Section 6. Looking ahead: the reporting cycle and updating your accessibility plan

On this page

• The planning and reporting cycle
• Updating your accessibility plan

The planning and reporting cycle

The Accessible Canada Act (ACA) and the Accessible Canada Regulations (regulations) establish a three-year planning and reporting cycle:

1. first year: publish an accessibility plan and a description of your feedback process
2. second year: publish a progress report on the implementation of your accessibility plan, including information on feedback you have received and on how that feedback has been taken into consideration
3. third year: publish another progress report
4. fourth year: publish an updated version of your accessibility plan
5. repeat (publish progress reports in the fifth and sixth years, an updated plan in the seventh year, and so on)

This cycle will allow your organization to make changes to your policies, programs, practices, and services in consultation with persons with disabilities in preparation of your accessibility plans, and based on feedback from persons with disabilities on the implementation of your plans. Your progress reports must describe this feedback and how it was taken into consideration.

You must consult persons with disabilities when preparing your accessibility plans and progress reports. Your plans and reports must describe the manner in which you conducted these consultations.

Despite your best efforts, your organization may still have barriers. Many barriers are difficult to identify until a person with a disability encounters them. Your accessibility plan can provide a foundation on which to continuously build and improve.

Each required accessibility document offers an opportunity to get input from persons with disabilities, to reflect on your organization’s goals and actions, and to be accountable for your current and future actions. We recommend that you view these documents as part of an ongoing process to improve accessibility. As you work on one accessibility document, keep the requirements for the other documents in mind.

Updating your accessibility plan

The regulations require that regulated entities publish an updated accessibility plan within 36 months from the date on which the last version of the accessibility plan was required to be published. You may also be required to publish a revised version of your accessibility plan if the Accessibility Commissioner determines your current plan does not comply with the requirements of the ACA and its regulations.

The ACA and its regulations do not impose a single approach for updating accessibility plans. However, all the requirements for accessibility plans described in these modules also apply to updated plans. You must:

• consult persons with disabilities when preparing your updated plan and describe the manner in which you did this
• include the same required headings (“General,” areas described under Section 5 of the ACA, and “Consultations”)
• follow the same rules for formatting, publishing, and keeping copies of your plans