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2024 Accessibility plan progress report

Employment

Progress report - Employment
Action	Steps	Revised timeline	Update
Barrier identification	Review current hiring policies and procedures.	Ongoing	The Public Service Resourcing System (PSRS) continues to be mandated for Government of Canada job postings, presenting challenges due to unmodifiable text and formatting. There is also a general lack of understanding of how to apply for a job via the Government of Canada jobs website therefore creating a barrier to access for employment. Although progress has been made in the use of “plain language” in job advertisements and inclusive assessment methods throughout the selection process, it continues to be a priority for hiring managers and human resources advisors to enhance inclusivity in in the hiring process.
Identify mitigation strategies	Make changes to policies and procedures.	Ongoing	The following three resources have been added to job advertisements in an effort to provide guidance to applicants on how to navigate the application process: Applying for Government of Canada jobs: What to expect - Canada.ca Alex’s Tips on How to Apply to a GC Job How to navigate the application process Public Service Employment Act 36(2) compliance training has been provided to all hiring managers and human resources advisors. The Tool for Mitigating Biases and Barriers in Assessment is completed for every selection process allowing hiring managers and human resources advisors the opportunity to identify potential bias and barriers in assessment methods as well as identify and implement mitigation strategies that are suitable for the assessment method and qualifications being assessed. The Public Service Commission (PSC) has also developed a Guide to Mitigating Biases and Barriers in Assessment which provides guidance on how to conduct and evaluation of biases and barriers of an assessment method including a section on “Accessibility” which provides guidance on the use of “plain language”. This guide has been shared with all hiring managers and is continuously being updated by the PSC following feedback received from the Human Resources community. Planning a workshop involving employees with disabilities to gather insights on best practices to be held in October 2025.
Provide training to HR staff on accessibility	Provide training.	November 2024	Training on unconscious bias was mandatory for all managers, it was provided online by the Canada School of the Public Service in 2024 and live training on accessibility and disability awareness was held in November 2024.

Built environment

Progress report - Built environment
Action	Steps	Revised timeline	Update
Ensure program of work for rehabilitation includes all accessibility measures	Participate in the creation of requirement.	June 2025	Public Service and Procurement Canada (PSPC) is committed to meeting the latest accessibility standards in facility renovations.
Identify mitigation strategies	Ensure ongoing mitigation measures are adequate and periodically reviewed.	Ongoing	In partnership with Public Services and Procurement Canada, blind corner mirrors have been strategically installed to enhance visibility and safety in areas with limited sightlines. All elevators across the facility are now equipped with tactile indicators and Braille, ensuring ease of navigation for individuals with visual impairments. Additionally, the elevators’ audio systems were recently tested, confirming they are functioning properly. Implementation of these systems for broader accessibility is underway. In collaboration with the Communications team, significant progress has been made in enhancing signage across the facility. Numerous areas now feature clear and inclusive signage that effectively identifies spaces and items. A review of accessibility measures within the Judges’ Chambers was conducted, and it was determined that no further changes are required at this time.
Ensure rehabilitation plans consider all accessibility requirements and needs	Review rehabilitation plans and documents as they become available.	Ongoing until completion of building rehab	Inclusion of people with disabilities in the revision of plans is a priority and will take place at key milestones within the project.

Information and communication technologies (ICT)

Progress report - Information and communication technologies (ICT)
Action	Steps	Revised timeline	Update
Ensure that applications developed in-house (including the Supreme Court of Canada Website) are accessible and usable	Leverage accessibility and usability standards (for example, Web Experience Toolkit) for all development activities.	Ongoing	Consultants specializing in accessibility were engaged to provide feedback and test the redesigned Supreme Court of Canada website for compliance with accessibility standards. The launch is planned for January 2025.
Provide users with assistive technologies as and when required	When a need for assistive technology is identified (for example, text-to-speech, dictation, closed captioning, high contrast, and alternate input devices) research must be conducted and steps must be taken to acquire the required technology.	Ongoing	Staff responsible for the development of applications attended accessibility training as part of the Website Redesign/Re-development project. These same individuals were also encouraged to take the following two courses: Understanding digital accessibility and disability inclusion Learning session: Understanding digital accessibility and disability inclusion (English) Learning session: Understanding digital accessibility and disability inclusion (French) Overview of accessibility features on smartphones and adaptive technology in the workplace Overview of accessibility features on smartphones and adaptive technology in the workplace (English) Overview of accessibility features on smartphones and adaptive technology in the workplace (French)

Communication, other than ICT

Progress report - Communication, other than ICT
Action	Steps	Revised timeline	Update
We plan to target our consultations this year to persons with disabilities, to benefit from feedback on all of our accessibility tools.	The Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada is updating its Accessibility Plan and in doing so has broadened consultations with persons with disabilities to identify barriers. An updated plan will be implemented in 2025 and will include the result of these consultations as they apply to Communications.	2025	Consultations have taken place; a draft plan has been completed and internal consultations are ongoing. Some recommendations stemming from consultations are being implemented pre-plan.
Other activities that took place in 2024 to improve accessibility			Improved signage in front of the building to indicate accessible access Posts on social media channels on different ways to get to the Court

Procurement

Progress report - Procurement
Action	Steps	Revised timeline	Update
Accessibility training provided to procurement officers to increase awareness of accessibility standards and potential barriers in the procurement process	This will form part of our overall training strategy.	December 2023	Training on “Addressing Disability Inclusion and Barriers to Accessibility” for procurement officers has been completed. Considering additional training courses for a broader understanding of accessibility in 2025. Extending training beyond procurement staff to include all project authorities involved in procurement for Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada was covered in all staff training that took place in November 2024.

Training

Progress report - Training
Action	Steps	Revised timeline	Update
We will create an overarching organizational training plan for accessibility that will be provided internally to staff members.	Creation of a training plan. Roll out of training to all staff.	October 2025 January 2026	Development of an overarching organizational training plan is underway. Rollout of training to all staff planned for 2026.

Date modified: 2025-11-07