Accessibility Plan Progress Report 2024
ISSN 2818-0119 (Online)
Catalogue No. J76-10E-PDF
Creating a culture of belonging for employees with a disability
Table of Contents
- Introduction and Land Acknowledgement
- General
- Glossary
- Employment
- The Built Environment
- Information and Communication Technologies
- Communication, other than Information and Communication Technologies
- The Procurement of Goods, Services and Facilities
- The Design and Delivery of Programs and Services
- Transportation
- Consultations
- Feedback
- Conclusion
Introduction and Land Acknowledgement
As Accessibility Officer for the Public Prosecution Service of Canada (PPSC), it is a privilege to present our department’s second progress report.
During the past year, I focused on the creation and implementation of our Accessibility Support Centre (ASC), which provides expert advice on the duty to accommodate for employees with a disability, an injury, or an illness as well as their supervisors and managers.
I worked closely with the co-leads of our National Council of Employees for Persons with a disability (NCE PwD), to organize live events and communications to continue the much-needed culture change that is well underway in our department.
It is imperative that we continue to build a workplace culture that is free from stigma, bias, ableism, harassment, and discrimination. Moving forward, we will not only focus on training supervisors and managers on their duty to accommodate, but also look at finding new ways of integrating accessibility systematically in all decision planning processes and policies. We are seeing some improvement as we are trying to influence the adoption of a social model of disability. We continue to promote the GC Workplace Accessibility Passport as an integral part of the accommodation process but need to get better at using it as a tool to facilitate the recruitment and retention of persons with a disability, an injury, or an illness.
As we embark on a new year and begin thinking about the Accessibility Plan 2026–2028, I am hopeful that the voices of our employees will continue to be heard and considered by supervisors and managers when accommodations are required. I commit to working on reducing turnaround times for the provision of accommodations provided through the ASC. My hope for the next year is that a greater number of our employees will feel comfortable self-identifying and contacting the ASC for guidance and support. Our goal is to build a workplace where accessibility becomes a reality for all employees.
I acknowledge Canada as the land of the First Peoples (Nations), Inuit and Métis. I pay homage to the Indigenous Peoples, past, present, and future who continue to work, educate, and contribute to the strength of this country. I recognize land that is shared through historical treaties, developed through contemporary treaties and land that continues to be unceded territory.
Norma Pavoni
General
Any feedback regarding barriers at the PPSC, or any questions related to the implementation of our accessibility plan and progress reports, may be sent by using any of the means listed below. Feedback may be provided anonymously. Feedback will be acknowledged through the same means by which it was received unless it was received anonymously.
- By mail
- Name
- Norma Pavoni, Pronouns: She, Her
- Title
- National Liaison EDIA and Accessibility Officer
Advancement Centre for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility
Public Prosecution Service of Canada, Government of Canada - Address
- 160 Elgin Street, 12th Floor, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0H8
- By email
- PPSCAccessibilityFeedback@ppsc-sppc.gc.ca
- Toll-free telephone number
- 1-833-791-1086
- Please leave a detailed message for the Accessibility Officer. Should you wish to leave your contact information, a member of the ASC will return the call within 72 hours. You may also leave an anonymous message.
- Via social media
This document is available in alternate formats upon request.
Such formats include, but are not limited to print, large print, Braille, audio format or an electronic format that is compatible with adaptive technology that is intended to assist persons with a disability.
Glossary
- ACA
- Accessible Canada Act
- ACEDIA
- Advancement Centre for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility
- ASC
- Accessibility Support Centre
- BAP
- Better Accommodation Project
- Barrier
- As per the Accessible Canada Act, can mean anything — including anything physical, architectural, technological or attitudinal, anything that is based on information or communications or anything that is the result of a policy or a practice — that hinders the full and equal participation in society of persons with an impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication or sensory impairment or a functional limitation.
- Disability
- As per the Accessible Canada Act, is defined as any impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication or sensory impairment — or a functional limitation — whether permanent, temporary or episodic in nature, or evident or not, that, in interaction with a barrier, hinders a person’s full and equal participation in society.
- DTA
- Duty to accommodate
- EDIA
- Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility
- IT
- Information Technology
- NAAW
- National AccessAbility Week
- MCA
- Multidisciplinary Committee on Accessibility
- NCE
- National Council of Employees
- NCE PwD
- National Council of Employees for Persons with a Disability
- OPSA
- Office of Public Service Accessibility
- PPSC
- Public Prosecution Service of Canada
- PSC
- Public Service Commission
- PwD
- Person with a disability
- TM
- Talent Management
Employment
Through our newly created Accessibility Support Centre (ASC), we continue to raise awareness and educate employees. We are working at improving timeliness and effectiveness in our approach to providing employees with the supports they need to succeed in their jobs. We are trying to ensure a more seamless duty to accommodate (DTA) process for all involved. To get there, we are facilitating conversations and supporting both the employee and their manager in coming to a mutually agreeable solution.
In the fall, we obtained approval from senior management to set Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (EDIA) staffing and performance commitments for subdelegated managers to address gaps both at the regional and national levels. The Advancement Centre for EDIA and the Human Resources Directorate recommended that each regional office/directorate commit to hiring at least one PwD from outside the public service, in support of the Accessibility Strategy for the Public Service. Currently at the PPSC, the greatest national gap exists for PwD. The Accessibility Strategy commits all departments to staff 5,000 new public servants with a disability by 2025, and we need to do our part by hiring 39 in total.
During the past year, we continued our efforts to promote and implement the GC Workplace Accessibility Passport, namely during one-on-one conversations with employees or managers. Once the digital version of the Passport becomes available in 2025, we will work with our NCE PwD to relaunch this tool which will become an integral part of the accommodation process.
A new internal order was recently created to help us track expenses related to accessibility and the duty to accommodate for PwD in all regional offices, as the ASC does not currently have its own centralized budget.
We continue engaging and connecting with colleagues in various departments to discuss issues, share best practices and success stories, and develop new and innovative ideas. As such, we seem to be one of the only departments who currently offers, as a pilot project, coaching to neurodivergent employees who require assistance with executive functioning skills.
We share activities and events planned by Infinity, the Network for Neurodivergent Public Servants. One of our NCE co-chairs, Joshua Hunt, was elected as steering committee representative, regional representative for the North.
Since March 2024, we are proud to contribute to the work of the Better Accommodation Project (BAP) Advisory Group led by Deputy Minister Champion for Federal Employees with Disabilities, Tina Namiesniowski. This group meets regularly and will start identifying priority areas for testing solutions and/or developing tools and resources for the federal public service.
Over the past year, we saw a slight increase in self-identification for PwD.
Text version
- PeopleSoft June 2022: 75 employees
- PeopleSoft June 2023: 87 employees
- PeopleSoft June 2024: 93 employees
Since January 1, 2024, the ASC has provided guidance and support to 100 employees.
As of January 1, 2024, the PPSC hired 13 PwD. This includes hires from both outside and inside the public sector. There are five PwD that have left the PPSC since.
From January 1, 2024, to October 1, 2024, the promotion rate for PwD is at 5.88%. In 2023, the promotion rate was at 0.3%.
Since January 1, 2024, HR Staffing has managed 16 accommodation requests received during an appointment process. Out of the 16 requests, 15 were granted and one was withdrawn by the candidate once they realized they did not have a barrier. In some cases, HR Staffing consulted with the ASC or the Personal Psychology Center of the Public Service Commission to determine how best to accommodate the candidates. Those recommendations were always followed.
Barriers Worked on in 2024
- PwD complain of long wait times and burdensome accommodation process.
- PwD have a level of fear and discomfort in raising concerns about barriers.
- There is a sense of an attitude in the department that an accommodation is a “special favour” that can be granted, withheld, or cancelled at any time.
- Not enough developmental opportunities offered to PwD, thus preventing them from qualifying for promotions.
- Lack of information about opportunities and mechanisms for staffing and talent management.
- Assessment methods can be barriers to PwD.
- Some non-advertised staffing processes may limit opportunities for PwD.
Key Actions by Senior Management
- Funded two full-time resources for the ASC as well as a casual AS-01 resource.
- Supported the NCE PwD and provided a budget in the amount of $6,500 for national events.
- Shared messages with all employees:
- Launch of the new ASC.
- Two messages regarding the return to office, one of which included a special section on the ASC.
- A message from newly appointed Director of Public Prosecutions, George Dolhai, mentioning that we need to plan for welcoming and functional accommodations.
- Held a special meeting with the Executive Council to promote the ASC and discuss the social model of disability.
Key Actions by HR
- The new “Assessment Board Attestation and Consent Form” allows us to gather diversity factors to create diverse assessment boards and encourages board members to take the Canada School of Public Service course, COR 120.
- Staffing Advisors are well versed on the “Guide for Assessing PwD” and other resources for fair assessments and share relevant content with hiring managers as needed.
- Started integrating universal design principles into assessment processes, for example, by asking candidates their preferred official language of assessment and only providing the assessment in their language of choice, instead of providing them with a denser, bilingual version.
- A new guide on “How to Conduct an Informal Discussion” is in the draft stage and will include a review of accommodations.
- Invited LiveWorkPlay to present their services to the Staffing Community and the ASC.
- Our current guide on choice of process provides maximum flexibility to hiring managers to choose the process that is best suited for their situation. It is expected that the approved diversity commitments will provide more incentive for hiring managers to increase the appointments and promotion of PwD.
- A Talent Management (TM) framework, with a section on Succession Planning, has been drafted. The draft framework was presented to the NCE PwD to seek feedback prior to its finalization.
- A complete review of the employee onboarding process is currently underway and will include practices and processes to support PwD.
- New onboarding documents will include information and resources on accessibility. Alternative formats will be available in the coming months.
- The redesign of the Federal Prosecutor Development Program includes pedagogical approaches based on accessibility and plain language. Diversified learning solutions will be offered to learners.
- Letters of offer now include information on the GC Workplace Accessibility Passport and the role of the ASC.
Key Actions by the ASC and the NCE PwD
- Implemented a new ASC to support employees with a disability, an injury, or an illness as well as their supervisors and managers. This centre sits outside of HR.
- Finalized service standards for the newly created ASC.
- Contracted the services of two coaches to assist neurodivergent employees who require support with executive functioning.
- Worked with our communications team to create a new intranet page for the ASC.
- Prepared and published various resources for employees on the ASC’s new intranet page.
- Published articles in the internal newsletter, the PPSC Insider:
- Introducing our New Accessibility Support Centre.
- “Is Justice in Ontario really blind?,” describing the experiences of a blind prosecutor in the Ontario Regional Office.
- “Talking Accessibility: Breaking Barriers,” promoting the work of the Office of the Chef Accessibility Officer, a series of stories and conversations about what accessibility really means.
- Special Considerations for Employees with a Disability, an Injury or an Illness who need to Travel for Work.
- Sent a communication written by a senior counsel with a traumatic brain injury, in honour of Brain Injury Awareness Month.
- Sent a communication written by an NCE co-chair on Brain Cancer Awareness Day, describing his lived experience.
- Sent daily communications to raise awareness during National AccessAbility Week (NAAW) 2024.
- Hosted a special live event with Tara Beaton, Workplace Accessibility and Neurodiversity Specialist, on neurodiverse communications, performance, and mental health at work.
- Hosted a special live event during NAAW 2024 with Dr. Rebecca Gewurtz, Associate Professor from the School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University, to present “Promising Occupational Therapy Contributions to Building Inclusive Workplaces and Supporting Workplace Accessibility.”
- For International Day of PwD, hosted a special event to promote employees with a hearing and/or speech impairment and explained expected behaviours of allies.
- Offered three training sessions to supervisors and managers regarding the new ASC. A total of 132 supervisors/managers attended.
The Built Environment
Facilities Management and Accommodation Services Unit (FMA) conducted assessments and ensured collaboration, whenever possible, with members of the NCE PwD, as well as Regional Office Managers. Although the ASC has not received the final assessment reports, it was brought to our attention that some office furniture is too bulky, making it difficult for employees to circulate in tight spaces. These assessments also brought to light the fact that some offices replaced furniture without consulting with FMA, resulting in spaces which are not fully accessible. These situations will be remediated over time.
Once we receive the final assessment reports, we will develop an operational plan and focus on priorities over the next couple of years. We will also look at the possibility of setting up multi-purpose wellness rooms in each of our offices. These inclusive rooms could be used as quiet rooms or mindfulness rooms for a person requiring a break from stimuli. They could also be useful for a person needing a few minutes for meditation or breath work or be used as multi-faith rooms to promote religious inclusion.
It is important to note that, to date, we do not track accommodation requests sent directly to FMA. We instead focus our efforts on working collaboratively with FMA to facilitate and implement various accommodation requests. The most common requests were for sit-stand desks, ergonomic chairs, the assignment of an office or workstation (either temporary or permanent) as well as ergonomic equipment for telework.
Barriers Worked on in 2024
- For employees who have difficulties with the built environment, alternative work arrangements should be provided on a case-by-case basis.
- Some boardrooms are not fully accessible.
- Some common areas are not fully accessible.
Key Actions by FMA
- In-person assessments were conducted in the following offices:
- British Columbia: Vancouver and Surrey
- Manitoba: Winnipeg
- Alberta: Calgary and Edmonton
- Ontario: Kitchener, Brampton and Toronto
- Ontario: Ottawa (Headquarters and National Capital Regional Office)
- Collaborated with the Multidisciplinary Committee on Accessibility (MCA) to provide an informal accommodation to an employee with a service dog.
- Ordered the last set of sit-stand desks for employees in our Winnipeg office. Installation will occur before March 31, 2025.
- Supported certain units/sections at Headquarters in ordering sit-stand desks for their teams in September 2024.
- Fixed the lighting in a boardroom at Headquarters and installed a dimmer.
- Oversaw the installation of two automatic door openers at our Whitehorse office.
- Managed a scent sensitivity issue at our Ontario Regional Office in collaboration with the landlord.
- Prepared a communication regarding the return to office for our Headquarters encouraging managers to use their supply budgets to procure headphones for employees and advising of a new quiet zone intended for those requiring concentration.
- Shared accessible evacuation plans for all offices on our intranet.
- Deployed a new access system for 12 offices with mass notification on the cloud, ensuring real-time notification of employees through various means (text, email, and personal phone) in the event of an emergency.
- In the process of drafting floor emergency officer lists for all offices. They will be published on our intranet.
- Oversaw the renovation of one of our buildings in British Columbia with new furniture to ensure accessibility.
Key Actions by the ASC
- Reviewed language used in all-staff communications sent by PPSC Security to ensure inclusivity.
- Held regular meetings with the FMA manager as well as the manager of security to follow up on various situations and ensure a quick response time.
- Updated and shared the Duty to Accommodate Guidance for Supervisors and Managers in line with the Direction on Prescribed Presence in the Workplace.
- Promoted the social model of disability as well as the Accessibility Strategy for the Public Service of Canada during one-on-one meetings with managers.
Information and Communication Technologies
We continue to work collaboratively with the Director of IT to find alternatives and meaningful solutions to accessibility requests.Building internal expertise and making sure sufficient resources are allocated to this pillar will remain a priority.
In the past year, we participated in 12 information sessions with the Accessibility, Accommodation, and Adaptive Computer Technology (AAACT) team at Shared Services Canada. We had a similar number of consultations in 2023. We continue to promote and share training sessions offered by AAACT.
In addition to having a brand new, accessible, and easy-to-navigate intranet, employees also have access to a new accessibility icon on their desktops. By clicking on this icon, employees, supervisors, and managers will find resources to support them in their accessibility journey. The icon also facilitates contacting the ASC, as well as the reporting of a barrier, which can be done in a confidential manner through our feedback mechanism. This feedback mechanism is promoted on a regular basis through email communications.
Barriers Worked on in 2024
- Lack of tracking user feedback on accessibility issues.
- Lack of awareness of services and accommodation available.
- Issues with using certain types of hardware.
- For some, the tablet is too small and inadequate for use in court and for working while travelling.
Key Actions by IT
- Updated IT policy regarding laptop replacement. Employees now have the discretion of choosing the tool that best suits their needs (tablet or laptop), and they will not need to justify their decision.
- Updated IT onboarding material to include a reference to the ASC.
- Increased collaboration with the ASC for the deployment of new tools either suggested by AAACT or requested by employees.
- Drafted and shared new internal guidelines on the use of Bluetooth devices.
Key Actions by the ASC
- Improved tracking on requests received via our confidential feedback form, generic email address, and toll-free number.
- Implemented a new SharePoint site for information sharing within the ASC.
- Assisted in the deployment of a new desktop icon to facilitate communication with the ASC and encourage the reporting of barriers.
- Participated in the creation of a new intranet page with information and resources for employees and managers.
Communication, other than Information and Communication Technologies
This pillar continues to see great improvement. Our communications team is developing expertise in the creation and publication of accessible documents and web pages, as well as on the use of plain language. Highlights from the past year include an increased collaboration for the development and publication of a new ASC section on our intranet, complete with a variety of resources for managers and employees, and the creation and launch of a new ASC icon, a quick link on all employees’ desktops that will guide them directly to the ASC resource page.
Barriers Worked on in 2024
- Improved accessibility in communications, especially for read aloud technologies.
- Increase use of plain language in communications.
Key Actions by Communications
- Prepared the Annual Report 2023–2024 with the lens of plain language. We made more progress on simplifying the language used that is traditionally complex.
- Continued to publish in an accessible format and apply the lens of plain language when preparing:
- The PPSC Insider, announcements, and other internal communications products.
- News releases and responses to reporters.
- Prepared responses using plain language for the questions that come into the PPSC Information email box.
- Took steps to ensure that products that go on our external website and social media channels are using plain language.
- Careers section was updated to improve navigation.
- Published an accessible and plain language infographic titled “Public Prosecutors in the Canadian Federal Criminal Justice Process” on our external website.
- Provided advice and recommendations on web accessibility to PPSC internal services sections, such as Finance and Acquisitions, Ministerial and Parliamentary Affairs, and Internal Audit and Evaluation.
- Updated and published an accessible format Tip Sheet to assist employees as they prepare an article for the internal newsletter, the PPSC Insider.
- Updated and published an accessible format Tip Sheet to assist employees in understanding how we prepare social media posts.
- Created and published in an accessible format the following tools:
- Web Accessibility Tip Sheet: Do’s and Don’ts
- Web Accessibility Checklist
- Supported one national announcement from the Director of Public Prosecutions addressing accessibility-related topics:
- “Update on Creating a More Accessible Workplace.”
- Published six articles in our internal corporate newsletter bringing awareness to accessibility-related topics:
- “Talking Accessibility: Breaking Barriers.”
- “Introducing our New Accessibility Support Centre.”
- “Finance and Acquisitions Directorate Committed to an Inclusive Workplace.”
- “Is Justice in Ontario really blind? My Experiences as a Blind Prosecutor in Ontario.”
- “What can the Accessibility Support Centre (ASC) do for employees with a disability, an injury or an illness and their managers?”
- “Special Considerations for Employees with a Disability, an Injury or an Illness who need to Travel for Work.”
- Improved the search engine on the PPSC intranet to make it easier for employees to find the information they need.
- Began the plain language review of external letters sent out by the National Fine Recovery Program and Human Resources recruitment teams.
Key Actions by the ASC and the NCE PwD
- Prepared and shared daily national communications highlighting National AccessAbility Week 2024.
- Continued to provide, for national events, an opportunity for employees to request accommodations such as American Sign Language and Quebec Sign Language interpretation, via a confidential poll.
- Started publishing a regular monthly column in the PPSC Insider called the “Accessibility Minute” to educate, raise awareness, and increase knowledge about the types of barriers experienced by PwD as well as the nature and impact of various disabilities.
- Created and published a detailed calendar of observances.
The Procurement of Goods, Services and Facilities
We have increased collaboration with our procurement experts to better support employees with a disability, an injury, or an illness. However, progress under this pillar was impacted by significant changes within this small team. Our department will continue to participate in the Accessible Procurement Agents of Change Community of Practice. We are hopeful that, within the next few months, we will establish a clear way forward to facilitate the procurement process for the implementation of contracts for service providers hired to assist our employees (for example, occupational therapists, and coaches specialized in neurodiversity).
Barrier Worked on in 2024
- Project or technical authorities do not have sufficient training or resources to understand how to incorporate accessibility into procurement conversations.
Key Actions by Procurement
- Sent quick tips to internal clients to expedite and facilitate the procurement process.
- The finalized accessibility form, officially replacing the standard Public Service and Procurement Canada accessibility justification form, will be published once it is reviewed by the new Chief Procurement Officer and its format deemed to be fully accessible.
Under Development
- Members of the procurement team will follow the introductory training entitled “How to consider and integrate accessibility in procurement” provided by Public Services and Procurement Canada’s Accessible Procurement Resource Centre and Shared Services Canada’s AAACT.
The Design and Delivery of Programs and Services
In our first accessibility plan, we looked into accessibility issues related to our National Fine Recovery Program (NFRP), which provides a service to Canadians. A new online payment solution for the collection of federal fines was launched in 2023, and four employees with a disability were given the opportunity to review and test the portal before it was made accessible to the public. A sole barrier was discovered, and work is ongoing to address it.
Barrier Worked on in 2024
- For an employee with a visual disability using a screen reader, the new NFRP portal was difficult to navigate.
Key Actions by IT
- Collaboration with the communications team on ensuring that the information pages meet accessibility standards.
- The Enterprise Solutions team has implemented numerous changes to enhance the overall functionality and user experience of the web application. However, specific efforts to address the compatibility issues with screen reader applications, such as Job Access with Speech (JAWS), were not tackled directly. There have been enough changes to the application, however, that it will require retesting to determine the status of the screen reader problem.
- The Enterprise Solutions team has engaged with AAACT to get their guidance and assistance in this area and how to set up testing and verification processes for web applications to function well with screen reader applications.
Transportation
Prosecutors, paralegals, and crown witness coordinators use different means of transportation to attend court, work with investigative agencies, and meet with witnesses and partners in various locations throughout the country.
Employees in the regions or headquarters also need to travel to participate in various trainings, perform audits, or take part in special activities.
Barriers Worked on in 2024
- Employees with a medical condition that require quick access to a restroom often feel vulnerable when travelling to remote locations.
- Having to rent a car, instead of being authorized to use their personal vehicle, may create difficulties for neurodivergent employees.
- Following an injury, it is possible for managers to approve a taxi service for employees on a hybrid work schedule to get to the office or the courthouse directly from home.
Key Actions by the ASC
- Consulted with internal collaborators and discussed various situations where employees may require accommodations when travelling.
- Prepared an article that was published in the November 2024 edition of the PPSC Insider. The communication urged supervisors and managers to give employees an opportunity to request accommodations when travelling for work and to consider all requests with flexibility, keeping in mind the social model of disability. It reiterated the fact that the ASC is available to provide expert advice on the DTA for PwD.
Consultations
Monthly meetings with the NCE PwD have continued throughout the past year, with a break for the months of July and August.
The NCE PwD sits at 19 employees from across the country. The members come from a variety of occupational groups and many disabilities are represented within the council. During the past year, the NCE PwD planned an elaborate daily agenda for NAAW 2024 and prepared several communications and events to educate employees and create a culture of belonging.
Regular meetings occur between the NCE PwD co-chairs and the Accessibility Officer to share updates and information on a variety of topics.
A special virtual consultation was held on October 16, 2024, with the NCE PwD. A draft version of this report was shared before the consultation and we encouraged members to provide comments, which were incorporated directly into this report.
The Accessibility Officer holds regular meetings with internal collaborators to discuss various accessibility issues received through meetings with employees. As such, several managers and directors contributed to the preparation of this Progress Report.
The Multidisciplinary Committee on Accessibility met on several occasions during the past year. This committee is led by the Accessibility Officer and includes various internal partners who provide their expertise on complex accessibility issues.
A department-wide consultation will be forthcoming in the spring of 2025.
Feedback
Since January 1, 2024, the ASC:
- Did not receive any feedback on:
- How the PPSC is implementing its accessibility plan.
- Barriers encountered from persons who had to deal with our department.
- Received one confidential feedback form from a neurodivergent employee who shared their experience in our department, which has been a positive one so far.
- Provided guidance and support to 100 employees.
- Five neurodivergent employees were offered coaching as part of a pilot project.
- Ten employees were given the opportunity to consult with an occupational therapist.
- Employees contacted the ASC either by phone (2), by email (97) or via the confidential feedback form (1). We tracked these exchanges and followed up to the best of our capacity.
- Following conversations with employees, where they pointed out barriers in their work and within the office culture, we worked collaboratively with internal collaborators to eliminate these barriers and accommodate employees.
- These private conversations with PwD provided meaningful information related to the culture of the office. We tailored all communications and training events during the past year to address concerns raised by PwD.
- Feedback was also anonymized and integrated into discussions with internal collaborators when planning for focused activities for the removal and prevention of systemic barriers within each pillar of our Accessibility Plan.
Conclusion
Thanks to our newly created ASC, we are now able to provide more comprehensive, relational, holistic, and human-centred services to employees and managers on the duty to accommodate for employees with a disability, an injury, or an illness.
We have seen a significant increase in the number of employees and managers reaching out to discuss specific situations or seeking expert advice. The need for this new centre of expertise is evident. Although the ASC was created in 2024, informal advice has been given to employees and managers since 2021.
| Calendar Year | Number of Requests |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 10 |
| 2022 | 22 |
| 2023 | 69 |
| 2024 – up to November 30 | 100 |
I am confident that the work underway in our department is a significant step toward sustainable, measurable and transformative accessibility and inclusion of all employees, working to build a barrier-free public service by 2040, as directed by the Accessible Canada Act.
I would like to thank Marie-Michèle Meloche, the Senior Designated Official responsible for EEDI at the PPSC, for being such a devoted, empathetic, and authentic leader. Her extraordinary efforts in promoting accessibility and her continued support in the creation and implementation of the ASC have enabled us to see real and tangible progress within our department over the past three years.
I must also give my sincere thanks to former Director of Public Prosecutions, Kathleen Roussel, for her continued support and dedication to accessibility, as well as all issues related to equity, diversity, and inclusion. A special thanks to George Dolhai, Director of Public Prosecutions, and David Antonyshyn, Deputy Director, for providing us with a recent opportunity of having an honest conversation on the social model approach to disability with the Executive Council.
Finally, I would also like to thank the co-chairs of the NCE PwD, Joshua Hunt, Penny-Laine Narlock, and Timothy McLaughlin for their work and dedication. A special thanks to all the members of the NCE PwD, who are accessibility ambassadors within their regions and directorates.
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- Penny
- Timothy
- Joshua
- Jason
- Adam
- Bethany
- Heather
- Jacques
- John
- Lucía
- Michael
- Andrew
- Vanessa
- Tania
- Cynthia
- Ali
- Paul
- Racel
- Gregory
During the next year, we aim to develop a new workplace accommodation policy, update our current policy on disability management, and better define the use of the GC Workplace Accessibility Passport to continue to diminish turnaround times for the provision of accommodations for employees with a disability, an injury, or an illness.
We will continue to build our accessibility confidence and awareness and support the “Nothing without us” principle under the Accessible Canada Act. Employees will continue to be at the centre of the accommodation process as we aim to apply a social model of disability in a more holistic, human-centred, and relational way.
We will strive to improve accessibility by coordinating internal services through our Multidisciplinary Committee on Accessibility, bringing together our experts to proactively work with the ASC to identify barriers and develop solutions.
We look forward to launching our second national accessibility survey in the spring of 2025, which will provide us with data and insights for the preparation of our second Accessibility Plan.
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