Statistics Canada: Road to Accessibility, 2023 Progress Report

General

To request an alternate format (such as large font, braille, American Sign Language [ASL] and langue des signes québécois [LSQ]), please contact Statistics Canada's Accessibility Secretariat.

Statistics Canada: Road to Accessibility, 2023 Progress Report - PDF Version (PDF, 416.06 KB)

How to provide feedback

The Head of the Equity, Talent Development and Workforce Strategy Division, Workforce and Workplace Branch is designated to receive feedback on behalf of StatCan. We want to hear from you.

• Mail: Accessibility Secretariat, Statistic Canada, 150 Tunney's Pasture Driveway, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0T6
• Telephone: 1-800-263-1136
• TTY: 1-800-363-7629
• Feedback Form on our website: Accessibility Feedback form
• Email: statcan.accessibilitysecretariat-secretariataccess.statcan@statcan.gc.ca

Do you want to send us feedback anonymously? You can send us mail, call, or use our Accessibility feedback form without providing any personal information.

Your feedback is important to us. Feedback received will be acknowledged in the same way it was received unless it was received anonymously.

For more information, please consult this Privacy Notice.

Introduction

The Accessible Canada Act (ACA) aims to create a barrier-free Canada by 2040 by identifying barriers and preventing the creation of new ones. Statistics Canada published its first accessibility action plan in December 2022. Even before the publication of the plan, our agency has been committed to accessibility and has made great progress in becoming more accessible.

Accessibility is everyone's responsibility. Over the course of the year, this has become evident as teams and individuals across the agency have contributed to the progress. The 2023 Progress Report on the Accessibility Action Plan for Statistics Canada is an important milestone. This report showcases 105 accomplishments from September 2022 to September 2023 as part of our journey to becoming an accessibility confident organization.

Accomplishments by the numbers (September 2022 to September 2023)

• 22 presentations to StatCan Persons with Disabilities Committee Meetings on topics ranging from progress on the Engaging (Dis)ability Innovation, to Fire drill dates and procedures, to Ergonomic lending libraries at Tunney's Pasture, Office noise level measurements to R/Python programming languages for data science and analytics.
• 50 participants took the pilot Government of Canada (GC) Workplace Accessibility Passport manager training
• 40 participants attended the GC Workplace Accessibility Passport informal consultation sessions
• 15 Accessibility Feedback instances received from December 23rd, 2022, to September 1st, 2023
• 195 attendees to the awareness presentation on deafblindness hosted with Carleton University's Canadian Accessibility Network
• 687 views of the May 2023 self-paced 'challenge' for leadership
• 440 average views per month of the centralized site for accessibility-related information and reports
• 630 workplace accommodation requests received
• 467 workplace accommodation requests processed
• 34 average processing time (in days) for all accommodation requests which is a marked improvement from 2021 of 54 days.
• 78% satisfaction with workplace accommodations that were implemented (2022 Public Service Employee Survey)
• 8 accessibility evaluations initiated for Regional Offices
• 100% of priority repairs (repairs that pose immediate danger) on 8 temporary spaces (swing space floors) were completed.
• 5 licenses procured of each commonly requested accessibility software.
• 28 Sign Language videos published in American Sign Language and Langue de signes du Quebec
• 11,059 page views housing ASL/LSQ videos
  • 3,821 plays of these videos with a completion rate of 23%.
• 103 full digital service accessibility reviews conducted (82 External Services, 21 internal services)

Accomplishments by priority areas and the barriers they address

Culture

An accessible culture within StatCan is accessibility-confident and disability-inclusive. Focus and commitment are put on educating all employees and managers to empower and inform them on accessibility. Accessibility standards and best practices are emphasized, and employees feel confident and safe in speaking out on barriers to accessibility and potential solutions.

Accomplishments

Addressing the lack of awareness

1. Created a page on the Internal Communication Network (ICN) to centralize all internal accessibility-related information and reports for employees and managers.
2. Organized plain language training for StatCan employees. Promoted accessibility training from the School of Public Service and free bilingual online accessibility training.
3. Organized awareness presentations with Carleton University's Canadian Accessibility Network on deafblindness and the removal of accessibility barriers.
4. Launched the National Accessibility Awareness Week (NAAW) with a message from the Persons with Disabilities Champion.
5. Participated in a senior leader discussion with the Deputy Minister Champion for Federal Employees with Disabilities and the Chief Accessibility Officer for the National Accessibility Awareness Week (NAAW) titled "Learn from Yesterday, Change Today, Enhance Tomorrow: Building an Accessible Public Service Together"
6. Participated in an AMI-tv Channel, the world's first television network to broadcast all programs with open format described video for Canadians who are blind or partially sighted, program segment on government wide accessibility. Footage was included in the video from the Clerk for National Public Service Week.
7. Launched the GC Workplace Accessibility Passport with a joint message from the Chief Statistician and the Persons with Disabilities Champion.
8. Divisions promoted the GC Workplace Accessibility Passport and discussed the tool at divisional meetings to increase take up.
9. Organized a one-month self-paced 'challenge' for leadership allowing leaders at all levels to complete tangible actions that help the work environment become more accessible.
10. Developed performance management objectives for executives to measure progress made in accessibility and inclusion within their teams.
11. Piloted performance management objectives within a division for employees at all levels to expand accountability and prioritization of accessibility in their work.
12. Developed and delivered "The basics of meeting planning" training to improve productivity and inclusivity in meetings. Training includes resources and recommendations for accessibility requirements.
13. Participated in training for executives led by the CSPS and Live Work Play covering topics such as social motivators, impact of exclusion on the brain, approaches to accommodation, applying habits for lasting change, growth mindset, and curiosity over judgement.
14. Launched sector committee with representatives from several divisions to collaborate on accessibility-related improvements such as best practices for internal tools and applications and brainstorming about accessibility-related employee challenges.
15. Census, Regional Services and Operations (Field 7) identified a Divisional Champion to promote awareness and educational opportunities. The Champion is also the contact person to collect feedback from other employees about accessibility barriers. If required, action plans are developed with management to remove accessibility barriers.

Addressing the lack of inclusion and feedback

16. Developed and managed a centralized and anonymous feedback system for all employees, Canadians and external StatCan users.
17. Presented accessibility plan and tools to teams and employee networks across StatCan providing an avenue for information sharing, discussion, and feedback.
18. Identified a Divisional Champion to act as the contact person for feedback from employees about accessibility barriers. If required, action plans are developed with management to remove accessibility barriers.

Addressing the lack of internal collaboration

19. Facilitated interdivisional quarterly working group and leadership meetings to monitor and ensure progress of interdependent files.
20. Met with teams across StatCan to discuss their accessibility strategies and consultation methods allowing for an exchange and gathering of best practices internal to the agency.
21. The Accessibility Secretariat hosted a series of accessibility network meetings to promote accessibility knowledge sharing across the Government of Canada. These intergovernmental informal discussions allowed for an exchange and gathering of best practices external to the agency.
22. The Centre for Health Data Integration (CHDI) and the Social Analysis and Modelling Division (SAMD) launched a community of practice to bring together a cross-functional group of subject matter experts, analysts, HR advisors and researchers within StatCan, who have the responsibility, experience, and interest in collecting, acquiring, and analyzing data, and sharing insights on the topic of disability and accessibility. The community will contribute towards members' growth by creating opportunities for collaboration and sharing of experiences through our work, projects, training, and/or education.

Workplace Accommodation

Workplace accommodation at StatCan means that accommodation is made on a confidential, case-by-case basis and employees are supplied with the functional tools and working conditions they need to maximize their potential.

Accomplishments

Addressing the lack of procedural knowledge

23. Collaborated with internal partners on the development of Frequently Asked Questions content on how to request accommodation as part of the "Hybrid Work Environment" reference material.
24. Maintained training and information links on the ICN.
25. Divisions increased their knowledge on process through regular meetings with Duty to Accommodate Office, Labour Relations (when required).

Addressing delays in getting accommodations

26. Created and collaborated on the implementation of the communication plan for launch of GC Workplace Accessibility Passport within agency to help expedite the receipt of key information and employee-manager dialogue needed for processing accommodations.
27. Created scent-free zones, food-free zones, and low lighting zones in each physical space neighbourhood for all employees to benefit from thereby reducing the number of individual requests to process.
28. Implemented a designated chair depot and ergonomic lending library in each physical space neighborhood which also helped reduce the processing of individual requests.
29. Created a dedicated space for employees with noise sensitivities by converting a closed office space to be shared by employees requiring this type of accommodation.

New barrier: Lack of internal collaboration

30. Actively participated in the internal Hybrid Work Environment planning to ensure accessibility is considered throughout the planning of the future of work.
31. Collaborated with the GC Workplace Accessibility Passport Adopter Community of Practice on the development of tools.
32. Collaborated with the Disability Inclusion and Workplace Accommodation Community of Practice in the development of tools and processes.

Priority Areas under the Accessibility Canada Act

Employment

Accessible employment at StatCan means that employees with disabilities and those experiencing barriers are supported throughout their employee journey. From recruitment and hiring to onboarding and career progression, all employees are supported to reach their full potential.

Accomplishments

Addressing the lack of knowledge or understanding of accessible and inclusive hiring practices

33. Launched a pilot project to promote all posters through Equitek to better reach the Employment Equity communities.
34. Presented the Engaging (Dis)ability summary research report to the Staffing Standing Committee.
35. Developed and delivered awareness sessions (with partners such as LiveWorkPlay) and material on barriers persons with disabilities face throughout the employment journey for management and staffing advisors.
36. Created ICN content promoting accessible and inclusive tools (such as the Public Service Commission hiring tools).
37. Developed partnership strategy for Accessible and Inclusive Employment and start discussions with disability employment service organizations, university and student associations for persons with disabilities.
38. Updated the agency's self-declaration form to increase transparency on data collection and usage.

Addressing stigma and attitudinal barriers

39. Launched learning opportunities related to the employee journey of persons with disabilities.
40. Developed guidance documents on duty to accommodate procedures and feedback processes related to a selection process.
41. Launched the first internal Sponsorship program for executive or mid-level leaders who are part of equity-seeking groups (including persons with disabilities).
42. Initiated discussions about learning styles as part of the onboarding process to ensure that employees receive the support they need from the beginning of their employment.

Addressing inflexible and complex staffing tools and processes

43. Standardized paragraphs for staffing posters to make them more accessible.
44. Completed initial review of the accommodation process to improve efficiency and to ensure all candidates are processed at the same pace.
45. Initiated accessibility review of staffing communication templates.
46. Collaborated on the agency implementation plans for the GC Workplace Accessibility Passport offering guidance for staffing processes.
47. Developed presentation for human resources employees on accessible assessment practises.
48. Reviewed staffing tools to ensure future recruitment and hiring are accessible for Census 2026.

Built Environment

An accessible built environment at StatCan is one where workspaces and the work environment are accessible for all. From the spaces in employees' homes to those owned or leased by StatCan, all environments used by employees will be accessible by design.

Accomplishments

Addressing the lack of consultation with persons with disabilities and those experiencing barriers

49. Consulted with persons with disability committee on building procedures (including accessible fire safety procedures and emergency procedures).
50. Actively participated in monthly persons with disabilities committee meetings.

Addressing that accessibility is not a key requirement in construction

51. Met with the Persons with Disabilities Committee to review new Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) designs for R.H. Coats.
52. Worked in collaboration with PSPC to implement accessible space reservation tools.
53. Developed and implemented communication strategy to communicate construction plans and site closures through various media including the Accessibility site on the ICN.

To contribute to the desired state of enhancing accessibility of the workplace and employee workspaces

54. Completed consultations with the Fire Safety Officers to ensure procedures are documented and meet accessibility requirements in the event of an emergency.
55. Initiated evaluations in our Regional Offices to ensure documentation of accessibility plan for each office.
56. Participated in monthly meetings with property managers regarding the accessibility of outdoor spaces.
57. Updated large appliances in the kitchens on swing space floors to ensure accessibility such as fridges that are more readily accessible for individuals in a wheelchair and microwaves with larger print and braille for use by individuals with visual impairments.
58. Completed repairs that pose immediate danger on swing space floors as outlined in the consultant audit.
59. Enhanced the emergency email communication tool to also include messages in ASL.

Information and communication technologies

Accessible information and communication technologies at StatCan (often called ICT) means that IT products are usable and accessible for everyone. Whether it is software development, infrastructure support, platform operations, service request fulfillment, IT asset management, cloud environments or offsite support, these all need to be accessible.

Accomplishments

Addressing knowledge gaps within the IT team

60. Researched and compared external accessibility maturity models.
61. Created IT Accessibility Advisory Board for governance and guidance on Accessibility by Design development.

Addressing accessibility considerations

62. Created Accessible Information and Communication Technology Scorecard and Maturity Model for StatCan IT.
63. Initiated documentation of IT service processes related to accessibility requirements.
64. Created documents guiding accessibility testing using common accessibility software on common StatCan platforms.
65. Improved the accessibility of the Integrated Business Statistics Program (IBSP) application.
66. Implemented the creation of a fully accessible version for each new issue of the "In Hybrid News" newsletter using the ICN.
67. Actively discussed accessibility for GCXchange and M365 office and collaborative tools with Treasury Board in support of accessible meetings.
68. Initiated plans for printers as part of future of work project.

Addressing unavailable tools

69. Collaborated with Industry Canada and Innovation Solutions Canada to develop an application that conducts accessibility reviews.

Addressing lengthy accommodation processes

70. Established the base offering of the Accessibility Software Lending Service.
71. Procured licenses of each commonly requested accessibility software.

Communication, other than information and communication technologies

Accessible communication at StatCan means information that is provided, sent, or received is clear, direct and easy to understand and meets the needs of employees and Canadians.

Accomplishments

Addressing gaps in accessible communications

72. Explored accessibility improvements for internal all-staff messages.
73. Completed the census chatbot accessibility review and working with Microsoft to implement the recommendations.
74. Increased the awareness and usage of MS 365 accessibility functions like PowerPoint Live and MS Forms.
75. Updated internal newsletters and documents to conform with accessibility guidelines (e.g., avoiding use of certain colours).
76. Adopted use of larger fonts in email communications (Arial 14)

Addressing the lack of emphasis on the accessible design of communications

77. Researched plain language training options to make this a mandatory course for all StatCan employees.
78. Collaborated with the Accessibility Secretariat to ensure efficient communication with all staff around the topic of accessibility resources and events.
79. Added information on Video Relay Service to all the wave materials for Census test and products.
80. Prepared braille and ASL/LSQ versions to products for Census, the Canadian Survey on Disability, Survey on Accessible Print Materials, etc.
81. Scheduled the accessibility testing on mobile phones for the Census Chatbot.
82. Added Alt Text requirements for all social media posts.
83. Collaborated with the Centre of Expertise on Accessibility to learn about best practices in accessibility for apps and mobile products
84. Adopted plain language across the agency for public facing content
85. Added visuals and alternate formats such as tables, slides or videos to releases and documents to provide accessibility to different types of reading and learning styles.

Procurement of goods, services, and facilities

The accessible procurement of goods, services, and facilities at StatCan means to centralize purchases, including computer software and hardware and a variety of external professional services, while prioritizing accessibility.

Accomplishments

Addressing GC centralized program and policies

86. Prepared an inventory of all the different documents and forms used during the procurement process.
87. Adapted procurement documents to be accessible.
88. Ensured accessibility considerations were taken in procurement files and flagged inaccessible items to project leaders.
89. Transitioned from buyandsell.gc.ca to the new GC accessible tendering platform.

Addressing the lack of consultation

90. Appointed a champion on accessible procurement.
91. Planned a townhall on accessible procurement.

Addressing insufficient knowledge

92. Attended learning events and training offered by PSPC Centre of Expertise on Accessible Procurement as well as with Shared Services Canada.

Design and delivery of programs and services

The accessible design and delivery of programs and services at StatCan means that surveys, programs, and services are inclusive and accessible by design to meet the needs of Canadians and employees.

Accomplishments

Addressing the reactive approach

93. Revised the Notice of Web Accessibility process to now requires a brief when products are inaccessible or unreviewed to contribute to proactive accountability.
94. Created an in-house braille version of the Statistics Canada: Road to Accessibility.
95. Published Sign Language videos in American Sign Language and Langue des signes du Quebec (i.e.: in support of the Canadian Survey on Disability, Survey on Accessible Print Materials, etc.). The video with the highest combination of views (over 2,000) and completion rate (23%) was on First Nations People, Metis, and Inuit in Canada, and the video with the highest completion rate (42%) was on the COVID 19 Survey.
96. Successfully promoted the use of Video Relay Services Canada to Census and other programs
97. Continued expanding the Text-to-Speech pilot and feedback tool on multiple StatCan websites.
98. Offered alternative collection options to survey respondents, other than traditional telephone and electronic questionnaires.
99. Hired employees with lived experience and expertise in accessibility.
100. Made the "Accessibility Assurance step" an integral part of the development processes for all our current and future products: (e.g. Aviation dashboard, Energy Flow Visualization (Sankey Diagram), High Frequency Electricity Dashboard (HFED)

Addressing inaccessible tools

101. Completed the service inventory of all the programs and services at StatCan.
102. Conducted 103 full digital service accessibility reviews for both external (82) and internal (21) services.

Addressing the lack of a centralized approach Addressing accessibility needs

103. Shared significant advice to colleagues across the agency on accessibility features for software such as Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and contributed to the accessibility resources on the ICN.
104. Launched the Accessibility Review Pilot Project:
     • Completed the Accessibility Review of the agency's online learning services.
     • Contributed to the early accessibility and usability review of the GC Workplace Accessibility Passport online portal.
     • Conducted accessibility reviews to comply with the Management Accountability Framework. Responsible areas are making changes to fix accessibility barriers uncovered.
105. Statistics Canada has been tasked – as a partner - by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to conduct accessibility reviews on the multinational STAT Data explorer. These reviews continue.

Transportation

No barriers in StatCan policies, practices, programs, and services, were identified at the time of publication of the 2023-2025 Accessibility Action Plan. The agency regularly monitors this area through our feedback mechanism, to ensure prevention and removal of barriers. This is to confirm that no new barriers have been identified since the drafting of this report.

Consultation

This section covers consultations conducted from September 2022 to September 2023. For more information about consultations conducted in order to inform the development of the 2023-2025 Accessibility Action Plan, please read the Consultation section in Statistics Canada: Road to Accessibility.

Consulting employees continues to be a critical element in the implementation of Statistics Canada: Road to Accessibility. Consultations were led by various areas to advance in the actions accomplished above.

Internal Consultation by the Accessibility Secretariat

In the spring of 2023, the agency's Accessibility Secretariat held information sessions open to all employees and which included a consultative component. To ensure continued engagement and increase the accessibility confidence of the agency, these sessions covered the framework of Statistics Canada: Road to Accessibility (StatCan Accessibility Plan), accomplishments to date, how-to submit feedback and tools they can use to make their everyday work more accessible.

The consultation sought to get the pulse on employee understanding of the plan, awareness of and sentiment towards the GC Workplace Accessibility Passport and accountability on contributing to the accessibility journey.

• Based on our StatCan Accessibility Plan and across domains, which domain pillar is more important to you?
• How familiar are you with the GC Workplace Accessibility Passport?
• Do you think the GC Workplace Accessibility Passport will help you?
• What tasks could you accomplish in your position to make StatCan more accessible?

English and French sessions were held using MS Teams to ensure access to all employees. The presentation and consultation leveraged the PowerPoint Live and built-in survey function in MS Teams. Participants were asked ahead of time if this function created accessibility barriers.

The findings and responses helped guide the agency on future communication activities related to both the Accessibility Plan and the development of support for the GC Workplace Accessibility Passport.

Persons with Disability Committee

The Persons with Disability Committee (PwDC) is an active employee committee and a key partner in the implementation of the agency's action plan. This committee's creation predates 1989. It has a very long history of identifying priorities, providing constructive advice and suggestions action-oriented solutions to StatCan management.

The Accessibility Secretariat was a regular participant in committee meetings, presenting and gathering input on:

• Progress on the Engaging (Dis)ability Innovation
• Findings from the external consultation report by BDO
• Resources for the "Accessibility at StatCan" ICN page
• The publication of the accessibility plan in accessible formats
• Employee events in support of advancement of accessibility confidence
• The feedback processes
• The measurement framework
• The GC Workplace Accessibility Passport
• Organizational progress on accessibility
• Workplace Occupational Health and Safety Department delivered and received feedback on:
• Return to work safety measures
• Updates on ergonomic assessment
• Fire drill dates and procedures
• Ergonomic lending libraries at Tunney's Pasture
• KN95 masks availability and masks procedures
• Dates and procedures for lockdown exercises
• Office noise level measurements (results: 38-54 decibels)

The Facilities and Future of Work Project presented and received feedback on construction updates, constructions sites, and building closures.

The R/Python User Group presented their user group and prompted committee members to participate.

External Consultations by the Engagement and Data Services Division

There were two projects where persons with disabilities or to organizations that represented persons with disabilities:

• Statistics Canada is seeking input on the Gender, Diversity, and Inclusion Statistics (GDIS) Hub and
• Website modernization initiative: Text-to-speech feature were consulted.

For these consultation sessions, participants were given the opportunity to express any of the accommodations needs.

Gender, Diversity, and Inclusion Statistics (GDIS) Hub

The Gender, Diversity, and Inclusion Statistics (GDIS) hub monitors and reports on indicators included in many publications on subjects related to diversity and inclusion.

The long-term goal is for the GDIS Hub to become a "one stop shop" that offers meaningful data and products and creates a more user-friendly experience.

To inform this goal, 50 disability organizations were contacted as part of the process. Two organizations responded and a participant from each organization was consulted.

The format for this consultation activity was one-on-one usability testing sessions done via Microsoft Teams or Zoom. The participant was provided the link to and asked to open the prototype of the Gender, Diversity, and Inclusion Statistics Hub. They then shared their screens as they explored the page and followed some use cases.

This format was selected at because it was the best fit for the client's request. We used either Microsoft Teams or Zoom to accommodate the participant. By having the participant open and explore the prototype themselves, it allowed them to change the font size, zoom in on the page, use a screen reader or change the colour contrast as needed.

While there were several recommendations, one key recommendation was to "ensure accessibility of text and hover-over boxes (e.g. text contrast, size, machine readability)".

Text to Speech Project

Consultations were held to support the Text to Speech Project with a focus on a few of the pilot features that on certain pages of the Statistics Canada website. The feedback gathered during this session would provide insight for future considerations.

19 disability organizations and an additional 57 government working groups pertaining to accessibility or persons with disabilities we contacted. In total, there were 32 participants in this study.

We had two formats for this consultative engagement activity: a group discussion (with no more than four per session) or a one-on-one usability testing session done via Microsoft Teams or Zoom. The format was selected based on participant preference. Each participant was provided the links to various pages to review the tool ahead of time along with the questions to keep in mind when reviewing.

During the session they shared their screen as they explored the various pages with the tools as we went through the questions. Many participants had their observations ready to share. When it was a group setting, the moderating team shared their screen and explained the features of each tool both visually and verbally to accommodate all participants. Zoom was used most often as this was the preferred teleconferencing application.

Among the specific recommendations, one key takeaway was that most participants saw the value in a text-to-speech feature for a variety of audiences except for those that are fully visually impaired as they have their own tools such as screen readers. Additionally, this text to speech feature should not be seen as an "accessibility fix".

Feedback

At Statistics Canada, a Feedback page accessible to those internal and external to the agency was developed and published alongside the action plan per the ACA requirements. This page includes all relevant information to submit feedback, including the ACA definition for "barriers." Throughout the year, the feedback process was promoted in presentations across StatCan. Additionally, leads from across the agency were provided with their roles and responsibilities related to the feedback process.

Summary of the Feedback Process

This year, feedback was received only through the Accessibility Feedback Form and via email. When the Accessibility Secretariat receives feedback by email, an email acknowledgement is sent notifying the sender that the process to explore and resolve the barrier has begun. The feedback is anonymized, if necessary, and sent to area leads for evaluation and response.

If a follow-up is requested or necessary, area leads are responsible to respond (using the same medium in which the feedback is received) and are provided with support from the Accessibility Secretariat. The Accessibility Secretariat stores all communications related to the feedback in a confidential manner for the next seven years as mandated by the Accessible Canada Act.

From December 23, 2022, to September 1, 2023, we received 15 feedback:

• two came from the anonymous Accessibility Feedback Form and
• 13 were submitted to the Accessibility Secretariat via email.

The key themes of the feedback related:

• Alternate format: request for a printed copy of the report
• Communication: inaccessible documents (such as PowerPoint Presentations and PDFs) or programs (such as GCDocs)
• Workplace Accommodations:
  • Delays in receiving proper accommodations
  • Accessibility of the workspace

Lessons learned and a look ahead to Year 2

The first year of the implementation of the agency's Accessibility Action Plan continues to offer opportunities to learn and grow. As we move into the next year, we will continue to progress on the 2023-2025 Accessibility Action Plan commitments to remove and prevent barriers. We take with us one more year of experience, insight and lessons learned. While there is pride in the accomplishments listed in earlier in this report, we acquired lessons in the areas of funding, governance, measurement, and reporting.

Funding

Sound fiscal management comes with a high threshold and specific criteria to obtain funding. For a new program like accessibility, extra efforts were required to ensure stakeholders and the investment board understood the importance of this work. Setting the groundwork on this enterprise-wide file, translated to the agency prioritizing accessibility and allocating investment funding. With the experience gained by all contributors on the initial submission for funding, complemented by the proven accomplishments from this first year, the program is poised to continue receiving the required funding to advance on accessibility commitments.

Governance

The agency established an Accessibility Leadership Taskforce (ALT) comprising of:

• Director-level area leads representing the eight ACA and StatCan priority areas,
• the Director General of the Workforce and Workplace Branch (WWB),
• the Persons with Disabilities Champion, and
• the Assistant Chief Statistician for Corporate Strategy and Management Field.

ALT is the governing body responsible for overseeing the implementation and operational accessibility requirements. Collaboration and commitment from across the agency have been key drivers to attaining our goals. We have learned that within certain areas, the ability to implement actions is facilitated by their inherent mandates (i.e.: IT and User Experience), and therefore the transition of leadership made sense to facilitate progress. Additionally, we have observed that the Employment area lead scope was far too large- covering the actions related to the employee journey from onboarding through to separation. Therefore, to ensure that each milestone in the employee journey received the focus on accessibility that it deserved, accountability was divided and shared amongst all of the WWB directors.

Measurement

StatCan was one of the organizations to publish indicators for measurement. However, as the accessibility landscape continues to evolve across the public service (i.e.: Common hybrid work model and impacts on duty to accommodate) and in implementing the planned actions, we continued to revisit the plan content including the indicators. In the coming year, we will be updating our publication of the 2023-25 Accessibility Action Plan to account for updated indicators that will align with those soon-to-be released by the Office of Public Service Accessibility, coupled with changes that will better set the agency up with a baseline from which to demonstrate success or signal areas of further attention.

Reporting

To ensure a continued momentum and accountability for the implementation of the action plan, monthly financial dashboards, quarterly accomplishment reports and the annual progress report were instituted. The monthly dashboards communicate progress, challenges, and resolutions to the investment board and senior management. The quarterly reports provide updates to the ALT and allow for enhanced collaboration and opportunities for recalibration between priority areas as needed. Lastly, the annual progress report compiles the quarterly accomplishments complimented by additional actions carried out throughout the agency organically. This document truly showcases all StatCan answering the call to help remove barriers and taking on the commitment to being inclusive by design and accessible by default.

Give feedback on this progress report

Provide feedback by filling out the Accessibility Feedback Form.

Accessibility progress reports developed by other institutions

List of accessibility progress reports developed by other institutions