Accessibility Standards Canada: 2024 to 2025 Departmental Plan
From the Minister
Each year gives us a chance to reflect on past achievements, draw lessons, dream bigger, and generate innovative ideas to build a more accessible Canada. Building a more equitable and inclusive Canada is a collective effort. Each of us has a role to play in ensuring that Canadians with disabilities are supported at all levels of society. This is what drives me and my staff.
My mandate as the Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities is to ensure that we work together with the public and private sectors to deliver solutions that will improve the lives of Canadians with disabilities and remove barriers to accessibility.
Our government is committed to delivering Canada’s 2030 agenda and ensuring a barrier-free Canada. Accessibility Standards Canada is playing a leading role in implementing this agenda. This is highlighted in its 2023 to 2027 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy.
It is important to acknowledge the contributions made by people with disabilities to our workplaces. In October, we took the opportunity to stress this fact during the National Disability Employment Awareness Month. While we have made significant progress, more needs to be done to achieve a more equitable society.
On that note, I am happy to present Accessibility Standards Canada’s Departmental Plan for the 2024 to 2025 fiscal year.
Canadians with disabilities are speaking up and leading the change. They are serving on the Board of Directors of Accessibility Standards Canada and supporting the organization’s work. They are generating new ideas to develop standards that remove barriers to accessibility. They are joining technical committees and contributing to the standards development process. They are participating in the public review process of the standards being developed. This is the embodiment of the disability community’s “nothing without us” principle.
Accessibility Standards Canada continues to grow. We continue to engage with disability groups and other stakeholders in the private sector, the federal government, provincial and territorial governments across the country. It is building strong partnerships to lead the development and harmonization of standards on a national and international level. It is publishing new standards and revising existing ones to remove accessibility barriers.
With this progress, a strong foundation to implement the Accessible Canada Act has been laid. I am proud to be part of this change. Together, we are building a more equitable Canada.
From the Chairperson
As the Chairperson of the Board, I am very proud to present the 2024 to 2025 Departmental Plan.
This plan outlines what the coming year will hold for us. It describes our goals and how we intend to achieve them. We are confident we will make significant inroads for accessibility before 2040.
In 2019, Parliament unanimously passed the Accessible Canada Act. The Act lays the groundwork to help make Canada accessible by 2040.
Accessibility Standards Canada is one of the key organizations helping Canada reach that significant goal by 2040. We are doing this not only for people with disabilities, but for all Canadians.
With this long-term goal in mind, Accessibility Standards Canada’s Board of Directors will soon be starting another crucial aspect of its work: approving standards that have been developed and publicly reviewed.
The standards developed by our technical committees reflect the diversity of Canada and its many regions. This diversity is reflected in the comments we receive from public reviews. People with disabilities are at the heart of everything we do. We recognize their expertise and positive impact on our communities, and we include them in our activities.
Through its work and accomplishments, Accessibility Standards Canada is well on its way to becoming a world leader. Most importantly, we are starting to see the initial positive impacts on the Canadian disability community.
Beyond accessibility, inclusivity is an even higher priority for us. We want to ensure that Canada is not only accessible, but also more inclusive. Enabling the community of people with disabilities to contribute fully to the development of Canadian society is more than just an important goal; it is essential! This plan demonstrates our commitment to our vision, our mission, and our objectives.
The philosophy of the community of people with disabilities, “nothing without us,” is at the heart of our work. This principle guides everything we do. It is also acknowledged in our founding legislation. It means that people with disabilities must participate fully in decisions that affect them.
From 2024 to 2025, everyone in Canada, including people with disabilities, will continue to have the opportunity to review our newly drafted standards. This process not only upholds the principle of “nothing without us,” it also ensures the standards we develop meet the real and immediate needs of the community.
With the support of Canadians, our Board of Directors is proud to be able to contribute to ensuring that Accessibility Standards Canada leads the way toward a barrier-free Canada by 2040.
From the Chief Executive Officer
We have a critical mandate to help achieve a barrier-free Canada by 2040. To achieve this, we develop equity-based accessibility standards and advance accessibility research.
In 2023, we made great progress on the delivery of our mandate and priorities. This has set the stage for the activities planned for 2024 to 2025:
-
the advancement of 16 standards that are currently at different stages of development
- the publication of our first 2 finalized standards
- 2 more opportunities for Canadians to provide feedback on draft standards
- the creation of 2 new technical committees; 1 standard developed in partnership with the International Code Council.
What we are doing at Accessibility Standards Canada—and how we do it—is nothing short of a cultural transformation. This is because we place a lot of value on inclusion, lived experience, and collaboration.
We incorporate these values into all areas of our work. From the selection of the members of our technical committees and our hiring of staff, to the standards development process, from initial concept to publication.
We know that people are made up of many different identities. That is why we develop standards using an intersectional lens (see definition of intersectionality). We engage with people with lived experience because they are the experts on the needs of the groups they represent. These people include allies and a wide range of industry experts.
We manage our organization by leading by example. People with disabilities lead our work at all levels, from our Board of Directors and employees to the members who serve on our standards development technical committees.
We built our workplace to be as accessible as possible. It was designed by people with disabilities to set the standard for accessible office spaces. We took into account the diversity of disabilities too.
As a result, we now operate at full capacity, inclusively, and we deliver world-class results. However, we cannot do this alone. Collaboration is essential to create an accessible and inclusive Canada. It is important to share our expertise and learn from others, especially when we all have a common goal.
This year, we will continue to work closely with the following:
-
Other departments, agencies, and various levels of government. This work will help us lift barriers and promote consistency across Canada.
- National standards development organizations: These help us to directly impact hundreds of existing and new standards and create a culture shift in Canada.
- Organizations on the international stage: We do this to share best practices and knowledge and influence change.
We are working to achieve nothing less than a transformation. Advancing this level of change means we must raise awareness and help change peoples’ mindsets. We strive to do both.
This plan summarizes our priorities for the coming year and how we plan to advance accessibility. We want to create change now—for you and for all of us.
Plans to deliver on core responsibilities and internal services
Core responsibilities and internal services
Our organization has only one core responsibility, Accessibility Standards which is supported by internal services as indicated below.
Core responsibility: Accessibility standards
In this section
Description
The following description is taken from our 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.
- Provides best practices used to identify, remove, and prevent accessibility barriers.
Quality of life impacts
Our core responsibility is to develop accessibility standards. This work contributes to various domains and indicators listed in the Quality of Life Framework for Canada.
Our mandate focuses on people with disabilities. All of our standards contribute to justice and human rights for people with disabilities. This is because our standards ensure that people with disabilities are treated equally, fairly and with dignity. They also ensure that people with disabilities have equal access to all goods and services enjoyed by all Canadians.
This contributes to the good governance domain, with 2 quality of life indicators namely:
- life satisfaction for people with disabilities
- sense of meaning and purpose
For more details of other domains and quality of life indicators, see table 1 below:
Table 1: Contribution to Quality of Life Framework for Canada — breakdown by standard
|
Core responsibility |
Standard (s) title |
Related quality of life framework domain |
Related quality of life indicators |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Accessibility Standards |
Prosperity |
|
|
|
Accessibility Standards |
Health |
|
|
|
Accessibility Standards |
|
Society |
|
|
Accessibility Standards |
Society |
|
|
|
Accessibility Standards |
Environment |
|
|
|
Accessibility Standards |
Environment |
|
|
|
Accessibility Standards |
|
Good governance |
|
Results and Targets
We will work toward achieving the following key results. These results fall within our core responsibility.
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 initiate the process for it to become a regulation. When that happens, all federally regulated organizations must follow the standard.
Creating a new standard can take 2 years or more. It is an ongoing process. Our long-term plan for this work is found in our Roadmap to 2040.
Between April 2024 and March 2025, we will:
- publish the following standards:
- conduct public reviews for the following standards:
- recruit members for 2 new technical committees. These committees will focus on developing standards on accessible tourism and accessible procurement processes.
- continue to support the technical committees as they advance the standards under development:
- existing built environment
- outdoor spaces
- plain language
- employment
- emergency measures
- emergency egress (exit)
- wayfinding and signage
- accessible travel journey
- accessible and equitable artificial intelligence systems
- information and communication technology products and services
- design and delivery of accessible programs and services including customer service
- model standard for the built environment – accessibility for federally regulated entities as defined in theAccessible Canada Act
- develop the acoustics in the built environment standard jointly with the International Code Council.
- revise the accessible design for self-service interactive devices including automated banking machines (CSA/ASC B651.2).This standard is 1 of 3 that we developed jointly with CSA Group.
2. Research informs the next generation of standards.
Supporting research is a key part of our mandate. To advance research, we collaborate with other organizations. This informs our standards. It also encourages other organizations to adopt the standards we develop.
To achieve this result in the 2024 to 2025 fiscal year, we will do the following:
- Continue to have the Board of Directors identify and approve the research priorities for the 2026 to 2027 fiscal year. The Board will also decide which research areas to fund. These funding decisions will be based on input from the public and stakeholders.
- Visit some of the funded research organizations to discuss the research projects we have funded. This will help us to monitor progress to ensure the project deliverables are being met. It will also enable us to make in-person connections.
- Launch another call for proposals for accessibility-related research projects. This call will be for projects that would start in the 2025 to 2026 fiscal year. We will select suitable projects and sign funding agreements with the successful applicants.
- Continue to refine our 2-step process for proposals. In the first step, we identify qualifying proposals earlier in the application process. Only those applicants are invited to submit full proposals. This reduces the administrative burden on applicants. It also makes applying for research funding more efficient.
- Review and assess the research reports for the projects that were completed between April 2020 and March 2024.
3. Organizations and the public have access to online information.
In the 2024 to 2025 fiscal year, we will take the following important steps to expand our network:
- Continue to maintain and update our Centre of Expertise, which is hosted on our website. This information hub enables the public to:
- learn about our standards and research projects, and
- obtain reports for completed research projects.
- Continue to make completed reports available on demand through the Centre of Expertise. We will also implement tools to allow users to better identify new content.
- Add more information to our website aimed at helping our funded researchers meet the requirements of our grants and contributions program. We will provide answers to commonly asked questions and ensure they have the tools they need to deliver their project.
- Continue to extend our reach via social media. We will follow a detailed social media calendar to regularly share relevant information with the public.
- Participate in federal interdepartmental meetings and communities of practice. This will help us share accessibility practices across the Government of Canada.
4. The organization’s work in standards increases opportunities for collaboration in advancing a Canada without barriers.
In the 2024 to 2025 fiscal year, we will increase opportunities for collaboration.
We will expand and strengthen our partnerships with others in the private and public sectors, including all levels of government. This will include partnering with local, national, and international disability organizations.
Activities:
- Hold our fourth annual public meeting in 2024.
- Implement our new 3-year Stakeholder Engagement Strategy (2024 to 2027).
- Continue to engage with people with disabilities and other experts. Do this through meetings, conferences, and other public events. This will inform our work and priorities.
- Continue to expand and extend our engagement with equity-seeking groups, including marginalized groups.
- Raise awareness about published standards and encourage voluntary adoption. Do this by continuing to partner and engage with federally regulated entities, industry, and other stakeholders. Focus on those stakeholders that will be impacted by standards.
- Continue to engage with provincial and territorial governments. Work to increase collaborative opportunities.
- Seek new partnerships to encourage the adoption of the standards we create.
- Continue to engage with Indigenous communities, including Indigenous disability organizations and territorial governments.
- Continue to participate in international events. Develop relationships with foreign entities that are leading discussions on accessibility. This will raise our organization’s profile on the international stage.
The following table shows, for each departmental result, the performance indicator, the results from the 3 most recently reported fiscal years, the targets and target dates to achieve the results.
Table 2: Departmental results, performance indicators and targets
|
Departmental result |
Indicator |
2020 to 2021 result |
2021 to 2022 result |
2022 to 2023 result |
Target |
Date to achieve target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Standards in priority areas contribute to the removal of accessibility barriers. |
The number of new or revised standards in priority areas. These are the standards that we developed, co-developed or funded. |
0 |
0 |
3 |
1 to 3 |
March 2025 |
|
Research informs the next generation of standards. |
The percentage of funding invested by the organization in research and development (R&D) projects. These projects influence the standards development priorities and accessibility standards. |
100% |
100% |
100% |
75% to 85% of funding |
March 2026 |
|
Organizations and the public access online information about:
|
Number of unique views of this information. This information is generated from funded projects or our other work. For example:
|
9,300 |
39,861 |
14,600 |
7,000 to 12,000 unique views |
March 2023 |
|
The organization’s work in standards increases opportunities for collaboration in advancing a Canada without barriers. |
Number of collaborative activities with:
· other standard development organizations or industries |
3 |
16 |
16 |
10 to 15 activities |
March 2025 |
The financial, human resources and performance information for Accessibility Standards Canada’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.
Plans to achieve results
Table 3: Planned departmental results and how we will achieve them
|
Planned result |
How we will achieve the planned result |
|---|---|
|
Standards in priority areas contribute to the removal of accessibility barriers. |
|
|
Research informs the next generation of standards. |
|
|
Organizations and the public can access online information about:
|
|
|
The organization’s work in standards increases opportunities for collaboration in advancing a Canada without barriers. |
|
Key risks and mitigating actions
The organization has been successful in laying a strong foundation from which to deliver its mandate. However, this has not been without risks. Below we highlight the key risks and mitigating actions.
Delays in developing standards
This could happen for several reasons, such as:
- failure to recruit qualified technical committee members
- operational backlogs
- too many demands on technical committee members (member fatigue), or
- delayed public reviews.
We are mitigating the risk of delay by applying international best practices in the management of technical committees. In addition, the standards development team is encouraged to keep the lines of communication open with the committees. This is to ensure that committee capabilities and commitments are in line with the goals and objectives of the Board.
Standards are not regulations and enforcing compliance would be difficult
The standards we develop are not enforceable by law. To become mandatory, a reference to a standard must be added to an Act or other legislation so that regulations can be developed. However, there is no guarantee that our standards will become regulations (and therefore enforceable). Also, the process of converting a standard to legislation could be lengthy and political. The organization will mitigate the risk of non-compliance by seeking ministerial support to set standards on a path toward regulation.
Provincial and territorial governments may decide not to adopt or harmonize with our standards, thus reducing their impact
The standards we develop are for federally regulated entities. Provincial and territorial governments have their own legislative powers. Therefore, there is a risk that some of our standards may not be adopted or harmonized by some provincial or territorial governments. This would reduce the effectiveness of our standards in addressing accessibility barriers at a national level. We are mitigating this risk by seeking partnerships with all provincial and territorial governments to encourage harmonization for maximum impact.
Delays in addressing Indigenous accessibility issues
Indigenous communities have a unique history. This has left them disproportionately affected by disabilities. This increases the risk that their accessibility issues may not be addressed at the same rate as other communities in Canada. We will mitigate this risk by building partnerships with Indigenous communities and territorial governments. We will also build partnerships with researchers and research institutions that focus on Indigenous accessibility issues.
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. This makes it possible for them to 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.
High staff turnover
There is always a possibility that key staff will leave for better opportunities elsewhere. This risk is greater for small organizations like Accessibility Standards Canada, as there are limited opportunities for career growth. We are mitigating this risk by creating a robust succession plan.
Snapshot of planned resources in 2024 to 2025
- Planned spending: $21,340,259
- Planned full-time resources: 58
Related government priorities
Gender-based analysis plus (GBA Plus)
People with disabilities are diverse. That is why we encourage diversity and awareness of intersectionality (see definition) among our leadership, technical committees and staff. The work of our Board of Directors and committees must reflect the needs of all Canadians living with disabilities.
Half of the people serving on our Board (50%) are people with disabilities. People with disabilities also serve on our technical committees. A total of 52% of these members are people with disabilities. Women and other equity-seeking groups make up 54% of members. These equity groups include visible minorities and members of the Indigenous and LGBTQ2+ communities. Both seniors and youth serve on committees.
Canadians from all walks of life can take part in the public review of our standards. This includes people of all ages and genders. They can also promote the adoption of our standards.
We remain committed to an inclusive approach to developing standards. We want to make Canada stronger and more accessible.
We will continue to require those applying to our grants and contributions program to explain how they will include intersectionality (GBA Plus analysis) in the planning and delivery of their projects. This requirement will be reflected in signed agreements with funding recipients.
United Nations 2030 Agenda for sustainable development and the UN sustainable development goals
Accessibility Standards Canada is committed to contributing to the United Nations (UN) Agenda. For full details on our commitments, please see our 2023 to 2027 departmental sustainable development strategy.
Program inventory
Accessibility Standards is supported by the following programs:
1. Standards development
This program:
- Develops standards through technical committees.
- Promotes and manages grants and contributions to conduct research that identifies and removes existing accessibility barriers and prevents new accessibility barriers.
- Manages and maintains the accreditation status of the organization as a standards development organization.
- Collaborates with and supports the participation of provincial and territorial governments.
2. Outreach and knowledge application
This program:
- Engages with stakeholders and the public. This is done to raise awareness of accessibility standards.
- Takes part in the public consultation process on draft accessibility standards.
- Collaborates on best practices and attending events.
The program also includes sharing information about new or revised accessibility standards, research, and our products and services.
It should be noted, however, that program delivery is supported by internal services. While internal services is not a program in its own right, it is essential to the effective delivery of programs.
Supporting information on planned expenditures, human resources, and results related to Accessibility Standards Canada’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.
Internal services
Details
Description
Internal services are functions that are provided within a department to enable it 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
- real property management
- information technology
- materiel management
- acquisition management
Plans to achieve internal services results
Planned results
Communications services
We will continue to communicate with the public, Board members, and staff. We will implement our communication strategy and continue to improve our communication tools. We will do the following:
- Collaborate with other federal government portfolio partners. We will participate in federal interdepartmental meetings and communities of practice. This will help us increase accessibility practices across the Government of Canada.
- Add tools to our Centre of Expertise to make it easier to identify new content.
- Add more information to our website aimed at helping our funded researchers meet the requirements of our grants and contributions program. We will provide answers to commonly asked questions and ensure they have the tools they need to deliver their project.
- Continue to 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.
- Increase our on-site presence at various events, through booths and real-time communications, especially on social media.
Real property
Our organization continues to lead on accessibility. Our office space was designed using universal design principles. The office now serves as a model of accessibility within the federal government. We will continue to maintain our office space to accommodate the needs of people with disabilities.
The office also supports sustainability. For example, it has automated fixtures and lighting to minimize the use of water and electricity. This is in line with the government’s efforts toward sustainability and responsible consumption.
Information technology and information management
We will:
- expand the availability of accessible business tools
- improve the technology used by employees with disabilities, and
- review our file-sharing practices and provide more options for employees.
Procurement
We will continue to align our procurement policies and directives with those of the Government of Canada. We will provide training for procurement staff on green procurement.
Human resources
In the 2024 to 2025 fiscal year, we will improve and strengthen our human resources policies and related activities. We will do the following:
- Provide mandatory Indigenous sensitivity training.
- Raise employee awareness of the importance of equity, diversity, and inclusion. We will provide training on identifying unconscious bias and combating discrimination.
- Continue to work with interdepartmental networks and groups that focus on hiring people with disabilities and other equity-seeking groups.
- Continue to promote the use of the federal government’s Virtual Door to Talent with Disabilities tool. This enables us to access talent from the Public Service Commission’s inventory of graduates with disabilities.
Table 4: Internal services results and how we will achieve them
|
Planned result |
How we will achieve the planned result |
|---|---|
|
Effective communications |
We will:
|
|
Sustainable and inclusive office space |
We will:
|
|
A culture that is sensitive to green procurement processes |
We will:
|
|
An inclusive and supportive work culture. |
We will:
|
Snapshot of planned resources in 2024 to 2025
- Planned spending: $21,340,259
- Planned full-time resources: 58
Related government priorities
Planning for contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses
Accessibility Standards Canada is a phase 3 organization. We will report on contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses as set out in Appendix E to the Directive on the Management of Procurement. This will begin in the 2025 to 2026 fiscal year. We are a young organization established only 4 years ago. Until now, our focus has been on establishing the organizational infrastructure.
We are in the process of establishing partnerships with researchers and research institutions focused on Indigenous accessibility issues. We plan to increase research funding dedicated to these issues as we continue to grow. This was highlighted in our 2023 to 2027 departmental sustainable development strategy.
Planned spending and human resources
This section provides an overview of Accessibility Standards Canada’s planned spending and human resources for the next 3 fiscal years and compares planned spending for 2024 to 2025 with actual spending from previous years.
Spending
Spending by core responsibility in 2024 to 2025.
The following chart summarizes the Accessibility Standards Canada’s planned spending by core responsibility.
Figure 1: Spending by core responsibility
The majority of our funding will be spent on our core responsibility – Accessibility Standards, anticipated at $15.5M. This includes funding for Grants and Contributions, which makes up $8.5M of the $15.5M total.
Figure 2: Bar Chart of Planned Spending for the upcoming year
The organization has one core responsibility, Accessibility Standards. An estimated 73.1% of the spending is on our core responsibility and 26.9% on internal services.
Actual spending 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 the previous 3 fiscal years. Amounts for the current fiscal year are forecasted based on spending to date.
Table 5: Actual spending summary for core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)
|
Core responsibilities and internal services |
2021 to 2022 actual expenditures |
2022 to 2023 actual expenditures |
2023 to 2024 forecast spending |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Accessibility Standards |
11,402,542 |
14,404,000 |
15,992,769 |
|
Subtotal |
11,402,542 |
14,404,000 |
15,992,769 |
|
Internal services |
5,098,072 |
4,662,600 |
6,059,222 |
|
Total |
16,500,614 |
19,066,600 |
22,051,991 |
The organization has significantly increased operations during recent years, as evidenced by more efficient use of resources. With a solid foundation of staffing and internal processes for hiring and procurement, spending will be in line with funding for the foreseeable future.
Budgetary planning summary for core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)
Table 6 provides information on spending for Accessibility Standards Canada’s core responsibility and for its internal services. It covers the next 3 fiscal years.
Table 6: Budgetary planning summary for core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)
|
Core responsibilities and internal services |
2024 to 2025 budgetary spending (as indicated in Main Estimates) |
2024 to 2025 planned spending |
2025 to 2026 planned spending |
2026 to 2027 planned spending |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Accessibility Standards |
15,599,259 |
15,599,259 |
15,635,564 |
15,635,564 |
|
Subtotal |
15,599,259 |
15,599,259 |
15,635,564 |
15,635,564 |
|
Internal services |
5,741,000 |
5,741,000 |
5,770,359 |
5,770,359 |
|
Total |
21,340,259 |
21,340,259 |
21,405,923 |
21,405,923 |
The table indicates the planned spending for the fiscal years 2024 to 2026.
Funding
Departmental spending (from the 2021 to 2022 to the 2026 to 2027 fiscal year)
The following graph presents our planned spending (voted and statutory expenditures) over time.
Figure 3: Planned Voted and Statutory Spending
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 2023 to 2024, resources have reached a steady state. A significant increase in Grants and Contributions funding is included in the ramp up of programs
Estimates by vote
Information on Accessibility Standards Canada’s organizational appropriations is available in the 2024 to 2025 Main Estimates.
Future-oriented condensed statement of operations
The future-oriented condensed statement of operations gives an overview of Accessibility Standards Canada’s operations from the 2023 to 2024 to 2024 to 2025 fiscal years.
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. Therefore, amounts may 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.
Table 7: Future-oriented condensed statement of operations for the year ending March 31, 2025 (dollars)
|
2023 to 2024 forecast results |
2024 to 2025 planned results |
Difference (2024 to 2025 planned results minus 2023 to 2024 forecast results) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Total expenses |
22,397,101 |
22,088,962 |
(308,139) |
|
Total revenues |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Net cost of operations before government funding and transfers |
22,397,101 |
22,088,962 | (308,139) |
Human resources
Actual human resources summary for core responsibilities and internal services. The following table shows information on human resources, in full-time equivalents (FTEs), for Accessibility Standards Canada’s core responsibilities and for its internal services for the previous three fiscal years. Human resources for the current fiscal year are forecasted based on year to date.
Table 8: Actual human resources summary for core responsibilities and internal services
|
Core responsibilities and internal services |
2021 to 2022 actual full‑time equivalents |
2022 to 2023 actual full‑time equivalents |
2023 to 2024 forecasted full‑time equivalents |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Accessibility Standards |
34 |
35 |
38 |
|
Subtotal |
34 |
35 |
38 |
|
Internal services |
16 |
22 |
23 |
|
Total |
50 |
57 |
61 |
Human resources planning summary for core responsibilities and internal services
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 planned for the 2024 to 2025 fiscal year and future years.
Table 9: Human resources planning summary for core responsibilities and internal services
|
Core responsibilities and internal services |
2024 to 2025 planned full‑time equivalents |
2025 to 2026 planned full‑time equivalents |
2026 to 2027 planned full‑time equivalents |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Accessibility Standards |
40 |
40 |
40 |
|
Subtotal |
40 |
40 |
40 |
|
Internal services |
18 |
18 |
18 |
|
Total |
58 |
58 |
58 |
Corporate information
Organizational profile
Appropriate minister(s): The Honourable Kamal Khera, M.P.
Institutional head: Mr. Philip Rizcallah, Chief Executive Officer
Chairperson:Mr.Paul-Claude Bérubé
Ministerial portfolio: Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities.
Enabling instrument(s): The Accessible Canada Act
Year of incorporation / Commencement: 2019
Other: We have a 9-member Board of Directors. It includes a Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson. The Board supervises Accessibility Standards Canada. 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. 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 human, financial, and material resources.
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 mandate letter for the Chairperson of the Board of Directors.
The Board guides the organization’s work in accordance with the organization’s mandate.
Mandate
Our mandate is set out in section 18 of the Accessible Canada Act:
Accessibility Standards Canada’s mandate is to contribute to the realization of a Canada without barriers, on or before January 1, 2040, through, among other things:
- the development and revision of accessibility standards.
- the recommendation of accessibility standards to the Minister.
- the provision of information, products and services in relation to the accessibility standards that it has developed or revised.
- the promotion, support and conduct of research into the identification and removal of barriers and the prevention of new barriers.
- 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
See GC InfoBase for:
- the Accessibility Standards Canada’s Departmental Results Framework, and
- program inventory.
The current results framework and program inventory are approved for the 2024 to 2025 fiscal year.
Organizational contact information
Telephone: 1-833-854-7628
Email: info.accessibility.standards-normes.accessibilite.info@canada.gc.ca
Website: https://accessible.canada.ca/
Mailing address:
Accessibility Standards Canada
320 St-Joseph Boulevard, Suite 246
Gatineau, QC J8Y 3Y8
Supplementary information tables
The following supplementary information tables are available on our website:
Information on our departmental sustainable development strategy is also available on our website.
Federal tax expenditures
Accessibility Standards Canada’s Departmental Plan does not include information on tax expenditures.
Tax expenditures are the responsibility of the Minister of Finance. Each year, the Department of Finance Canada publishes cost estimates and projections for government‑wide tax expenditures in the Report on Federal Tax Expenditures. This report provides detailed information on tax expenditures. These include objectives, historical background, and references to related federal spending programs. These also include evaluations, research papers, and Gender-based Analysis Plus analyses.
Appendix: definitions
List of terms
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.
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.
Indigenous business
As defined and set out in the federal government’s Supply Manual (Annex 9.4: Requirements for the Set-aside Program for Indigenous Business), on the Public Services and Procurement Canada website in accordance with the Government of Canada’s commitment that a mandatory minimum target of 5% of the total value of contracts is awarded to Indigenous businesses annually.
intersectionality (intersectionnalité)
A framework for understanding how aspects of a person’s identity (such as sex, gender, age, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and ability) intersect (combine) to create particular forms of discrimination and privilege.
nothing without us
This is the philosophy of the community of people with disabilities. It means that people with disabilities must participate fully in decisions that affect them.
non budgetary expenditures (dépenses non budgétaires)
This refers to 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 compared to what the organization intended to achieve, and how well lessons learned have been identified.
plan (plan)
The articulation of strategic choices that provide 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)
The 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.