Accessibility Plan – Progress Report 2024

From: Transport Canada

Table of contents

General

Transport Canada's Human Resources Group worked with Transport Canada’s National Working Group for Accessibility to develop this progress report. The working group is made up of representatives from each region and area of responsibility within Transport Canada.

Transport Canada's designated official for developing the Accessibility Plan and any progress reports is Vicki Cunliffe, Director General of Human Resources.

Copyright

© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Transport Canada, 2024

Accessibility Plan
Transport Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
December 31, 2024
GC Catalogue No.: T1-38E-PDF
ISSN 2819-0394

Alternate formats and feedback

Please provide any feedback on our progress report or our accessibility plan via our online feedback form or through the email, mail, or phone options listed below.

By email: tc.accessibility-accessibilite.tc@tc.gc.ca 

By mail:

Accessibility Plan Alternate Format Request
Transport Canada
Tower C, Place de Ville
330 Sparks St
Ottawa, ON K1A 0N5

By phone:

Toll-free: 1-866-995-9737
Telephone: 613-990-2309
TTY: 1-888-675-6863

When asked, we commit to providing these alternate formats as soon as possible and within the time frames listed in the Accessible Canada Regulations and the Accessible Transportation Planning and Reporting Regulations subsection 7(1) and 7(2). You can ask for a copy of our plan in:

  • print 
  • large print 
  • braille 
  • audio format 
  • an electronic format that works with adaptive technology that helps people with disabilities

Alternate formats will be provided as soon as possible once we receive your request, and no later than: 

  • 45 days after receiving your request for braille or audio format
  • 15 days after receiving your request for any other alternate format

Executive summary

The Accessible Canada Act’s goal is to make Canada barrier-free by January 1, 2040. This involves identifying, removing and preventing barriers under federal control in several priority areas.

A “barrier” is anything that keeps a person with a disability from participating fully and equally in society. A “disability” is any physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication or sensory impairment or functional limitation.

In Canada, federally regulated entities must create a plan to address any barriers or limitations they find in these priority areas:

  • employment
  • built environment
  • information and communication technology
  • communication, other than information and communication technology
  • procuring goods, services and facilities
  • designing and delivering programs and services
  • transportation

Transport Canada published our first accessibility plan in December 2022. The plan outlines concrete steps that we will take in order to be accessible by default. As required under the Accessible Canada Act, we published our first progress report in 2023. This progress report outlines the steps we’ve taken in 2024 to address some of the barriers identified in the department’s Accessibility Plan.

Transport Canada is committed to working with you - our senior leaders, our employees, and members of the public - to create an environment that considers accessibility first, both internally and externally. We’re focused on removing barriers and limits that impact people with disabilities by acting on the commitments in our 2022-2025 Accessibility Plan. We’ve been guided by the principles behind the Office of Public Service Accessibility’s Nothing Without Us Strategy and the Accessible Canada Act.

Transport Canada values diversity and inclusion and understands how important it is that our policies, practices, programs, and services are accessible.

Though we have work to do, we’re committed to meeting the Government of Canada's goal of being barrier free by January 1, 2040.

Progress report

Employment

As outlined in the Accessibility Plan, we’re committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace because we know our employees are key to the work that we do.

This section explains the progress we’ve made towards the employment pillar of the plan.

Hiring

Between April 2021 and March 2024, Transport Canada has hired 202 new public servants who identify as persons with disabilities. While we’re pleased with this progress, we know that we need to build on this momentum to meet our overall hiring goal of 307 new public servants who identify as persons with disabilities.

As of April 1, 2024, Transport Canada had 439 employees with disabilities. This represents an increase of 1.2% in our overall workforce representation in the past year. As of December 1, 2024, we have 559 employees who identify as persons with disabilities, which brings the overall workforce representation rate to 8.0%.

This increase is due to new hiring efforts and the launch of a self-identification campaign, which has been updated to include the expanded list of disabilities included in the Accessible Canada Act.

We participated in the Federal Internship Program for Canadians with Disabilities, which helped our interns develop work skills over 18 months.

Another initiative our managers have used is hiring from the Federal Student Work Experience Program’s (FSWEP) list of students who have self-declared as having disabilities.

At the beginning of each work-term, the Human Resources Team shares information with our students and gives information sessions about the Public Service Commission’s Employment Opportunity for Students with Disabilities (EOSD) initiative to encourage them to join.

The initiative supports employees with disabilities during their work term with the federal public service. It includes an onboarding process, training activities and support services for both students and hiring managers. The start of the work-term is also when our Student Champions send a welcome message to all students and encourage them to self-identify as members of equity groups.

Since we know that recruitment alone won’t help us meet our goals, we’re also focused on using data to monitor both the retention and career progress of employees who have self-identified as persons with disabilities.

We’re also looking at analyzing the employee life cycle - from applying for a job, through the onboarding process, to career development, and ending with departure - to identify and remove the barriers that persons with disabilities face.

Within the past year, Transport Canada has continued to use the flexibility allowed under the Public Service Employment Act to manage biases and barriers in candidate assessments. We continue to offer tools, training and resources for managers and staffing advisors to support hiring and promoting persons with disabilities.

For example, this year Staffing Advisors participated in workshops on how to identify biases and barriers in assessment methods. Likewise, hiring managers were given a guide on the requirements for evaluating biases and barriers in assessment methods, to help them fulfill their obligations.

Our Staffing Advisors have been trained on how to handle and implement candidate accommodation requests for assessments in the recruitment process. They also have tools from the Public Service Commission, including lessons learned from the Neurodiversity Recruitment Pilot Project. These tools are helping advisors to better support hiring managers as they hire persons with disabilities.

As we continue to strive to be an employer of choice, tools continue to be promoted and provided to hiring managers. The tools can help to increase the hiring of persons with disabilities which will contribute to the whole of government’s goal of hiring five thousand (5,000) persons with disabilities to the federal public service. We also update the Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility page on TC’s intranet with tools and resources like:

We also use Gender Based Analysis + principles (where possible) to help reduce barriers in staffing processes. We require recruitment committee members and employees who need to complete staffing delegation authority training to attend training on unconscious bias.

We also continue to educate managers on employment equity statistics and promote hiring of candidates who have self-identified as having a disability, as well as members of other employment equity groups.

Of note, we recently launched our 7th Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan 2024-2027 which outlines clear actions and accountability through 3 pillars:

  • Diverse and Representative Workforce
  • Inclusive Culture and Accessible Workplace, and
  • Continuous Monitoring and Accountability

The plan was designed to complement, but not duplicate, work and initiatives outlined in other departmental plans, like our Accessibility Plan.

Accommodations

To reach our goals, our employees need the right tools and resources.

We’re currently in the process of creating a Centre of Expertise (CoE) for employee accommodations. The CoE will be an employee-centered hub with specialized resources. Both employees and managers will have access to subject matter experts, common processes, tools and resources to manage accommodations with a person-centered approach. Through the CoE, managers will have clear guidelines on their role and responsibilities for supporting employees.

To fill the gap before the CoE launches, we’ve started sharing information and guidelines on the duty to accommodate at management tables. We’ve engaged with our Persons with Disabilities Network for guidance on our next steps towards creating the CoE and we’re developing a secure case management tool. Senior management have endorsed creating the CoE, including moving to a dedicated funding model for accommodations, eliminating the barrier of cost burden to individual budgets.

The Government of Canada Workplace Accessibility Passport, a flagship initiative under the Public Service Accessibility Strategy, is a tool that persons with disabilities can use to document the barriers they face at work. It was created to help simplify the duty to accommodate process.

We’re just at the beginning of implementing the passport. By participating in the passport’s centralized launch, we’re learning how to better serve TC employees in the accommodation process.

Transport Canada is a partner helping to implement the Better Accommodation Project (BAP) led by the Deputy Minister Champion for Federal Employees with Disabilities. This is a one-year initiative that will help transform the accommodation process in the federal public service. As a partner, we’re committed to improving the accommodation process for persons with disabilities within our department. We will be working with partners to test solutions, share best practices and learn together, while being committed to the “Nothing About Us Without Us” principle. We will share our progress in next year’s report.

To support Transport Canada’s human resources community, we’ve named an Accessibility Ambassador who is part of the Public Service Commission’s Assessment Accessibility Ambassadors Network. Our ambassador promotes the Public Service Commission’s staffing toolkit and help us by:

  • Developing statement of merit criteria, job advertisement, and evaluation tools
  • Helping in every step of the staffing evaluation process, including accommodations requests, and
  • As needed, assessing policies and procedures, while considering accessibility needs, and proposing solutions

We have a diverse Network for Persons with Disabilities that are helping identify barriers through their lived experiences and advocate for removing these barriers. The network also hosts department-wide events during National AccessAbility Week (June 1) and International Day of Persons with Disabilities (December 3).

We continue to publish information and tips through our internal website to teach employees how to identify, prevent and remove the obstacles that persons with disabilities face. This webpage includes links to Shared Services Canada’s Accessibility, Accommodation and Adaptive Computer Technology Program.

The built environment

There are Transport Canada offices in around 60 government-owned and leased buildings across Canada. In Fall 2023, TC did a scan to determine the accessibility status of our facilities (building construction, last renovation of tenant space, etc.) and is working with the Rick Hansen Foundation to improve accessibility.

We created a document to track changes made to Transport Canada worksites for the accessibility gap analysis assessments recommended by the Foundation.

Between January and March 2023, 4 offices were assessed through this process. In 2024, 2 more offices were assessed.

Some examples of our accessibility improvements are detailed below.

Working with Public Service and Procurement Canada (PSPC) property management

We shared the Rick Hansen Foundation’s findings with the PSPC property management team. This work makes sure that they’re well-informed about the identified gaps, which will help them address issues during renovations. Specifically, the study focused on highlighting base building deficiencies within our office space.

Interior services and environment

In response to the accessibility study, wall-mounted fire extinguishers, first-aid kits, Automated External Defibrillators (AED) and boardroom whiteboards have been lowered to an accessible height. A power-operated door opener and access card reader have also been repositioned, and push-paddle door handles are being installed on entry and hallway doors.

Some offices have created neighbourhoods within their workspace that are accessible by design. Employees who are light sensitive can benefit from a low light neighbourhood while those with noise sensitivities benefit from a low noise neighbourhood. Being accessible by design helps to remove the need for each employee to request a personal accommodation.

Wayfinding and signage

New signage that includes raised letters and braille have been added to 2 buildings.

To better develop our understanding and make our spaces accessible in a meaningful way for everyone, several employees have enrolled in the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification programs which will allow our designers to improve their knowledge of accessible design.

The work and steps we continue to take show our commitment to creating a more inclusive and accessible workspace. By working with the PSPC’s Property Management Team and addressing gaps, we’ve made major improvements to the accessibility of our buildings.

Information and communication technology

Since we rely on information and communication technology, we want to make sure that Transport Canada has accessible digital information, services, and products for both employees and the public.

The Service and Digital Group is working to make digital environments, tools and services more inclusive and usable for employees and Canadians by:

  • Adding features, like live captions, in platforms like Microsoft Teams to improve the accessibility of meetings
  • Using accessibility-by-design frameworks to make sure inclusivity is considered at every stage of developing apps and services
  • Finding ways to raise awareness on making everyday tools more accessible, like:
    • Changing standard font and font size
    • Adding live captioning and transcription, and
    • Exploring these topics during digital events like the TCnext Learning Conference 

In TC’s Accessibility Plan, we made a commitment to test the 400+ apps used at Transport Canada. Around 20% of apps have been tested by our Services and Digital group so far and we expect to test even more in the coming year. The results and accessibility report card are acted on, as appropriate.

We’ve created a SharePoint site to store and share accessibility results and lessons learned. We also share this information with project leads and business stakeholders. Our accessibility testing policy, technical guidance checklist and best practices are available online. This information is also available to technical and development teams to support their work related to accessibility and standards.

Transport Canada's Web Services provides guidance training on web and document accessibility to further improve employees’ understanding and use of accessibility standards. They’ve also implemented a feedback mechanism that appears on every internal and external webpage. This feature lets users report issues they experience, including accessibility barriers.

We’re also committed to incorporating accessibility into IT procurement to make sure that products and services are inclusive and meet the needs of all users. Currently, each procurement request must include an “Accessibility in Procurement” form which confirms whether accessibility considerations have been included in the procurement activity or not. Written justification is required if the considerations are not met.

Communication, other than information and communication technology

Transport Canada is committed to making sure that everyone who needs it can access alternate formats of documents, interpretation and alternative ways to submit information. We encourage employees to create and share accessible documents, forms, and presentations as early as possible.

We’ve published information to support employees who organize events, these include:

  • Information on considering inclusion and accessibility
  • Accessibility tips and tricks

As part of the planning process for department-wide events, we include simultaneous translation in both official languages to make sure every employee can access events in the official language of their choice. We’ve also started to offer CART services (Communication Access Realtime Translation) in both official languages.

Every departmental event invitation includes an active offer of accommodation - like the need for American Sign Language or Langue des signes québécoise interpretation - as well as a reminder that employees are expected to remain respectful in their interactions during events.

In May 2024, the Minister of Transport and the Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities hosted the first National Air Accessibility Summit. They gathered members from the disability community, the aviation industry, all levels of government, and international partners to discuss removing barriers and identifying solutions in air travel. They also reported on progress made since the Accessible Canada Act came into force.

As the organizers of the National Air Accessibility Summit, Transport Canada prioritized accessibility for the event. We chose a venue with lots of accessible features, including automatic doors, accessible washrooms, ramps with contrasting strips, tactile indicators, braille signage, and visual alarms. The venue provided accessible parking, assistive listening devices, and on-site personal care attendants. Another reason we chose this venue was the connected hotel, which offered accessible rooms for guests with mobility aids.

To be inclusive, we offered:

  • Simultaneous French-English translation
  • Communication Access Realtime Translation services (CART closed captioning)
  • American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation
  • Langue des signes québécoise (LSQ) interpretation
  • Extra seating space for mobility aids and service dogs
  • Allergy-aware notifications, and food options
  • Extended breaks for participants with mobility needs

Persons with disabilities were offered financial support to help them attend. This removed a financial barrier, which helped make sure their voices and experiences were considered.

Internal Communications advises on potential communication barriers that can exist during in-person events and makes recommendations to manage these barriers. In 2024, they also started to offer Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) services. Lastly, the Communications Group’s Plain Language Specialist assesses and edits content to make it easier to read, understand and use. All employees have access to this service. Using plain language is required by TC’s Directive on the Management of Communications.

Since September 2023, our Innovation Policy Team have published a monthly Accessibility Newsletter to share the latest news on accessible transportation and teach employees about accessibility barriers and progress. This newsletter highlights accessibility in transportation across Canada and internationally.

Transport Canada’s Policy Group is piloting a project that offers American Sign Language training to its employees. This project is part of our ongoing commitment to accessibility with the goal of helping TC employees be included and able to fully participate in our workplace.

Procurement of goods, services and facilities

As we work towards making sure employees and clients can access the tools and resources that they need to interact with us, in the fullest way possible, we’ve:

  • Updated the Procurement and Materials Management page on our intranet to meet accessibility standards, and 
  • Promoted the tools and information on our accessible procurement information hub on our intranet to include:
    • accessible considerations or requirements for procurement
    • roles and responsibilities in the procurement process
    • best practices for accessible procurement 

Design and delivery of programs and services

We’re continuing work on making sure our programs and services are designed and delivered in a way that everyone can access them, especially people with disabilities.

We make sure that everyone who interacts with us is satisfied with the accessibility of our programs and services. Examples of the steps we take include:

  • Reminding employees that they’re welcome to participate in the official language of their choice
  • Accommodation measures (simultaneous translation, sign language interpreters – ASL, LSQ)
  • Accessible documents and templates

To make sure that employees can design and deliver programs and services that are accessible, we consult TC’s Persons with Disability Network. Until now, the Human Resources Group have consulted on items that relate to the People Management Framework but we need to encourage other groups to also consult with the Network.

Transportation

Transportation regulations and policy

Since November 2023, our Innovation Centre has been working on a project to test a unique seating device to enhance the in-flight health, safety and comfort of passengers with mobility disabilities (such as wheelchair users). For these passengers, sitting in an airline seat for long periods can lead to severe discomfort and sometimes pressure sores that can have serious health implications. This creates a barrier to accessing air travel.

This project is looking at the device’s usability and whether Canada’s regulations would allow its use without special permission from air travel authorities. We hope the results of this project will allow the device to be commercially available and make air travel more accessible.

Since our 2023 progress report, we’ve also completed the following work on this project:

  • Completed a demand market analysis (report pending completion)
  • Completed a regulatory verification (report drafted)
  • Completed a research ethics board review
  • Designed, built and lab tested one prototype with users
  • Designed a second prototype that will be built and used for lab and in-flight testing

Going forward, the plan is to design, build and test a third prototype and produce a final report before the project’s end.

As a small transportation service provider, Transport Canada is subject to the Personnel Training for the Assistance of People with disabilities Regulations. These regulations apply to small terminal operators in Canada. Canadian law also requires a number of our airports to follow the reporting requirements in those regulations and the Accessible Transportation Planning and Reporting Regulations.

We are taking steps to make our owned and operated airports across the country accessible. We’re working with the Rick Hansen Foundation (RHF) to identify physical barriers in Transport Canada owned and operated airports. This assessment will help us become accessible by design and help the department earn a RHF Accessibility Certification.

In 2024, 2 TC-owned airports have been assessed. The work to become fully accessible is ongoing. We’ve also prioritized snow removal to help keep our airports accessible.

New airport staff are trained on accessibility within their first 60 days of work. Refresher training is offered every 2 years. Training records are kept, making sure employees are trained as required.

Most personnel employed at one of our airports complete an online training program offered by the Canadian Transportation Agency. Their 45-minute training covers topics like:

  • Best practices for communicating with travelers
  • Helping travelers with disabilities, including the deaf, deafened or hard of hearing
  • Helping a traveler who is blind or partially sighted
  • What services to offer people with disabilities, and
  • Helping with mobility

Culture

We continue to promote internal templates and processes that help make sure every communication product we create is accessible, including high contrast, alternative text for images, and plain language.

Additionally, we updated our corporate templates to make sure they’re user-friendly and accessible. When possible, we push for the use of webpages rather than Word files or PDFs, as the HTML coding format used on webpages meets accessibility requirements.

Through our Internal Communications Team, we regularly promote resources, tools and learning opportunities for employees, like events for National AccessAbility Week and the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. We also promote training from the Accessibility, Accommodation and Adaptive Computer Technology Program through Shared Services. A link to the Canada School of Public Service’s Accessibility Learning Series is highly visible on the Creating an Accessible and Inclusive Workplace page on our intranet.

We also promote our Network for Persons with Disabilities, an employee group with the goals of:

  • Teaching others about the challenges that persons with disabilities face
  • Reducing personal and systemic prejudices, and
  • Promoting a more diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace that allows employees to be engaged, creative and productive without fear of discrimination or harassment

In 2024, the Atlantic Region launched an informal ADHD employee resource group which fosters connections, promotes awareness and advocates for equity. In March, the Region hosted an event for managers, directors and human resources.

The Centre for ADHD Awareness Canada was invited to present with goals of supporting and recognizing ADHD in the workplace. In October, the region hosted a second event where the centre presented to bring more awareness on ADHD in the workplace. The region also hosted an event for employees during National Accessibility Week in May. The speaker provided a testimonial about inclusive workplaces, barriers and how they overcame them.

We’re in the process of launching an Ombuds Office to help us identify issues and opportunities for systemic change and give employees a safe place to raise concerns without fear of reprisal. It will be a neutral place where employees can share concerns and lived experiences, to help build trust.

All employee performance agreements now include a work objective that specifically relates to workplace well-being and a safe and inclusive work culture. Employees are expected to actively participate in creating a respectful, inclusive and accessible working environment.

We’re also committed to showing zero tolerance for disrespectful behaviour. We have a designated Senior Integrity Officer who has the independent authority to investigate all allegations of inappropriate behaviours and wrongdoing, including discrimination.

Consultations

Transport Canada actively encourages employees to participate in our employee Network for Persons with Disabilities. We also consult with this network to learn about the lived experiences of persons with disabilities within our department.

This progress report was shared for feedback through Transport Canada’s:

  • National Working Group for Accessibility
  • Persons with Disabilities Network
  • People and Culture Committee (a new executive committee)
  • Transport Canada Executive Management Committee

The members of our Persons with Disabilities Network were sent a copy of the draft report, by email, for comments.

As a class 1 regulated entity, Transport Canada must consult persons with disabilities on the prevention and elimination of barriers within the transportation network under its purview.

In collaboration with Transport Canada, in May 2024, the Minister of Transport and the Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities hosted Canada’s first National Air Accessibility Summit. Members from the disability community, the aviation industry, all levels of government, and international partners were brought together to discuss the existing barriers in air travel and to identify solutions. The barriers identified may influence Transport Canada policies and regulations, through their removal, in the federal transportation system.

Feedback

Transport Canada published a feedback form in December 2022. From then until the end of 2023, we received 18 submissions about accessibility barriers. In 2024, we received 4 submissions, which related to technology, employment, attitudes and the physical environment.

Transport Canada’s Diversity and Inclusion Action Team carefully reviews every submission. When needed, they consult the appropriate group within TC to identify, remove and prevent barriers in the 7 priority areas listed in the Accessible Canada Act.

Acknowledgements

We want to thank everyone who participated in our consultations. Without learning about your lived experiences, we wouldn't be able to reach our goal of being barrier free by 2040.

Report a problem with this page

Date modified: