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2025 Accessibility Plan at Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)

Message from the Deputy Ministers

We are pleased to share ECCC's Accessibility Plan for 2025-2027. This update reflects our ongoing efforts to reduce barriers and foster an inclusive workplace. Developed with feedback from employees, it outlines concrete steps to integrate accessibility into our policies, programs, and services.

We are building on the 2022-2024 plan and meeting the requirements of the Accessible Canada Act. We will keep working toward better representation of persons with disabilities, and will continue to make accessibility an essential part of how we operate.

Thank you to everyone contributing to this important work.

Mollie Johnson
Deputy Minister

John Moffet
Associate Deputy Minister

Message from the Disability and Accessibility Co-champions

Since the adoption of the Accessible Canada Act by Parliament, ECCC has worked to make the Department more accessible. To identify and remove barriers that affect people with disabilities, we collaborate with our Employee Accessibility Network. ECCC also works to prevent the creation of new barriers, facilitating the full participation of persons with disabilities. Through these efforts and collaborations, we were able to target areas of importance and guide the next steps in the update of the ECCC Accessibility Plan.

ECCC is mindful that the work has just begun, and we must maintain the momentum to ensure full accessibility in the workplace. This work will continue to rely on conversations, information sharing, and the provision of tools to embed these new attitudes and ways of working into our daily behaviors. As champions, we are firmly committed to making ECCC accessible and inclusive for all.

It is the responsibility of each of us to ensure that our actions and behaviours contribute to creating a culture of care that is inclusive and accessible for both employees and Canadians.

We hope this Accessibility Plan will challenge you to become an ally in our efforts to increase accessibility for our Department and programs.

Mackenzie Lambe and Geneviève Perron
Disability and Accessibility Co-champions

General

Feedback process

You can provide your feedback on:

Feedback can also be provided on:

Please send your feedback to the Director, Accessibility, Values and Healthy Workplace, Human Resources Branch.

You can send your feedback by email, phone or mail using the contact information below. You can also send your feedback anonymously. We will acknowledge receipt of your feedback in the same way you sent us your feedback, unless the feedback is provided anonymously.

You can also contact us to ask for a copy of the Accessibility Plan and our feedback process description in these alternate formats: print, large print, Braille, audio or an electronic format that is compatible with adaptive technology intended to assist persons with disabilities. We will provide the format you request as soon as possible. Braille and audio formats may take up to 45 days. Print, large print and electronic formats may take up to 15 days.

We will use the feedback we receive to take actions when necessary to remove identified barriers. Feedback received will be part of our statistics and will be used in preparing progress reports and updated accessibility plans. Feedback can be presented to Accessibility Advisory Committee ambassadors and internal stakeholders.

Contact us

Accessibility Statement

As of the date of publication, this document has been verified for accessibility.

If you have any issues with this document, please contact us at RetroactionAccessibilite-FeedbackAccessibility@ec.gc.ca.

Glossary

Accessibility: The combination of aspects that influence a person's ability to function within an environment.

Accessible: Referring to a place that is easily reached, an environment that is easily navigated or a program or service that can easily be obtained.

Accommodation: The personalized adaptation of a workplace to overcome the barriers faced by persons with disabilities.

Barrier: 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 physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication or sensory impairment or a functional limitation.

Disability: Any impairment, including 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.

Inclusion: The act of recognizing, valuing, and building on differences in identity, abilities, backgrounds, cultures, skills, experiences, and perspectives while respecting human rights.

Introduction

Background

The Accessible Canada Act (ACA) is part of Canada's vision to be a diverse and inclusive world leader. The goal is to realize a barrier-free Canada by 2040 by identifying actions to take to remove and prevent barriers. The legislation benefits all Canadians, especially persons with disabilities. It is done by proactively identifying, removing, and preventing barriers to accessibility in 8 priority areas:

In developing ECCC's first plan in 2022, we added a ninth priority area, culture. This honours our standing promise to create a culture of care and a workplace that is inclusive, accessible, and safe for all. In such a culture, we must be attentive to the well-being of others and discuss issues in a respectful manner to resolve them collaboratively.

This legislation acknowledges publicly the value of persons with disabilities. It requires the establishment of standards to measure progress when it comes to providing accessible services, removing existing barriers and preventing new barriers. Standards are built upon the strength of existing legislation such as the:

The Office of the Chief Accessibility Officer (OCAO), housed within Employment and Social Development Canada, leads federal monitoring and reporting. The Canadian Human Rights Commission is responsible for ensuring that organizations are fulfilling their obligations set out in the Act. The Office of Public Service Accessibility (OPSA) helps the Government of Canada to meet the requirements of the Act.

Accessibility at ECCC follows a specific structure. Disability and Accessibility Co-champions advocate priorities that have an impact on all ECCC employees. There are ambassadors in all branches at a director or senior manager level. The Accessibility Secretariat, housed within the Human Resources Branch, supports the development and implementation of the Accessibility Plan. It coordinates communications, meetings, and events to raise awareness on accessibility. The Employee Accessibility Network is an employee-driven community open to all ECCC employees with disabilities and their allies.

ECCC Retrospective of 2022 to 2024

The Accessibility Secretariat oversees the corporate program on accessibility and works with partners and stakeholders to develop and implement a multi-year departmental Accessibility Plan that meets or surpasses the legislative requirements. A mandate of the Secretariat is to foster an environment of learning and collaboration between stakeholders to achieve a barrier-free workplace. Stakeholders are the Co‑champions, branch heads, and employee networks.

The main goal of ECCC's first Accessibility Plan was to establish formal accessibility mechanisms. These include but are not limited to responsibilities, processes, data collection sources, work plan and priorities for each branch. It also includes connections with other programs. ECCC programs use ACA priority areas and tools available through the OPS as a framework.

Another of the goals for the first three-year plan was to raise employee awareness about accessibility and our culture of care. We also ensure all employees understand their responsibilities. We made significant progress by providing information sessions, internal communications, and promoting mandatory and non-mandatory training. We educated the management community on accessibility and the culture of care. We also updated the information available to employees to reflect changes in accessibility tools and information.

We have integrated accessibility considerations into many of our procedures and processes.

We also strengthened our accessibility reporting structure within the Department. Reporting tools and a structured process help in the follow up and reporting on accessibility progress. This structure also increases accountability and has resulted in a better understanding of the integration of accessibility in our Department.

Many building assessments were conducted by the Real Property team. The responsible teams are addressing the findings. This provided insight into the redesign of new office space as well as integrating accessibility standards.

We have made considerable progress in the accessibility of our communications. Significant work was done in reviewing corporate templates. We have developed and shared multiple tools to help draft accessible messages.

We have also developed a centralized accommodation program. This program provides a single point of contact for employees and managers and a centralized budget. It offers personalized support and guidance. It also streamlines interactions between stakeholders during the process and ensures that accommodations are provided timely.

Executive Summary

At ECCC, we recognize that the environment is vital to the identity and well-being of Canadians. We value the contribution of the natural and social sciences in making responsible decisions about the environment. ECCC is committed to demonstrating integrity, trust, and mutual respect in our working relationships. We value the dedication and teamwork of our people and strive to provide high quality service to the public. We act on these values by:

Becoming an inclusive workplace requires the collective and personal responsibilities of each employee and manager. We encourage employees to embrace continuous learning, engage in open dialogue, and contribute to supportive practices and clear communication. To support this commitment, ECCC has established the following guiding principles:

On our journey toward full accessibility, ECCC is committed to maintaining the level of accessibility achieved since 2022. This includes addressing existing barriers and proactively preventing new ones. We will do this by consistently promoting awareness and sharing information on all aspects of accessibility. This will strengthen the allyship of employees who may not experience barriers themselves.

As part of this Plan, we will deepen our review of the accessibility of our programs and services. To implement this Plan effectively, we will collaborate with persons with disabilities, stakeholders, and governance committees. We will also integrate lessons learned, emerging research, and best practices as we move forward.

Consultations

Consulting persons with disabilities is a key requirement of the Act. Regular consultations have been held with ECCC Employee Accessibility Network and the Accessibility Advisory Committee since the adoption of the Act. These consultations have helped identify barriers and revise the initial draft of this plan. We also consulted the Managers' Network to confirm the identification of existing barriers.

These consultations have also allowed us to better define our actions and priorities to improve accessibility. It has created a sense of collaboration and partnership. For this upcoming cycle we intend to focus on ways to enhance the feedback from the Canadian public who may interact with our Department's programs and services.

Listening to our employees

ECCC's Employee Accessibility Network (EAN) has close to 200 members. We actively seek their contributions in reviewing previously identified barriers as well as revealing new barriers. Feedback, comments, and concerns are captured and discussed during the quarterly meetings of the Employee Accessibility Network (EAN). They are also discussed in bimonthly sessions of the Accessibility Advisory Committee.

Additionally, we collect employee feedback through exit questionnaires, which provide valuable insights into the experiences of departing staff. This information helps identify potential friction points, enhance employee retention strategies, and improve overall workplace experience. The data also reveals trends and highlights areas for improvement in employee satisfaction and organizational practices.

In preparing the updated Accessibility Plan, we consulted in writing with nine union representatives. We consulted representatives from the following five bargaining agents between August 8 and September 5, 2025:

Analysis of survey results

ECCC Accessibility Survey

ECCC conducts an internal accessibility survey every two years, with the most recent iteration held in the summer of 2025. The survey was online from July 14 to September 5, 2025. The survey is designed to evaluate barriers to accessibility and gauge employees' awareness of accessibility and disability-related issues. It also provides valuable insights into areas for improvement and emerging needs within the Department. The survey also serves in informing accessibility enhancements. The survey is a key tool for monitoring progress toward the goals outlined in the Accessible Canada Act. The data collected helps the Department track its progress. The data also identifies opportunities to strengthen its commitment to an inclusive and barrier-free workplace.

The public opinion research team has programmed the survey to be accessible to adaptive technologies.

All ECCC employees were invited to participate. Respondents had the option to self-identify as persons with disabilities.

More information on the survey results will be available in the 2026 progress report.

Public Service Employee Survey (PSES)

This government-wide survey gathers feedback from public servants to assess the workplace experience. It measures employee engagement, satisfaction, and perceptions of leadership, while also evaluating well-being, diversity, and inclusion. The insights gained help demonstrate how employees experience their work environment. The insights also inform the development of improved practices and policies.

Format: Online survey

Dates: October 28, 2024 to December 31, 2024

Questions Asked: See Public Service Employee Survey

Participants: All employees, including employees with disabilities

Total Number of Respondents: 186,635 respondents for the 2024 edition

Number of Respondents with Disabilities: Approximately 29,385 individuals

Types of Disabilities Represented:

Guarding Minds at Work

This survey provides a snapshot of employee perceptions, enabling organizations to identify strengths and areas for improvement. It serves as a comprehensive tool for assessing and promoting psychological health and safety in the workplace. The survey addresses accessibility-related components, offering valuable data to support a more inclusive and supportive work environment.

Format: Online survey

Dates: October 3, 2023 to November 10, 2023

Questions Asked: see Guarding Minds at Work

Participants: All employees, including employees with disabilities

Total Number of Respondents: Over 2,000 respondents

Number of Respondents with Disabilities: [Not specified]

Types of Disabilities Represented: [Not specified]

ECCC planned consultations

Concerning its Accessibility Plan for 2025–2027:

The information collected from the consultations on accessibility, including information to identify, eliminate and prevent barriers, will be shared, and coordinated through ECCC branches.

Areas in section 5 of the Accessible Canada Act

Moving forward in our journey, ECCC commits to providing accessible services by default to all ECCC employees and the Canadians we serve.

ECCC will achieve these goals by planning and consulting with all stakeholders. ECCC will implement the Accessible Canada Regulations 3-year cycles comprising 1 Accessibility Plan and 2 Progress Reports.

For this first update, 2025 to 2027, ECCC worked on creating actions that are more measurable. The first 3-year cycle allowed us to understand better the current state of accessibility in the Department.

We will also use the feedback and data from surveys like the Public Service Employee Survey, Guarding Minds at Work and the ECCC Accessibility Survey. Feedback and data from the Employment Equity Gap Reports will also be used by ECCC. This information will help us adapt plans, including new areas for focus as needed and validate priority actions.

All these elements will help us in measuring progress against our planned actions. These elements will also help in meeting standards, identifying new objectives, and delivering meaningful yearly Progress Reports.

In the following sections, we outline the priority areas, and the barriers associated with each of them. We also describe the steps ECCC will take to address these barriers.

Culture

ECCC's Culture of Care is an approach to creating empathic, compassionate and respectful conversations throughout the organization. ECCC will continue to show accessibility leadership through our actions, planning, caring and support for our employees, clients and partners.

We identified the following barriers:

Under the responsibility of the Human Resources Branch, ECCC improves its accessibility awareness. ECCC will be taking steps to remove these existing barriers and prevent new barriers by:

Employment

ECCC is committed to building and maintaining a talented and skilled workforce that reflects the diversity of the people it serves. Our goal is to improve recruitment, retention, and development of persons with disabilities (evident or not). This will help safeguard equal opportunities for all employees to do their best work and attain success.

We identified the following barriers:

Under the responsibility of the Human Resources Branch, ECCC improves the accessibility of its employment. ECCC will be taking steps to remove these existing barriers and prevent new barriers by:

Built environment

ECCC is committed to enhance the accessibility of ECCC facilities.

We identified the following barriers:

Under the responsibility of Corporate Services and Finance Branch, ECCC improves the accessibility of its built environments. ECCC will be taking steps to remove these existing barriers and prevent new barriers by:

Information and communication technologies (ICT)

ECCC is committed to continue to make information and communication technologies usable by all.

We identified the following barriers:

Under the responsibility of the Digital Services Branch, ECCC improves the accessibility of technologies used. ECCC will be taking steps to remove these existing barriers and prevent new barriers by:

Communication, other than information and communication technologies

ECCC is committed to make information and communication accessible to all.

We identified the following barriers:

Under the responsibility of Public Affairs and Communications Branch, ECCC improves the accessibility of its communications. ECCC will be taking steps to remove these existing barriers and prevent new barriers by: 

Procurement of goods, services, and facilities

ECCC is committed to ensure goods, services and facilities are accessible by design and by default. ECCC is committed to improve the accessibility of tendering and procurement procedures.

We identified the following barriers:

Under the responsibility of Corporate Services and Finance Branch, ECCC improves the accessibility of its procurement. ECCC will be taking steps to remove these existing barriers and prevent new barriers by: 

Design and delivery of programs and services

ECCC is committed to equip employees to design and deliver accessible programs and services, including policies.

We identified the following barriers:

Under the responsibility of Environmental Protection Branch, ECCC improves the accessibility of its services and programs. ECCC will be taking steps to remove these existing barriers and prevent new barriers by:

Transportation

While ECCC does not offer transportation services to the public, we use various transportation vehicles at various sites.

We identified the following barrier:

Under the responsibility of Corporate Services and Finance Branch, ECCC improves the accessibility of its operational transportation. ECCC will be taking steps to remove this existing barrier and prevent new barriers by:

Requirements under the Broadcasting Act

The Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC) provides weather, ice and other environmental prediction information. It supports Canadian aviation, marine navigation and military operations. MSC manages the delivery of our information using a variety of dissemination mechanisms. It improves the delivery of our services through different channels. Channels are a systematic collection of customer feedback, assessment of client needs and strategic partnerships.

ECCC is the Authoritative Source of Weather Alerts 24/7.

No barriers were identified. Under the responsibility of Meteorological Service of Canada, ECCC improves the accessibility of its broadcasting. ECCC will continue to prevent new barriers by monitoring feedback. As well as maintaining the following services:

Conclusion

ECCC's Accessibility Plan serves as a guiding framework for all branches within the Department. It establishes the standards we strive to achieve. ECCC's Accessibility Plan reinforces our commitment to removing and preventing barriers for persons with disabilities. Through the implementation of this mandatory Plan, ECCC aims to lead by example in creating a barrier-free workplace by 2040. ECCC thus strives to contribute to a more accessible Canada for all.

Since the release of the initial Accessibility Plan, we have gathered valuable feedback on the barriers initially identified. We have taken the opportunity to reflect on lessons learned over the past few years. Our goal is to raise the bar by enhancing the standardized actions already in place. We also aim to ensure that branches are aligned in working toward meaningful progress. We will monitor progress with an internal data collection tool. This approach allows us to measure our advancement and assess the equity of our practices.

Accessibility is a shared responsibility. At ECCC, we emphasize the importance of understanding the impact of an accessible workplace. With the insights and lived experiences of persons with disabilities, we aim to foster greater awareness and knowledge of current accessibility issues across the Department.

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2025-12-31