Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan) accessibility plan 2026–2028
On this page
- General
- Departmental feedback process
- Consultations
- Message from the PrairiesCan Champion of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
- PrairiesCan’s action plan
- Priority area: employment
- Priority area: built environment
- Priority area: information and communications technologies (ICT)
- Priority area: communication, other than ICT
- Priority area: procurement of goods, services and facilities
- Priority area: design and delivery of programs and services
- Priority area: transportation
- Looking forward
General
Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan) is proud to present its second accessibility plan based on the Accessible Canada Act (ACA) and in support of the Call to Action on Anti-Racism, Equity, and Inclusion in the Federal Public Service.
The ACA requires the publication of an accessibility plan regarding the organization’s policies, programs, practices and services in relation to the identification and removal of barriers, and the prevention of new barriers.
Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan) is the federal department that supports economic growth in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Its programs and services help businesses, not-for-profits and communities grow stronger.
This accessibility plan identifies current activities and future inclusive efforts and priorities.
Departmental feedback process
In line with the Accessible Canada Act, we have established a departmental process for receiving and dealing with feedback regarding the implementation of the accessibility plan and barriers experienced by our employees and people who deal with our organization.
Please send your accessibility questions, feedback and suggestions via email or anonymous online form to:
Director General, Human Resources and Corporate Services
Prairies Economic Development Canada
1500-9700 Jasper Ave
Edmonton AB T5J 4H7
Email: prairiescan.idea@prairiescan.gc.ca
Consultations
To develop this plan, we reviewed our previous plan and consulted with key partners as identified below:
- PrairiesCan Diversity and Inclusion Group (DIG)
The Diversity and Inclusion Group includes members from all equity seeking groups and allies, including those that self-identify as a person with a disability. These employees promote an inclusive workplace culture at PrairiesCan and often act as a sounding board for new proposed initiatives. A consultation exercise was conducted with the DIG group in August and September 2025. The group discussed possible barriers and suggestions on the seven areas identified in the Accessible Canada Act.
- Employee engagement session
An online engagement session was held on October 8, 2025, that invited all employees within PrairiesCan to attend and help shape the next accessibility plan. A list of questions was discussed that targeted the seven priority areas of focus.
- Subject matter experts
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Internal subject matter experts were consulted to identify current activities, and how PrairiesCan will continue to increase accessibility.
With the input collected, our action plan has been developed, with a focus on common themes identified, such as continuing to raise awareness and proactive sharing of accessibility information.
Message from the PrairiesCan Champion of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
As a department, PrairiesCan promotes a culture of supporting employees to bring their whole selves to the workplace. We are all continuing our collective journey toward building an inclusive and barrier-free workplace. That is why I am proud to introduce our new Accessibility Plan. This plan reaffirms a common commitment to equity and respect for all employees by focusing on practical actions that make our physical spaces, technologies, employment, and communications accessible to everyone.
Accessibility is not just a legal requirement—it is a core value that strengthens our organization and reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. Together, we will embrace this plan as an opportunity to create a workplace where every voice can be heard, and every talent can thrive.
- Robert Makichuk, Champion of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
PrairiesCan’s action plan
As mentioned in the Clerk of the Privy Council’s Call to Action,
“As persons with visible and invisible disabilities continue to face physical and technological barriers, the approaches we develop must be truly inclusive by also being truly accessible.
“Building a diverse, equitable and inclusive Public Service is both an obligation and an opportunity we all share. We must advance this objective together, acting both individually and collectively, and recognizing that our progress will rely on amplifying the voices of those within our organizations to help lead the way.”
Below are the priorities for PrairiesCan that will support a more inclusive and accessible workplace and public service.
Priority area: employment
PrairiesCan is committed to building a diverse workforce that reflects Canada’s population. We value different identities, abilities, backgrounds, cultures, skills, and perspectives.
We continue to prioritize meaningful action that represents the needs of our staff and department. That is why we are analyzing our recruitment processes for biases and barriers, providing accessibility focused training for all staff and reviewing opportunities to support the career development for employment equity staff; including persons with disabilities.
PrairiesCan will:
- Support government-wide initiatives, including the Government of Canada Workplace Accessibility Passport.
- Continue to update PrairiesCan’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) Plan with the support from our departmental Diversity Inclusion Group.
- In support to section 36(2) of the Public Service Employment Act, conduct a departmental review on the existing process to review bias and barriers on all assessments in the staffing process to bring further improvement and support to hiring managers and applicants.
- Continue to support career development programs such as the employment equity sponsorship program and the DIG mentorship program.
- Review departmental accommodation process and consideration of the GOC’s Better Accommodation Project
- Continue to promote training events to raise awareness and create an inclusive culture and work environment.
Priority area: built environment
This priority area covers our physical workplaces and the equipment and tools we use. PrairiesCan continued to make accessibility a mandatory consideration when securing office space and retrofitting current leased space, as well as working proactively with building management companies to enhance accessibility in the built environment.
PrairiesCan will take the following actions to make its work environment accessible:
- Continue to work with our counterparts at PrairiesCan office locations in regard to building codes relating to accessibility (e.g., accessible entrances, automatic doors, ramps, elevators).
- Purchase furniture that accommodates diverse needs (e.g., adjustable-height desks, ergonomic chairs, accessible counters).
- Install signage that clearly identifies accessible work areas, equipment, and tools.
- Explore the feasibility of installing accessible workstations and booths for neurodiverse employees.
Priority area: information and communications technologies (ICT)
PrairiesCan implemented Microsoft Office 365, which has built-in accessibility features such as accessibility assistant, immersive reader enhancements, live captions and subtitles within PowerPoint, enhanced accessibility checker and various other improvements with support from AI.
PrairiesCan IT staff have been able to work with employees and managers to get them the tools and equipment they need, such as ergonomic keyboards, large monitors, mice and blue light screens.
PrairiesCan will:
- Continue to support the accommodation requests from employees to ensure they have the systems and equipment to do their job (Accessible by default)
- Ensure new software has built-in accessibility capabilities whenever possible.
- Commit to ensuring new web-based applications comply with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1 AA or higher). This includes both internal and public-facing systems.
- Inform employees when legacy web-based applications are non-compliant with WCAG 2.1 AA standards.
- Encourage IT employees to take training on accessible solutions and services.
- Promote Government of Canada Accessibility training and events for employees.
Priority area: communication, other than ICT
PrairiesCan is committed to making communication clear, inclusive, and easy to use on all platforms. We are building on our solid foundation by using plain language, following accessibility standards (WCAG), and inclusive design.
PrairiesCan will:
- Keep using, and improving adoption of, plain language communication: We will continue using plain language in everything we write, both inside and outside our organization. We will support this with training and helpful tools to make sure our messages are clear to everyone.
- Make accessibility part of content creation: With our updated web strategy, we are making sure to include accessibility and ease of use in every step of creating content, from planning to publishing, for both our websites and internal tools. We will follow WCAG 2.2 and Government of Canada standards.
- Improve usability to support accessibility: Better usability, like easy navigation, clear layout, and mobile-friendly design, helps make Web content more accessible. We will keep improving our websites to focus on user experience and inclusive design.
- Ensure that all communication is accessible: We will apply accessibility standards to all types of communication, including social media, websites, and internal messages. We will use tools like alt text, high-contrast visuals, and accessible templates.
- Support an inclusive workplace culture: We will continue to recognize important events like Mental Health Awareness Week, National AccessAbility Week, and Neurodiversity Week through department-wide messages to all staff. These events will be supported with learning opportunities for employees, such as training on neurodivergence in the workplace, courses from the Canadian Innovation Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace, and other learning offered through our partnership with the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion.
- Continuous improvement: We will regularly check how we are doing through audits, feedback, and accessibility reviews. This will help us make sure our communications stay inclusive, effective, and meet the changing needs of audiences.
Priority area: procurement of goods, services and facilities
Accessibility is a key consideration in procurement activities and when establishing contracts. All contracts include accessibility requirements, with help from the Accessible Resource Support Centre.
PrairiesCan will:
- Ask vendors to provide a VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) as evidence of compliance.
- Procure hardware (e.g., laptops, kiosks) that includes adjustable brightness, accessible ports, and tactile markers.
- Require service providers to offer accessible customer service, including alternative communication methods (email, relay services).
- Mandate training for vendor staff on accessibility awareness and inclusive service delivery.
- Provide request for proposal, request for quotes, call up to standing offers and supply arrangements and procurement documents in accessible formats so all vendors can participate.
- Offer an accessible submission process (e.g., electronic forms compatible with assistive technology).
- Evaluate vendor proposals using accessibility as a scored criterion.
Priority area: design and delivery of programs and services
PrairiesCan works to make the Prairies economy more accessible and inclusive. We do this by:
- Reviewing and improving our programs and services regularly, so they meet new needs and follow new policies.
- Making our online resources easier to use, especially for Indigenous applicants.
- Updating our program webpages to be simpler and easier to read.
- Adding more pictures and graphics to our guides to help people with different learning styles.
- Choosing colors for fonts and graphics that are easy to see.
PrairiesCan will:
- Continue to provide targeted support for entrepreneurs from underrepresented groups through:
- Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Program (EDP)
- Economic Development Initiative (EDI) for Francophone small businesses and partnerships
- Women’s Enterprise Initiative.
- Black Entrepreneurship Program Ecosystem Fund to help strengthen local business ecosystems that support Black-led businesses and entrepreneurs.
- Continue to review and analyze inclusivity data provided on applications to help feed into Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA+) processes.
- This will be used to improve program design and delivery, as well as continuing transparent communication to applicants of the collection and use of inclusivity data from applications.
Priority area: transportation
Although this priority area is not directly applicable to PrairiesCan, the department will continue to engage with stakeholders to identify potential barriers to travel for employees and clients.
Looking forward
The ACA seeks to benefit everyone, especially persons with disabilities, to create a Canada without barriers, on or before January 1, 2040. As a Regional Development Agency, PrairiesCan has a key role to play in helping to achieve this goal.
PrairiesCan is committed to creating a diverse, safe, respectful, healthy, and inclusive workplace. This means a commitment to identifying, removing and preventing barriers to full participation for persons with disabilities. The department will continue to evolve and adapt this action plan, in consultation with key stakeholders, to meet the needs of employees and clients with disabilities.