2023 Accessibility Plan Progress Report

General

The Law Commission of Canada is an independent agency committed to engaging the people of Canada in the ongoing and dynamic evolution of law. Preceded by the Law Reform Commission of Canada (1971-1992), the Law Commission of Canada was established in 1997, functioned until 2006, and became operational again on June 6, 2023.

The LCC supports the Government of Canada's efforts towards shaping a more inclusive, representative, and accessible justice system – one that respects the rights of marginalized people and protects vulnerable communities.

This report documents the implementation progress of the LCC's Accessibility Plan.

Feedback process

The LCC's Executive Director is designated to receive accessibility feedback and will coordinate with internal subject matter experts responsible for each of the seven priority areas to meet the obligations described under the ACA as required.

Feedback will be acknowledged through the same means by which it was received unless it was received anonymously.

Alternate formats

The LCC will provide copies of the Accessibility Plan and/or feedback process in alternate formats.

Alternate formats include:

• Print
• Large print
• Braille
• Audio format (French and English)
• Electronic format (compatible with adaptive technology that assists persons with disabilities).

Braille and audio formats will be provided within 45 business days. All other formats will be provided within 15 business days.

Contact us

Telephone
1-833-442-2606*

TDD/TTY
A TDD/TTY line will be added to the LCC's feedback options once established.

*For Canadians who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech-impaired, access can be achieved via their own interpreter or via Canada VRS, which provides an interpreter: https://srvcanadavrs.ca/en/

Mailing Address
Law Commission of Canada
PO Box 56068 / Ottawa RPO Minto Place
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada K1R 7Z1

E-mail
info@lcc-cdc.gc.ca

Progress on accessibility committments

The Law Commission of Canada is committed to accountability in the implementation of its Accessibility Plan.

This report presents the progress made in each of the areas of focus under the Accessible Canada Act, including:

• Employment
• The Built Environment
• Information and Communication Technologies
• Communication (other than Information and Communication Technologies)
• The Procurement of Goods, Services, and Facilities
• The Design and Delivery of Programs and Services
• Transportation

Due to the timing of the LCC's reinstatement and the publication of its first Accessibility Plan, external consultations are scheduled to begin in 2024.

Employment

The LCC is committed to creating a culture of accessibility, where respect and inclusion are foundational aspects of the workplace and where all employees feel empowered and supported to achieve their full potential. As such, the LCC has made dedicated efforts to include accessibility in all facets of employment processes and practices.

Development and training

• Accessibility training and learning opportunities are included in all employees' learning plans (e.g. Unconscious Bias training, GBA+).

Recruitment and hiring

• The LCC is also committed to removing and preventing barriers to recruitment, retention, and the promotion of persons with disabilities.
• In December 2023, the LCC participated in Health Canada's Information Sharing Session regarding the Persons with Disabilities (PwD) Inventory for other government departments and has since consulted the PwD inventory to support staffing actions.
• The LCC endeavors to provide candidates with an inclusive, barrier-free staffing experience, and encourages candidates to request accommodation throughout the recruitment process.
• The LCC is committed to making employment equity a key component of its hiring practices. For example, the LCC encourages applicants from designated employment equity groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and Black and racialized persons) to self-declare as part of the application process.
• The LCC works with dedicated HR advisors to continuously revise the language, criteria, and definitions in job posters to remove barriers and expand the pool of candidates able to participate in the recruitment processes.

The built environment

In advance of the President's arrival, and of the Commission's executive team, the LCC was assigned temporary office space in a building which does not meet National Standard of Canada Accessible design for the built environment standards. As such, the LCC will be relocating to a permanent location which does meet these standards by March 2025. "Accessibility by design" is and will continue to be a key component of the construction and design of the new office space which will meet current Government of Canada workplace standards.

In the interim, the LCC continues to seek creative solutions to optimize its current built environment, ensuring that all employees have equal and fair access to a safe space free of physical barriers.

Organization and design

• Throughout 2023, the LCC addressed physical barriers in the current workplace by implementing several changes. This included:
  • Removing office furniture (workstations, cabinets, chairs, tables, and modular partitions) to create a more open and accessible reception area, reduce obstacles in main thoroughfares and increase the turning radius in high traffic locations.
  • Purchasing task lighting, to provide employees with more lighting options at their workstation.
  • Creating several multi-purpose work areas with varied equipment and furniture to better support the diverse work needs of individuals and teams.

• The LCC is repurposing an underused work area to create a dedicated wellness space (e.g. used for prayer, quiet time, breastfeeding etc.), to support the overall well-being of employees.

Safety and security

• In November 2023, the LCC completed a building fire drill and provided an emergency preparedness training session to all employees, including a review of building evacuation plans, intruder protocol and the location of emergency equipment.
• In December 2023 the LCC purchased first aid kits, which are labelled and available in common areas.
• The LCC is actively working with the building operator to remain up to date on relevant emergency protocols.

Information and communication technologies

Central agencies and common service providers such as Shared Services Canada and Public Services and Procurement Canada set government standards for the acquisition of software and hardware for many products and services. Their leadership is essential in moving toward more accessible infrastructure.

Although the LCC has not acquired any new technology thus far, accessibility remains front of mind as the organization launches projects that may require the need for new technology.

Microsoft Office 365 is currently in use throughout the office. When using this software to create work (e.g. documents, templates, PowerPoint deck, spreadsheets etc.) the LCC endeavors to consult the Digital Accessibility Toolkit (canada.ca)

Communication, other than information and communication technologies (communications)

The LCC is committed to ensuring that all communication products are developed within an "accessibility by design” culture, where staff at all levels are aware of accessibility requirements.

• This is evidenced by the President's leadership in using and requiring plain language use for reports and other LCC publications such as guidance documents and letters.
• The LCC's 2024-25 Departmental Plan was published in an accessible format as per TBS guidelines.
• In addition, the LCC website was designed in compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guide (WCAG) and aligns with industry standard POUR principles (Perceivable, Operable, Understandable and Robust) for web content accessibility.

The procurement of goods, services and facilities

The LCC has entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with the Department of Justice for its procurement-related activities. As the contracting authority for the LCC, Justice will ensure that procurement-related activities conducted on behalf of the LCC comply with all legal and policy requirements, including the ACA. Accessibility requirements will be part of the procurement process from the outset.

The design and delivery of programs and services

The LCC does not deliver programs or services to the public. The LCC will fulfill its mandate through both internal and external communications with specific stakeholders and partner groups.

Transportation

Transportation is the seventh pillar of accessibility under the Accessible Canada Act. We list it in this plan as required by the Act but is not included in the scope of the Law Commission of Canada's mandate.

Consultations

Budget 2021 announced the revival of the LCC. In 2022-23, certain efforts were made to operationalize the LCC in anticipation of the appointment of the President. The President was nominated and announced in February 2023, with official appointment to the position in June 2023 which resulted in the substantial deferral of operational activities and the implementation of our first accessibility plan late in the fiscal year. The LCC has not consulted with persons with disabilities before the deadline for our progress report. Consultations for this progress report include internal consultations with the Commission's employees. Each employee was provided with the Accessibility Plan and asked to provide feedback to the feedback designate.

Every effort will be made before the next progress report to carry out external consultations with Persons with Disabilities.

Feedback

Employees and members of the public are encouraged to share their feedback, anonymously or otherwise, about our Accessibility Action Plan, barriers experienced, or any matter related to accessibility.

Because of the small size of the LCC, we cannot provide statistics regarding employee feedback without identifying employees, in accordance with the Privacy Act.

As we continue to receive feedback, we will continue to respond and take action to address it. The feedback we receive is essential to continuous improvement.

Next steps

The LCC's aim with its Accessibility Plan is to reduce known barriers and prevent the introduction of new barriers over the plan's five-year period in its seven commitment areas. Before the Commission's next Accessibility Progress Report, and in keeping with the "nothing about us without us” guiding principle, the LCC will conduct more consultations internally and with persons with disabilities to ensure that identified solutions have the desired effect, or whether more accessibility features can be incorporated.