Accessibility Standards Canada: 2023 to 2024 Departmental Plan

For Government of Canada leaders in accessibility, the coming year is full of promise. Ensuring inclusivity in all spheres of life is at the forefront of everything we do. I am thus happy to share the 2023 to 2024 Departmental Plan for Accessibility Standards Canada. As a newly accredited standards development organization, it is firmly on the road to success.

Building a more accessible Canada is a collective effort. It requires the help of those in the public and private sectors and other groups. This is why the organization works closely with multiple partners. These include:

• disability communities
• provincial and territorial governments
• federally regulated entities
• other departments and agencies, and
• other standards development organizations. 

Together, we are supporting the implementation of the Accessible Canada Act (the Act).

Our government’s Disability Inclusion Action Plan is also on track. For the first time, all government departments and agencies have published accessibility plans. I am also delighted to report that we now have an Accessibility Commissioner and a Chief Accessibility Officer in place.

In addition, Bill C-22 is now making its way through Parliament. This bill is aimed at reducing poverty and supporting the financial security of persons with disabilities. When it becomes law, it will establish the Canada disability benefit. It will also amend the Income Tax Act. This law will ensure the financial well-being of the many Canadians living with disabilities.

I am proud of the progress that Accessibility Standards Canada has made so far. I am confident that it will build on the foundation laid in the last 3 years to continue delivering its mandate. Together, we can reach our goal of a barrier free Canada by 2040.

Accessibility Standards Canada was created to help make Canada accessible for everyone by 2040. It is with this inspiring goal in mind that the Board of Directors met in September 2022. This was the Board’s first in-person meeting since the start of the pandemic. The Board met to develop an ambitious work plan for the year ahead. As the Board’s Chairperson, I am proud to present the 2023 to 2024 Departmental Plan.

This plan outlines our key areas of focus for the year. It summarizes our priorities and the results we want to achieve. We are committed to advancing accessibility. We also want to show what it will mean for Canada to be barrier-free and accessible. Our commitment to our vision, mission, and objectives could not be stronger.

To succeed in our work, we adhere to the disability community’s philosophy of “nothing without us.” This principle means that people with disabilities must be involved in the development of things that affect them. It is one of the key values in the Accessible Canada Act. It guides everything we do.

We develop accessibility standards. That is our core mandate. Standards will help us achieve our goal of a Canada without barriers. We are making progress on a number of standards. These deal with the following areas:

• built environment
• outdoor spaces
• emergency measures and egress (exit)
• wayfinding and signage
• plain language
• employment
• information and communication technologies products and services

In 2023 to 2024, we will develop standards in new priority areas. Some of these include:

• acoustics in a built environment
• customer service
• transportation

We continue to work with others to help us reach our goals. This includes seeking new partnerships. We want Canadians to experience accessibility. This experience needs to be consistent and seamless. It must happen no matter where they live. Collaboration is key to making that happen. We strive to show that Accessibility Standards Canada is a strong leader, partner, and influencer.

The Board values research that seeks to identify, remove, and prevent barriers to accessibility. After a public consultation, the Board approved key priority areas for research funding. This funding is for the 2023 to 2024 fiscal year. Employment will be one of our key focus areas. This includes accessible employment for youth with disabilities transitioning from school to work.

Canadians can expect more opportunities to review our draft standards in 2023 to 2024. This includes people with disabilities. Public reviews give everyone a chance to provide feedback. This is part of an open and inclusive process. It ensures that new and revised standards reflect lived experiences. It also ensures they meet the needs of the community.

We want our technical committees to be diverse. We want them to represent all Canadians, including the disability community. This is crucial. It is needed to address the marginalization and discrimination faced by persons with disabilities. We also know that discrimination can be based on different parts of our identity, such as race and gender. Thus, diversity becomes even more important.

I am proud that Accessibility Standards Canada is leading the way to a Canada, free of barriers by 2040.

Our organization continues to build toward an accessible Canada. We have had a year of major progress on the delivery of our mandate and priorities. I am eager to share our plans for the coming year.

We are now entering our fourth year of existence. Our organization is now firmly established within the accessibility field. The last few years have focused on explaining who we are and what we do. Now, the conversation is shifting toward the impact of our standards. We are ready to show Canadians what we have been developing. We want to show them how our work will help identify, remove, and prevent barriers to accessibility.

This year, Canadians will be able to provide feedback on these draft standards:

• employment 
• outdoor spaces
• emergency measures
• plain language, and
• information and communication technologies.

Gathering feedback on draft standards is an essential part of our standards development process. It ensures that our standards address the barriers faced by Canadians, especially people with disabilities. It ensures that more voices are heard. This will enable us to develop quality standards.

We are looking forward to creating 4 technical committees that will be working on new priority areas. Our standards apply only to federally regulated entities. However, we are working to align accessibility standards across jurisdictions. That is why we work with provincial and territorial partners, in addition to federal agencies and departments.

We are also investing in research in priority areas. This is funding for research projects that aim to find, remove, and prevent obstacles to accessibility. We will launch a new call for research proposals. This is to fund projects in the 2023 to 2024 fiscal year and beyond.

We are at our strongest when we work together. That is why we will reinforce our relationships with key stakeholders. We will also develop new strategic partnerships.

We already have 5 memoranda of understanding with 3 provinces and more to come. These promote consistent accessibility standards across the country. Last September, we held the Pan-Canadian Forum on Accessibility Standards. This was a successful meeting with officials from all provinces and territories. We look forward to working with these officials on the common priorities that came out of the Forum.

We will continue developing relationships with other organizations. This includes industry leaders. We will continue working with disability communities and other stakeholders. 
Working together allows us to share tools, expertise, and best practices. It also allows us to learn and apply what we learn to our work. We are always seeking ways to advance discussions. We work to share information on accessibility standards and build awareness. Collaboration is crucial for building an accessible Canada.

We could not be more excited about the future. We know our plans are ambitious. We are confident we can achieve our goals for the year ahead. We are eager to continue working with Canadians towards an inclusive and barrier-free Canada.

This section contains detailed information on Accessibility Standards Canada’s planned results and resources for its core responsibility. It also contains information on key risks related to achieving those results.

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 research and support 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 of all genders
• Indigenous people of all genders;
• Representatives from industries that would have to follow standards if they were made into regulations; and
• Other experts.

Planning highlights

We will work to achieve the following 4 results. They fall within our core responsibility:

1. Standards in priority areas contribute to the removal of accessibility barriers;
2. Research informs the next generation of standards; 
3. Organizations and the public access to online information about:
   • accessibility standards;
   • products;
   • services; and
   • best practices to identify, remove and prevent accessibility barriers.
4. The organization’s work in standards increases opportunities for collaboration in advancing a Canada without barriers.

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. Board 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 published, it can be recommended to the Minister. The Minister can then turn it into a regulation. When that happens, all federally regulated organizations must follow the standard.

Creating a new standard can take 2 years or longer. It is an ongoing process. Our long-term plan for this work is found within our Roadmap to 2040.

Between April 2023 and March 2024, we will conduct public reviews for the following standards:

• employment
• outdoor spaces  
• emergency measures 
• plain language
• information and communication technologies

We will recruit members for 4 new technical committees. They will focus on standards in the following areas:

• acoustics for the built environment
• procurement 
• transportation
• program design and service delivery, including customer service

We will continue to support the 8 technical committees focusing on the following standards:

• employment
• a model standard for the built environment – accessibility
• outdoor spaces
• emergency egress (exit)
• wayfinding and signage
• plain language
• emergency measures
• accessibility requirements for information communication technologies products and services

We will find more ways to collaborate and partner with other organizations. This will inform our research. It will also inform the development of standards. This will increase our visibility. It will also encourage other organizations to adopt the standards we develop.

We will maintain the 2 standards we have co-branded with CSA Group:

• accessible design for the built environment 
• accessible design of interactive devices and electronic payment terminals

We will work with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and other standards development organizations to develop a standard on accessible housing.

Our partners include persons with disabilities, academic institutions, and disability organizations. Working with these groups, we are developing new research projects. These projects are in addition to our regular grants and contributions program.

2.    Research informs the next generation of standards.

Supporting research is a key part of our mandate. We do this to gather data that we can use to inform our standards. This will help remove barriers to accessibility. We will take steps to achieve this result in the 2023 to 2024 fiscal year:

• The Board of Directors will continue to decide the areas for research funding. These decisions will be based on input from the public and stakeholders. 
• We will determine the research priorities for the 2024 to 2025 fiscal year. We will sign funding agreements with research organizations focused on accessibility issues. 
• We will review and assess the final reports for projects completed between April 2020 and March 2023.
• We will continue to refine our 2-step process for calls for research proposals. This process identifies viable project proposals earlier in the application process. This reduces the administrative burden on applicants. It also makes applying for research funding more accessible. 

3.    Organizations and the public have access to online information.

We will expand our online presence and extend our reach via social media. We will use a detailed social media calendar to share relevant information with the public. We will participate in interdepartmental meetings and communities of practice. This will help us increase accessibility practices across the Government of Canada.

In the 2023 to 2024 fiscal year, we will take these important steps to expand our network:

• We will launch a centre of expertise. This will be an information hub. It will feature content that will help anyone looking for information about accessibility standards and best practices. It will be hosted on our website.
• We will work with our portfolio partners to communicate our mandate to our shared audiences. This will be done through various forums and communities of practice. Prior to important dates and events, we will discuss how we can collaborate and amplify our common messages. We will coordinate with them as needed.
• We will continue to improve our website’s accessibility. We will:
  • Revise our accessibility statement. The new statement will be based on public feedback and testing by experts.
  • Publish relevant and unique content.
  • Use keywords. This will be done to make it easier to find our site using search engines. This will increase visits to our site. It will also extend our reach on social media.
  • Add more accessibility features to the website. This will improve the user experience.
  • Add new accessible communication formats for users.

• We will share our message more widely. We will do this by leveraging the networks of Board members. We will also contact media outlets and use our social media accounts, website, news releases, and newsletters. This will be done to: 
  • Share information and promote our events, news, and activities.
  • Inform our audiences about public reviews of our standards. 
  • Share information about the research projects we have funded. 
  • Engage the public about our mandate.
  • Show we are committed to accessibility. Show that we are leaders in this area.
  • Promote best practices in accessibility that relate to our mandate. 
  • We will build relationships and trust with the disability community.

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

We will expand and strengthen our partnerships with others. This includes organizations inside and outside of government. Together, we want to achieve an accessible Canada.

Working with our partners informs the standards we develop. It also helps us influence and encourage others to adopt the accessibility standards we create.

We will take the following steps to achieve this result in the 2023 to 2024 fiscal year:

• We will hold our third annual public meeting in 2023.
• We will ask Canadians and our stakeholders for their feedback on our programs and priorities.
• We will continue to engage provincial and territorial governments. We will work to increase collaborative opportunities.
• We will seek partnerships. This will be done to encourage the adoption of the standards we create.
• We will continue to implement our stakeholder engagement strategy. 
• We will continue to engage persons with disabilities and other experts. This will inform our work and priorities.
• We will continue to engage other players and stakeholders. These include Indigenous peoples and governments. It also includes youth, federal organizations, and industry.

We will expand and extend our engagement with equity seeking groups to include marginalized groups and people seeking social justice.

Gender-Based Analysis Plus

Our work is guided by the principles and requirements of the Accessible Canada Act. The Act is expected to increase the inclusion and participation of all Canadians. This will help promote equality of opportunity for all.

People with disabilities are diverse. People with disabilities experience disability differently because of other aspects of their identity (for example, women, children, youth, visible minorities, Indigenous people, members of the LGBTQ2+ community, and seniors). 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 technical committee membership to ensure a proper level of expertise. One-half (50%) of all committee members are persons with disabilities. Fifty-two percent are women. Each technical committee also has members who are visible minorities.

In addition, Canadians from all walks of life can participate in the public review of our standards. This includes people of all ages and genders. All Canadians can also advocate for the adoption of our standards.

We remain committed to an inclusive approach to developing standards.  We want to make Canada stronger and accessible.

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

Our mandate to develop accessibility standards is contributing to Sustainable Development Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries.  This goal calls for nations to reduce inequality that is based on “age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status.”

By collaborating with others, Accessibility Standards Canada is working hard to address inequality and accessibility issues. This includes collaborating with disability organizations, the private sector, non-governmental and not-for-profit organizations, and all levels of government.

People with disabilities represent a disproportionately large share of the world’s most marginalized groups. Thus, addressing the barriers experienced by people with disabilities will help achieve Sustainable Development Goals. Including them in standard development is key.

Accessibility Standards Canada is developing standards to reduce the employment-related barriers experienced by people with disabilities. This work contributes to Sustainable Development Goal 1. That goal addresses poverty.

In addition, we will contribute to Sustainable Development Goal 12. That goal calls for sustainable patterns of consumption and production. Our office building is environmentally sustainable and accessible. It has automated lighting and water faucets. These features support responsible consumption. Indeed, it has become a model for Government of Canada office buildings. Many government departments want to use this model.

We will also encourage employees to reduce the impact of their daily activities on the environment. For example, we encourage an increasingly digital office environment. This reduces paper consumption.

We will encourage suppliers to reduce their impact on the environment. This includes the impacts of their goods, services, and supply chains.

We have adopted a hybrid work model. This means that a portion of our work is done remotely. Remote work reduces vehicular emissions and our carbon footprint. 

Innovation

In 2023 to 2024, we will focus on these innovations:

• We will introduce digital risk-management tools. This will be done to improve the way we manage and monitor risks. Our organization is an accredited standards development entity. Thus, we must comply with Standards Council of Canada requirements. One of these is to respond quickly to emerging risks and compliance issues. This would be difficult to do without a digital monitoring system. 
• We will coordinate with other federal partners to explore the creation of a researcher registry. This would allow us to access a pre-screened talent pool of researchers quickly and transparently. 
• We will improve our communication strategy. We will introduce new communication tools and products. We will launch a centre of expertise. This information hub will feature content that will benefit anyone looking for information about accessibility standards and best practices. 
• We will improve the efficiency of our grants and contributions application process. We will continue to refine our selection process using a 2-step approach. This enables us to preselect potential research projects. This eliminates ineligible applicants at the expression-of-interest stage. Only preselected applicants will be invited to submit the full application.

Key Risks and mitigating actions

• Industry risks. Accessibility Standards Canada operates and competes in the same environment as other standards development organizations. Most of these competitors have well-established networks and research infrastructure. For a variety of reasons, they could outcompete and/or litigate against Accessibility Standards Canada. We are mitigating this risk by collaborating with some of our competitors to develop and adopt standards. We will also put a digital compliance-management system in place. This will ensure continuous monitoring of compliance.
• Delays in engaging researchers. Delays hamper the achievement of our annual results targets. This risk will be mitigated by creating a researcher registry. This will be formed outside of our grants and contributions program. It will allow us to access a pre-screened talent pool of researchers focused on accessibility issues. This will reduce delays in engaging researchers. The process of contracting researchers will also become more transparent. 
• Delays in developing standards. This can happen because of issues with a technical committee. It can also be caused by other problems, such as operational backlogs, fatigue, or delayed public reviews. We are mitigating this risk by applying international best practices in the management of technical committees. We are also developing seed documents and setting performance standards. In addition, the standards development team is encouraged to keep the lines of communication open with the technical committees. This is to ensure that committee capabilities and commitments are in line with the expectations of the Board. 
• Delays in addressing Indigenous accessibility issues. This risk will be mitigated by building partnerships with researchers and research institutions focused on these issues. We will seek joint research opportunities with reputable institutions specialized in Indigenous matters and Indigenous researchers and research institutions across the country.

Planned results for Accessibility Standards Canada

The following table shows, for Accessibility Standards Canada the planned results, the result indicators, the targets and the target dates for 2023 to 2024, and the actual results for the 3 most recent fiscal years for which actual results are available.

* Accessibility Standards Canada based its targets on its first Departmental Results Framework. It developed that framework before the organization received funding from Parliament. The organization reviewed these targets and dates during the 2022 to 2023 fiscal year. The updated targets and dates will be reflected in the 2024 to 2025 Departmental Plan.

** The actual results for previous years are not available because Accessibility Standards Canada was not created until 2019.

*** A new standard can take 2 years or more to create. For details on progress against this result, please see our 2021 to 2022 Departmental Results Report.

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

Planned budgetary spending for accessibility standards

The following table shows, for accessibility standards, budgetary spending for 2023 to 2024, as well as planned spending for that year and for each of the next 2 fiscal years.

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

Planned human resources for accessibility standards

The following table shows, in full time equivalents, the human resources the department will need to fulfill this core responsibility for 2023 to 2024 and for each of the next 2 fiscal years.

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

Description

Internal services are the services that are provided within a department so that it can meet its corporate obligations and deliver its programs. There are 10 categories of internal services:

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

Communications

We will continue to communicate with the public, Board members, and staff. We will improve and grow our communication tools. This includes:

• increasing our online and social media presence
• producing quarterly newsletters for staff, the Board, and stakeholders
• collaborating with our Government of Canada portfolio partners

Real Property

We are trailblazers on accessible working spaces. Our office space has become a model of accessible and inclusive workspaces within the Government of Canada. In line with public service guidelines, Accessibility Standards Canada has adopted a hybrid working model which requires staff to be in the office at least 2 days a week. This will remain in effect until further notice.

Information Technology and Information Management

We will continue to put accessible business tools and hardware in place. This will be done in collaboration with Employment and Social Development Canada. This will improve the technology used by employees with disabilities. We are working on accessible file sharing. We are also working on a collaboration platform. This will provide more options for employees. It will also improve communications and collaboration with our stakeholders.

Procurement

We will develop a procurement plan. This plan will better support the research and development of standards. It will also align with Government of Canada procurement policies and directives.

Human Resources

People with disabilities are the bedrock of our organization. That is why we ensure their expertise and experiences inform our policies, plans, and practices.

In the 2023 to 2024 fiscal year, we will improve and strengthen our human resources policies and related activities. We will do the following:

• Implement an equity, diversity, and inclusion communication plan. This will be done to ensure employees are informed of all activities and events on this topic. 
• Implement a competency-based management practice. It will comprise 1 organization-wide competency around equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility.
• Ensure we comply with the 2022 updates to the Directive on the Implementation of the Official Languages (Communications with and Services to the Public) Regulations. This will be done in partnership with Treasury Board Secretariat.
• Develop and provide training for hiring managers on the onboarding of new employees. This will be done to ensure managers adhere to the internal staffing framework.
• We will continue to work with interdepartmental networks and groups that focus on hiring people with disabilities and other equity-seeking groups. 
• Promote the use of the Virtual Door to Talent with Disabilities tool. This enables us to access talent from the Public Service Commission’s inventory of graduates with disabilities. 
• We will create tools that remove bias and barriers from the recruitment process.
• We will share knowledge on how to remove the employment barriers experienced by people living with a disability.

Planning for Contracts Awarded to Indigenous businesses

Accessibility Standards Canada will report on contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses starting in the 2025 to 2026 fiscal year. We are a young organization established only 3 years ago.

Our organization will continue to build partnerships with researchers and research institutions focused on Indigenous accessibility issues.

• We will continue to seek opportunities to co-share research projects with Indigenous researchers. 
• We will also continue to look for ways to collaborate on addressing Indigenous accessibility issues.

Planned budgetary spending for internal services

The following table shows, for internal services, budgetary spending for 2023 to 2024, as well as planned spending for that year and for each of the next 2 fiscal years.

Planned human resources for internal services

The following table shows, in full time equivalents, the human resources the department will need to carry out its internal services for 2023 to 2024 and for each of the next 2 fiscal years.

This section provides an overview of the department’s planned spending and human resources for the next 3 fiscal years and compares planned spending for 2023 to 2024 with actual spending for the current year and the previous year.

Planned spending

Departmental spending 2020 to 2021 to 2025 to 2026

The following graph presents planned spending (voted and statutory expenditures) over time.

The Act that created Accessibility Standards Canada became law on June 21, 2019. The ramp up of programs and operations began in the 2020 to 2021 fiscal year and continued in fiscal year 2021 to 2022. As of fiscal year 2022 to 2023, resources will reach a steady state. A significant increase in Grants and Contributions funding is included in the ramp up of programs.

Budgetary planning summary for core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)

The following table shows information on spending for each of Accessibility Standards Canada’s core responsibilities and for its internal services for 2023 to 2024 and other relevant fiscal years.

The Act that created Accessibility Standards Canada became law on June 21, 2019. Fiscal year 2021 to 2022 was the second year of operations and had a ramp up in expenditures from fiscal year 2020 to 2021. The ramp up of operations continues in fiscal year 2022 to 2023 and will follow a steady state after that.

Planned human resources

The following table shows information on human resources, in full-time equivalents (FTEs), for each of Accessibility Standards Canada’s core responsibilities and for its internal services for 2023 to 2024 and the other relevant years.

Human resources planning summary for core responsibility and internal services

Estimates by vote

Information on Accessibility Standards Canada’s organizational appropriations is available in the 2023 to 2024 Main Estimates.

Future-oriented condensed statement of operations

The future oriented condensed statement of operations provides an overview of Accessibility Standards Canada’s operations for 2022 to 2023 to 2023 to 2024.

The forecast and planned amounts in this statement of operations were prepared on an accrual basis. The forecast and planned amounts presented in other sections of the Departmental Plan were prepared on an expenditure basis. Amounts may therefore differ.

A more detailed future oriented statement of operations and associated notes, including a reconciliation of the net cost of operations with the requested authorities, are available on Accessibility Standards Canada’s website.

Future oriented condensed statement of operations for the year ending March 31, 2024 (dollars)

Organizational profile

Appropriate minister: Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion
Institutional head: Mr. Philip Rizcallah, Chief Executive Officer
Chairperson: Mr. Paul-Claude Bérubé
Ministerial portfolio: Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion
Enabling instrument: The Accessible Canada Act
Year of incorporation/commencement: 2019
Other:
A 9-member Board of Directors, including a Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson supervise Accessibility Standards Canada. The organization's Board of Directors:

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

A majority of the Directors are people with disabilities and reflect the diversity of disabilities experienced by Canadians.

The CEO 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; 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:

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; and
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 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 2023 to 2024 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 planned expenditures, human resources, and results related to Accessibility Standards Canada’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

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

• Details on transfer payment programs
• Gender-based analysis plus
• United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals

Accessibility Standards Canada’s Departmental Plan does not include information on tax expenditures.

Tax expenditures are the responsibility of the Minister of Finance. The Department of Finance Canada publishes cost estimates and projections for government-wide tax expenditures each year in the Report on Federal Tax Expenditures. This report provides detailed information on tax expenditures, including objectives, historical background and references to related federal spending programs, as well as evaluations, research papers and gender-based analysis plus.

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

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 document that sets out a department’s priorities, programs, expected results and associated resource requirements, covering a 3 year period beginning with the year indicated in the title of the report. Departmental Plans are tabled in Parliament each spring.

departmental result (résultat ministériel) 

A change that a department seeks to influence. 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 factor or variable that provides a valid and reliable means to measure or describe progress on a departmental result.

departmental results framework (cadre ministériel des résultats) 

A framework that consists of the department’s core responsibilities, departmental results and departmental result indicators.

Departmental Results Report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels)

A report on a department’s actual performance in a fiscal year against its plans, priorities and expected results set out in its Departmental Plan for that year. Departmental Results Reports are usually tabled in Parliament each fall.

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. Full time equivalents are calculated as a ratio of assigned hours of work to scheduled hours of work. Scheduled hours of work are set out in collective agreements.

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. GBA Plus is a process for understanding who is impacted by the issue or opportunity being addressed by the initiative; identifying how the initiative could be tailored to meet diverse needs of the people most impacted; and anticipating and mitigating any barriers to accessing or benefitting from the initiative. GBA Plus is an intersectional analysis that goes beyond biological (sex) and socio-cultural (gender) differences to consider other factors, such as age, disability, education, ethnicity, economic status, geography, language, race, religion, and sexual orientation.

government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)

For the purpose of the 2023–24 Departmental Plan, government-wide priorities are the high-level themes outlining the Government’s agenda in the 2021 Speech from the Throne: building a healthier today and tomorrow; growing a more resilient economy; bolder climate action; fighter 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.

high impact innovation (innovation à impact élevé) 

High impact innovation varies per organizational context. In some cases, it could mean trying something significantly new or different from the status quo. In other cases, it might mean making incremental improvements that relate to a high-spending area or addressing problems faced by a significant number of Canadians or public servants.

horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale) 

An initiative in which 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.

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 up to the expected result.

planned spending (dépenses prévues)

For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to those amounts presented in the 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 a department and that focus on a specific set of outputs, outcomes or service levels.

program inventory (répertoire des programmes)

An inventory of a department’s programs that describes how resources are organized to carry out the department’s core responsibilities and achieve its planned results.

result (résultat)

An external 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.