Departmental Results Report 2022 to 2023

On this page

Alternate format

From the Minister

Description: The Honourable Kamal Khera, Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities

As I begin my role as Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities, I am grateful for the solid foundation laid by my predecessor. My goal is to build on these successes. This will ensure we continue to engage with:

  • disability communities across the country
  • the private sector
  • all levels of government

I want all of us to work together toward achieving a barrier-free Canada by 2040.

The change has begun. However, moving forward requires that we hear the voices of Canadians with disabilities at the highest level of government. Accessibility Standards Canada plays a big role in making that happen. The standards it is creating will remove and prevent barriers across Canada.

I am proud to present Accessibility Standards Canada’s 2022 to 2023 Departmental Results Report. This past year, the organization stayed on course toward achieving its Roadmap to 2040 and made concrete progress on its mandate.

The organization’s collaboration with all levels of government, the private sector, and community organizations is evident. This is leading to fruitful dialogue. It is also advancing the development of accessibility standards.

The organization also increased collaboration with all provinces and territories. This will ensure an improved and more consistent experience of accessibility from coast to coast to coast.

Accessibility Standards Canada continues to fund important research to address accessibility barriers in the priority areas of the Accessible Canada Act. This research is the backbone of standards development.

In line with the principle “Nothing without us,” its work continues to be guided by the expertise and experience of diverse people with disabilities.

To the Board of Directors, staff, and all Canadians who have contributed to the successes discussed in this report, I would like to say, thank you. Your tireless efforts are moving us closer to a barrier-free Canada.

From the Chairperson

Description: Mr. Paul-Claude Bérubé, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Accessibility Standards Canada.

No challenge is too big for a group of committed people. That is especially true at Accessibility Standards Canada.

Last year’s achievements are proof that a small but determined team can accomplish remarkable things. However, these accomplishments would not have been possible without public engagement. Such engagement takes place both through direct involvement in our technical committees and the feedback from the public we receive during consultations and reviews of our standards. The ideas and suggestions it generates are invaluable to informing our work. This collaboration with Canadians is vital to our success.

We have always said that people with disabilities and other experts must be part of the solution. Your participation is critical to removing accessibility barriers and preventing new ones for future generations.

Last year, we visited communities across Canada. We wanted to engage them in our work. We increased collaboration with provinces and territories. The Board of Directors remains committed to explaining our mandate and how communities can contribute.

Guided by the Roadmap to 2040, we continue to focus on developing accessibility standards. During the past year, this focus was on the priority areas identified by the Board of Directors in 2022 and 2023. However, the development of standards cannot happen without accessibility-related research. The research projects we fund fuel the development of standards. They also help identify and remove barriers to accessibility.

We are also improving accessibility inside our own organization in all aspects of our work. We want to make sure that everyone has access to services and engagement opportunities. It is about leading by example, and it starts from within.

Looking ahead, we are laying the foundation for more collaboration. We will continue to engage with all of the following:

  • other standards development organizations
  • governments
  • Indigenous Peoples and governments
  • people with disabilities
  • industry

We will also engage with other stakeholders who want our country to be inclusive, fair, and barrier-free. The Board of Directors and I also committed to that goal. Only then can we together achieve the vision of a Canada without barriers by 2040.

From the Chief Executive Officer

Description: Mr. Philip Rizcallah, Chief Executive Officer of Accessibility Standards Canada.

The past year has been a busy one at Accessibility Standards Canada. When I reflect on the last 12 months, action and collaboration are the words that come to mind. When you read these pages, you will see that we have made considerable progress against our mandate. As our Minister and our Chairperson have stated, collaboration has been a top priority.

Creating standards

First, we recruited diverse technical committees to create standards. People with disabilities make up 58% of their membership. This level of representation is the best in Canada—if not the world.

Our current committees continued their work on 8 standards. We also co-published 3 standards in partnership with the CSA Group:

The above standards are now available for free to all Canadians.

In March 2023, we opened an application process to set up 3 new committees. They are working on the following standards:

We have done this work with input from the disability community, industry, and other partners. At the end of 2022, we shared the first draft of a Model standard for the built environment – Accessibility for federally regulated entities as defined in the Accessible Canada Act for public review. As a result, we received hundreds of comments from across Canada.

Funding research

In 2022 to 2023, our grants and contributions program, Advancing Accessibility Standards Research , funded 11 research projects. The goal of these projects is to help identify, remove, and prevent barriers to accessibility. The projects include partnerships with disability organizations and involve people with disabilities.

Collaboration

Collaboration is central to our mandate. It includes working with all the following:

  • the disability community
  • Indigenous peoples
  • government bodies (federal, provincial, territorial, municipal)
  • the private sector
  • international organizations

This year was marked by increased collaboration. This happened both nationally and internationally. We met with many stakeholders from across Canada. We attended forums both in Canada and abroad. We did this to discuss accessibility issues and learn from each other.

In the fall of 2022, we held the first Pan-Canadian Forum on Accessibility Standards. We co-hosted this event with the government of British Columbia. We also signed 5 agreements with Ontario, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan. These agreements will ensure close collaboration on accessibility research and standards. They will support harmonization efforts and benefit all Canadians.

News from within

Diversity and inclusion are at the core of what we do. As our organization matures, the way we do things is as important. Last year, we continued to uphold our values and build a diverse and inclusive work culture. We have continued to recruit talent. Our workforce is diverse and vibrant. This allows us to move full speed ahead. We also published our first Accessibility plan. It ensures that our operations and practices address barriers to accessibility.

I would like to thank our dedicated staff, Board of Directors, and everyone involved in our work over the last year. I invite you to read this report and to get involved with our work in the year ahead!

Results at a glance

Accessibility Standards Canada came into being as part of the Accessible Canada Act. Our mandate is to help achieve a Canada without barriers by January 1, 2040. We do 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
  • sharing best practices for removing and preventing accessibility barriers

This Departmental Results Report is for the 2022 to 2023 fiscal year. The year began on April 1, 2022, and ended on March 31, 2023. It reports against the plans, priorities, and expected results we set out in our 2022 to 2023 Departmental Plan, which covers the same period.

Our organization is now a fully accredited standards development organization guided by the Roadmap to 2040. The Roadmap sets out implementation timelines and keeps us accountable to Canadians.

Below are some highlights under 4 results categories:

1. Create model accessibility standards

2. Support research to inform the next generation of standards

  • We funded 11 new research projects under our grants and contributions program in 2022 to 2023. In 2023 to 2024, the research program will focus on the following priorities:
    • Canada’s election process, voting, and running for office
    • Built environment
    • Communication
    • Design and delivery of programs and services
    • Employment
    • Procurement of goods, services, and facilities
    • Transportation

3. Collaborate to advance a Canada without barriers

  • We engaged with our provincial and territorial counterparts. We signed 5 memoranda of understanding.
  • We held our third annual public meeting. It included a panel with the Accessibility Commissioner, and the Chief Accessibility Officer.
  • We held our first Pan-Canadian Forum. We have done this in partnership with the government of British Columbia.

4. Share information with the public

  • We continued to improve the accessibility, usability, and online visibility of our website.
  • We finalized the framework for and design of our new Centre of Expertise for standards and research on accessibility. This central online hub will make it easier to find information about our accessibility standards and the research we fund.
  • We significantly increased our presence online through our social media platforms.
  • We increased our knowledge of various audiences and stakeholders.
  • We also carried out targeted communications campaigns to increase awareness.

For more information on Accessibility Standards Canada’s plans, priorities, and latest results, see Results: What we achieved.

Results: What we achieved

Core responsibility: Accessibility standards

Description

We have taken the following from our Departmental Results Framework.

Accessibility Standards Canada:

  • develops and revises accessibility standards by:
    • establishing technical committees
    • providing them with support and research
  • 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
  • provides best practices for identifying, removing, and preventing accessibility barriers

Our technical committees reflect diversity. Members include:

  • people with disabilities
  • Indigenous individuals
  • representatives from industries that would have to comply with our standards if they were made into regulations
  • 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 existing standards. The Board of Directors determines the priority areas for standards. Its decisions are based on input from staff, stakeholders, and the public.

Standards describe how organizations can identify, remove, and prevent barriers to accessibility. Creating a new accessibility standard can take 3 years or longer. 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 comply with the standard.

Last year, we held our first public review of a standard. This review was on a Model standard for the built environment – Accessibility for federally regulated entities as defined in the Accessible Canada Act. With this standard, we set the stage for the series of public reviews of standards that will launch in 2023 to 2024.

In partnership with the CSA Group, we published 3 new accessibility standards:

We continued our work on the 8 standards in development. The expected timing for the publishing of each one is shown below:

Our work to create new technical committees and support existing ones continues. During the last quarter, we started the work to set up 3 new technical committees. These will create standards on:

2. Research informs the next generation of standards

Research is the foundation for standards development. Research informs standards designed to remove barriers to accessibility.

The Board of Directors determines the research priorities and projects that we should fund in the following year. The following are the research priorities selected for the 2023 to 2024 funding cycle:

  • Canada’s election process, voting, and running for office
  • Built environment
  • Communication
  • Design and delivery of programs and services
  • Employment
  • Procurement of goods, services, and facilities
  • Transportation

Eleven funded research projects launched in 2022 to 2023.

In 2022 to 2023, we held an open call for proposals for research projects. These projects will begin during the 2023 to 2024 fiscal year.

We also streamlined the process for applying for research funding. Now, the first step is for applicants to express interest. The next step is for selected applicants to submit a more detailed research proposal. Then we assess the proposals and make funding decisions. This new process reduces the burden on applicants.

We reviewed the activity reports for the projects that we funded between April 2020 and March 2022. Reporting ensures that funding recipients remain accountable. It also ensures the process is transparent.

3. 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 actively engaged with individual provinces and territories to advance our priorities and explore ways to harmonize federal and provincial or territorial standards. We also did this to support provincial accessibility initiatives. This work bore fruit. In 2022, we signed 5 agreements with the following:

We co-hosted the first Pan-Canadian Forum on Accessibility Standards with the government of British Columbia. Senior officials from the provinces and territories attended. They discussed common goals and priorities for accessibility standards. The forum ended with the creation of 2 task groups. These groups have deliverables that are of interest to Accessibility Standards Canada and provincial and territorial governments.

The first task group will develop a guide on adaptable housing and its associated costs. The second will create a guide to ensure that built environments in northern, rural, and remote communities are accessible. The groups include representatives from the provinces and territories and Accessibility Standards Canada.

We also placed more emphasis on creating bilateral and multilateral partnerships. We did this by reaching out to other federal departments and agencies. For example, we reached out to the following:

  • The Chief Accessibility Officer
  • The Office of Public Service Accessibility
  • The Canadian Transportation Agency
  • Public Services and Procurement Canada
  • The Accessibility Commissioner (member of the Canadian Human Rights Commission)
  • The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)
  • Employment and Social Development Canada

Each of these organizations has a role to play in implementing the Accessible Canada Act. Partnerships help to reduce duplication. They also encourage the harmonization and voluntary adoption of accessibility standards.

We developed and began implementing a multi-year Indigenous Engagement Strategy. This strategy will build on our current external engagement activities. It will also transform our internal operations as we embark on efforts to reconcile with Indigenous Peoples.

It is particularly important for this strategy to adopt an intersectional lens. This means we need to consider the unique history of Indigenous Peoples and their specific accessibility needs. This approach will help us fund research that addresses accessibility barriers in Indigenous communities.

We expanded our national and international networks. We participated in international events and developed relationships with leading foreign entities in the accessibility standards field. This gave us an opportunity to raise our profile on the international stage.

4. Share information with the public

To increase our public reach and impact, we took steps to ensure we communicate effectively. It is important for the public to understand our work and how to get involved and be part of the change.

We launched our first Accessibility Plan. The plan was accompanied by a process to receive feedback from the public. We welcomed comments and feedback about the Accessibility Plan and any barriers experienced when dealing with our organization.

We finalized the structure and design for our new Centre of Expertise. This is a section of our website where the public can find information on our standards and the research we have funded.

We continued to seek the public’s input on our work. We did this using several means, including our quarterly newsletter. We informed, consulted with, and engaged with various groups. This included:

  • persons with disabilities and their representative organizations
  • Indigenous individuals, organizations, and governments
  • provincial, territorial, and municipal governments
  • technical experts
  • industry

We continued to improve the accessibility, design features, and content of our website:

  • We restructured the website and added high-value content.
  • We made it easier to navigate.
  • We added new communication formats for users.
  • We continued to put best practices in place to improve the website’s accessibility.

We rebranded (improved the look of) our organization:

  • We improved the design of our website and social media accounts.
  • We developed a new branding guide.

We further expanded our online and social media presence:

  • We posted to our social media accounts (Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn) at least twice a week to connect and engage with our audiences.
  • We grew the number of people following our social media accounts significantly: as of March 31, 2023, our followers on Facebook and Twitter had increased by 26.9% and 29.9% respectively. We recorded the biggest growth in followers on LinkedIn, which increased 134% compared with last year.
  • We published 7 news releases to inform the media and public about our work, activities, and progress.
  • We used consistent branding across our various platforms to increase brand recognition and visibility.

We continued to build on our relationships with other government organizations. We informed our partners of potential collaboration opportunities, such as on social media, to amplify our message. We participated in various interdepartmental working groups. We shared and promoted best practices in accessibility with these groups.

As co-chair, we remained fully engaged in the Community of Practice on Accessible Communications. The membership and interest in this group continue to strengthen; it now has more than 300 members.

Canadians across the country are becoming more engaged with what we do. We are excited to continue expanding our outreach and sharing our results with the public.

Gender-based Analysis Plus

Our work is guided by the principles and requirements of the Accessible Canada Act. The Act aims to increase the inclusion and participation of all Canadians. People with disabilities are diverse; however, their disabilities can be further amplified by different aspects of their identity. For example, a person with a disability who is also a visible minority, Indigenous, or member of the LGBTQ2+ community may face additional biases. That is why we encourage diversity within our technical committees.

The work of the technical committees must reflect the needs of all Canadians with disabilities. We seek to balance committee membership to ensure diversity of thought, expertise, and lived experiences. More than 50% of all committee members are people with disabilities and 52% are women. Many visible minorities, Indigenous people, LGBTQ2+ individuals, seniors, women, and youth also serve on technical committees. More than 25% of our staff and over 50% of our Board members have lived experience with a disability.

In addition, Canadians from all walks of life can participate in the public review of our standards. This enables them to provide feedback and suggest improvements. We remain committed to an inclusive approach to developing standards. We want to make Canada stronger and more accessible for all.

Innovation

One of our key accomplishments in the last fiscal year was streamlining the application process for our grants and contributions funding program. We have put in place this process for research projects that will start in 2023 to 2024. The process has 2 steps. The first is an invitation to express interest to determine eligibility. The second is a call for research proposals. This ensures that we invite only eligible applicants to submit full proposals. This has made the application process more efficient and reduced the burden on applicants.

Results achieved

The following table shows, for Accessibility Standards Canada, the results achieved, the performance indicators, the targets, and the target dates for 2022 to 2023. It also shows the actual results for the 3 most recent fiscal years for which results are available.

Financial, human resources, and performance information for Accessibility Standards Canada programs is available at GC InfoBase.

Table 1: Results, performance indicators, and targets
Departmental results Performance indicators Target Date to achieve target* Actual results 2020 to 2021 Actual results 2021 to 2022 Actual results 2022 to 2023
Standards in priority areas contribute to the removal of accessibility barriers.

Indicator: Number of new or revised standards in priority areas. These are standards that we developed, co-developed, or funded.

 1 to 3 March 2025 0 0 3
Research informs the next generation of standards. Indicator: The percentage of funding invested by the organization in research and development projects. These are projects that influence:
  • accessibility standards
  • standards development priorities.
 75% to 85% of funding March 2026 100% 100% 100%

The organization’s work in standards increases opportunities for collaboration in advancing a Canada without barriers.

Indicator: Number of collaborative activities with:

  • people with disabilities
  • disability organizations
  • provincial/territorial governments
  • national/international bodies
  • other standard development organizations or industries
 10 to 15 activities March 2025 3 16 16
Organizations and the public access online information about:
  • accessibility standards
  • products
  • services
  • best practices to identify, remove, and prevent accessibility barriers

Indicator: Number of unique views of this information. This information is generated from funded projects or our other work. For example:

  • technical papers
  • reports
  • presentations
  • peer-reviewed articles and guidelines
 7,000 to 12,000 unique views March 2023 9,300 39,861 14,600
Table 2: 2022 to 2023 budgetary financial resources (dollars)

The following table shows Accessibility Standards Canada’s budgeted and actual spending in 2022 to 2023.

Main Estimates Planned spending Total authorities available for use Actual spending (authorities used) Difference (actual spending minus planned spending)
 15,141,412  15,141,412  15,523,512  14,404,000 (737,412)

Financial, human resources and performance information for Accessibility Standards Canada’s program inventory is available in GC InfoBase. 

Table 3: 2022 to 2023 human resources (full-time equivalents)

The following table shows the human resources the department needed to fulfill its core responsibility in 2022 to 2023.

Planned Number of full-time equivalents Actual Number of full-time equivalents Difference (actual full-time equivalents minus planned full-time equivalents)
38 35 (3)

Financial, human resources and performance information for Accessibility Standards Canada’s program inventory is available in GC InfoBase. 

Internal services

Description

Internal services are groups of related activities and resources. The federal government considers these to be services that support the organization’s programs and/or are required to meet its corporate obligations. Internal services are divided into 10 categories:

  • Management and oversight
  • Communication
  • Financial management
  • Human resources management
  • Information management
  • Information technology
  • Legal
  • Material management
  • Real property management
  • Acquisition management

Communication

We engaged with the public, Board members, and staff. We redesigned and refined our website’s information architecture, improved our communication tools, and expanded our social media outreach.

We redesigned our website to improve the user experience and its accessibility. We reviewed its content and tested the website to ensure it meets the highest standards of accessibility. We added accessible communication formats and videos in American Sign Language and Langue des signes québécoise.

We developed a new branding guide and rebranded our corporate image and website.

We continued to connect with the public and our stakeholders through our newsletter. We kept the public and our stakeholders informed of our work and about the many ways they can engage with us.

We continued to give Canadians an opportunity to get involved. We expanded our social media reach through focused campaigns and messaging. Our followers on Facebook and Twitter increased by nearly 30% compared with last year. The largest growth in social media followers was on LinkedIn, which increased 134% compared with last year.

Human resources

Our organization values the expertise of people with disabilities. We show this by ensuring to reflect their input in our human resource policies, plans, and practices.

We took clear action to build a skilled and diverse workforce while fostering an inclusive work culture. For example, we followed the public service appointment policy to attract and retain the highest calibre and quality of staff.

We promoted diversity and inclusion training, including a training on unconscious bias. This training goes beyond mandatory training programs. We established clear targets to increase the representation of visible minorities, Indigenous people, and people with disabilities. We also collaborated with Employment and Social Development Canada’s Indigenous Recruitment team. This helps us attract and retain Indigenous employees.

We continue to participate in interdepartmental networks and working groups that focus on hiring people with disabilities. For example, we worked closely with the federal Interdepartmental Human Resources Advisory Committee on people with disabilities. We also worked with the Employment Accessibility Resource Network, which works to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

We promoted the Virtual Door to Talent with Disabilities. This is the Public Service Commission of Canada’s inventory of graduates with disabilities. We also promoted MentorAbility. This national program matches jobseekers with a disability with a mentor to explore career opportunities. We have done this through our Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) working group. We also received support from other government departments. In addition, we shared job opportunities with diversity groups within the federal network.

Real property

In August 2022, we welcomed employees back to a fully accessible office. Our new workplace follows universal design principles. These principles allow for and accommodate the needs of people with disabilities.

We successfully implemented our workplace reintegration plan. This included a 4-month pilot project. Its purpose was to support a smooth transition to a hybrid work model and our new office space.

The pilot project was an opportunity test the hybrid work model. This enabled us to work through the challenges and enhance collaboration. It also helped foster a sustained sense of community.

Information technology and information management

We collaborated with Employment and Social Development Canada to put accessible business tools and hardware in place. This improved the technology used by our employees with disabilities.

Our work on enabling accessible file sharing and creating a collaboration platform continues. This will provide more options for employees and improves communication and collaboration with our stakeholders.

Procurement

Last year, we developed a procurement plan that better supports the research and development of standards. This plan meets Government of Canada procurement policies and directives.

Supporting Indigenous businesses

We continue to follow the Public Service Procurement Committee’s recommendation to acquire goods and service from Indigenous businesses that are on standing offers and other supply arrangements.

The Government of Canada is committed to reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. It is also committed to improving socio‑economic outcomes by increasing opportunities for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis businesses through the federal procurement process.

The Government of Canada’sDirective on the Management of Procurement came into effect on May 13, 2021. It requires departments to award at least 5% of the total value of their contracts to Indigenous businesses. The government is phasing in this requirement; we expect full implementation by 2024.

Accessibility Standards Canada is in phase 3 of the rollout. We expect to achieve the minimum 5% target in the 2024 to 2025 fiscal year. To help meet this requirement, we developed a detailed procurement plan setting out our contracting priorities for the next few years.

Table 4: 2022 to 2023 budgetary financial resources (dollars)

The following table shows our budgetary spending for 2022 to 2023 for internal services as well as our spending for that year.

Main Estimates Planned spending Total authorities available for use Actual spending (authorities used) Difference (actual spending minus planned spending)
5,736,034 5,736,034 6,055,654 4,662,600 (1,073,434)
Table 5: 2022 to 2023 human resources (full-time equivalents)

The following table shows the human resources the department needed to carry out its internal services for 2022 to 2023.

Planned full time equivalents Actual full time equivalents Difference (actual full time equivalents minus planned full time equivalents)
18 22 4

Spending and human resources

Spending

The following graph presents our planned spending over time. This includes both voted expenditures and statutory spending. (See Appendix for definitions.)

Spending has increased steadily year over year. From 2020-21 through 2022-23, the organization has progressed through its ramp up stage. We have recruited staff to attain the desired baseline which allowed the organization to better deliver on its mandate. The organization continues to make improvements to the internal processes related to budgeting and forecasting to allow for more efficient operations and increased spending in line with our reference levels in future years.

Spending for 2020 to 2026

 

Graph: Departmental spending trend Description: This bar graph shows the departmental spending trend. It details actual departmental spending from the 2019 to 2022 fiscal years and planned departmental spending from the 2022 to 2024 fiscal years. The spending is shown as either actual spending or planned spending and the total of these two amounts is also shown.
Table 6: Budgetary performance summary for core responsibility and internal services (dollars)

This table presents the budgetary financial resources allocated for Accessibility Standards Canada’s core responsibility and internal services.

Core responsibility and internal services 2022 to 2023 Main Estimates 2022 to 2023 planned spending 2023 to 2024 planned spending 2024 to 2025 planned spending 2022 to 2023 total authorities available for use 2020 to 2021 actual spending (authorities used) 2021 to 2022 actual spending (authorities used) 2022 to 2023 actual spending (authorities used)
Accessibility standards 15,141,412 15,141,412 15,530,509 15,530,509 15,523,512 8,441,056 11,402,542 14,404,000
Subtotal 15,141,412 15,141,412 15,530,509 15,530,509 15,523,512 8,441,056 11,402,542 14,404,000
Internal services 5,736,034 5,736,034 5,685,403 5,685,372 6,055,654 6,163,083 5,098,072 4,662,600
Total 20,877,446 20,877,446 21,215,912 21,215,843 21,579,166 14,604,139 16,500,614 19,066,600

 

The organization has grown rapidly over the past three years and as such, we were able to make more efficient use of our resources. We have stabilized our staffing levels and built a strong foundation that helps us to:

  • deliver the assigned mandate
  • develop policies and procedures
  • bring services in-house that we previously contracted out

Human resources

The following table presents the full-time equivalents allocated to our core responsibility and internal services.

Table 7: Summary of the human resources allocated to our core responsibility and internal services

 

Core responsibility an internal services 2020 to 2021 actual full-time equivalents 2021 to 2022 actual full-time equivalents 2022 to 2023 planned full-time equivalents 2022 to 2023 actual full-time equivalents 2023 to 2024 planned full-time equivalents 2024 to 2025 actual full-time equivalents
Accessibility standards 25 34 38 35 40 40
Subtotal 25 34 38 35 40 40
Internal services 14 16 18 22 18 18
Total 39 50 56 57 58 58

Expenditures by vote

For information on Accessibility Standards Canada’s voted and statutory expenditures, consult the Public Accounts of Canada.

Government of Canada spending and activities

Information on the alignment of Accessibility Standards Canada’s spending with the Government of Canada’s spending and activities is available at GC InfoBase. 

Financial statements and financial statement highlights

Financial statements

Accessibility Standards Canada’s unaudited financial statements for the year ended March 31, 2023, are available on the department’s website.

Financial statement highlights

Planned results information for 2022 to 2023 is provided in Accessibility Standards Canada’s Future-Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations.

Table 8: Condensed statement of operations (unaudited) for the year ended March 31, 2023 (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 20,877,446 19,066,600 16,987,047 (1,810,846)  2,079,553
Total revenues 0 0 0 0 0
Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers 20,877,446 19,066,600 16,987,047 (1,810,846)  2,079,553

Table 9: Condensed statement of financial position (unaudited) as of March 31, 2023 (dollars)

Financial information 2022 to 2023 2021 to 2022 Difference (2022 to 2023 minus 2021 to 2022)
Total net liabilities  2,823,535     2,914,659 (91,124)
Total net financial assets 2,325,395 2,495,613 (170,218)
Departmental net debt 492,755 419,046 73,709
Total non-financial assets 2,690,781 3,104,373 (413,592)
Departmental net financial position 2,198,026 2,685,327 (487,301)

The 2022–23 planned results information is provided in Accessibility Standards Canada’s Future-Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations and Notes 2022–23.

Corporate information

Appropriate minister, (as of July 26th, 2023): Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion

Institutional head: Philip Rizcallah, Chief Executive Officer

Chairperson: Paul-Claude Bérubé

Ministerial portfolio, (as of July 26th, 2023): Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion

Enabling instrument: Accessible Canada Act

Year of incorporation/commencement: 2019

Other

Accessibility Standards Canada is supervised by a Board up to 9 members, including a Chairperson and Vice-chairperson.

The organization’s Board of Directors are part-time Governor-in-Council appointees. The Board:

  • sets the organization’s strategic direction
  • oversees its activities, and
  • provides advice to its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), also a Governor- in-Council appointee.

Persons with disabilities make up a majority of the Board of Directors 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. They are responsible for:

  • the day-to-day operations of the organization
  • liaising with the Minister’s office
  • establishing relationships and partnerships at all levels of government
  • leading the research and development program
  • leading the development of technical standards
  • directing resources (human, financial, material)

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. See also the Chairperson of the Board’s mandate letter.

The Board has created vision, mission, and values statements to guide the organization’s work. These statements build on the organization’s mandate.

Mandate

Section 18 of the Accessible Canada Act sets out the organization’s mandate  as follows:

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:

  1. The development and revision of accessibility standards
  2. The recommendation of accessibility standards to the Minister
  3. The provision of information, products, and services in relation to the accessibility standards that it has developed or revised
  4. The promotion, support and conduct of research into the identification and removal of barriers and the prevention of new barriers
  5. 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 context in which Accessibility Standards Canada operates is available on our website.

Reporting framework

Below are Accessibility Standards Canada’s departmental results framework and list of programs. These are approved for the 2022 to 2023 fiscal year.

Internal services support our core responsibility (accessibility standards) and departmental results.

Departmental Results Framework

Core responsibility: Accessibility standards

Departmental result 1: Standards in priority areas contribute to the removal of accessibility barriers.

Indicator 1: This is the number of new or revised standards in priority areas. These are standards that the organization developed, collaborated on, or funded.

Departmental result 2: Research informs the next generation of standards.

Indicator 2: This is the percentage of funding invested by the organization in research and development projects. These are projects that influence:

  • accessibility standards
  • the setting of priorities for standards development

Departmental result 3: Organizations and the public access online information.

This includes information about:

  • accessibility standards and related products and services
  • best practices to identify, remove, and prevent accessibility barriers

Indicator 3: This is the number of unique online views of this information. This information is generated from funded projects or other work by the organization. For example, this could include:

  • technical papers
  • reports
  • presentations
  • peer-reviewed articles
  • guidelines

Departmental result 4: The organization’s work in standards increases opportunities for collaboration in advancing a Canada without barriers.

Indicator 4: This is the number of collaborative activities with:

  • people with disabilities
  • disability organizations
  • provincial and territorial governments
  • national and international bodies
  • other standard development organizations
  • industry

Program Inventory

Program 1: Standards development

Program 1 result 1: Standards in priority areas contribute to the removal of accessibility barriers.

Indicator 1: This is the number of new or revised standards in priority areas.

Program 1 result 2: Research informs the next generation of standards.

Indicator 2: This is the percentage of funding invested by the organization in research and development projects. These are projects that influence accessibility standards.

Program 1 result 3: The organization’s work in standards increases opportunities for collaboration in advancing a Canada without barriers.

Indicator 3: This is the number of collaborative activities with people with disabilities, government, and the private sector.

Program 2: Outreach and knowledge application

Program 2 result: new knowledge and best practices related to accessibility standards are made available online; there is increased stakeholder and public knowledge and expertise about accessibility standards.

Indicator 1: This is the percentage of products available online that communicate or synthesize research findings, new knowledge, expertise, and/or best practices for partners and the Canadian public.

Indicator 2: This is the percentage of participants in organization-led activities and events who reported their knowledge of accessibility standards increased.

Supporting information on our programs

Financial, human resources, and performance information for Accessibility Standards Canada’s programs is available at GC InfoBase.

Supplementary information tables

The following supplementary information tables are available on Accessibility Standards Canada’s website:

Federal tax expenditures

The tax system can be used to achieve public policy objectives through the application of special measures. This includes 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. This includes descriptions, objectives, historical information, and references to related federal spending programs as well as Gender-based Analysis Plus data and other evaluations of tax expenditures.

Organizational contact information

Mailing address

Accessibility Standards Canada
320 St-Joseph Boulevard, Suite 246
Gatineau, QC J8Y 3Y8

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.

Appropriated department (ministère qui reçoit des crédits du Parlement)

A department that receives appropriations.

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 1 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 on which a department has chosen to focus and will 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 a department’s immediate control but 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 responsibilities to its departmental results and 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.

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 a ratio created by taking the number of hours the person actually works and dividing it 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. It is also used to understand how different factors (such as sex, race, national and ethnic origin, Indigenous origin or identity, age, sexual orientation, socio-economic conditions, geography, culture, and disability) can impact experiences and outcomes and affect access to and experience with government programs.

Government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)

For the purpose of this Departmental Results Report, these priorities are the high-level themes outlining the government’s agenda that were presented in the November 23, 2021, Speech from the Throne: building a healthier today and tomorrow; growing a more resilient economy; taking bolder climate action; fighting harder for safer communities; standing up for diversity and inclusion; moving faster on the path to reconciliation; and fighting for a secure, just, and equitable world.

Horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)

An initiative where 2 or more federal organizations are given funding to pursue a shared outcome that is often linked to a government priority.

Non‑budgetary expenditures (dépenses non budgétaires)

Net outlays and receipts related to loans, investments, and advances that 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 in relation to the 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 that 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 the amounts presented in Main Estimates.

A department is expected to be aware of the authorities (appropriations) that it has sought and received. The determination of planned spending is a departmental responsibility. 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 responsibilities and results.

Result (résultat)

A consequence that is 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. Such 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.

Bibliography

 

Report a problem on this page
Please select all that apply

Share widget

Date modified: