Accessibility Plan

  • INTRODUCTION
  • GENERAL
  • ACCESSIBILITY PLAN
  • CONSULTATIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS
  • Progress Report

    • INTRODUCTION

    INTRODUCTION

    As a centre for excellence serving the total well-being of workers in Canada, the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) is committed to accessibility in all facets of our reach as a service provider and employer. More than 6.2 million of the people we serve are living with a disability and facing barriers in access to programs, services, facilities, and employment. In our commitment to fulfilling our mandate for all Canadians, and our alignment with the overarching vision of the Accessible Canada Act, we are proud to present our first Accessibility Plan (the Plan).

    The Plan is our first step in reviewing our products, services, building, and practices as an employer and service provider in consultation with those who are directly impacted by what we do. Through those consultations, we collected valuable information to inform this Accessibility Plan.

    Over the next three years, we will take meaningful actions to gain momentum and fulfill the commitments of this Plan, invite feedback and consultation on our progress, and report on how far we’ve come.

    The Plan will continuously improve as we incorporate feedback from future consultations and as new developments arise. In this commitment to create a barrier-free organization, we make even greater strides to improve the total well-being of all working Canadians.

     

    Anne Tennier, P.Eng., EP
    President and Chief Executive Officer
    Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety

    GENERAL

    GENERAL

    The Accessible Canada Act

    The Accessible Canada Act (the Act) came into force in 2019 with a vision to achieve a barrier-free Canada by 2040. The Act requires that regulated entities, including the federal government, parliament and the federally regulated private sector, proactively identify, remove, and prevent barriers to accessibility for persons with disabilities in seven priority areas:

  • employment
  • the built environment
  • information and communication technologies
  • communication
  • the procurement of goods, services, and facilities
  • the design and delivery of programs and services; and
  • transportation.

    • The Act defines a 'barrier' as:

    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 an impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication or sensory impairment or a functional limitation. (obstacle)

    The Act defines a '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.

    Regulated entities are required to:

  • create three-year Accessibility Plans, informed by consultations with persons with disabilities, that set out how they will identify, remove, and prevent barriers to accessibility.
  • publish annual progress reports that describe how they are delivering their Accessibility Plans; and
  • implement processes to collect, manage, and respond to feedback on Accessibility Plans and progress reports.

    • Feedback

    We welcome feedback about the implementation of our Accessibility Plan, our progress, and barriers you may have encountered or observed whether you are an employee, client, customer, member of the public, or member of a group representing the interests of persons with disabilities.

    Our Human Resources Manager is responsible for receiving accessibility feedback and coordinating with internal experts who oversee each of the priority areas. You can provide your feedback in any of the following ways:

  • Accessibility feedback form
  • E-mail: accessibility@ccohs.ca
  • Phone: 1-800-668-4284
  • Mail:
    • 135 Hunter Street East

    Hamilton ON Canada L8N 1M5

    We will acknowledge receipt of feedback in the same manner as the feedback was provided unless it is requested using a different format. If feedback is provided anonymously, we will not be able to issue acknowledgement of receipt.

    Alternate Formats

    We will provide any information relating to our Accessibility Plan and/or feedback process in alternate formats, upon request, including print, large print, Braille, audio (French and English) or electronic formats compatible with adaptive technology that assists persons with disabilities. Requests for documentation in Braille or audio format will be fulfilled within 45 business days of the request. All other requests will be fulfilled within 15 business days.

    Executive Summary

    Through our consultations and considerations of our current policies, procedures, practices, and other indicators, CCOHS identified the following overarching goals for our first Accessibility Plan:

  • Our goal for employment is to address barriers in the recruitment and selection (hiring) process, and the employee experience related to the inclusivity of our policies, procedures, and practices as an employer.
  • Our goal for the built environment is to partner with property management and Public Services and Procurement Canada to improve the accessibility of our building and continue to reinforce a scent free environment.
  • Our goal for information and communications technology is to provide all users, including those with disabilities, with modern tools that enhance productivity and improve efficiency, while providing a supportive and inclusive technology environment.
  • Our goal for communications is to provide credible informational assets and services in clear language that are easily accessible and inclusive to persons with disabilities.
  • Our goal for procurement is to modernize our procurement practices so that the goods and services we procure are accessible.
  • Our goal for the design and delivery of products are services is to review each product and service to determine how we can identify, remove, and prevent barriers.

    • This plan describes the barriers identified through our consultations, and the specific objectives CCOHS will undertake to achieve these goals.

    An Overview of CCOHS

    The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) is a federal departmental corporation reporting to the Parliament of Canada through the Minister of Labour and is governed by a Council of Governors representing governments (federal, provincial, and territorial), employers, and workers; a structure that ensures a balanced, impartial approach.

    The CCOHS mandate is to promote health and safety in the workplace and the physical and mental health of working people in Canada, by

  • facilitating consultation and cooperation among federal, provincial, and territorial jurisdictions and participation by labour and employers
  • offering credible guidance and resources and innovative products and services that are easy to access to help prevent work-related injury and illness, and
  • serving as a national centre for statistics and other information related to occupational health and safety.

    • CCOHS is located in Hamilton, Ontario and has 110 full time equivalent employees.

    For more than 40 years, CCOHS has been motivated and inspired by the guiding principle that everyone has a fundamental right to a healthy and safe working environment. Through our programs and services, built on our knowledge, fueled by our commitment, and realized through our actions, CCOHS advocates for the total physical and psychological health and well-being of working people in Canada by providing workplaces and working people with the information they need to make workplaces healthier and work safe.

    ACCESSIBILITY PLAN

    EMPLOYMENT

    The goal of the Employment pillar of the Accessible Canada Act is to ensure access to employment opportunities and accessible workplaces.

    Being a diverse and inclusive employer is a priority of the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS). We demonstrate this in our commitment to creating an accessible and barrier-free workplace in which all employees can thrive. It is engrained in our values, forms a pillar of our 2023-2027 Strategic Plan, the priorities set by our Council of Governors, and is reinforced through our recent diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and accommodation programs, efforts, and initiatives.

    The goal of CCOHS for this pillar is to address barriers in the recruitment and selection (hiring) process, and the employee experience related to the inclusivity of our policies, procedures, and practices as an employer.

    This goal is informed by consultations which told us about the following barriers:

  • job seekers and candidates feeling confident to raise their need for accommodation and informed about the accommodation process.
  • employees feeling confident to raise their need for accommodation and informed about the accommodation process and other supports available to them.
  • awareness and support for neurodiverse people and those with invisible disabilities in employment practices and culture.
  • employment policies, programs, and practices having an accessibility lens.

    • Our objectives for the employment pillar include:

  • enhance our hiring policy and procedure with an accessibility lens, make information available and accessible to job seekers, internal and external candidates, and be ready to respond to needs for accommodation. Make the process seamless, supporting them to compete for positions to their full potential.
  • enhance our employment policies, procedures and practices with an accessibility lens and make information available and accessible to employees, supporting them to achieve their full potential.
  • train employees on neurodiversity, review our existing practices for inclusivity and make the necessary changes to fight stigma and fully leverage the talents and contributions of neurodiverse people.
  • continue to seek input from our knowledgeable workforce about our efforts and practices, respond to and action feedback.

    • BUILT ENVIRONMENT

    The goal of the Built Environment pillar of the Accessible Canada Act is to ensure all people can move freely around federal buildings and public spaces.

    Our physical building is a leased space managed by a third-party organization, in conjunction with Public Services and Procurement Canada, and intended to meet or exceed current accessibility standards.

    The goal of CCOHS for this pillar is to partner with property management and Public Services and Procurement Canada to improve the accessibility of our building and continue to reinforce a scent free environment.

    This goal is informed by consultations which told us about the following barriers:

  • accessibility of parking spots and outside walkways.
  • building entrances are not accessible to people with mobility challenges.
  • access to other floors without accessibility options for people with mobility challenges.
  • access to washroom facilities for people with mobility challenges.
  • building navigation challenges and availability of tactile signage.
  • adding Braille to room and service area identifiers.

    • Our objectives for the built environment pillar are to:

  • plan and acquire accessibility aids including signage that includes tactile and auditory capabilities.
  • adapt and update our existing building to support new requirements and improvements.
  • develop documentation and training for new employees and/or visitors to the physical building to allow them to understand and easily navigate the building.
  • identify people with specific accessibility needs and provide appropriate training and documentation to meet their requirements.
  • develop multiple accessible formats of training that accommodate the range of needs of individuals who may need them, to facilitate a positive experience within the physical building.
  • ongoing consultation, as we rely on the existing cadence of accessibility reviews conducted by Public Services and Procurement Canada to alert facility services to additional changes and improvements that may be recommended or required.

    • INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES (ICT)

    The goal of the Information and Communication Technologies pillar of the Accessible Canada Act is to ensure the accessibility of digital content and technologies.

    CCOHS has historically made consistent efforts to address accessibility in our technology by way of proactive software accessibility standards training and accessibility reviews of newly released products. These standards are created from industry experts in accessibility, with broad consultation across many groups that have historically required accommodation as it relates to technology use.

    The goal of CCOHS for this pillar is to provide all users, including those with disabilities, with modern tools that enhance productivity and improve efficiency, while providing a supportive and inclusive technology environment.

    This goal is informed by consultations which told us about the following barriers:

  • systems are incompatible with assistive technology.
  • systems are not designed natively with accessibility capabilities to those without assistive technology.
  • systems with no accessibility considerations or capabilities to those who require it.

    • Our objectives for the information and communication technologies pillar are to:

  • plan, design and/or acquire new technology solutions aligned and compliant with mandatory accessibility standards. Continuously research emerging technologies that easily allow for integration or implementation of accessibility standards.
  • adapt and update existing programs and technology, from researching emerging technologies, integrating applicable upgrades within existing systems, allocating cycles within upcoming projects for retrofitting systems as it relates to accessibility, and retiring and replacing existing systems/legacy technology that cannot be adapted or upgraded.
  • provide user training and guidance. Create a catalogue of CCOHS technologies with accessibility functions and assistive technology that is available and implement regular training for solution design specialists and technical architectures who are accountable for developing and designing CCOHS systems. Implement regular training for system design subject matter experts within CCOHS business functions.
  • have ongoing consultation and regular retraining staff on accessibility standards with respect to software design and user interface.
  • Conduct accessibility scans on new internally developed applications using third party tools as an additional reference for compliance over and above the design decisions that have already been implemented.

    • COMMUNICATIONS (other than ICT)

    The goal of the Communications pillar of the Accessible Canada Act is to ensure barrier free services and spaces for persons with disabilities.

    CCOHS is committed to accessible communications and produces materials in multiple accessible formats. All of the employees in the Communications Department are trained in plain language principles. CCOHS produced a Style Guide that incorporates accessibility and plain language principles and championed plain language through a national Spell It Out campaign.

    Our imagery is reviewed for visual accessibility, closed captioning provided on videos, written transcripts of podcasts are made available, and we have produced a podcast and articles on neurodiversity to increase awareness of workplace accommodations.

    CCOHS has also begun offering American Sign Language and Quebec Sign Language in our virtual events.

    The goal of CCOHS for this pillar is to provide credible informational assets and services in clear language that are easily accessible and inclusive to persons with disabilities.

    This goal is informed by consultations which told us about the following barriers:

  • some communications are too long, complex, and academic in nature.
  • internal communications not always clear, and often too long.
  • more clear and inclusive language in employee communication.
  • larger font sizes could be used.
  • navigation of our website could be improved.
  • website is not “accessibility-reader” friendly.
  • too many acronyms are used in communications.
  • inconsistent look and feel on website can cause confusion.

    • Our objectives for the communications pillar are to:

  • educate all staff on plain language principles.
  • implement the CCOHS Style Guide across the organization.
  • evaluate the website for compliance with web accessibility guidelines and create a plan to address key areas of concern.
  • continue to offer sign language options in our hosted events.

    • PROCUREMENT OF GOODS, SERVICES AND FACILITIES

    The goal of the Procurement pillar of the Accessible Canada Act is to ensure the purchasing of goods, services and facilities is accessible.

    CCOHS is committed to procurement of accessible goods and services, and being accessible to those who procure services from us.

    The goal of CCOHS for this pillar is to modernize our procurement practices so that the goods and services we procure are accessible.

    This goal is informed by consultations which told us about the following barriers:

  • accessibility is not sufficiently considered and incorporated in procurement.
  • lack of training and awareness regarding accessibility for those who procure goods and services on behalf of CCOHS.

    • Our objectives for the procurement of goods, services and facilities pillar are to:

  • incorporate accessibility into our procurement and contracting documents, templates, and guidance.
  • provide training and guidance to increase awareness amongst staff who handle procurement and managers to consider accessibility in the process.

    • DESIGN AND DELIVERY OF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES

    The goal of the Design and Delivery of Programs and Services pillar of the Accessible Canada Act is to ensure Canadians receive services that are accessible to all.

    The Centre’s current products and services are aligned with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) to ensure that those with vision difficulties can use our products and services by using various devices to read text. Our e-learning courses can be used with closed captions for the hearing impaired, and we currently provide alternate formats for some products and services upon request. All our free products and services are available in English and French. Our employees are trained in plain language principles.

    The goal of CCOHS for this pillar is to review each product and service to determine how we can identify, remove, and prevent barriers.

    This goal is informed by consultations which told us about the following barriers:

  • not all our e-learning courses are fully accessible.
  • products and software we use can create limitations regarding accessibility.
  • greater involvement of accessibility groups in review of our products is needed.
  • more in-house expertise trained in accessibility to produce our courses, content.

    • Our objectives for the design and delivery of programs and services pillar are to:

  • use customer surveys focused on accessibility of products and services and determine if the users encounter barriers to accessibility.
  • consult with various subject matter experts to determine if the accessibility meets their clients' needs.
  • review results for upgrades to existing products and services.
  • incorporate accessibility feedback into our e-courses and implement changes.
  • provide accessibility training for those developing and designing products and services.
  • add sign language to various products and procedures where possible.
  • review neurological, speech, visual and auditory accessibility.
  • ensure that new products and services comply with the Accessibility Plan.

    • TRANSPORTATION

    The goal of the Transportation pillar of the Accessible Canada Act is to ensure a barrier-free federal transportation network.

    CCOHS is not engaged in any transportation related work. The pillar is listed here as a requirement of the Act, but there are no activities applicable to CCOHS.

    CONSULTATIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS

    CONSULTATIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS

    Consultations and considerations to help us identify barriers and inform our plan included:

  • Employment Equity Indicators
  • Employee Survey on Accessibility
  • Employee Focus Group on Accessibility
  • Individual Employee Consultation on Accessibility
  • Survey of Clients
  • Employee Engagement Survey Indicators
  • Review of Policies, Procedures and Practices
  • External Subject Matter Experts/Organizations

    • Employment Equity Indicators

    There was a significant increase in self-identification and representation of persons with disabilities on the Centre’s workforce, up from 1% to 11.6% from 2021 to 2022, surpassing the labour market availability (8% of population).

    This is an indicator of positive efforts in organizational culture where existing employees can self-identify, and an opportunity to enhance our inclusivity as an employer and service provider through consultation with, and contributions of our workforce, including on this Accessibility Plan.

    Employee Survey on Accessibility

    An accessibility survey was launched to all employees and available for voluntary completion between April 3 and April 16, 2023, with the option to submit anonymously. There were 29 completed survey responses to help inform our Accessibility Plan.

    Employee Focus Group on Accessibility

    Five employees participated in a focus group on accessibility on May 9, 2023. This focus group gave valuable insights into all aspects of our Accessibility Plan.

    Individual Employee Consultation on Accessibility

    One employee participated in an individual consultation.

    Survey of Clients

    CCOHS ran a web survey of public users of our services related to accessibility needs and received six survey submissions.

    Employee Engagement Survey Indicators

    We considered our 2023 Employee Engagement Survey results, particularly in the areas of diversity and inclusion, safety, mental health, work/life balance, organizational culture, information and communication.

    Review of Policies, Procedures and Practices

    We reviewed our relevant policies, procedures, and practices as an organization to identify key areas of focus to improve our accessibility.

    External Subject Matter Experts/Organizations

  • Public Services and Procurement Canada was consulted on the accessibility of our building.
  • CNIB resources were consulted on accessibility for people with visual impairments.

    • Progress Report

    Progress Report, June 2024

    Progress Report, June 2024