Global Affairs Canada Accessibility Action Plan - 2023 to 2025

Table of contents

• General
• Message from the Deputy Minister
• Message from the Persons with Disabilities Champion, Vikas Sharma
• Executive Summary
• Accessibility Statement
• Consultations
• Action Plan
  • Pillar 1 – Employment
    • Goal
    • Actions
  • Pillar 2 – The built environment
    • Goal
    • Actions
  • Pillar 3 – Information and communication technology (ICT)
    • Goal
    • Actions
  • Pillar 4 – Communication other than ICT
    • Goal
    • Actions
  • Pillar 5 – Procurement of goods, services, and facilities
    • Goal
    • Actions
  • Pillar 6 – Design and delivery of programs and services (internal)
    • Goal
    • Actions
  • Pillar 7 – Transportation
    • Goal
    • Actions
  • Pillar 8 – Workplace Culture
    • Goal
    • Actions
• Measuring Progress
• Conclusion
• Annexes
  • Annex A – Accessibility Action Plan Survey, 2023 Building the GAC Accessibility Action Plan: Nothing Without Us
    • Initial Survey Results
    • List of stakeholders consulted
  • Annex B – Definitions and Key Terminology

General

We welcome your feedback and have established a process for receiving comments on this Plan, with an option to provide feedback anonymously. The following options are available:

Contact: Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility Advisor (Accessibility Action Plan)
By email: HSI-PlandAccessibiliteAMC-GACAccessibilityPlan@international.gc.ca
Online: GAC online form

By mail:
Global Affairs Canada – Accessibility Feedback
c/o Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Team (HSIE)
200 Promenade du Portage
8th floor
Gatineau, Québec
8X 4B7

By phone:
Toll-free: 1-800-267-8376

Feedback Process
Once feedback is received, it will be codified by method of communication, date received, topic, response and action taken and will be saved appropriately.

This document, as well as emails received, will be saved and stored for a period of seven (7) years. Letters will be scanned and saved. Feedback from telephone calls will be paraphrased and transcribed into the document. All feedback will be acknowledged in the way it was provided unless it is anonymous. If the caller leaves their contact information, the call will be returned to ensure that feedback has been accurately captured. Specific feedback that can be addressed quickly will be forwarded to the relevant sector for action or information.

Feedback will be incorporated into the Annual Reports on the Accessibility Action Plan and will be provided to senior management, published on the GAC internet and filed with Canada’s Accessibility Commissioner on an annual basis.

Message from the Deputy Minister

I am pleased to present Global Affairs Canada’s (GAC) 2023–2025 Accessibility Action Plan. The Accessibility Action Plan outlines measures the department will undertake to remove and prevent barriers to the full contribution of individuals with disabilities and it addresses barriers to accessibility that prevent GAC from becoming an employer of choice for a large segment of the Canadian population. People with disabilities make significant contributions to GAC and by working to remove barriers and increase accessibility, GAC will become a workplace that is more representative of the people of Canada.

The Accessible Canada Act aims to make Canada barrier-free by 2040 and this is GAC’s first Accessibility Action Plan towards achieving this goal. We have and will continue to engage persons with disabilities to better understand their experiences and meet their needs when interacting with GAC. The Plan will continue to evolve as consultations with employees with disabilities and stakeholders are ongoing.

I want to especially thank all of those who generously provided their time, efforts and essential insights over the past months. We know that improving accessibility and inclusion of persons with disabilities is a continuous process that requires ongoing work. It is the responsibility of everyone at GAC, and it will take the support and commitment from all levels of the department to transform GAC into a genuinely accessible organization. We will hold ourselves accountable to deliver on the Plan and make our workplace culture increasingly inclusive and accessible for all, while respecting the Government of Canada’s priority to create a public service workforce that is as diverse as the public it serves. In addition to increasing accessibility for persons with disabilities, GAC is also committed to increase access to a wider and diverse pool of talent—with the richness of intersectional identities—that will contribute to program and policy delivery.

GAC is committed to the actions presented in this plan, as together we continue to work towards becoming a more representative, inclusive and accessible organization.

Message from the Persons with Disabilities Champion, Vikas Sharma

As the Champion for persons with disabilities, I am pleased to present GAC’s Accessibility Action Plan 2023–2025, which underlines our department's commitment to providing a better future for all employees. While we have taken steps to lay the foundation for progress, much work to advance accessibility in the workplace still needs to be done.

We must acknowledge the labour of many in the Disabilities community that fought for the rights that are now elements of this Action Plan, and we will continue to work with persons with disabilities and other stakeholders to develop this action plan. As Champion for persons with disabilities, I am committed to regular engagement across the department to support a culture of inclusiveness and mutual respect. Through ongoing communication and advocacy, we can continue to remove workplace barriers for People with Disabilities. I believe our commitment to accessibility and our ongoing work to promote inclusion and open communication will help us achieve an accessible, respectful, and equitable workforce and workplace. I encourage you to take a look at the action plan and think about how you can promote a diverse and inclusive approach to employment in your day-to-day work. Together, we can ensure that disability is seen as an opportunity rather than a challenge in our department.

Executive Summary

The Accessible Canada Act aims to create a barrier-free Canada by 2040. In accordance with the Accessible Canada Act, we have developed the organization’s first Accessibility Action Plan, which is an essential first step in GAC’s journey to becoming a workplace that is accessible to all. The following recommendations, designed to address barriers and guide actions to eliminate them, will also support the implementation of the Clerk of the Privy Council’s Deputy Minister Commitments on Diversity and Inclusion and Call to Action to create a representative workforce and an inclusive workplace.

The GAC Accessibility Action Plan 2023–2025 provides an overview of our mandate and commitments to accessibility in the seven priority areas outlined in the Accessible Canada Act, including:

• Employment
• The built environment
• Information and communication technology (ICT)
• Communication other than ICT
• Procurement of goods, services, and facilities
• Design and delivery of programs and services (internal)
• Transportation

The 2023–2025 Plan outlines concrete actions we will take to improve accessibility in the next two years. By identifying barriers and developing actions, this Plan establishes the foundation for more specific measures in future Accessibility Action Plans. GAC is committed to working with its senior leaders, employees and stakeholders to foster an environment where accessibility considerations are applied to every context, in Canada and internationally.

GAC will take concrete action in the short term by evaluating current tools and services, auditing our physical work environment to ensure all spaces are as accessible as possible, and consulting with persons with disabilities at every step. Collaboration with persons with disabilities at all stages of these reviews, along with the plan's design and implementation are essential as we develop a welcoming workplace environment for all. We will continue to raise awareness of and promote training on relevant accessibility requirements and how to support persons with disabilities in our workplace and those in the public we serve.

The barriers and actions identified in this Plan are primarily based on recommendations received from our employees and senior leaders. This is a dynamic and evergreen Action Plan; activities will be monitored, reviewed and revised as required. This Plan is an essential step for GAC, and we acknowledge that much work must be done to achieve a barrier-free workplace.

GAC Vision

GAC will be a leader in accessibility within the public service. We will eliminate barriers and promote best practices in accessibility for all employees in Canada, in branches and special Bureaus as well as in missions worldwide. We are committed to making a meaningful change and are dedicated to recruiting, retaining, developing and promoting persons with disabilities within our department.

Accessibility Statement

Global Affairs Canada is committed to making its employment, building environment, information and communication technologies (ICT), communications other than ICT, procurement of goods, services and construction design and delivery of programs and internal services, and transportation accessible to persons with disabilities consistent with the principles of dignity, independence, integration and equal opportunity. This Accessibility Statement and our Accessibility Action Plan demonstrate our commitment to removing barriers to accessibility and encouraging the full inclusion of persons with disabilities at GAC. We have been guided by the principles of the Office of Public Service Accessibility “Nothing Without Us” Strategy and by the Accessible Canada Act. This Plan is our first step towards reducing and removing the barriers that people with disabilities face so that everyone can fully participate in the organisation.

Consultations

Consultations with employees with disabilities and all stakeholders shaped the development of the Accessibility Action Plan. Focus groups were held virtually, and accommodations were offered as needed to GAC employees who joined from Canada and abroad. We recognize that consultations need to be ongoing, and we are committed to nurturing trust and respect with people with disabilities to establish meaningful relationships moving forward. These continued consultations will help us improve our understanding of the lived realities of employees, help improve accessibility in our organization concerning the seven priority areas of the Accessible Canada Act and promote a culture of inclusion.

Action Plan

The actions under each pillar are organized according to the Accessible Canada Act key pillar areas with an added a chapter on culture change. This Plan addresses accessibility barriers identified through employee and stakeholder input and underscores that we have more to learn and actions to implement to become “accessible by default.” This will only occur if we make accessibility a priority organizationally as we move forward.

We are continually working to improve accessibility and inclusion at GAC and we know that the necessary changes required to meet our objectives will take time to implement in Canada and at missions abroad. As we move towards a more accessible workplace, we will continue to find ways to improve accessibility by engaging with employees and updating the plan.

Pillar 1 – Employment

Goal

GAC works towards achieving the targets set in the Employment Equity Diversity and Inclusion (EEDI) Action Plan and contributes to the  Treasury Board Secretariat goal to hire 5,000 new public servants with disabilities by 2025. We will also focus on retaining our employees who live with a disability.

Actions

• The Corporate and Operational Human Resources team will continue to provide the necessary accommodation to candidates during staffing processes to provide fair assessments and enable candidates to fully demonstrate their competency.
  • GAC will provide documentation to all candidates that clearly explains all hiring-process stages and discuss appropriate accommodation measures.
  • GAC will continue to ensure that operational staff are aware of their obligations and understand how to support persons with disabilities during selection processes.
  • GAC will provide tools to hiring managers and HR specialists to review and improve assessment methods used in selection processes to identify and mitigate potential bias and barriers.
• In 2023, GAC the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) team will launch an awareness campaign on self-identification and employment equity data. This will provide a deeper understanding of the GAC workforce and employees’ intersectional identities.
  • Ensure all new employees understand self-identification and self-declaration.
  • Encourage and remind existing staff to complete the new TBS self-identification form while providing assurances that their information will be protected and used judiciously according to the Privacy Act.
• By 2024, GAC managers will be encouraged to reinforce positive actions related to accessibility.
  • Managers are expected to seek support to fully understand their responsibilities in providing accommodation to their employees. Action will include required check-ins with employees about their accessibility and accommodation needs, expected outcomes and key success indicators.
  • Managers will keep the communication line open and ask employees for feedback on how to improve accessibility and accommodation.
  • Employees will provide feedback on how their accommodation requests are addressed.
• By 2024, GAC will practice inclusive and accessible hiring so all candidates, including those with disabilities, can demonstrate their competencies.
  • Before an assessment method is used, managers and staffing advisors will conduct an evaluation to identify whether the method, and the way it will be applied, includes or creates biases or barriers that disadvantage people belonging to equity-seeking groups, including persons with disabilities. Should biases be identified, managers and staffing advisors will take every step to remove them and mitigate their impact (S.36.2 of the Public Service Employment Act).
  • Make improvements by providing the proper tools to allow greater flexibility in assessments including design and delivery and identifying and mitigating potential biases and barriers.
  • Conduct targeted recruitment campaigns to recruit persons with disabilities to address representation gaps.
• In 2024-2025, GAC will review its practices and procedures related to workplace accommodations.
  • Review duty to accommodate internal procedures.
  • Develop a process to better track data related to workplace accommodations.
  • Review, analyze and make recommendations on the implementation of the GC Workplace Accessibility Passport.

Pillar 2 – The built environment

Goal

GAC will work with departmental stakeholders to understand specific needs and challenges at headquarters and mission and to ensure that Canadian values of accessibility and inclusion are upheld for employees and visitors.

Actions

• By the end of 2024, Procurement and Asset Management will review the built environment in partnership with persons with disabilities, key stakeholders and PSPC to identify ways to make buildings more accessible and inclusive.
  • Seek feedback from stakeholders on the results of the accessibility assessments and how to address barriers.
  • Track and monitor the implementation of improvements.
• In 2024 and 2025, the Fire and Emergency Measures team will increase awareness of the safety of employees with disabilities in case of an emergency.
  • Continue to support the individualized emergency needs of persons with disabilities through the optional Persons Requiring Assistance registration process.
  • Ensure that employees in the immediate work area find a support person (if necessary, the immediate supervisor is required to help with this process).
  • Training the person requiring assistance on how to use the emergency red phone and on the building evacuation procedure.
  • Promote the option for persons with disabilities to register as a person requiring assistance as part of the Building Emergency Evacuation Plan.
• By the end of 2024, the Missions Operations, Policies and Innovations (MOPI) team, with the assistance of the IDEA Team, will create an Excel tracking tool where employees can readily access up-to-date information about mission accessibility.
  • Consult with stakeholders, including employees with disabilities and dependents with disabilities, about information they need related to mission environments, education, healthcare and living quarters.
  • Partner with MOPI to gather mission information that provides information for various accessibility needs, including the built environment (mission and staff quarters), accessible housing availability, accessibility at each posting and documented in a place where employees can easily access the information.
• In 2024-2025, Procurement and Asset Management will review and adjust its office workspace design to consider the needs of persons with disabilities.
  • Ensure that furniture and amenities are accessible for persons with disabilities (round vs. square tables, accessible kitchen, etc.)
  • Assess how to identify quiet workspace options for employees who require them in all its office locations. GAC uses these spaces for employees who need a break from the noise and activity of the open-plan office.

Pillar 3 – Information and communication technology (ICT)

Goal

GAC will move towards an accessible-by-default approach to technology by providing all employees with the necessary tools to complete their work.

Actions

• In 2024, the Information Management and Technology team (IMT) will assess current technology for accessibility features to identify gaps and enable accessibility features in existing programs and technology.
  • Consult with stakeholders including employees with disabilities to understand their concerns, needs and requirements.
  • Consult with Employment and Social Development Canada and Shared Services Canada to leverage options for services and support related to accessible IT tools used across the Government of Canada.
  • Conduct a formal ICT assessment to highlight accessibility gaps in systems and software..
  • Make recommendations regarding specific technologies, practices and processes that hinder accessibility.
• In 2024, based on funding provided, IMT will establish a centre of IT expertise that will help employees better understand and use IT tools and systems.
  • Create an accessibility portal on Modus to provide information on relevant services, supports, processes and contacts.
  • Provide training to IT staff about accessibility and sensitize them to the importance of adapting services and interactions.
• In 2024, IMT will improve awareness and communication about accessible ICT tools and supports.
  • Review, in consultation with employees with disabilities, the effectiveness of the App Store and improve it to ensure it provides the information required by employees with disabilities.
  • Consult employees with disabilities and relevant stakeholders and create a communications plan to increase awareness among GAC staff of accessibility-related ICT tools and support.

Pillar 4 – Communication other than ICT

Goal

GAC is committed to following Treasury Board Secretariat and Accessibility Canada Act guidelines and providing information in plain language to support all audiences in various accessible formats, such as large print, audio, and online forms compatible with adaptive technologies.

Actions

• Public Affairs (PA) is committed to providing barrier-free communications products and services that both the public and employees can readily access and understand.
  • In 2024–2025, PA will:
    • Develop an internal communications plan to raise awareness and promote accessibility within the organization.
    • Develop and promote processes to ensure its digital content is accessible by default.
    • Consider accessibility needs and requirements when exploring new digital and social platforms.
    • Provide communications products in alternative formats, where applicable and possible.
    • Promote best practices for the use of live captioning at events.
    • Continue to consult users of GAC’s intranet and internet sites regarding user experience, including accessibility.
    • Implement iterative design processes that consider accessibility during website updates.
    • Review and update corporate templates for accessibility (e.g., briefing notes and PowerPoint templates). 
• Public Affairs will provide training to employees on accessibility needs and requirements:
  • In 2024 and 2025, GAC will:
    • Provide information, workshops or training sessions to GAC employees on Web accessibility and plain language.
    • Provide advice and guidance to clients on communicating in plain language and meeting Web Accessibility Standards.
    • Share accessibility-related best practices for social media, Web, strategic communications and media relations.

Pillar 5 – Procurement of goods, services, and facilities

Goal

GAC follows accessibility practices set by the Treasury Board Secretariat and Public Services and Procurement Canada.

Actions

• Procurement officers will complete PSPC/SSC learning sessions on accessibility in procurement when offered.
  • Procurement and Asset Management will leverage PSPC/SSC accessibility learning sessions offered to procurement officers; these learning sessions provide an overview of the Accessible Canada Act, the Accessibility Strategy for the Public Service of Canada, and roles and responsibilities of technical and contracting authorities.

Pillar 6 – Design and delivery of programs and services (internal)

Goal

To provide GAC employees with information on accessible programs and services.

Actions

• In 2024, GAC will begin equipping branches with the necessary training and tools to provide programs and services accessible to persons with disabilities by design.
  • Consult with other government departments to obtain and adapt existing educational materials to promote awareness and understanding of accessibility issues in service design and delivery.

Pillar 7 – Transportation

Goal

To increase awareness of safe and secure transportation options for GAC employees at mission.

Actions

• In 2024, GAC will take steps to increase accessible transportation for employees.
  • As part of the creation of a database tool for employees to access up-to-date information on mission accessibility, IDEA will add a section on accessible transportation with public and private options.

Pillar 8 – Workplace Culture

Goal

GAC is a department where all employees are respected, included and welcomed.

Actions

• By July 2024, GAC branches will complete the Accessibility Self-Assessment Tool (SAT) to assess the organization’s current accessibility readiness in the key priority areas.
  • The SAT is an educational tool developed by the Office of Public Service Accessibility to assess organizations’ state of readiness and provide focus areas for the concentration of effort and monitoring. GAC will use the results of the SAT to add more focus to the Action Plan.
  • Develop an annual departmental accessibility survey using the 2023 Building the GAC Accessibility Action Plan: Nothing Without Us survey as a survey instrument to measure barriers and determine the extent of cultural shifts towards equity and inclusivity.
• In 2024 and 2025, the IDEA team will work collaboratively with the Canadian Foreign Service Institute (CFSI) to promote accessibility training offered to GAC employees and create a learning roadmap.
  • The Canadian Foreign Service Institute (CFSI) will establish an accessibility strategy for learning products and services, including:
    • Offering learning content on a single platform that is fully accessible, supports accessible learning material and is led by a team with accessibility expertise.
    • Add a requirement that only fully accessible courses are added to the GAC List of Mandatory Training for All Employees.
    • By the end of 2023–2024, review and update all online courses offered by the CFSI to ensure they fully meet accessibility standard.
    • By the end of 2024–2025, review and update all CFSI instructor-led courses, including foreign language training, to ensure they fully meet accessibility standards.

Measuring Progress

GAC is developing an implementation plan and a performance measurement framework featuring short, medium, and long-term timelines for planned actions, as well as clear measures to indicate and track progress.  Whenever possible, the Accessibility Action Plan Performance Measurement Framework will align with the performance measurement frameworks of the GAC Equity Diversity and Inclusion Plan, as well as the Anti-Racism Strategy. We will also add questions to the NWU survey to help measure progress over time. Where possible, GAC will seek to use existing data from the annual Public Service Employment Survey (PSES) as our baseline. Additional keys success factors and key performance indicators will be included in the Accessibility Action Plan Performance Measurement Framework.

Conclusion

GAC employees have demonstrated substantial and dedicated efforts to support the development of this first Accessibility Action Plan.Employees with disabilities have also been very generous in sharing their experiences.The recommendations in this Plan support departmental compliance with Accessible Canada Act requirements and position GAC to respond proactively. GAC will thoughtfully implement recommendations to build an inclusive and accessible workplace that meets the needs of its workforce.

Annexes

Annex A – Accessibility Action Plan Survey, 2023 Building the GAC Accessibility Action Plan: Nothing Without Us

June 16, 2023, marked the launch of GAC’s Accessibility Action Plan survey Building the GAC Accessibility Action Plan: Nothing Without Us (NWU), which was collaboratively developed with GAC employees with disabilities. Thesurvey generated 394 responses, including 225 from persons with disabilities (see Annex). The survey also captured demographic information on gender, racial identification and sexual orientation, providing valuable insights into the intersectional identities of GAC employees with disabilities and managers/supervisors. The survey will be repeated annually, and the results analyzed to inform our performance management indicators, workplace culture change strategies and future reporting.

Initial Survey Results

Employees with disabilities

Managers (includes managers of employees with a disability and managers with a disability)

Managers (includes managers of employees with a disability and managers with a disability)

List of stakeholders consulted

Key takeaways

• Overall, managers seem to be aware of disability issues in the workplace.
• Compared to managers, employees with disabilities consider knowledge (65%) and systemic barriers (47%) as being more important (34% and 19%, respectively).
• A minority of employees with disabilities said that their manager is helpful (20%) or that they feel understood (24%).
• A minority of managers say that they had positive experiences (29%) and were able to create solutions (20%).

Annex B – Definitions and Key Terminology

Accessibility

Accessibility refers to how services, technology, locations, devices, environments and products are designed to accommodate persons with disabilities. Accessibility means giving people of all abilities equal opportunities to participate in life activities. The term implies that there has been conscious planning, design and effort to ensure something is barrier-free for persons with disabilities. Accessibility also benefits the general population by making everything more usable and practical for all people.

Accommodation

Accommodation refers to taking steps to remove disadvantages for people that result from barriers.

Assistive and adaptive device/technology

A device, system or equipment designed to help a person do a task. Examples include wheelchairs, hearing aids, screen-reading software, etc.

Barrier

According to the Accessible Canada Act, a “barrier means 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 a physical, mental, intellectual, learning, communication or sensory impairment or a functional limitation.”

Disability

According to the Accessible Canada Act, a disability is “a physical, mental, intellectual, learning, communication or sensory impairment—or a functional limitation—whether permanent, temporary or episodic in nature, that, in interaction with a barrier, hinders a person’s complete and equal participation in society.”

Self-identification

Self-Identification is the process by which the employer collects information and conduct and analysis of the workforces in order to determine the degree of the underrepresentation of the persons in designated groups in each occupational group in what workforce

Systemic barrier

Systemic barriers are policies, practices or procedures that result in some people receiving unequal access or being excluded.