Language selection

Government of Canada / Gouvernement du Canada

Search

Accessibility progress report 2023 for IRCC

On this page

Alternate formats

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada Accessibility Plan progress report [PDF - 3.5 MB]

Message from the Deputy Ministers of IRCC

It is an honour to introduce Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) first Progress Report on our Departmental Accessibility Plan.

IRCC facilitates the entry of temporary residents, manages the selection, settlement and integration of newcomers to Canada, grants citizenship and issues passports to eligible citizens. As such, IRCC contributes to building a diverse and prosperous country. Along with our own vibrant workforce in Canada and abroad, this provides a multifaceted environment within which to identify and remove barriers to accessibility for people with disabilities, and to prevent new barriers from being developed.

The Accessible Canada Act mandates a barrier-free Canada by 2040. IRCC’s own Accessibility Plan aligns with the Act and was finalized at the end of 2022. This first Progress Report outlines our efforts to enhance accessibility and disability inclusion in delivering on the Accessibility Plan, and builds momentum towards a truly accessible IRCC.

The achievements being reported herein is a tribute to the level of the engagement of employees across IRCC at every level who work tirelessly to promote accessibility and foster a respectful environment where all belong. For this, we would like to offer our sincere thanks.

We would also like to highlight that IRCC is very fortunate to have a vibrant and active Persons with Disabilities Employee Network supported and endorsed by senior management. We are grateful for their ongoing work providing advice, expertise and input. While the Network is at the centre of ensuring our work on accessibility is embedded in the “Nothing without us” approach, our work will continue to broaden the degree to which IRCC’s clients and employees with disabilities impact our identification and removal of barriers and our increasing success in preventing barriers from being erected in the first place.

IRCC realizes disability intersects with all of the facets that make up an individual. Part of our advances in addressing accessibility are rooted in our focused efforts in recent years to intentionally foster a culture of diversity, equitability and inclusion. This focus on culture is reflected in the launch of the Department’s new Equity Branch, which occurred as part of IRCC’s realignment to an integrated business structure. The Equity Branch is a centre of equity-focused expertise, providing enhanced consistency in the monitoring, oversight, and guidance of equity initiatives including accessibility, anti-racism, GBA+ policy, reconciliation among others.

Our goal is to not only deliver on our Accessibility Plan, but to demonstrate leadership more broadly across government in accessibility. We are also committed to reinforcing Canada’s strong international reputation as a country of choice by helping make it the best country of choice for people with disabilities, visible and invisible.

This first Progress Report signals that we have reached a milestone on a much longer journey. While we celebrate our accomplishments, we recognize we must stay the course to realize our vision of being a department that is equitable by design and accessible by default. We will continue to strengthen our engagements with clients and employees with disabilities, and learn at all levels about identifying and removing barriers across all the priority areas of our Plan. This milestone reflects our commitment to become a truly accessible and inclusive department for all.

General

Executive Summary

Context

The objective of the Accessible Canada Act (ACA) is to realize a barrier-free Canada by 2040. The legislation benefits all persons, especially persons with disabilities, through the identification, removal and prevention of barriers to accessibility in seven priority areas:

IRCC published its first departmental Accessibility Plan at the end of 2022, in compliance with the ACA. The plan outlines barriers to accessibility within IRCC, and actions to take over the next three-year period to remove barriers, in the priority areas identified under the ACA. The plan also includes two additional priority areas:

We believe addressing barriers in these overarching areas will be pivotal to shape the workplace we aim to offer to our employees, as well as the accessible service delivery model we want to offer our clients. 

Implementation Strategy and Progress Report Process

In the first year of implementation of the IRCC Accessibility Plan, we established foundational structures, processes and tools for a sustainable project and change management approach. We created a centralized team, the Accessibility Centre of Excellence (ACoE), its mandate is to:

We identified stakeholders across the Department, and clarified the roles and responsibilities for each stakeholder involved.

In preparation for this progress report, the ACoE:

This progress report highlights steps taken and accomplishments to address barriers and commitments identified in our plan. It also outlines challenges encountered and priority points of focus as we look forward to the next two years of the three-year cycle underway. In addition, the report speaks to how we met our obligations to consult persons with disabilities, as well as the process to collect feedback and how feedback received was taken into consideration by our department.

Progress

The progress we made in the past year includes the key following items:

Challenges and Looking Forward

There are a number of challenges across all priority areas which may impact how we deliver on the accessibility plan. These are informing our way forward for the next two years. They include the need to:

Contact us

IRCC will gladly receive feedback and questions on this report, our Accessibility plan or any other matter related to accessibility. Anyone may contact the IRCC Accessibility Officer to:

Our contact information is as follows:

Address:
c/o IRCC Accessibility Officer
365 Laurier Ave West
Ottawa, ON K1A 1L1
Canada
Telephone number: 1-833-411-6166 or 613-437-6949
Email address: IRCC.Accessibility-Accessibilite.IRCC@cic.gc.ca
Online: Accessibility feedback form

Definitions and key terminology

Ableism

Discrimination in favor of able-bodied people, which creates a discrimination or prejudice against individuals with disabilities.

Accessibility

Accessibility refers to how services, technology, locations, devices, environments, and products are designed to accommodate persons with disabilities. Accessibility means giving people of all abilities equal opportunities to take part in life activities. The term means that there has been conscious planning, design, and effort to make sure something is barrier-free to persons with disabilities. Accessibility also benefits the general population by making everything more usable and practical for all people.

Accommodation

Accommodation refers to taking steps to remove disadvantages for people that result from barriers.

Barrier

According to the Accessible Canada Act (2019):

“Barrier means 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 a physical, mental, intellectual, learning, communication or sensory impairment or a functional limitation.”

Disability

According to the Accessible Canada Act (2019), disability is: “A physical, mental, intellectual, learning, communication or sensory impairment—or a functional limitation—whether permanent, temporary or episodic in nature, that, in interaction with a barrier, hinders a person’s full and equal participation in society.”

Anyone can identify as a person with a disability (PwD) if they experience one or more of these impairments or functional limitations that, in interaction with a barrier, hinder their full and equal participation in society.

Context

IRCC’s first Accessibility Plan was published at the end of 2022. It outlines barriers to accessibility within IRCC and actions to take over the next three-year period to remove barriers, in the priority areas identified under the Accessible Canada Act (ACA):

The plan also includes two additional priority areas:

We believe addressing barriers in these overarching areas will be pivotal to shape the workplace we aim to offer to our employees, as well as the accessible service delivery model we want to offer our clients.

This progress report highlights steps taken and accomplishments to address barriers and commitments identified in our plan. It also outlines challenges encountered and priority points of focus as we look forward to the next two years of the three-year cycle underway.

We are committed to adhering to the principles outlined in section 6 of the ACA. In addition, in our Accessibility Plan, IRCC laid out three goals related to accessibility that touch on and support all of the priority areas to:

These overarching goals were instrumental in laying out a sound implementation strategy for our accessibility plan.

Implementation strategy

IRCC’s accessibility plan implementation strategy includes efforts invested in the first year to establish solid processes, tools and reference documents for a consistent and sustainable project and change management approach. Although this strategy requires a time investment in the very beginning of the initiative, it is expected to bring long-term benefits as it will ensure clear roles and responsibilities, efficient communication channels and work processes, and enhanced collaboration between stakeholders for steady progress.

Here is a summary of foundational accomplishments in 2023:

Progress Report process

In parallel to the foundational elements outlined above, IRCC also focused on a short term strategy to monitor progress made across the Department with respect to planned actions in the accessibility plan, and to prepare our 2023 Progress Report.

Here is an outline of phases and timelines in the development of our Progress Report:

IRCC’s centralized accessibility team, named IRCC Accessibility Centre of Excellence (ACoE), pro-actively led the following:

Looking ahead

Through activities to identify stakeholders and monitor efforts, the following was highlighted:

It is expected that the newly developed accessibility governance structure, set to be implemented in early 2024, will provide much needed direction on stakeholders’ roles and responsibilities as we move into year two of the delivery of our plan. Information sessions on obligations as per the ACA and Regulations, IRCC’s Accessibility Plan and roles and responsibilities will be presented to all entities forming part of our governance structure, early in 2024.

In addition, as stakeholders and entities settle in to their roles and gain a better understanding of their responsibilities, we will ensure to establish a more efficient progress monitoring process where information can be collected on an ongoing basis. As well, we will leverage the expertise of IRCC’s data analytics teams and work closely with leads in all priority areas of our accessibility plan to identify relevant metrics and develop KPIs to track our progress and build our accountability.

Consultations

Given that 27 percent of the Canadian population aged 15 years and over has disabilities, it is fair to assume people with disabilities are everywhere. Therefore “Nothing without us” is fundamental to the Accessible Canada Act. This means that persons with disabilities should be consulted when developing and implementing laws, policies, programs and services. IRCC advances this principle first and foremost through its Persons with Disabilities Employee Network (PwDN), which has a membership of 140 employees at all levels.

Indeed, the PwDN is included on an ongoing basis in activities coordinated by the IRCC Accessibility Centre of Excellence (ACoE). For example, the Champion and Chair of the PwDN are members of Accessibility Steering Committee, and regularly participate in meetings. As well, the PwDN is set to play a key supporting role in the accessibility governance structure, and take part in working group activities.

Specifically as it relates to the development of this progress report:

In addition, most ACoE team members self-identify as persons with disabilities as defined under the ACA. As such, they participate in different meetings and events held by the PwDN, and also collaborate in planning activities, including for the network’s strategic plan and yearly events (National AccessAbility Awareness Week in May, Disability Employment Awareness Month in October, International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3). This proximity ensures the ACoE is kept apprised of concerns, barriers and issues faced by PwDN members, and provides direct access to obtain additional information as needed. The fact that most ACoE employees have disabilities, and collectively have a range of disabilities, also means that their perspective as people with lived experience is embedded deeply in ACoE’s day-to-day work.

Close collaboration was also established this year between the three main entities working to support PwD within IRCC: the ACoE, the PwDN and the Employee Support Office (ESO). They meet regularly and have teamed up on a number of initiatives aimed at raising awareness, and collaborate on an ongoing basis to identify and remove barriers.

The continuous collaborative work with the PwDN ensures employees with disabilities are involved, consulted and considered.

Looking ahead

The PwDN is well established in IRCC, and we have been fortunate to be able to rely on this Network to consult persons with disabilities when needed this year, and previously. Because membership in this group is voluntary, we know there are persons with disabilities in IRCC who are not part of the Network. Moving forward, we intend to explore options to expand consultations with persons with disabilities across IRCC in order to be able to connect with employees outside the Network.

We will continue to co-create and co-develop with employees and clients with disabilities. Continuously consulting employees and clients with disabilities and valuing their lived experiences will allow us to be equitable by design and accessible by default.

We must continue our efforts to understand the needs of our clients, how to remove their barriers and how to better serve them.

Priority Areas – Progress and Challenges

This progress report highlights progress made, challenges encountered and insights on focus over the next two years, across all priority areas in our accessibility plan. While IRCC is proud of the work that has been initiated, we recognize that sustained and continuous efforts are required to move ahead on the goal to create a barrier-free environment for our employees and our clients.

Employment

“I have always been open with my close colleagues about my barriers and disability. A few years ago, I was given the opportunity to lead an important project for my Branch, I was thrilled. I knew there was a lot to do and it made me a little nervous, but I felt that I had the knowledge and skills to deliver on this project. Until a close colleague started telling me: ‘This is a lot for you, you know...’ She repeated this on a regular basis, and then eventually switched to say things like ‘I am telling you as a friend... you do not have what it takes for this project... I don’t want you to fail and I feel sorry for you because even if you wanted to learn the knowledge and skills you require for this project... you wouldn’t be able to do so fast enough to provide good performance.’ This made me anxious but I didn’t have the energy to fight back. I ended up wanting to leave that Branch for my emotional and psychological health”

- Anonymous employee

IRCC aims to become an employer of choice for persons with disabilities. To successfully recruit and retain employees with disabilities, we are committed to creating a healthy and barrier-free workplace for all employees.

In preparation for the first iteration of our accessibility plan, we determined that we need to address barriers in the hiring process around accommodations to ensure candidates have access to the information and adjustments they need. We also deemed it essential to assist managers with guidance on proactive ways to better support employees with disabilities within their units. Furthermore, it was brought to our attention that employees with disabilities feel they need to put in extra work to compensate for their disability, resulting in increased stress and fatigue. The need for additional guidance for managers around performance management and career development is considered a priority as well.

Progress to date

Commitment to Hire 5,000 Persons with Disabilities by 2025

While it has not been added as a specific action item in our accessibility plan, IRCC committed to contributing to the Federal Government’s goal to hire 5,000 persons with disabilities (PwDs) by 2025 in order to increase the representation of PwDs in the public service. Based on IRCC’s unique context, staffing requirements and gaps, IRCC has deemed its employment equity (EE) representation baseline objective of 9.5% as the measure for IRCC to use to monitor progress on this departmental commitment. IRCC’s PwD representation on April 2nd, 2021 was 4.1% (318) with a gap of -415. IRCC’s PwD representation as of October 27th, 2023 was 8.8% (1,052) with a gap of -84. Although IRCC has made great progress in the recruitment of PwDs, a gap remains, and IRCC is committed to reaching the minimum baseline of 9.5% by the end of 2024.

Several initiatives have been put in place to increase the hire rate of PwDs and to attempt to minimize the attrition impacts. IRCC’s efforts for 2023 include:

Support for Managers

Managers frequently voice their needs to get more support and tools to accompany their employees with disabilities. In the past year, personal development and training were offered to managers and recruiting partners to raise awareness, uncover biases and promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Six different courses were promoted and utilized to better equip those supporting employees with disabilities and accessibility needs:

There are also efforts deployed at the sector and branch levels to develop or update onboarding materials to assist both managers and employees efficiently access relevant information, including accessibility supports. For example, a branch within IRCC created an Onboarding and Welcome Back Package, which was implemented in April 2023 to align with the phased Return to Office timelines. In addition, a bilingual, internet-based resource was developed and made available for new hires and existing employees to access information about accessibility supports in the new physical workplace, including key tools, training resources, contacts, information about ergonomic and healthy work arrangements, and more.

Documented Hiring Processes

IRCC has made progress in being more transparent and proactive to ensure that candidates have the information they need to understand the hiring process, what they can expect at different stages including the timelines, what types of accommodations are available and the process to follow. Activities undertaken on that front include the following:

Challenges

With the previously identified activities, in conjunction with the new common hybrid workplace model implemented earlier this year, the Department still faces numerous challenges in achieving its accessibility goals related to employment.

Meeting IRCC’s hiring goal until 2025

All federal government organizations are currently making great efforts to attract PwD talent within their workforce. Also, the late 2023 announcements around refocusing government spending to deliver for Canadians may impact the possible volume of external staffing.  Both those factors add to the challenges in hiring and increasing representation of PwDs.

While IRCC has made significant progress in the recruitment of PwD since 2021-22, it equally needs to take into consideration the departure rate. The departure rate of PwD is improving in general but is slightly higher than the IRCC departure rate. More analysis will be required to pinpoint the reasons for departures to understand if there are retention issues or whether it is part of natural attrition and to determine what retention strategies, if any, will be required.

Public Service Employee Survey 2022

The recentPublic Service Employees Survey 2022—data on IRCC’s population shows that PwD in IRCC are more likely to be stressed, drained and have poor mental health than other employees in the Department. When compared to all other sub-populations by demographic factor, PwD were the least satisfied within the Department.

Looking forward

Recruitment and retention

IRCC will continue its recruitment efforts through targeted outreach, inclusive assessment processes, and adherence to departmental baselines. In parallel to recruitment efforts, it is essential to invest time in understanding why PwD leave IRCC. For example, are the departures mainly due to career progression or retirement, or do they occur as a result of barriers or negative experiences in the workplace. In collaboration with our employment partners, IRCC  plans on collecting qualitative and quantitative data, with the goal to identify factors or strategies to increase retention of PwD.

Management Performance Metrics

Accessibility metrics will be added to performance agreements of IRCC management through the new Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ARDEI) Index for Executives. Management will be required to report on progress and outcomes through parameters such as workforce demographics and employee feedback, with the goal of ensuring that PwD are treated respectfully, have equitable representation at all levels, and are provided accessibility-friendly programs, tools and/or services. This will ensure to maintain accountability and transparency, and as a result, it is expected that there will be continued progress on advancing accessibility measures in the Department.

The ARDEI Index will be launched as a pilot for Director Generals and Assistant Deputy Ministers before the end of March 2024. We plan on expanding the program to other IRCC executives in upcoming years.

Amendments to the Public Service Employment Act

In July 2023, amendments to the Public Service Employment Act aiming to strengthen diversity and inclusion came into force to address biases and barriers that disadvantage people belonging to equity-seeking groups. IRCC has made and will continue to make the necessary changes to adhere to the following amendments:

Modernized Self-Identification

With the upcoming launch of the Modernized Self-Identification Questionnaire by the Treasury Board Secretariat for all employees in the core public administration, we are planning a comprehensive departmental engagement strategy to raise awareness, explain the added benefits of self-identifying and build trust and transparency about the new questionnaire and platform. With updated definitions to align with Statistics Canada and the Accessible Canada Act, the questionnaire will offer new selections which include disabilities associated with mental health, sensory or environmental issues, chronic pain/health conditions, cognitive function, and intellectual development. While our work to improve IRCC’s culture of accessibility and inclusivity for PwD is in its early stages, we are still hopeful that as a result of the campaign, the completion rates of employees who self-ID as PwD will increase. We also hope that this will provide strength to people feeling isolated, and contribute to reducing some of the stigma associated with disabilities.

Real-time access to self-identification data through a standardized, secure system will also be beneficial to better understand and address the needs of our PwD workforce. IRCC is committed to building an inclusive work environment where differences are valued and all employees feel respected, safe and have a sense of belonging. This will ensure that as an employer of choice, we effectively fulfill our department’s commitment at all career levels.

Built environment

IRCC has a large footprint both inside and outside Canada. In Canada alone, we have a total of 42 work sites in 26 cities, including 26 client-facing offices. IRCC works with a number of different partners and suppliers across the country in ensuring accessibility of all our physical locations is achieved.

We aim to remove built environment barriers at every IRCC work site to benefit both our clients and our employees. To work towards this goal, we determined that we need to understand the needs of our clients and employees with disabilities. We need to know the current state of accessibility at our locations and as IRCC does not own the buildings we operate in, we need to collaborate closely with key partners to deliver lasting accessibility improvements in our built environment.

Progress to date

Building owner—tenant discussions

IRCC is a tenant in the office spaces we occupy. Because of this, we don’t have full control of all actionable parameters related to accessibility in our built environment. To address this barrier, we attend regular meetings with property managers or landlords with the support of Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC). Discussions focus on current and planned projects to address needs and required upgrades, including applicable standards and work schedules. Accessibility projects discussed have included:

Accessibility improvements

IRCC works in collaboration with PSPC to ensure our buildings meet accessibility standards. We have made progress on a number of initiatives and building enhancements aimed at improving accessibility, including:

Here is a summary table of accessibility initiatives across regions with status and estimated percentage of completion:

Accessibility Initiatives Region(s) Status Estimated Completion %
All Access Washroom (AAWs) National Capital Region In Progress 85%
All Access Washroom (AAWs) Pacific, Western, Eastern, Ontario, Atlantic In Progress 35%
Automatic Door Openers (ADOs) National Capital Region In Progress 65%
Automatic Door Openers (ADOs) Pacific, Western, Eastern, Ontario, Atlantic Early Stages Not started
Sit-stand Desks (including monitor arms) and Ergonomic Chairs National Capital Region In Progress Ergo chair: 100%
Sit stand: 75%
Sit-stand Desks (including monitor arms) and Ergonomic Chairs Pacific, Western, Eastern, Ontario, Atlantic In Progress Surrey, BC: 40%
Edmonton, AB: 40%
Montreal, QC: 40%
Kitchener, ON: 45%
Fredericton, NB: 45%

In addition, barriers are identified and accessibility improvements are made to our built environment on an ongoing basis as a result of individual requests for accommodations or feedback received from employees. For example, in the last year, a total of 30 requests for accommodations in the built environment were initiated. More than 75% sought to address a sensitivity to light or noise. This indicates it may be relevant to include such considerations in new fit-up projects for the benefit of all employees across our offices. 

Challenges

IRCC follows current standards and guidelines provided by PSPC for any office fit-up project we undertake. Given standards evolve over the years, and also that IRCC has such a large footprint across the country, some offices are compliant with previous PSPC Government of Canada fit-up standards while others have been upgraded to current fit-up standards, as applicable at the time the project was completed. While we strive for consistency across our offices, at this time, our limited resources are dedicated to addressing accessibility as we deliver on IRCC’s National Program of Work (target list of accommodation projects including accessibility initiatives) and attending to individual duty to accommodate requests as required.

As well, we are committed to address any barrier to the accessibility of our client-facing office spaces reported by the public using our feedback process. Conducting systematic reviews of our physical spaces has been challenging in this context, thus for now accessibility assessments are only completed on an as-needed basis to respond to individual needs.

Looking forward

Over the next two years, we will continue to:

As well, we will seek to:

In addition, accessibility in IRCC’s international locations remains on our radar and we intend on initiating collaboration with our Global Affairs Canada (GAC) partners who hold responsibility for our offices abroad.

Information and Communications Technology (ICT)

Information and communication technologies play a central role in the business IRCC conducts. Our systems, software and tools are used around the clock in service delivery and communication with our clients, as well as in all business enabling and supporting activities within the Department.

IRCC’s goal is to create conditions in our department where employees and clients with disabilities are able to experience full ICT capabilities, to match their needs and expectations. As we work towards this goal, we are committed to focus on the following barriers to accessibility in ICT: 

Progress to date

Early engagement with respect to accessibility has been witnessed in IRCC’s Digital Strategy, Services and Innovation (DSSI) sector. Our IT Operations Branch, in charge of all employee hardware and software, has dedicated resources to Accessibility, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI):

Awareness of ICT tools and supports

The IT Operations Branch is involved in initiatives aimed at improving accessible ICT tools and supports, and promoting awareness, including the following:

Accessible ICT request process

The IT Operations Branch also collaborates closely with the Employee Support Office (ESO) on an ongoing basis to support the implementation of employee accommodation requests. The ESO keeps up to date with new tools, resources, software and adaptive technology and make bulk inventory purchases to ensure quick access for employees. For example, as of October 2023: 28 Dragon, 14 TextAloud, 15 F.lux and 1 Kurzweil licenses had been purchased, in addition to renewal licenses for software that had been previously deployed, for a total of 88 licenses purchased for 8 different software. This significantly reduces wait times for employees to access the adaptive solutions they need. When software is in stock, the average time from requests in the Action Request System to install is under 5 days. Average wait time if software is not in stock is 1.5 months due to procurement timelines.

In addition, IT Operations and ESO have initiated work aimed at streamlining the request process for accessible ICT:

Access to current systems and software

Branches in the Digital Strategy, Services and Innovation sector, such as the Application Development Branch, currently perform accessibility compliance testing on an ongoing basis before application releases and upgrades, for both client-facing and internally used applications. They are assessed and fixed where possible for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 standards, and a variety of tools such as WAVE Extension for Chrome, AChecker, Axe DevTools or W3C Validator may be used. Progress made by the Application Development Branch includes:

Accessibility assessments are included in the development of new applications at IRCC. For example, this is the case for the new Client Experience Platform (CXP), which is part of IRCC’s digital modernization programme currently underway. CXP features are subject to assessments as they are developed and become available.

Challenges

While the intent is to conduct a formal ICT assessment of all IRCC systems, hardware, and software being used, to identify gaps in accessibility and take steps to address the barriers, there are a number of challenges, including

We continue to seek accessibility improvement as we research accessible/adaptive tools, supports and software on an ongoing basis. However, availability of these accessible tools and training materials, may be limited. In addition, complexity and delays of the procurement process create challenges in getting assistive and adaptive software and tools in a timely manner.

Looking forward

In the next two years, we intend on further developing initiatives underway, as well as working on the following:

Communications

The nature of IRCC’s business positions our department as a gateway to Canada for people entering and settling in the country. As such, IRCC must show leadership by adopting inclusive and accessible practices in all its communications.

IRCC is aware that communications are not consistently fully accessible in our department. This barrier seems to be compounded by limited awareness and knowledge amongst IRCC staff on accessible communications and on available resources and tools to ensure the accessibility of communications.

Progress to date

Awareness and promotion

Our approach to addressing these barriers starts with actions aimed at raising awareness and increasing knowledge and understanding of disabilities and barriers. These are also foundational to the culture change IRCC would like to implement.

IRCC has put concrete steps in place to support and promote accessibility, led by IRCC’s internal communications division, for example:

as described below
Figure 1—Image description

The left side has the words “Persons with disabilities network” and “Réseau des personnes en situation de handicap.” The image is a rainbow with 7 people with different disabilities standing on it. Of these, 3 people have visible disabilities, 3 have invisible disabilities, and 1, the woman with the support dog, has a visible and invisible disability. The colours of the rainbow are from the Disability Pride Flag. Each colour represents a different type of disability: physical (red), cognitive and intellectual (yellow), invisible and undiagnosed (white), sensory (green), and psychosocial/mental health (blue). The charcoal background symbolizes people with disabilities victimized by ableism.

as described below
Figure 2—Image description

The left side has the words: “Persons with disabilities network” and “Réseau des personnes en situation de handicap.” The top right corner of the background has lines at a 45-degree angle in the Disability Pride Flag colours. Each colour represents a different type of disability: physical (red), cognitive and intellectual (yellow), invisible and undiagnosed (white), sensory (green), and psychosocial/mental health (blue). The charcoal background symbolizes people with disabilities victimized by ableism.

In addition, IRCC is updating a new Accessibility section for employees on the intranet, including new content to support persons with disabilities, which is expected to be completed by early 2024.

Visibility on the IRCC Website

In September 2023, a new link to the Accessibility at IRCC webpage was added on IRCC’s departmental page, under the “About Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada” section. The Accessibility at IRCC page is where users find IRCC’s Accessibility Plan, our feedback process description and online feedback form. The new link streamlines information about accessibility at IRCC for anyone landing on IRCC’s main institutional webpage. This improvement resulted in a traffic increase to the accessibility content. From December 2022 to November 2023:

Assessing communications

To address the barriers outlined, IRCC has committed to reviewing its communications for accessibility against rigorous federal accessibility standards applicable to various communication products or mediums, including PDFs and web.

There is a best effort to ensure that IRCC intranet pages for employees meet current Government of Canada accessibility standards, including being WCAG 2.0 compliant. This includes pages with information on program guidance, security and emergencies, human resources and more.

While data on the performance and use of many employee-facing resources on the intranet is currently limited, there is also work being done to improve web analytics and establish performance indicators for intranet content.

In addition, there seems to be a growing momentum around accessibility in communications, as more and more branches within IRCC are applying an accessibility lens when reviewing and updating materials. For example:

With reference to IRCC’s external-facing website, all content is required to meet accessibility/Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 standards before it can be published. If content cannot be published in an accessible format, for example if a PDF isn’t accessible, an accessible HTML version of the document is coded. IRCC’s Web team reviews all new content to ensure it meets the Government of Canada’s Policy on Service and Digital, including plain language and web optimization. The Web team is also monitoring how standards are evolving and preparing to adapt its publishing practices accordingly to continue to meet Canada.ca standards.

Challenges

The most significant challenges with reviewing our communications are linked to the volume of materials to be reviewed, and the associated level of effort required in an environment where we need to be responsive to evolving priorities. Extremely tight timelines and operational pressures do not always permit thorough pre-launch accessibility reviews or content optimization.

Additionally, the goal for all communications at IRCC to be accessible by default faces challenges including:

Looking forward

Moving forward, as improved Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 are expected to become standardized for the Government of Canada, we will:

IRCC is in the process of procuring a new intranet platform, which will enhance the content capabilities, functionalities and accessibility standards of our current platform. The new platform will be compliant with applicable standards and will modernize IRCC’s intranet.

Over the next two years, IRCC will:

We will also turn our attention to various document templates available internally bearing IRCC’s visual identity to ensure accessibility features are embedded and facilitate the output of accessible documents. At the same time, this will allow us to assess and enhance capacity within IRCC design teams to include accessibility considerations at the onset while developing communication products.

In addition, because communications play a role in every accessibility priority area, the Department is working on establishing a working group comprised of experts in communications as well as working-level representatives from all priority areas. They will be tasked to develop a strategy for IRCC employees at every level to enhance knowledge and support the development of habits concerning accessible communications, both internal and external.

Procurement of goods, services and facilities

Procurement of goods, services and facilities is an essential business enabling function in IRCC. Our goal is for accessibility to be fully considered in all aspects of procurement in our department. In preparing our first Accessibility Plan, assessments were conducted and concerns were raised that accessibility may not be taken into consideration or documented on all procurement. In addition, it has been highlighted that procurement of inaccessible ICT systems and software creates barriers for IRCC employees with disabilities to succeed.

Progress to date

Assessing tools and supports

IRCC is committed to ensure that its employees with disabilities have access to the tools and resources required to do their job and intends on prioritizing accessibility when acquiring systems and software. Through its mandate of facilitating accommodation solutions for employees, IRCC’s Employee Support Office (ESO) plays a proactive role in researching, assessing and purchasing assistive and adaptive software and tools that help in removing barriers for employees with disabilities and others. The ESO keeps an internal list which is updated regularly as processes and tools evolve and new software or tools become available. The ESO collaborates with procurement and IT colleagues to streamline the purchase process for assistive and adaptive tools and software.

Considering and documenting accessibility

IRCC’s Procurement and Contract Management division, responsible for contracts that exceed $10K, uses standard forms which document accessibility considerations and requirements, and consistently keeps complete contract files as per the Treasury Board’s Directive on the Management of Procurement.

This division also owns an intranet page on Procurement and Contracting Services, which is the central point of reference for procurement activities to all employees at IRCC, and includes resource links on accessibility in procurement, for example, the Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) Information Nugget: “Accessible Procurement: Inclusive by Design, Accessible by Default.”

To further address concerns outlined on whether accessibility is being considered and documented for all procurement, the Procurement and Contract Management division has undertaken work to enhance guidance provided across the Department, including to:

The documents are expected to be completed and added to the central intranet page in March 2024. In the interim, the intent is to share them within the Department by the end of December 2023, by way of a bulletin to IRCC employees.

Nonetheless, divisions across IRCC are increasingly paying attention to include accessibility as part of procurement processes. For example, in a multi-year project underway for the procurement of information management and professional services, accessibility was identified as a component of the expected deliverables. The request for proposal developed for bidders specifies that all electronic non-web documents created will need to adhere to specific accessibility standards. It also includes a Statement of Work on the Department’s commitment to accessibility.

IRCC’s Digital Modernization Programme

Accessibility has also been considered at the onset of IRCC’s major transformation project currently underway. The Digital Platform Modernization (DPM) programme will introduce a new client experience platform (CXP) which will enhance user experience, as well as a new case management platform (CMP) providing employees with more streamlined working processes and improved access to the data and tools they need to do their jobs. The procurement process for the CXP includes accessibility requirements as described in the following standards and guidelines:

The contractor is required to provide a plan/roadmap that demonstrates how the service provided will conform to at least 90% of WCAG 2.1, level AA within an agreed upon timeframe, including deficiencies that will need to be addressed, and how/when they will be addressed. This roadmap is expected to be made available to IRCC before the end of March 2024.

The same requirements will be included in the request for proposals for the CMP, expected to be published by January 2024.

Challenges

Accessibility requirements vary depending on the procurement exercise, and requirements may be incorporated within the contract, or as either mandatory or rated criteria. For example, for contracts that are awarded following a bidding process, inclusion of accessibility criteria directs bidders to provide information to satisfy they meet the criteria.

IRCC is dependent on directives and guidance provided by PSPC, for example with respect to the number of points that can be attributed to rated criteria. This may be limitative in terms of impact to enhance accessibility in procurement processes, also taking into consideration the level of effort that may be required to validate if bidders or service providers meet the criteria.

Looking forward

Additional efforts will be engaged shortly to further develop guidance and training for IRCC staff on accessible procurement, including:

As well, over the next two years, as we turn our attention to develop a structured procurement plan for ICT systems and software, we will establish clear roles and responsibilities for divisions and stakeholders involved, in order to ensure we prioritize accessibility when acquiring materials and that input from persons with disabilities is sought. This includes, but may not be limited to: IRCC’s IT Operations, Procurement teams, ESO and Persons with Disabilities Network.

In addition, we will seek to establish Key Performance Indicators for initiatives under the procurement priority area, and to structure the collection and analysis of relevant data. This will allow us to measure progress and identify areas for improvement more effectively, as well as build accountability.

Design and Delivery of Programs and Services

Program and service delivery to clients in Canada and all over the world is at the heart of IRCC’s mandate. We are responsible for a wide range of programs and services in core areas including immigration, asylum, settlement, citizenship and passport.

As we work towards making all our programs and services fully accessible, we recognize the importance of identifying barriers to be addressed at the outset and considering accessibility during the service design phase. We have also identified the need for clarity and structure around accountability and responsibility within our department to ensure that accessibility is included in the design and delivery of our programs.

Progress to date

Awareness, training and tools

IRCC’s approach to addressing barriers includes promoting awareness of accessibility and equipping employees with training and tools on accessible programs and services, for example:

In addition, various educational materials were developed on topics such as perspectives on dealing with disability issues, barriers per category of disability, and etiquette for communicating with people with disabilities. Four different products are currently under review and will be considered as part of assessment and priority setting activities to be undertaken by the IRCC accessibility learning working group, set to be established in early 2024.

Research and Input From Persons With Disabilities

IRCC believes that research, testing, and input from persons with disabilities, are essential to the understanding of the challenges that persons with disabilities experience. The results of this research (including surveys, engagement, and feedback) are taken into consideration in the design and delivery of our programs and services. Research conducted includes:

Designing services for the future

IRCC’s Digital Platform Modernization (DPM) programme is changing the way we work and deliver programs and services to clients. Accessibility is built into the design of DPM projects, through the implementation of a Quality by Design (QbD) Playbook which includes an Equity by Design dimension that aligns with Treasury Board Secretariat accessibility guidelines. This Playbook defines IRCC’s approach to proactively design and build equity into its products and services from the outset, and includes readiness assessment tools with accessibility components. These tools will be used to ensure the consideration of equity and accessibility in projects throughout the lifecycle of the digital modernization programme.

Other initiatives

Other initiatives across IRCC seeking to understand our clientele with disabilities, and to make impactful changes in the design and delivery of services include the following:

In Settlement Program delivery
In Passport Program delivery

Two new policies expected to reduce barriers during the application process are being implemented by IRCC in the fall of 2023:

In Citizenship Program delivery
Other

Divisions across IRCC are undertaking Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ARDEI) initiatives, and actively building in accessibility considerations in this work, for example

Challenges

IRCC is seeking to increase capacity to deliver on accessibility initiatives across our department, in particular as it relates to the design and delivery of accessible digital and non-digital client services. Without increased capacity and a dedicated commitment to this work, challenges are expected, and progress in improving the delivery of accessible client services will likely remain slow and inconsistent across channels, programs and services.

Another significant challenge revolves around our ability to concretely demonstrate that initiatives and actions undertaken will lead to improvements for our clients with disabilities. There currently is a lack of data to measure inequalities for persons with disabilities in access to our programs and services, for example in wait times, correspondence, documents and evidence required, or decision outcomes.

Looking forward

Looking forward to the next two years, we will:

Transportation

IRCC did not identify any barriers in the area of transportation through the review of our policies, practices, programs and services.

Looking forward, in preparation for the second iteration of our accessibility plan in 2025, we will carefully examine upcoming guidance on this priority area, and adjust the scope of our analysis, as needed.

Accommodation

“I was diagnosed with narcolepsy when I was 16. Narcolepsy is an autoimmune disorder that causes my brain to kill off the neurotransmitters that control my sleep and wake cycles. As a result, waking behaviours intrude into my sleep, and sleeping behaviours intrude into my wakefulness. This results in a myriad of symptoms, including excessive daytime sleepiness, which can cause irresistible episodes of sleep; micro-sleeps, where the brain is partially asleep, but the body is awake; insomnia; and hypnagogic or hypnopompic hallucinations, that is, dreaming before falling asleep and after waking up, resulting in visual, auditory and tactile hallucinations, sleep paralysis, and for some, cataplexy—in my case, a whole-body paralysis triggered by any strong emotion, such as laughing, crying or fear. My accommodations (a flexible start/end time and exemption from working in the office) were key in helping me succeed in previous departments and in IRCC. They enabled me in countless ways. I now have the energy to focus on my home life, in addition to my work life, because I’m not debilitated by pure exhaustion every night after work. It’s empowering, and it puts me on a more equal footing with my colleagues, enabling me to be both the employee and the person I’ve always wanted to be.”

- Anonymous employee

IRCC recognizes that the presence of barriers hinders the full and equitable participation of persons with disabilities in society and in the workplace.  As such and because of the critical impact on persons with disabilities, employees and clients, the Department has decided to include Accommodation as an overarching pillar in the accessibility plan. IRCC’s goal is to raise awareness on barriers and accommodation solutions and also to create a workplace culture where managers and employees begin and continue to have conversations to identify and remove barriers with respect and compassion in a timely manner.

Progress to date

Employee Support Office (ESO)

A key element of progress for accommodations in IRCC is the establishment of the Employee Support Office (ESO). Created in 2022, the Employee Support Office now provides a full one-stop service for managers and employees looking for assistance in identifying barriers in the workplace (related to all of the prohibited grounds of the Canadian Human Rights Act) and implementing accommodation solutions. The ESO team has developed expertise in identifying solutions for persons with disabilities based on all types of barriers experienced, which can be structural, attitudinal, physical, technological, and more.

The ESO adopts a “yes” approach to their requests, meaning the presence of the barrier is not questioned, it is acknowledged from the start, leaving room for an immediate collaborative approach to find individualized solutions. They launched their Intranet page in May 2023. 

Caseload metrics

Since April 2023, the ESO has:

Other important data includes:

Collaboration with stakeholders

One of ESO’s objectives for 2023 was to build strong partnerships and encourage synergy with key internal service providers:

Ongoing collaborative work was also established with other internal stakeholders:

In parallel, the ESO has successfully fostered relationships with partners outside of IRCC, such as: 

Since January 2023, the ESO worked with the Labour Relations team in 24% of cases. 10% of the cases required the support and involvement of the facilities team to provide the accommodation, and 26% engaged the IT team. In 10% of the cases, the ESO either referred the client to OCR or was referred by OCR. The ESO has worked with AAACT in 7% of the cases to find solutions.

Streamlined approach

As a result of the following measures, the ESO has been able to reduce the delay to implement accommodation solutions for employees, by an average of 4 weeks:

Other initiatives
GC Workplace Accessibility Passport (the Accessibility Passport)

The ESO is the dedicated entity at IRCC providing support to employees and managers. They present the Accessibility Passport to managers and guide employees when developing their own passport, as part of the accommodation process. The ESO took part in the Accessibility Passport “User design sessions,” the “Digital strategy working group” and they are using the Accessibility Passport as a tool to identify barriers and help implement solutions. The ESO has also participated in the “Train the trainer” sessions organized by the Office of Public Service for Accessibility (OPSA) to be able to train employees and managers on the use and benefits of the Passport. In 2023, the ESO and OPSA provided accessibility presentations open to all IRCC employees.

Staffing Processes

IRCC’s staffing advisors usually refer hiring managers to the Public Services Commission (PSC) for accommodation requests made by candidates during a selection process. The ESO can help support hiring managers and staffing advisors with certain types of accommodations.

It is common practice for staffing advisory teams to provide accommodations to candidates during selection processes. They adopt a “Yes Approach,” by not questioning the barrier and by ensuring they collaborate with the candidate to seek necessary and relevant information to ensure requested accommodations are put in place. The staffing teams have updated their assessment invitation email templates used in selection processes to encourage candidates to request accommodations and provide examples of different types of accommodations. Staffing will be updating their job posters to include stronger wording encouraging candidates to request accommodations and promoting the ESO. When hired, new employees see the services offered by the ESO as early as in their offer letter, encouraging a proactive approach for accommodations to be provided on the first day at work.

The departmental Champion for Persons with Disabilities has had to intervene in staffing processes where IRCC employees felt they were being discriminated based on their disability. Most of these were tied to accommodations requested as part of the various assessment phases of the staffing process. Going forward, the departmental Champion will have assistance in the form of an Ombuds reporting into the new Equity Branch who will be able to play a role in helping employees who feel that they have faced discrimination based on their disability, and have not been able to get appropriate resolution of their complaint.

Challenges

Need for support

Employees in general still express the need to gain a better understanding of the accommodation process. Managers have also shared that they lack knowledge and confidence to properly support employees opening up about their individual barriers.

Culture

We still need to make significant efforts to shift from focusing on the impairment to focusing on the barrier. This perspective is at the heart of the ACA.  Many employees feel uncertain and fear judgment and stigmatization about requesting an accommodation in the workplace. This may be reinforced by lived experience and compounded by intersectional factors and, as a result, may prevent employees with disabilities from making requests that will help remove barriers.  Much of the current focus remains on disability being a labour relations issue instead of a social issue focused on ensuring the workplace environment allows each employee to participate fully. In parallel, managers often feel vulnerable and unsupported when seeking to identify and remove barriers.  A culture change is essential to meeting ACA requirements.

Looking forward

Knowledge support

In the coming year, efforts will be invested to develop material, tools and information sessions to help managers gain confidence in their abilities to support their employees experiencing barriers. As well, to the benefit of all employees, information sessions will continue to be delivered collaboratively by the PwDN, the ESO and the ACoE. The intent is to reach all branches across the Department.

Metrics and Information

Data on accommodations requested by PwD who apply to external staffing processes are currently unavailable. Discussions to explore ways to develop data gathering processes and tools will be initiated with relevant stakeholders.  

Culture

As detailed in the section that follows, we are planning on developing and implementing a culture change strategy and action plan aimed at operating a shift in mindset across IRCC. Key partners such as the ESO and employees with disabilities will be included in both the development and implementation stages of the strategy and plan. A central element will focus on ways to ensure attention is on the barrier rather than on the impairment when considering accommodation needs, and that one size does not fit all when it comes to individual accommodations. Parallel efforts will be invested in raising awareness on accessibility and disabilities, as well as the benefits of requesting accommodations.

Culture

“For many years after my diagnosis, I tried to hide my disability because I was afraid of what my managers and colleagues would think… I was nervous and afraid to be judged and I didn’t want people to think I was not able to do my job anymore. I never heard people talk openly about disability or even about ensuring PwD feel included. Asking for accommodations was difficult as I knew I was going to have to provide minimal explanations on my personal situation to my manager to get help... probably many medical certificates as well… I felt isolated and vulnerable… unsure about my professional future.”

- Anonymous employee

While preparing its first Accessibility Plan, IRCC realized that to be successful in each priority area of the Accessible Canada Act (ACA) a deep-rooted culture of accessibility and inclusivity for persons with disability needed to be established across the Department.  It was decided to include “culture” as an overarching additional area of interest, which is meant to act as a condition for success of the work accomplished across the ACA priority areas.  One of the goals being to dismantle stereotypes and biases around disability and to ensure that every employee feels supported and valued not only for what they contribute but for who they are.

Progress to date

While there is a lot of work ahead on the culture front to dismantle biases and stereotypes, the Department has made significant progress in 2023 to address the barriers identified.

Centralized Approach

Several central entities and processes were established in the past year:

Consultation of Persons with Disabilities (PwD)

Involving PwD in the design and development of laws, policies, programs, services and structures is one of the foundational principles of the ACA and IRCC recognizes the importance to consult persons with lived experience. It is with the ongoing collaboration of IRCC’s Persons with Disability Network (PwDN), a well established network since 2014, and with the collaboration of persons with disabilities (PwD) within IRCC volunteering to consultations and providing feedback when needed, that it was possible this year to move forward on the accessibility mandate.

Other initiatives
Raising awareness

Removing attitudinal barriers towards PwD starts by raising awareness and educating on accessibility and disability. Here is a summary of IRCC’s efforts in 2023:

Persons with Disabilities Network

In 2023, the PwDN adopted a very pro-active role by ensuring constant communications with its members and with internal partners. Network members were consulted continuously and were part of different activities along with the Employee Support Office and the ACoE.  An essential part of the Network’s efforts this year evolved around activities to nurture the feeling of safety for members. Here is an overview of PwDN accomplishments:

Challenges

Several reliable sources confirm the presence of discrimination and harassment against PwD across the country and the Public Service. Recent reports confirm the challenges and risks encountered by PwD as victims of harassment, discrimination, biases and cultural barriers in the workplace. For example:

The recent data cited above support the need to work on culture change within our department, to establish a safe environment for PwD. This will require time, continued efforts and a concerted strategy.

Looking forward

Culture change

The challenges mentioned above reinforce the need to move forward on developing a culture change strategy and action plan for IRCC, in early 2024. Initiating a mind shift from a focus on the disability to a focus on the barrier will support the ACA efforts at the root and will establish a dynamic of shared responsibility on removal of barriers within the Department. In addition, we aim to delve into the concept of ableism, which has been raised as a barrier for PwD, related in particular to the employment and accommodation areas of interest. Our objective in 2024 is to gain a deeper understanding of this barrier, how it actualizes in IRCC, how it impacts both our clients and employees, and to identify potential solutions for the future.

The ACoE started collaborating with the Department’s Enterprise Change Management team (ECM) in 2023. As a first step, for advice and support on integrating efficiently the ”Accessibility” change at the enterprise level and to guide the leaders of IRCC to embody the change given their influence on the culture the organization.  As a second step, the ECM team has provided support to plan a workshop in early 2024 to bring stakeholders together, including PwD, and to collaborate on the development of the Culture Change action plan.

The development of metrics and Key Performance Indicators will be important in this area to help establish a baseline and measure progress within the organisation.

Identify Accessibility as a Learning Departmental Priority

This year, the ACoE made a request to IRCC’s Learning Academy to specifically identify “Accessibility” as a learning priority across the Department for the years 2023 to 2025. The Learning Academy is recommending in favor of this request. A final decision is pending  from the senior management committee responsible for establishing learning priorities in the Department.

Learning working group

Learning is at the core of culture change as it helps increase knowledge on disability, accessibility and on ways to remove barriers. In IRCC’s Accessibility plan, learning is an horizontal topic that is seen as a solution to remove barriers across all ACA areas of interest.  Therefore, a working group on learning will be created in early 2024 to ensure coordination and streamlining of efforts. It will also help align future learning products with the requirements of the ACA.

Policy working group

Because the reference to policies, procedures, processes and tools has been identified as a horizontal and recurring topic across the ACA priority areas, the need to create a Policy working group in the coming years has been identified. This group will help to avoid duplication of efforts and structure, prioritize and plan the approach to policy reviews. This working group will be created in 2024.

The development of an Accessibility Framework in the coming years, applicable across the Department, would be a great added value for IRCC. With a mandate to consider accessibility during all decision-making processes, it would also be a formal support to culture change towards Accessibility.

Feedback

Accessibility feedback process

IRCC made its accessibility feedback process available online at the end of 2022, at the same time our accessibility plan was published. Anyone wishing to submit feedback on barriers to accessibility at IRCC, on the implementation of our accessibility plan, or on any matter related to accessibility at IRCC, may communicate with us through the following:

The process also includes instructions to submit anonymous feedback.

The IRCC Accessibility Officer is responsible for receiving feedback on behalf of the Department. The Manager of the IRCC Accessibility Centre of Excellence (ACoE) currently occupies this role.

The ACoE holds the responsibility to ensure feedback received is processed as per Accessible Canada Regulations(ACR), and taken into consideration by the Department. To that end, we drafted internal procedures with detailed instructions, including on:

In addition, the ACoE validated that the feedback process as described online was fully functional. We ensured a physical mailbox was created in our mailroom and that the telephone numbers and associated voicemail service were operational.

To enhance IRCC’s feedback process, we reviewed our online feedback form, and made edits to address gaps in language to better reflect the range of visible and invisible disabilities in the workplace and to present an accessibility-positive tone. The updated version of the form was made available online on August 15, 2023.

Other means to receive feedback

Feedback may also be received at IRCC through other means than the ones listed above. Other means may include: 

The ACoE has initiated discussions with relevant stakeholders to establish efficient processes by which our centralized accessibility team can be made aware of any feedback related to accessibility received through these other means. That way, the ACoE can make sure steps are taken to address the feedback as appropriate, collect data for reporting purposes, and ensure compliance with the ACA/Regulations.

Feedback received

From January to the end of October 2023, we received a total of 183 feedback submissions, through our online feedback form or dedicated accessibility email address.

Out of scope

More than 90% of all feedback received was not related to accessibility (168 of 183). It included case specific enquiries or general questions about immigration or asylum programs. When contact information is included, we provide a response to the person, directing them to existing client support channels and providing relevant links to IRCC’s Help Centre, processing times or application status.

Accessibility Feedback

During that period, we received a total of 15 feedback submissions related to accessibility at IRCC. This represents less than 10% of all feedback received. The following was noted:

For all feedback received, the ACoE assesses the submission, identifies stakeholders concerned and engages them through email and/or meetings, discusses actions to be taken and challenges, as relevant, and tracks progress to completion. For example:

Considerations

Considering on one hand, the business IRCC conducts and its potential impact on residents in Canada regardless of status or people abroad seeking to come to Canada, and on the other hand, the size of our organization, with more than 13,000 employees, the number of accessibility feedback received is low. Thus, we were not able to identify any significant trends at this time. As accessibility gains momentum and we continue to build awareness and increase the visibility of IRCC accessibility initiatives across our department, including our obligations with respect to feedback, we expect the proportion of feedback received on accessibility to increase.

As we receive and process more accessibility feedback submissions, we will refine our approach, and as a result, ensure feedback received can help us not only to identify and remove barriers, but also in planning and priority-setting for the delivery of accessibility initiatives within IRCC.

Looking ahead to 2024

The inaugural year of implementing the IRCC Accessibility Plan is coming to a close. Throughout 2023, we embarked on a journey marked by the initiation and exploration of the accessibility landscape in our department, and a thorough understanding of the requirements outlined in the Accessible Canada Act and Regulations. This year, we dedicated ourselves to developing expertise and processes, creating essential tools, and fostering strategic partnerships. These foundational elements position us to embark on the second year with heightened confidence and a clearer sense of direction.

In the coming year, we will be focusing on the following priorities:

Throughout 2023, we witnessed a gradual increase in interest surrounding accessibility within the Department, and we are encouraged by the discovery of new allies across IRCC. As we step into 2024, our department is fueled by motivation and determination to make substantial strides in removing barriers for persons with disabilities. Together, we look forward to advancing our commitment to accessibility and contributing to a more inclusive environment within IRCC.

Give feedback on this progress report

Provide feedback

Accessibility progress reports developed by other institutions

List of accessibility progress reports developed by other institutions

Page details

Date modified: