Language selection

Government of Canada / Gouvernement du Canada

Search

Accessibility Plan (2023 to 2025): Annexes

Accessibility plan

Annex A: Consultations

The CBSA completed the first cycle of consultations in open to all agency employees including equity seeking groups. These consultations informed our What We Heard Report (WWHR). At this time, the agency was in the early stages of drafting its plan. A total of 8 sessions were held with a total of 75 participants that represented a variety of branches, regions and positions, with a variety of disabilities. Sessions were offered virtually, in both official languages with sign language interpretation (SLI) available. Participants were offered many methods to consult, such as:

  • group sessions
  • individual sessions
  • email

In addition to virtual sessions with employees, the agency also consulted with industry experts in information technology, including Gartner and Infotech, other government departments with experience providing adaptive technologies including; Employment and Social Development Canada and Canada Revenue Agency, federal government communities proactive in accessibility, and non-government organizations with expertise in the Web content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Participants were advised the space was for open and frank discussions and that their feedback would be anonymized.

Facilitators framed the discussion around a series of 5 questions:

  1. What does accessibility confident mean to you?
  2. What conversations need to happen for you to be your whole authentic self at work?
    1. What would you like your colleagues to be aware of with respect to disabilities in the workplace?
    2. How would you like to be engaged by your manager to discuss your needs?
    3. How would you prefer to communicate your needs to your employer (agency, manager, etc.)?
  3. How will you know you are cared for and valued in the workspace?
  4. What are some of the changes that most people would not think about and which could have a big impact for you?
  5. Self-identification is a voluntary process that asks employees to indicate whether they belong to one of 4 equity groups: Aboriginal Peoples, visible minorities, women and persons with disabilities. Currently, only 60% of CBSA employees have completed the self-identification process with a goal of 80%. How can we increase the rate of self-identification?

What we heard

The consultations elicited comments that touched on all pillars of the CBSA’s accessibility plan.

Participants identified barriers related to the following types of disabilities: mobility, auditory, visual, speech, mental health, developmental and learning.

In addition to virtual sessions with employees, the agency also consulted:

  • Industry experts in information technology, including Gartner and InfoTech
  • Other government departments with experience providing adaptive technologies, including Employment and Social Development Canada and Canada Revenue Agency
  • Federal government communities of practice in accessibility
  • Non-government organizations with expertise in WCAG

The consultations elicited comments that touched on all pillars of the CBSA’s accessibility plan as well as culture.

What we heard is there is a need to foster a culture of empathy and humanity and trust; employees do not want to have fear of reprisal, be seen as a burden, do not want to feel excluded because of their disability and accommodations or feel they are creating additional costs for the manager. Participants highlighted employees feeling the need to be heard, valued, and empowered by the agency. The establishment of a centre of expertise that employees and managers can reach out to for guidance was recommended.

Throughout consultations, participants touched on a variety of pillar related barriers:

  • Employee experience:
    • Lack of training amongst management and employees
    • Accommodations: the need for doctor’s notes, proof of disability etc.
    • Flexibility, for example the hybrid work model
    • Border Services Officers’ uniform delays for officers of different sizes
    • Management must speak more openly and often about Duty To Accommodate (DTA) and accessibility – ensure that employees are equipped with the proper tools and ensure ongoing conversations with staff
    • No clear career path for persons with disabilities
    • Normalize conversations about disability and inclusion, accommodations and accessibility
  • Built environment:
    • Meeting and conference rooms are not accessible
    • Having to use alternate entrance (to accommodate ramps etc.) emphasizes the fact the employee is different – takes away dignity
    • A need for accessibility to be considered when a meeting is held off site
    • Accommodate with proper equipment in boardrooms in order for officers to sit with their uniforms (duty belt) comfortably; with this, acceptable timelines for custom orders
    • Accessible space for IT Services
  • IT:
    • Second-language training is not accessible for employees that may have different abilities
    • Ensure that all systems are accessible when inputting information into systems rather than looking at the document itself
    • Limitation of access to hardware and software that may be needed for employees with disabilities – limitations due to security concerns of firewalls
    • Insist that software be in both official languages and accessible
  • Procurement:
    • Provide accessible tools, such as sit-stand workstations at the counter for travellers, so those in a wheelchair can lower the counter as required
    • Procure tools and accommodate in a timely fashion, have back up suppliers to avoid delays
  • Service delivery:
    • National Capital Region (NCR) Shuttle Bus and possibly other forms of transportation are not accessible
    • Service to clients to be accessible
    • Standard transport vehicle; to accommodate officers of different sizes
    • Ensure to also focus on needs of travellers who use our services – all ports to be equally accessible

Participants also touched on the following general barriers that apply to more than one pillar:

  • Centralized fund for accommodation requests
  • Transportation to the office is often a barrier for employees with disabilities
  • Non-visible disabilities should be factored into workplace to accommodate employees’ needs
  • Training and tools required for creating accessible communications, list of tools available, how to ensure they are accessible, WCAG guidelines, how to ensure they are met
    • More use of sign language
    • Ensure bilingualism is encouraged and promoted in the workplace, language is part of accessibility and we need to create an environment where everyone uses both official languages
  • Diversity/Accessibility lens to be built into policies and procedures

Results

The initial consultations with responses that were received was the first step in creating the accessibility plan. Throughout the creation, development and implementation of our Plan we will consult regularly, adjust where needed and improve where required. This will support a workplace that is respectful, accessible and which allows employees to bring their full complement of skills and knowledge to the forefront. The agency envisions a workplace that values the wellbeing of our employees and the travellers who use our services.

More consultations are planned with programs within the agency, external stakeholders and the public who use our services. Throughout the life cycle of the Plan, we will continue to consult and update accordingly.

Annex B: Glossary

From Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat unless otherwise indicated.

Accessibility
The degree to which a product, service, program or environment is available to be accessed or used by all. (Source: Accessible Canada Act)
Accessibility Confidence
The ability of organizations to “manage disability as a business priority related to customer experience, talent, productivity, innovation, new product development, brand reputation and investment in human potential.” (Source: Business Disability International).
Barrier
The act defines a barrier as “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, cognitive, learning, communication or sensory impairment or functional limitation.” (Source: Accessible Canada Act)
Clients
Individuals, businesses or their representatives served by or using services provided by a government department.
Disability
The act defines disability as “any impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication or sensory impairment, or a functional limitation, whether permanent, temporary or episodic in nature, or evident or not, that, in interaction with a barrier, hinders a person’s full and equal participation in society.”
Discrimination

Treating someone differently or unfairly because of a personal characteristic or distinction, which, whether intentional or not, has an effect that imposes disadvantages not imposed on others or that withholds or limits access that is given to others.

There are 13 prohibited grounds of discrimination under the Canadian Human Rights Act (that is, based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, family status, genetic characteristics (including a requirement to undergo a genetic test or disclose the results of a genetic test), disability or conviction for an offence for which a pardon has been granted or in respect of which a record suspension has been ordered).

Diversity
The inclusion of different types of people. A diverse workforce in the public service is made up of individuals who have an array of identities, abilities, backgrounds, cultures, skills, perspectives and experiences that are representative of Canada’s current and evolving population. (Source: Building a Diverse and Inclusive Public Service: Final Report of the Joint Union/Management Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion).
Employee
A person employed in the public service.
Harassment

Any improper conduct by an individual that:

  • is directed at and offensive to another individual in the workplace, including at any event or any location related to work
  • the individual knew or ought reasonably to have known would cause offence or harm

Harassment comprises objectionable act(s), comment(s) or display(s) that demean, belittle, or cause personal humiliation or embarrassment, and any act of intimidation or threat. It also includes harassment within the meaning of the Canadian Human Rights Act (that is, based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, family status, genetic characteristics (including a requirement to undergo a genetic test, or disclose the results of a genetic test), disability or conviction for an offence for which a pardon has been granted or in respect of which a record suspension has been ordered).

Persons with disabilities

The Employment Equity Act defines persons who have a long-term or recurring physical, mental, sensory, psychiatric or learning impairment and who a) consider themselves to be disadvantaged in employment by reason of that impairment, or b) believe that an employer or potential employer is likely to consider them to be disadvantaged in employment by reason of that impairment.

Persons with disabilities include persons whose functional limitations owing to their impairment have been accommodated in their current job or workplace.

Self-identification
Employees providing employment equity information for statistical purposes in analyzing and monitoring the progress of employment equity groups in the federal public service and for reporting on workforce representation. (Source: Employment Equity in the Public Service of Canada for Fiscal Year 2017 to 2018).
Teletypewriter
The teletypewriter (TTY) phone number listed on the contact page refers to an alternate phone number connected to a device that enables phone communication through typed messages for people who cannot or choose not to communicate verbally, typically used by individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, or who have a speech impairment or disability.
Workforce availability

For the core public administration, refers to the estimated availability of people in designated groups as a percentage of the workforce population. For the core public administration, workforce availability is based on the population of Canadian citizens who:

  • are active in the workforce
  • work in those occupations that correspond to the occupations in the core public administration

Availability is estimated from 2011 Census data. Estimates for persons with disabilities are derived from data, also collected by Statistics Canada, in the 2012 Canadian Survey on Disability. (Source: Employment Equity in the Public Service of Canada for Fiscal Year 2017 to 2018).

Annex C: References

Consultation Report: Priorities for engagement, accessibility standards and research from 2020 to 2022

GCworkplace: Location of the latest workplace design standards, which are design principles that incorporate barrier-free accommodations in federal workplaces.

The Treasury Board Secretariat, specifically the Office of Public Service Accessibility has published a guiding strategy for the Government of Canada titled Nothing without us: an accessibility strategy for the public service of Canada. This strategy acts as the guidance for departments when designing their accessibility plans. At the heart of this strategy are 5 interconnected goals to guide the public service in its response to the requirements of the act:

  • Improve recruitment, retention and promotion of persons with disabilities
  • Enhance the accessibility of the built environment
  • Make information and communications technology usable by all
  • Equip public servants to design and deliver accessible programs and services
  • Build an accessibility-confident public service

Annex D: Abbreviations used

AAACT
Accommodation and Adaptive Computer Technology
AATK
Accessibility Assessment ToolKit
AATP
Accessibility and Adaptive Technology Program
ACA
Accessible Canada Act
AO
Accessibility Office
ASL
American Sign Language
ATPDR
Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations
ATPRR
Accessible Transportation Planning and Reporting Regulations
BCR
Building Condition Report
BTID
Border Technologies Innovation Directorate
CBSA
Canada Border Services Agency
COTS
Commercial-off-the-shelf
CRA
Canada Revenue Agency
CSPS
Canada School of Public Service
CTA
Canada Transportation Agency
CTB
Commercial and Trade Branch
DTA
Duty To Accommodate
EDI
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
FCMB
Finance and Corporate Management Branch
FTE
Full time equivalent
GBA Plus
Gender Based Analysis Plus
GHIB POE
Gordie Howe International Bridge Port of Entry
HRB
Human Resources Branch
IAPED
Internal Audit and Program Evaluation Directorate
IBP
Integrated Business Planning
IEB
Intelligence and Enforcement Branch
ISTB
Information, Science and Technology Branch
ITSO
IT Solutions and Operations
LSQ
langue des signes québécoise (Quebec Sign Language)
NCR
National Capital Region
NRPA
National Real Property and Accommodations
OGD
Other Government Departments
OPI
Office of Primary Interest
OPSA
Office of Public Service Accessibility
PSPC
Public Service and Procurement Canada
PSES
Public Service Employee Survey
PDAC
Person with Disabilities Advisory Committee
PwD
Persons with Disabilities
POE
Port Of Entry
SCO
Strategic Change Office
SLA
Service Level Agreement
SLI
Sign language interpretation
SMSS
Strategic Management and Support Services
SPB
Strategic Policy Branch
SSC
Shared Services Canada
TB
Travellers Branch
TBS
Treasury Board Secretariat
TDD
Training and Development Directorate
TTY
Teletypewriter
VMAC
Visible Minority Advisory Committee
WCAG
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
WWHR
What We Heard Report
2SLGBTQI+ Advisory Committee
Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and additional identities Advisory Committee
Date modified: