 2022 total authorities available for use | 2021 to 2022 actual spending (authorities used) | 2021 to 2022 difference (actual spending minus planned spending) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14,168,725 | 14,168,725 | 14,155,842 | 11,402,542 | (2,766,183) |
Financial, human resources and performance information for Accessibility Standards Canada’s Program Inventory is available in GC InfoBase.
Human resources (full-time equivalents)
The following table shows, in full time equivalents, the human resources the department needed to fulfill this core responsibility for 2021 to 2022.
| 2021 to 2022 planned full-time equivalents | 2021 to 2022 actual full-time equivalents | 2021 to 2022 difference (actual full-time equivalents minus planned full-time equivalents) |
|---|---|---|
| 38 | 34 | (4) |
Financial, human resources and performance information for Accessibility Standards Canada’s Program Inventory is available in GC InfoBase.
Internal services
Description
Internal services are those groups of related activities and resources that the federal government considers to be services in support of programs and/or required to meet corporate obligations of an organization. Internal services refers to the activities and resources of the 10 distinct service categories that support program delivery in the organization, regardless of the internal services delivery model in a department. The 10 service categories are:
- acquisition management services
- communication services
- financial management services
- human resources management services
- information management services
- information technology services
- legal services
- material management services
- management and oversight services
- real property management services
Results
Communications
We continued to use well-planned communications to engage the public and our employees. We also established new processes and grew the number of tools we use to communicate within and outside the organization. For example, we:
- redesigned our website, added webpages and information;
- created a master social media calendar and tailored our message for each online platform;
- created an internal communications cycle comprising of monthly messages and quarterly newsletters;
- created an external communications cycle;
- increased our stakeholder distribution lists which counted over 4,600 people by March 31, 2022
We had a total of 39,861 unique online views from April 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022.
We established a quarterly newsletter to share with our stakeholders. The first one was published in December 2021. We followed up by publishing the next newsletter in March 2022. We also communicated with our stakeholders online and/or with mass-email messages. We shared information including:
- news about our role and progress;
- accreditation;
- publishing the Roadmap to 2040;
- our 2021 Annual Public Meeting;
- our 2020 to 2021 Departmental Results Report and 2022 to 2023 Departmental Plan;
- our 2021 to 2022 annual report, “Building Momentum for a Barrier-Free Canada”;
- publishing our guidelines for an inclusive and accessible response to emergencies;
- public review of our first co-branded standard: Accessible design for automated banking machines and self-service interactive devices;
- launching recruitment calls for members for 3 technical committees: emergency measures, wayfinding and signage, and accessibility requirements for Information and Communication Technology Products and Services;
- how stakeholders can engage with us
Real Property
Our new office space in Gatineau stands for “accessibility by design”. It has been built to be accessible for people with a wide range of disabilities. It reflects the Accessible Canada Act principle that all persons must have barrier-free access to full and equal participation in society, regardless of their disabilities. As such, $3.3 million was invested in creating this model of an accessible office space. Notable features include:
- LED lighting system (intensity, colour tuning, individual controls)
- clearance for wheelchair accessibility in corridors, doorways, offices and common spaces
- accessible signage in different formats such as large font, tactile, pictograms and braille
- white noise and pink noise machines to suppress office noises and electronic frequencies
- a highly efficient HVAC system to improve air quality
Information Technology (IT)/Information management (IM)
We worked with Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) on a number of projects to provide our employees with disabilities, and the stakeholders we work with, accessible business tools and hardware.
Our main project was to develop a document/information sharing platform to use with our stakeholders. We will start using it soon. The platform has two main benefits. They are:
- documents will be protected; and
- it is accessible to all members of our technical committees
Next, we will make the platform available to the Board of Directors. We plan to complete the project in the 2022 to 2023 fiscal year.
Internal Services in general
To support employees, we have worked on our internal processes by using accessible practices. Due to our size and to be efficient with resources, we contracted out some internal services. However, in the past year, we have worked toward providing these services ourselves. This way we can better address certain services and offer a more suitable solution.
For example, we manage all new funded grants and contributions projects. This includes the call for proposals, evaluation, monitoring and payments. Now we can change our processes to be more accessible for applicants and staff.
Budgetary financial resources (dollars)
The following table shows, for internal services, budgetary spending for 2021 to 2022, as well as spending for that year.
| 2021 to 2022 Main Estimates | 2021 to 2022 planned spending | 2021 to 2022 total authorities available for use | 2021 to 2022 actual spending (authorities used) | 2021 to 2022 difference (actual spending minus planned spending) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,896,832 | 5,896,832 | 6,193,040 | 5,098,072 | (798,760) |
Human resources (full-time equivalents)
The following table shows, in full time equivalents, the human resources the department needed to carry out its internal services for 2021 to 2022.
| 2021 to 2022 planned full-time equivalents | 2021 to 2022 actual full-time equivalents | 2021 to 2022 difference (actual full-time equivalents minus planned full-time equivalents) |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | 16 | (2) |
Spending and human resources
Spending
Spending from 2019 to 2020, to 2024 to 2025
The following graph presents planned (voted and statutory spending) over time.
,
Spending increased significantly between April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2021. This was because the 2020 to 2021 fiscal year was our first full year of operations. During the following fiscal year, we continued to ramp up operations and reached a stable level of staffing with only 6 full-time employees. This was fewer than planned. Plans for adding staff and undertaking some large projects will increase spending in future years.
Budgetary performance summary for the core responsibility and internal services (dollars)
The “Budgetary performance summary for core responsibility and internal services” table presents the budgetary financial resources allocated for Accessibility Standards Canada’s core responsibility and for internal services.
| Core responsibility and internal services | 2021 to 2022 Main Estimates | 2021 to 2022 planned spending | 2022 to 2023 planned spending | 2023 to 2024 planned spending | 2021 to 2022 total authorities available for use | 2019 to 2020 actual spending (authorities used) | 2020 to 2021 actual spending (authorities used) | 2021 to 2022 actual spending (authorities used) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accessibility standards | 14,168,725 | 14,168,725 | 15,141,412 | 15,489,150 | 14,155,842 | 1,843,725 | 8,441,056 | 11,402,542 |
| Subtotal | 14,168,725 | 14,168,725 | 15,141,412 | 15,489,150 | 14,155,842 | 1,843,725 | 8,441,056 | 11,402,542 |
| Internal services | 5,896,832 | 5,896,832 | 5,736,034 | 5,651,958 | 6,193,040 | 2,117,103 | 6,163,083 | 5,098,072 |
| Total | 20,065,557 | 20,065,557 | 20,877,446 | 21,141,108 | 20,348,882 | 3,960,828 | 14,604,139 | 16,500,614 |
When the Accessible Canada Act received Royal Assent on June 21, 2019, it created Accessibility Standards Canada. However, we did not receive funding until December 2019. Thus, only a portion of the money available was spent between April 2019 and March 2020.
We grew rapidly between April 2020 and March 2021, which increased spending. Between April 2021 and March 2022, we grew further and began to stabilize. We have now staffed essential positions and built a foundation. This is helping us to:
- meet the established mandate
- develop policies and procedures
- bring services in-house that were previously contracted out
Human resources
The “Human resources summary for core responsibility and internal services” table presents the full-time equivalents (FTEs) allocated to each of Accessibility Standards Canada’s core responsibility and to internal services.
Human resources summary for core responsibility and internal services
| Core responsibility an internal services | 2019 to 2020 actual full-time equivalents | 2020 to 2021 actual full-time equivalents | 2021 to 2022 planned full-time equivalents | 2021 to 2022 actual full-time equivalents | 2022 to 2023 planned full-time equivalents | 2022 to 2023 actual full-time equivalents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accessibility standards | 3 | 25 | 38 | 34 | 38 | 38 |
| Subtotal | 3 | 25 | 38 | 34 | 38 | 38 |
| Internal services | 4 | 14 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 18 |
| Total | 7 | 39 | 56 | 50 | 56 | 56 |
Expenditures by vote
For information on Accessibility Standards Canada’s organizational voted and statutory expenditures, consult the Public Accounts of Canada 2021.
Government of Canada spending and activities
Information on the alignment of Accessibility Standards Canada’s spending with Government of Canada’s spending and activities is available in GC InfoBase.
Financial statements and financial statements highlights
Financial statements
Accessibility Standards Canada’s financial statements (unaudited) for the year ended March 31, 2022, are available on the departmental website.
Financial statement highlights
Condensed Statement of Operations (unaudited) for the year ended March 31, 2022 (dollars)
| Financial information | 2021 to 2022 planned results | 2021 to 2022 actual results | 2020 to 2021 actual results | Difference (2021 to 2022 actual results minus 2021 to 2022 planned results) | Difference (2021 to 2022 actual results minus 2020 to 2021 actual results) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total expenses | 19,130,651 | 16,987,047 | 12,259,696 | (2,143,604) | 4,727,351 |
| Total revenues | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers | 19,130,651 | 16,987,047 | 12,259,696 | (2,143,604) | 4,727,351 |
Condensed Statement of Financial Position (unaudited) as of March 31, 2022 (dollars)
| Financial information | 2021 to 2022 | 2020 to 2021 | Difference (2021 to 2022 minus 202 to 2021) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total net liabilities | 2,914,659 | 4,593,286 | (1,678,627) |
| Total net financial assets | 2,495,613 | 4,280,294 | (1,784,681) |
| Departmental net debt | 419,046 | 312,992 | 106,054 |
| Total non-financial assets | 3,104,373 | 3,091,772 | 12,601 |
| Departmental net financial position | 2,685,327 | 2,778,780 | (93,453) |
The 2021 to 2022 planned results information is provided in Accessibility Standards Canada Future-Oriented Statement of Operations and Notes 2021 to 2022.
Corporate information
Organizational profile
Appropriate minister: Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion
Institutional head: Mr. Philip Rizcallah, Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Chairperson: Mr. Paul-Claude Bérubé
Ministerial portfolio: Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion
Enabling instrument[s]: The Accessible Canada Act
Year of incorporation / commencement: 2019
Other: Accessibility Standards Canada is supervised by a nine-member Board, including a Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson.
The organization's Board of Directors, who are part-time Governor in Council appointees:
- sets its strategic direction;
- oversees its activities; and
- provides advice to its Chief Executive Officer, is a full-time Governor in Council appointee.
A majority of the Directors are persons with disabilities and reflect the diversity of disabilities experienced by Canadians.
The Chief Executive Officer holds the rank and powers of a deputy head of a department. He is responsible for:
- the day-to-day operations of the organization;
- managing the interface with the Minister responsible for Accessibility;
- establishing relationships and partnerships within all levels of government;
- leading the research and development program;
- leading the technical codes development; and
- directing the human, financial and material resources.
Raison d’être, mandate and role: Who we are and what we do
“Raison d’être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do” is available on Accessibility Standards Canada’s website.
For more information, see the Chairperson of the Board’s mandate letter, and for the department’s organizational mandate letter commitments, see the Minister’s mandate letter.
The Board has set vision, mission and values statements to guide the organization’s work. These statements build on the organization’s mandate in the Accessible Canada Act.
Mandate
The following is the organization’s mandate as set out in the Accessible Canada Act. The Standards Organization’s mandate is to contribute to the realization of a Canada without barriers, on or before January 1, 2040, through, among other things:
- the development and revision of accessibility standards;
- the recommendation of accessibility standards to the Minister;
- the provision of information, products and services in relation to the accessibility standards that it has developed or revised;
- the promotion, support and conduct of research into the identification and removal of barriers and the prevention of new barriers; and
- the dissemination of information, including information about best practices, in relation to the identification and removal of barriers and the prevention of new barriers.
Operating context
Information on the operating context is available on Accessibility Standards Canada’s website.
Reporting framework
Shown below are Accessibility Standards Canada’s:
- departmental results framework; and
- program inventory.
These are approved for the 2021 to 2022 year. Internal services support the accessibility standards core responsibility and departmental results.
Departmental Results Framework
Core Responsibility: Accessibility Standards
Departmental Result: Standards in priority areas contribute to the removal of accessibility barriers.
- Indicator: The number of new or revised standards in priority areas. These are standards that the organization:
- developed;
- collaborated in; or
- funded.
Departmental Result: Research informs the next generation of standards.
- Indicator: The percentage of funding invested by the organization in research and development (R&D) projects. These are projects that influence accessibility standards. These are also projects that influence standards development priority setting.
Departmental Result: Organizations and the public access online information about: accessibility standards; products; services; and best practices to identify, remove and prevent accessibility barriers.
- Indicator: The number of unique views online of this information. This information is generated from funded projects or other work by the organization and could include (for example):
- technical papers;
- reports;
- presentations;
- peer-reviewed articles; or
- guidelines.
Departmental Result: The organization’s work in standards increases opportunities for collaboration in advancing a Canada without barriers.
- Indicator: The number of collaborative activities with:
- people with disabilities;
- representatives of disability organizations;
- provincial/territorial governments;
- national/international bodies;
- other standard development organizations; or
- industry.
Program Inventory
Program: Standards Development
Program: Outreach and Knowledge Application
Supporting information on the program inventory
Financial, human resources and performance information for Accessibility Standards Canada’s Program Inventory is available in GC InfoBase.
Supplementary information tables
The following supplementary information tables are available on Accessibility Standards Canada’s website:
- Reporting on Green Procurement
- Details on transfer payment programs
- Gender-based analysis plus
- Response to parliamentary committees and external audits
Federal tax expenditures
The tax system can be used to achieve public policy objectives through the application of special measures such as low tax rates, exemptions, deductions, deferrals and credits. The Department of Finance Canada publishes cost estimates and projections for these measures each year in the Report on Federal Tax Expenditures. This report also provides detailed background information on tax expenditures, including descriptions, objectives, historical information and references to related federal spending programs as well as evaluations and GBA Plus of tax expenditures.
Organizational contact information
Mailing address:
Accessibility Standards Canada
20, St-Joseph Boulevard, Suite 246
Gatineau, QC
K1A 0H3
Telephone: 1-833-854-7628
Email: ASC-NAC@canada.gc.ca
Website: Accessibility Standards Canada
Appendix: Definitions
appropriation (crédit)
Any authority of Parliament to pay money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
budgetary expenditures (dépenses budgétaires)
Operating and capital expenditures; transfer payments to other levels of government, organizations or individuals; and payments to Crown corporations.
core responsibility (responsabilité essentielle)
An enduring function or role performed by a department. The intentions of the department with respect to a core responsibility are reflected in one or more related departmental results that the department seeks to contribute to or influence.
Departmental Plan (plan ministériel)
A report on the plans and expected performance of an appropriated department over a 3 year period. Departmental Plans are usually tabled in Parliament each spring.
departmental priority (priorité)
A plan or project that a department has chosen to focus and report on during the planning period. Priorities represent the things that are most important or what must be done first to support the achievement of the desired departmental results.
departmental result (résultat ministériel)
A consequence or outcome that a department seeks to achieve. A departmental result is often outside departments’ immediate control, but it should be influenced by program-level outcomes.
departmental result indicator (indicateur de résultat ministériel)
A quantitative measure of progress on a departmental result.
departmental results framework (cadre ministériel des résultats)
A framework that connects the department’s core responsibility to its departmental results and departmental result indicators.
Departmental Results Report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels)
A report on a department’s actual accomplishments against the plans, priorities and expected results set out in the corresponding Departmental Plan.
experimentation (expérimentation)
The conducting of activities that seek to first explore, then test and compare the effects and impacts of policies and interventions in order to inform evidence-based decision-making, and improve outcomes for Canadians, by learning what works, for whom and in what circumstances. Experimentation is related to, but distinct from innovation (the trying of new things), because it involves a rigorous comparison of results. For example, using a new website to communicate with Canadians can be an innovation; systematically testing the new website against existing outreach tools or an old website to see which one leads to more engagement, is experimentation.
full time equivalent (équivalent temps plein)
A measure of the extent to which an employee represents a full person year charge against a departmental budget. For a particular position, the full time equivalent figure is the ratio of number of hours the person actually works divided by the standard number of hours set out in the person’s collective agreement.
gender-based analysis plus (GBA Plus) (analyse comparative entre les sexes plus [ACS Plus])
An analytical tool used to support the development of responsive and inclusive policies, programs and other initiatives; and understand how factors such as sex, race, national and ethnic origin, Indigenous origin or identity, age, sexual orientation, socio-economic conditions, geography, culture and disability, impact experiences and outcomes, and can affect access to and experience of government programs.
government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)
For the purpose of the 2021–22 Departmental Results Report, government-wide priorities refers to those high-level themes outlining the government’s agenda in the 2020 Speech from the Throne, namely: Protecting Canadians from COVID-19; Helping Canadians through the pandemic; Building back better – a resiliency agenda for the middle class; The Canada we’re fighting for.
horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)
An initiative where two or more federal organizations are given funding to pursue a shared outcome, often linked to a government priority.
non budgetary expenditures (dépenses non budgétaires)
Net outlays and receipts related to loans, investments and advances, which change the composition of the financial assets of the Government of Canada.
performance (rendement)
What an organization did with its resources to achieve its results, how well those results compare to what the organization intended to achieve, and how well lessons learned have been identified.
performance indicator (indicateur de rendement)
A qualitative or quantitative means of measuring an output or outcome, with the intention of gauging the performance of an organization, program, policy or initiative respecting expected results.
performance reporting (production de rapports sur le rendement)
The process of communicating evidence based performance information. Performance reporting supports decision making, accountability and transparency.
plan (plan)
The articulation of strategic choices, which provides information on how an organization intends to achieve its priorities and associated results. Generally, a plan will explain the logic behind the strategies chosen and tend to focus on actions that lead to the expected result.
planned spending (dépenses prévues)
For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to those amounts presented in Main Estimates. A department is expected to be aware of the authorities that it has sought and received. The determination of planned spending is a departmental responsibility, and departments must be able to defend the expenditure and accrual numbers presented in their Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports.
program (programme)
Individual or groups of services, activities or combinations thereof that are managed together within the department and focus on a specific set of outputs, outcomes or service levels.
program inventory (répertoire des programmes)
Identifies all the department’s programs and describes how resources are organized to contribute to the department’s core responsibility and results.
result (résultat)
A consequence attributed, in part, to an organization, policy, program or initiative. Results are not within the control of a single organization, policy, program or initiative; instead they are within the area of the organization’s influence.
statutory expenditures (dépenses législatives)
Expenditures that Parliament has approved through legislation other than appropriation acts. The legislation sets out the purpose of the expenditures and the terms and conditions under which they may be made.
target (cible)
A measurable performance or success level that an organization, program or initiative plans to achieve within a specified time period. Targets can be either quantitative or qualitative.
voted expenditures (dépenses votées)
Expenditures that Parliament approves annually through an appropriation act. The vote wording becomes the governing conditions under which these expenditures may be made.