Departmental Results Report 2023 to 2024

I am thrilled to have been appointed as the new Chairperson of Accessibility Standards Canada’s Board of Directors. I am impressed by the organization’s remarkable achievements of the past year. It’s firm commitment to promoting accessibility and inclusivity across Canada is truly inspiring. As you will note in this report, these efforts are yielding results. In 2023 to 2024, Accessibility Standards Canada made significant progress toward a barrier-free society. It established new technical committees. It developed new equity-based standards and submitted them for public review. These standards already serve as a guide for the public and private sectors in considering accessibility. They cover employment, outdoor spaces, accessibility requirements for information and communications products and services, and more.

Our standards are designed to support those who feel left behind. Their development processes are guided by a strong commitment to intersectionality. 

Fifty-eight percent of the members of our technical committees are people with lived disability experience and/or are members of equity-seeking groups. This enables us to benefit from a diversity of perspectives. This equity-based approach to standards development is moving our work beyond mainstream perceptions of accessibility and accommodation to cover the full breadth of disabilities. It is a concrete step toward ensuring the full participation of all people in the social and economic life of Canada.

All this knowledge and expertise have also been made available to anyone who would like to be part of the solution. During the last fiscal year, the organization successfully launched the Centre of Expertise. This online resource offers free access to our draft and published standards, funded research projects, and best practices. The Centre of Expertise has received positive feedback from the public and is already an important part of the accessibility landscape in Canada.

Guided by our mandate and our Roadmap to 2040, the Board of Directors and staff also took a proactive approach to public engagement last year. This included consulting and collaborating with disability communities and organizations representing people with disabilities. This feedback influenced our work. It also helped us identify priority areas for standards development and for the research we fund through our grants and contributions program. We are proud of our commitment to involving diverse expertise and perspectives in shaping the future of accessibility standards.

I am excited to work with the Board of Directors, staff, and stakeholders to build on Accessibility Standards Canada’s past and current accomplishments. I would also like to thank Mr. Philip Rizcallah, the outgoing Chief Executive Officer, for providing such a strong foundation for the future and the continued success of the organization.

I look forward to contributing to this important mission. I am confident that, together, we will build on this momentum to achieve a more accessible Canada where everyone can reach their full potential.

Core responsibilities and internal services

Core responsibility: Accessibility Standards

• Internal Services

Core responsibility: Accessibility Standards

In this section

• Description
• Progress on results
• Key risks
• Resources required to achieve results
• Related government-wide priorities
• Program inventory

Description

The following is taken from our Departmental Results Framework.

Accessibility Standards Canada:

• Develops and revises accessibility standards by:
  • establishing technical committees, and
  • 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 turned into regulations
• other experts.

Progress on results

This section provides details on the department’s performance in achieving results and meeting targets for accessibility standards. Details are presented by departmental result.

Tables 2 to 5 summarize the target and actual results for each indicator associated with the results under our core responsibility (accessibility standards).

Table 2: Departmental Result 1

Standards in priority areas contribute to the removal of accessibility barriers.

Table 3: Departmental Result 2

Research informs the next generation of standards.

Table 4: Departmental Result 3

Organizations and the public have access to online information about:

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

Table 5: Departmental Result 4

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

Additional information on the detailed results and performance information for the Accessibility Standards Canada’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Details on results

The following section describes the results for accessibility standards in 2023 to 2024 compared with the planned results set out in Accessibility Standards Canada’s departmental plan for the year.

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

A key part of our mandate is to create model accessibility standards that identify, remove, and prevent barriers to accessibility. We also revise existing standards. The Board of Directors determines the priority areas for standards. The Board’s decisions are based on input from staff, stakeholders, and the public.

The standards development process can take approximately 4 years. When a standard is ready, it can be recommended to the Minister, who could then turn it into a regulation. All federally regulated organizations would then have to comply with this regulation.

All draft standards must be publicly reviewed. For each standard, we receive an average of 1,000 comments from the public. This underscores the high level of interest and engagement we have with stakeholders and people with disabilities across Canada.

During the 2023 to 2024 fiscal year:

• We established 3 new technical committees to develop new standards. These committees are focusing on the following areas:
  • accessible and equitable artificial intelligence systems
  • design and delivery of accessible programs and services, including customer service
  • accessible travel journey
• Three standards were publicly reviewed. These standards focus on the following areas:
  • employment
  • outdoor spaces
  • accessibility requirements for information and communication technology products and services
• We signed a memorandum of understanding with the International Codes Council, by which we agreed to co-develop a new standard on acoustics in the built environment.
• We signed a memorandum of understanding with UL Standards and Engagement to collaborate on accessibility research standards and development.
• We began revising a standard we co-developed with CSA Group. This standard is on accessible design for self-service interactive devices including automated banking machines (CSA/ASC B651.2).
• We received approval from the Board of Directors to proceed with 4 additional standards indicated below:
  • accessible procurement process
  • heritage buildings and sites
  • existing built environment
  • accessible tourism
• We provided ongoing support to the technical committees for the development standards in Table 1 below.

Result 2: Research informs the next generation of standards.

• We improved efficiencies in the application process of our grants and contributions program.
• We held an open call for proposals for research projects. These projects will begin during the 2024 to 2025 fiscal year.
• We funded 24 new research projects through grants and contributions. These projects focus on the following priorities:
  • accessibility within northern communities, including cultural and climate considerations
  • the built environment
  • communication, other than information and communication technologies
  • design and delivery of programs and services
  • effective engagement of people with disabilities in the standards development process
  • employment
  • equitable communication for the deaf and deaf-blind community
  • information and communication technologies
  • intersectionality and intersectional barriers
  • procurement of goods, services, and facilities
  • transportation
• We reviewed the research and activity reports for the projects funded between April 2020 and March 2023. Reporting ensures transparency and the accountability of the funding recipients.

Result 3: Organizations and the public have access to online information about accessibility standards, products, services, and best practices to identify, remove and prevent accessibility barriers.

We continued to take a proactive communication approach to improve our outreach to and engagement with various audiences.

• We launched the Centre of Expertise for Standards and Research on Accessibility. This is a section of our website with information about our draft and published standards, funded research projects, and best practices. This information is free of charge.
• We adopted best practices to improve the design and accessibility features of our website. We also added new accessible communication formats such as translations in American Sign Language (ASL) and Langue des signes québécoise (LSQ) for specific content.
• We increased collaboration with our Government of Canada portfolio partners and federal accessibility allies. We also expanded our participation in new interdepartmental working groups and communities of practice. This allowed us to share best practices in accessibility. It also enabled us to promote our work and expertise with these groups.
• We extended our social media presence and conducted targeted communications campaigns to increase awareness.
• We increased public engagement activities and our visibility by hosting information booths at various Government of Canada events, such as the Disability and Work in Canada 2023 Conference. This helped us raise awareness about our role and the future of accessibility in Canada.
• We published our first Accessibility Progress Report. This report presented our progress in implementing our 2023 to 2025 Accessibility Plan. Overall, it showed that this 3-year plan is progressing very well. Of the 24 actions identified, 92% were either completed (8) or ongoing (14) at the time of reporting. The remaining 2 actions will be completed in the 2024 to 2025 fiscal year.

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

• We consulted with various stakeholders in the disability community across Canada. This was done to gain a deeper understanding of their challenges and priorities and to inform our work. Our Chief Executive Officer and his team met with more than 45 stakeholders, either individually or in groups. The team also presented at 9 disability inclusion conferences.
• We developed new relationships, and strengthened existing ones, with leading national and international entities in the field of accessibility. We held several meetings with Canadian industry representatives and participated in 5 international conferences. This gave us an opportunity to highlight the novel work we are pioneering.
• We continued to work with federal organizations that play a key role in advancing accessibility in Canada. This includes Public Services and Procurement Canada, Shared Services Canada, and the National Research Council. We continued to develop and maintain strong bilateral, multilateral, and collaborative partnerships with the following federal entities tasked with implementing the Accessible Canada Act:
  • the Chief Accessibility Officer
  • the Office of Public Service Accessibility
  • the Canadian Transportation Agency
  • the Accessibility Commissioner (member of the Canadian Human Rights Commission)
  • the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), and
  • Employment and Social Development Canada.
• We engaged with our provincial and territorial counterparts. In May 2023, we signed a collaborative memorandum of understanding with the Government of Manitoba’s Department of Families. This means we now have a total of 6 memoranda with our provincial partners. In addition, we implemented the agreements we signed the previous year with British Columbia, Ontario, and Saskatchewan.
• We held the second Pan-Canadian Forum on Accessibility Standards in partnership with the Government of British Columbia.
• We held our third Annual Public Meeting. The theme of the meeting was, “From words to action: Moving together toward a Canada without barriers.” The meeting featured updates from our Board of Directors and a panel discussion. Three chairs from our technical committees joined the panel to talk about their work.
• We facilitated engagement activities between our Board of Directors and diverse stakeholder groups. The Board conducted in-person meetings with stakeholders in British Columbia and in Newfoundland and Labrador. The objective of these meetings was to further understand the key issues and inform priority setting for the organization.

The following section describes the actual results for our core responsibility (accessibility standards) in 2023 to 2024 compared with the planned results set out in our departmental plan for that year.

Table 6: Planned results versus actual results

Table 6 below shows a comparison of the planned results as set out in our 2023 to 2024 departmental plan and the actual results.

Key risks

• Delays in engaging researchers.
  Delays in the engagement of researchers hamper our ability to meet our annual results targets. We have mitigated this risk by creating a researcher registry. This gives the organization access to a pre-screened talent pool of researchers who are not involved in our funding program but who are focused on accessibility issues.
• Delays in developing standards.
  Delays in standards development can happen for a number of reasons. For example, they can be caused by operational backlogs, changing priorities, postponed public reviews, difficulties in staffing a technical committee, or committee fatigue. To mitigate this risk, we are using international best practices to manage our technical committees. This includes developing seed documents, setting performance standards, and keeping the lines of communication with the technical committees open.
• Delays in addressing Indigenous accessibility issues.
  This risk is being mitigated by building partnerships with researchers and research institutions focused on Indigenous accessibility. We continue to seek joint research opportunities with reputable institutions that specialize in this area.

Resources required to achieve results

Table 7: Snapshot of resources required for accessibility standards

Table 7 summarizes the planned and actual spending and full-time equivalents (FTEs) required to achieve results.

Complete financial and human resources information for Accessibility Standards Canada’s program inventory is available on GC Infobase.

Related government-wide priorities

Gender-Based Analysis Plus

Our work is guided by the principles and requirements of the Accessible Canada Act. The Act is intended to increase the inclusion and participation of all Canadians. People with disabilities are diverse, and their disabilities can be further amplified by other aspects of their identity. For example, a person with a disability who is also a racialized or Indigenous person, or a 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 living 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 racialized people, Indigenous people, LGBTQ2+ individuals, women, seniors, and youth also serve on our 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 levels of society 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.

United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals

Accessibility Standards Canada is committed to the UN’s 2030 Agenda. For more information on our contributions to Canada’s Federal Implementation Plan on the 2030 Agenda and the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy, please refer to our Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy.

Innovation

Our most important innovation in 2023 was the launch of the Centre of Expertise for Standards and Research on Accessibility. Its design is distinct from the rest of our site. It gives us a new way to deliver on our mandate to share information related to accessibility. It also serves as a resource for the public to learn about our advances in both standards and research. This new way of spreading the word about our work also gives other organizations the tools and resources they need to further their own innovations in the field of accessibility. We are leading change to help create a barrier-free Canada.

Program inventory

Our core responsibility, accessibility standards, is supported by the following programs:

• Standards development: This program supports accessibility standards by setting up technical committees to develop and/or revise standards in priority areas.
• Outreach and knowledge: This program seeks to engage stakeholders and the public to participate in activities that raise awareness and increase knowledge about accessibility standards.

Additional information related to the program inventory for accessibility standards is available on the “Results page on GC Infobase”.

Internal services

In this section

• Description
• Progress on results
• Resources required to achieve results
• Contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses

Description

Internal services enable a department to meet its corporate obligations and deliver its programs. There are 10 categories of internal services:

• management and oversight
• communications
• legal
• human resources management
• financial management
• information management
• information technology
• real property management
• materiel management
• acquisition management

Progress on results

This section presents details on how the department performed to achieve results and meet targets for internal services.

Communications

To improve our public reach and engagement with various audiences, the Communications branch continued to take a proactive approach. We focused our efforts on how we can spread the word more effectively, in a clear and accessible manner, about what we do and how it benefits everyone in Canada.

Results achieved in the 2023 to 2024 fiscal year:

• We developed a new 3-year communication strategy. It sets the stage for the direction our communications will take until 2026. It guides how we will promote our events and consultations. It will help the public to understand our work and maximize engagement opportunities. It will show our commitment to and leadership in accessibility.
• We launched our Centre of Expertise, an information hub that is hosted on our website. It showcases up-to-date content about our accessibility standards, highlights the innovative research projects we have funded, and shares best practices. This resource offers free access to all our knowledge and expertise.
• We researched innovative ways to improve the design and accessibility of our website. Following best practices, we:
  • adjusted and restructured sections of the website to make them easier to navigate
  • removed redundant pages and content to focus on high-value information
  • added new accessible communication formats such as translations in American Sign Language (ASL) and Langue des signes québécoise (LSQ)

We also worked to more proactively:

• offer alternate formats
• ensure our content is in plain language whenever possible.

• We continued to expand our online and social media presence. We significantly expanded our digital footprint as follows:
  • We led 9 major social media campaigns to raise awareness. Topics included our 2023 Annual Public Meeting, National AccessAbility Week 2023, and International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2023. Other campaigns promoted public reviews of 3 draft standards, as indicated on page 10 (Result 1) and our 2023 call for expressions of interest in research funding. 2 campaigns focused on recruiting members for new technical committees.
  • We posted to our social media accounts (X, Facebook, and LinkedIn) at least 2 or 3 times a week to stay connected and engage with our followers.
  • Our number of social media followers increased again this year. As of March 31, 2024, our followers on X had increased by 19.7% and by 28.8% on Facebook. Our LinkedIn account recorded the biggest growth in followers, increasing 81.4% over the previous year.
• We published 4 news releases to inform the media and public about our work, activities, and progress.

• We continued to use consistent branding across platforms and for our products to reinforce recognition and visibility.

• We also directly informed and consulted with various groups of stakeholders through several means, such as our quarterly newsletter. This product gave us the opportunity to continue to engage with many groups, including:
  • people with disabilities and their representative organizations
  • Indigenous individuals, organizations, and governments
  • provincial, territorial, and municipal governments
  • technical experts, and
  • industry representatives.

We will continue to find ways to expand our reach and our efforts to share our results with the public.

• We added new communication tools. This includes 3 new targeted products to our overall suite of communications tools. They are customized newsletters aimed at promoting our public reviews, draft and published standards and engagement opportunities with federal public servants, government departments and federally regulated organizations.
• We continued to inform our partners about collaborative opportunities to amplify common messages and increase awareness about our work and its benefits to Canadians. We also expanded our participation in various interdepartmental working groups and communities of practice within the Government of Canada. We shared and promoted our work, our expertise, and best practices in accessibility with these groups.
• We increased our public engagement activities. We hosted information booths at various Government of Canada events, including the Disability and Work in Canada 2023 Conference, and engaged with other federal organizations that deal with accessibility and disability rights. This allowed us to learn best practices from others while raising awareness about the future of accessibility in the public service and the role our organization plays in championing accessibility.
• We engaged with individuals with lived experience of disability and other experts in the field. By talking directly with these groups, we learned how our organization can help, what people need most in standards, and how to ensure our message reaches more Canadians.
• We published our first Accessibility Progress Report. This report presented our progress in implementing our 2023 to 2025 Accessibility Plan. Overall, this 3-year plan has progressed very well. Of the 24 actions identified, 22 (92%) were either completed (8) or ongoing (14) at the time of reporting. The remaining 2 actions will be completed in 2024 to 2025.

Overall, we received positive feedback and high levels of satisfaction from the people who have interacted with our organization. A consultation held in October 2023 also identified some barriers and areas for improvement, which we are addressing through our plan.

Human resources management

As an accessibility organization, we value the expertise and experiences of people with disabilities to inform our priorities, policies, plans, and practices.

In the 2023 to 2024 fiscal year, we improved and strengthened our human resources policies and guidelines in the following ways:

• In response to the evolving work landscape, we explored the use of telework agreements that could be tailored to the organization’s needs. We emphasized that these agreements needed to be accessible and feature a streamlined renewal process. As a result, the organization plans to adopt the myWorkArrangements(mWA) software. This application will enable us to efficiently manage on-site work, telework, and hybrid work setups. It will also support swift renewals and timely notifications. This initiative aims to enhance our workplace flexibility and efficiency while meeting the organization’s objectives.
• We made significant strides in promoting diversity, inclusion, and accessibility through various initiatives. We finalized our first Official Languages Action Plan. This plan emphasizes our commitment to comply with the Official Languages Act. We promoted bilingualism in the workplace, ensuring equal opportunities for English and French speakers. In addition, we partnered with the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion. This partnership gives employees access to all of the Centre’s information for free, including webinars and other useful information. Regular updates are provided to staff through the Accessibility Standards Canada internal newsletter.
• We collaborated with interdepartmental networks to leverage tools such as the federal government’s Virtual Door to Talent with Disabilities. The tool provides a proactive way to hire from diverse talent pools. It provides multiple benefits, including the following:
  • It enables the organization to access talent from the Public Service Commission’s inventory of graduates with disabilities, ensuring we have access to a skilled and diverse talent pool.
  • It streamlines our recruitment process, making it more efficient and targeted. It helps us meet our accessibility goals by integrating accessibility considerations during the hiring process.
  • It reinforces our organization’s dedication to accessibility and sets a strong example for other entities and stakeholders in our sector.
  • It fulfills our commitment to inclusivity. It leverages the unique perspectives and problem-solving abilities that individuals with disabilities can bring to the workplace.
  • It supports a more inclusive workplace culture. It enhances our organizational reputation. It helps us to better serve our diverse clientele by considering their needs and perspectives within our workforce.
• We also took clear action to integrate a Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) lens into our human resources practices. Our advocacy in support of implementing changes to the Public Service Employment Act reflects a conscious effort to address the systemic biases and barriers that hinder equity-seeking groups during the hiring process. By prioritizing diversity and inclusion in these amendments, we are proactively working toward fair and inclusive staffing processes that are aligned with GBA Plus principles.
• We began ensuring our communications and policies are written in plain language. This ensures we are sensitive to diverse literacy levels and that information is accessible to all employees, regardless of background or ability. This promotes clarity and understanding. It also aligns with GBA Plus objectives by supporting equal access to workplace information.

It is important to mention the award given to Accessibility Standards Canada, recognizing it as one of the 2024 Top Employers of the National Capital Region. This award of excellence is a testament to the organization’s commitment to diversity and inclusion and its efforts to provide a supportive work environment.

Information management and technology

We continue to collaborate with Employment and Social Development Canada to put accessible business tools (software and hardware) in place. This improves the technology used by our employees with disabilities. Our work on enabling accessible file sharing and creating a collaboration platform is ongoing. This will provide more options for employees and will improve both communication and collaboration with our stakeholders.

Real property management

With the post-COVID return-to-the office directive and the transition to the hybrid work model, the real property team has remained in constant communication with our partners to maintain and improve our universally designed workspace based on employee feedback. This helps us to improve the experience of our employees, bearing in mind our mission to lead on accessibility and comply with the standards set by the federal government.

Table 8: Internal services planned versus actual results

Table 8 below shows the planned internal services results as set out in the 2023 to 2024 Departmental Plan compared with the actual results for the same period.

Resources required to achieve results

Table 9: Resources required to achieve internal services

Table 9: summarizes the planned and actual spending and full-time equivalents (FTEs) required to achieve results.

The complete financial and human resources information for the Accessibility Standards Canada’s program inventory is available at GC InfoBase.

Contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses

Government of Canada departments are to meet a target of awarding at least 5% of the total value of contracts to Indigenous businesses each year. This commitment is to be fully implemented by the end of 2024 to 2025.

Accessibility Standards Canada is a Phase 3 department and is aiming to achieve the minimum 5% target by the end of 2024 to 2025.

Accessibility Standards Canada has prepared a procurement plan to maximize the visibility of the organization with Indigenous businesses. In addition, the plan allows the organization to target specific areas where the supply of Indigenous businesses is greater. This plan is the tool to ensure the target is exceeded in 2024 to 2025 and ongoing.

Internal governance activities

Our board of directors welcomed three new board members and a new Chairperson, Mr. Paul Walsh. Mr. Walsh replaces Mr. Paul-Claude Bérubé, the organization’s first chairperson. Like our new chair, the three new board members replace those whose term of service expired.

Corporate information

Departmental profile

Appropriate minister: The Honourable Kamal Khera, M.P.

Ministerial portfolio: Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities

Institutional head (March 31, 2024): Mr. Philip Rizcallah, Chief Executive Officer

Chairperson: Mr.Paul Walsh

Enabling instrument: Accessible Canada Act

Year of incorporation (commencement): 2019

Other

Accessibility Standards Canada is supervised by a 9-member Board of Directors. It includes a Chairperson and a Vice-Chairperson. The Board of Directors:

• sets our strategic direction
• oversees our activities, and
• provides advice to our Chief Executive Officer.

A majority of our Board members are people with disabilities. They 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
• 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 development of standards, and
• directing human, financial, and material resources.

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

• Details on transfer payment programs
• Gender-Based Analysis Plus 2023 to 2024
• Details of our commitments to the United Nations 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals are available in our Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy 2023 to 2027 on our website.

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. This includes descriptions, objectives, historical information, and references to related federal spending programs. It also includes evaluations and Gender-Based Analysis Plus analyses of tax expenditures.