CSIS Accessibility Plan 2026–2028

General

This document is available on request in alternate formats (print, large print, braille, audio format, and electronic format compatible with adaptive technology intended to assist persons with disabilities), by contacting the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) public line at 1-800-267-7685.

Canadian Security Intelligence Service

P.O. Box 9732 STN T

Ottawa, ON  K1G 4G4

Telephone: 613-993-9620

Facsimile: 613-231-0612

TTY and or TDD: 613-991-9228

Email: accessibility-accessibilité@smtp.gc.ca

Contact: Advisor – Accessibility, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Accessibility statement from the Director of CSIS

As the Director of CSIS, I am committed to ensuring that our organization is a place where all individuals, with diverse abilities, can thrive as they contribute to our mission. We recognize that accessibility is essential to creating an inclusive culture, and are dedicated to removing barriers that may prevent individuals with disabilities from fully participating in our workplace.

At CSIS, we are driven by a strong commitment to our mission to protect Canada and Canadians. We believe that our success depends on our ability to attract, retain, and develop a diverse and talented workforce, including individuals with disabilities. Our goal is to create a healthy and inclusive work environment and culture that values and supports the contributions of everyone who works here.

To achieve this goal, we are dedicated to meeting the intent behind the Accessible Canada Act (ACA), and exceeding standards whenever possible. I am pleased to report that CSIS has made significant progress in regards to accessibility and addressing barriers. With the support and guidance of our Accessibility Committee and diverse employees with disabilities, we have progressed 95 of the 102 commitments in our 2023–2025 Accessibility Plan, with 42 of these commitments being completed. Our new 2026–2028 Accessibility Plan reflects an improved understanding of the work we need to do, and we are committed to continuing our efforts to remove barriers (be they physical, attitudinal or systemic) and increase accessibility for all employees.

Some of our accomplishments thus far include:

• Providing accessible transportation services;
• Streamlining the process for requesting ergonomic equipment;
• Publishing products in accessible file types;
• Delivering training and the approval of learning paths that include mandatory training on accessibility, unconscious bias, and inclusion for all employees, including executives;
• Investing in accessible software that meets our security requirements; and,
• Streamlining procedures and processes for routine requests for job supports for employees with disabilities.

Our Accessibility Committee—comprised of persons with disabilities and other decision-makers and our Neurodiversity Network (with over 100 members, including executives) play a vital role in promoting accessibility and inclusion within our organization. These groups ensure that the voices of employees with disabilities are heard and that we are held accountable for our accessibility commitments.

As we move forward, we recognize the importance of staying up-to-date with new accessible and assistive technologies and understanding their impacts on opportunities and risks. We are committed to modernizing tools and training to meet the needs of all employees.

While we have made significant progress, I recognize that there is still much work to be done. I am dedicated to ongoing improvements and progress, and committed to ensuring that CSIS continues stretching itself to become a leader in accessibility and inclusion. By working together, we can create a workplace that is welcoming and accessible to all employees, where everyone can thrive.

Dan Rogers

Director 

Introduction

The Accessible Canada Act

The Accessible Canada Act (ACA) came into force on July 11, 2019. The purpose of the ACA is to make Canada barrier-free by January 1, 2040. This involves identifying, removing and preventing barriers in federal jurisdictions in the following priority areas:

1. Employment;
2. The built environment (buildings and public spaces);
3. Information and communication technologies;
4. Communication, other than information and communication technologies;
5. The procurement of goods, services and facilities;
6. The design and delivery of programs and services; and,
7. Transportation (airlines, as well as rail, road and marine transportation providers that cross provincial or international borders).

The ACA recognizes the existing human rights framework that supports equality for people with disabilities in Canada. This includes:

• The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms;
• The Canadian Human Rights Act; and,
• Canada’s commitments as a State Party to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The ACA builds on this framework through a proactive and systemic approach for identifying, removing and preventing barriers to accessibility.

The ACA defines “barrier” as:

“Anything physical, architectural, technological or attitudinal, anything that is based on information or communications or anything that is the result of a policy or a practice—that hinders the full and equal participation in society of persons with an impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication or sensory impairment or a functional limitation.”

The ACA defines “disability” as:

“Any impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication, or sensory impairment—or a functional limitation—whether permanent, temporary, or episodic in nature, or evident or not, that, in interaction with a barrier, hinders a person’s full and equal participation in society.”

Principles

This Act is to be carried out in recognition of, and in accordance with, the following principles:

1. all persons must be treated with dignity regardless of their disabilities;
2. all persons must have the same opportunity to make for themselves the lives that they are able and wish to have regardless of their disabilities;
3. all persons must have barrier-free access to full and equal participation in society, regardless of their disabilities;
4. all persons must have meaningful options and be free to make their own choices, with support if they desire, regardless of their disabilities;
5. laws, policies, programs, services and structures must take into account the disabilities of persons, the different ways that persons interact with their environments and the multiple and intersecting forms of marginalization and discrimination faced by persons;
6. persons with disabilities must be involved in the development and design of laws, policies, programs, services and structures; and
7. the development and revision of accessibility standards and the making of regulations must be done with the objective of achieving the highest level of accessibility for persons with disabilities.

Planning and reporting requirements

The ACA requires that organizations:

1. Prepare and publish accessibility plans:
   • Make accessibility plans to identify, remove and prevent barriers in the priority areas in their:
     • Policies
     • Programs
     • Practices
     • Services
   • Update their plans every three years or as specified in regulations; and,
   • Consult people with disabilities when creating and updating their plans.
2. Set up a feedback process:
   • Have a way to receive and deal with feedback regarding accessibility.
3. Prepare and publish progress reports:
   • Make regular progress reports that describe the actions the organization has taken to implement their accessibility plans;
   • Include information in their reports on feedback received and how the organization took the feedback into consideration; and,
   • Consult people with disabilities when preparing their reports.

1. Employment

At CSIS, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible recruitment experience for all candidates, including persons with disabilities. Our human resources (HR) team actively engages with candidates who self-identify as having a disability, offering personalized support throughout the recruitment process to ensure a smooth and respectful experience.

To further enhance accessibility, we’ve introduced a dedicated phone line and email contact for individuals registering for our career fairs, making it easier to request accommodations in advance. These measures aim to make candidates feel supported and included from their first point of contact with CSIS.

CSIS continues to participate in several key events focused on disability inclusion, including the Canadian Congress on Disability Inclusion Career Fair, the Ottawa Career Fair for Students and Recent Grads with Disabilities, and the Accessible Spring Career Fair. These events have allowed us to connect directly with talented individuals and demonstrate our commitment to an inclusive public service.

We continue to expand our reach through our virtual recruitment strategy, notably the “Conversation with CSIS” series. These live virtual discussions between hiring managers and the public help demystify the hiring process and highlight available opportunities. To improve accessibility, these sessions are captioned and delivered online to remove geographic and physical barriers to participation.

At in-person recruitment events, CSIS ensures that job descriptions are inclusive and clearly communicated. Accommodations are provided to those who require them, and staff are trained to promote a welcoming environment for all.

Lastly, our marketing campaign now features refreshed branding and inclusive design elements aimed at encouraging persons with disabilities to see themselves reflected in our workforce and to consider a future at CSIS.

Further to these ongoing efforts, as CSIS continues to build a more inclusive, equitable, and representative organization, the following barriers and actions have been identified:

Barriers

1. Employees and candidates with disabilities experience stigma and bias during assessment.
2. HR practitioners do not always feel confident about addressing accessibility barriers in assessments.
3. Offers of accommodation and accessibility considerations are inconsistent during the recruiting and staffing process. There is a need for a consistent adoption of active offers for accommodation.
4. Accessibility considerations are not yet fully systematized in every process of executive recruitment, staffing and development programs, resulting in inconsistencies.
5. There is a lack of connection to CSIS employment opportunities for many possible candidates who identify as persons with disabilities.
6. Inclusive staffing options are not monitored for rate of application, or required changes. Data is not easily available to monitor and improve staffing actions.
7. CSIS does not have enough relationships with employment partners who specialize in accessibility.
8. The performance objective on promoting a healthy workplace does not explicitly include accessibility to be fully inclusive of persons with disabilities.
9. The accommodation process is often not clearly understood by new employees.
10. Managers do not adequately access tools and resources on how to support employees with disabilities, and employees with disabilities lack easy access to information on how to request accommodations, resulting in a lack of confidence and trust in CSIS’ ability to provide inclusive and accommodating work environments. This ultimately results in unequal access to employment opportunities and support.

Actions

Action 1 – Medium term (one to two years)

Provide training sessions for the HR community at a national level delivered by the Public Service Commission on “How to Conduct an Evaluation of Biases and Barriers of an Assessment Method.”

Indicator: Increased percentage of HR community employees have completed the training. A completion percentage of above 50% of HR community employees who have been in their role longer than 12 months.

Action 2 – Medium term

Provide training to HR community employees on “Addressing Disability Inclusion and Barriers to Accessibility” offered by the Canada School of Public Service.

Indicator: Increased percentage of HR community employees have completed the training. The training is included in the individual learning and development plans of employees.

Action 3 – Short term (within one year)

Perform comprehensive review of the documents and templates used in the recruitment and staffing process to ensure an active offer is in place to elicit accommodations requests.

Indicator: Revised documents and templates include numerous and consistent offers to elicit accommodation requests from candidates.

Action 4 – Long term (two to three years or more)

Conduct a thorough review of all documents and templates used in the executive recruitment and staffing process, including those related to talent development programs, expressions of interest (EOI), and enrollment processes. The goal is to ensure that every interaction and process includes a clear and active offer to solicit accommodation requests from individuals with disabilities. Ongoing consultations to be held with the Accessibility, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and Gender Based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) team to inform and improve this process, ensuring that is it inclusive and accessible for all candidates.

Indicator: Accessibility questions are included in all process steps in writing and an active offer for accommodation is provided in every interaction and process. Best practices and lessons from the review of standard recruiting and staffing programs are implemented in talent development services. Consultations with the Accessibility, DEI and GBA Plus team on new document creation are standard practice.

Action 5 – Short term

Request referrals from the Public Service Commission inventories that include or are dedicated for persons with disabilities.

Indicator: Referrals actively sought from the Public Service Commission inventories for relevant pools.

Action 6– Short term

Monitor the staffing actions when hiring managers are asked to consider staffing options that proactively support employment equity when establishing their hiring strategy. This includes hiring from existing Public Service inventories of candidates who have self-identified as being a person with a disability.

Indicator: The Talent Acquisition team meets with the Accessibility, DEI and GBA Plus team twice a year to assess data, the success of the program and to propose updates as required.

Action 7– Long term

Seek out partnerships with accessibility employment resources or groups.

Indicator: Increase in network of active partners with the Talent Acquisition team.

Action 8 – Short term

Update the employee objective on promoting a healthy workplace to explicitly include accessibility.

Indicator: Update implemented in all employee performance evaluations.

Action 9 – Medium term

Include accessibility package with information on the duty to accommodate and creating accessible documents to new employees during onboarding.

Indicator: Package is implemented into onboarding process.

Action 10 – Long term

Develop and make available a centralized accessibility page with guidance for employees and a toolkit for managers.

Indicator: Page is launched and communicated to employees and managers through the corporate intranet and other communication strategies. 

2. Built environment

As the custodian of its national headquarters building (NHQ), CSIS is responsible for meeting accessibility standards on the entire premises.

For leased spaces, CSIS works with responsible parties, such as Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), to ensure compliance with relevant regulations and standards. CSIS works to ensure that leased spaces meet the required accessibility standards, as found in the ACA, the Canadian Standards Association (CSA), and the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) standards. Specifically, CSIS ensures compliance with the new barrier-free standard and works to implement the necessary changes to meet the standard's requirements.

While conducting consultations for the accessibility plan, employees identified the following barriers in CSIS’ built environment:

Barriers

11. Some washrooms and other areas do not have automatic doors, making it difficult for employees with disabilities to access those spaces.
12. Employees in regional and district offices encounter barriers when requesting sit-stand workstations, including delays or unclear processes.
13. Excessively high lighting levels in certain open concept workspaces present difficulties to some employees.
14. There is no wayfinding signage in one regional office, which makes navigating more challenging for some employees with disabilities.
15. Access to the NHQ sports field is on terrain without an accessible path; employees with mobility disabilities have difficulty accessing this space.
16. Buildings and facilities may not be fully accessible to employees with disabilities due to physical barriers that have not yet been identified.

Actions

Action 11 – Long term

Add automatic doors at NHQ in areas already identified by corporate services and/or employees, provided they can meet security requirements.

Indicator: Automatic doors are installed.

Action 12 – Long term

Plan and prioritize providing sit-stand workstations to employees in regional and district offices without requiring medical certificates, and execute as possible.

Indicator: Availability of furniture and/or updated process is communicated to affected employees.

Action 13 – Long term

Implement lighting changes in identified spaces according to results of the commissioned lighting controls study.

Indicator: Lighting changes are implemented where feasible according to the study.

Action 14 – Medium term

Following accessibility signage study, install signage that meets the TBS Federal Identity Program standard in the identified regional office.

Indicator: Signage in place and communicated to all employees.

Action 15 – Long term

Seek out proposals and implement a solution for an accessible path to the NHQ sports field.

Indicator: Accessible path installed at NHQ office to access sports field and communicated to employees through the Accessibility Committee and the corporate intranet.

Action 16 – Long term

Perform accessibility audit to ensure compliance with the upcoming barrier-free standard, which is focused on removal of physical and other barriers.

Indicator: Audit completed and results communicated to corporate services and shared with the Accessibility Committee.

3. Information and communication technologies (ICT)

CSIS is building on our commitment to inclusive technology by leveraging past successes to drive further innovation. We’ve made significant strides in enhancing accessibility, from introducing accessible fonts and streamlining requests for ergonomic and accessible hardware, such as specialized mice and keyboards, to adopting colour contrast analyzing software and providing training on accessibility best practices. These efforts have paved the way for a more inclusive digital environment, empowering employees to work effectively and efficiently.

We recognize that our work is ongoing, and as we strive to continue improving accessibility in this space, the following barriers and actions have been identified:

Barriers

17. Inaccessibility of technology and digital products, specifically the potential for new systems, hardware and software to be inaccessible to people with certain disabilities, which can exclude them from using or interacting with these systems.
18. Inaccessible virtual meetings, due to lack of high-quality audio and closed captioning capabilities in video teleconferences, which can exclude people with hearing or speech disabilities, or those who prefer to use captions, from fully participating in virtual meetings.
19. A lack of accessibility features in the organization's intranet tools, web platforms and content management systems (CMS), which can make it difficult or impossible for employees with disabilities to access and use digital content.
20. The Government of Canada (GoC) Accessibility Passport is not integrated into CSIS. Employees who are hired from other GoC departments cannot transfer their Accessibility Passport arrangements to CSIS like they can between many other GoC departments. CSIS employees also encounter barriers in maintaining consistent accommodations as their career progresses within CSIS branches.

Actions

Action 17– Long term

Ensure all new corporate user-facing technologies, including purchased or developed software, are evaluated for compliancy against the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) or other accessibility standards.

Indicator: At least 80% of new corporate user-facing software and technologies have been evaluated for WCAG or other accessibility standards.

Action 18 – Long term

Research closed-captioning in classified video teleconferences for a way to ensure that all participants, including those with hearing, speech or language disabilities, can fully engage and contribute to virtual meetings, corporate messaging and interviews. From the research, develop a technical roadmap for secure classified video teleconference offerings that complies with organizational security policies and practices.

Indicator: A technical roadmap for secure classified video teleconference offerings has been developed and complies with organizational security policies and practices.

Action 19 – Long term

For corporate communication, provide intranet tools and CMS to generate content that is WCAG 2.0 compliant by default, ensuring that all digital content is accessible to employees with disabilities.

Indicator: Intranet pages and digital content that meet WCAG 2.0 accessibility standards will increase year over year once the new platform is launched.

Action 20 – Long term

Integrate the GoC Accessibility Passport into CSIS processes while complying with organizational security policies and practices.

Indicator: Employees have access to the GoC Accessibility Passport services at CSIS upon hiring and as they move through their career; and use of the Passport at CSIS complies with organizational security policies and practices.

4. Communication, other than ICT

People give and receive information in many ways: by speaking, writing, using sign language, looking at images or gestures or through the help of communication tools or support persons. To ensure communication is respectful, inclusive and easy to understand for everyone, including people with a wide rage of accessibility needs, we have looked closely at how we share information with employees and the public. CSIS follows the social media protocols that are set out by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. Fonts and images that adhere to GoC web accessibility standards are always used.

Below is a list of communication barriers we have identified, along with our commitments over the next three years to remove them.

Barriers

21. One of the current barriers to accessible communications is the intranet platform. While efforts are consistently made to optimize content within the systems' limitations, the platform does not fully support accessibility standards across all communications.
22. Employees may be unaware of the plain language resources, tools, and training available on the intranet, which can create unintended barriers to effective communications.
23. The carousel image on the Canada.ca/CSIS homepage presents a communication barrier due to its limited accessibility and potential to obscure content.
    

Actions

Action 21 – Long term

To ensure barrier-free access for all users, an updated and more inclusive system is required.

Indicator: New platform is launched.

Action 22 – Short term

Support an awareness campaign to promote the various resources that are available and the importance of writing in plain language.

Indicator: Promotional items are developed and campaign has been launched.

Action 23 – Short term

Enhance the accessibility of the carousel by the end of the current fiscal year.

Indicator: Carousel image is replaced with a feature that is accessible.

5. Procurement of goods, services and facilities

CSIS has completed all of the activities outlined in the previous accessibility plan under this priority. Key achievements include completion and implementation of ongoing training for acquisition officers, updated procedures that prioritize accessibility in procurement contracts and revised tools and templates that meet accessibility standards. A request for proposal framework for the supply of furniture that incorporates accessible procurement has been established.

Review and consultation of this section with the responsible parties and employees with disabilities did not identify new accessibility barriers in procurement of goods, services and facilities. We remain committed to ongoing accessibility and will continue to monitor our practices to ensure they remain inclusive.

Through planned accessibility audits, we will stay current with emerging standards, making adjustments as needed to support the full participation of people with disabilities and maintain a welcoming environment for all.

Barriers

No new barriers identified.

Actions

No planned actions.

6. Design and delivery of programs and services

CSIS has seen the positive impact of increased consultation with our Accessibility Committee and the application of an accessibility lens to our programs and services. We have enhanced the use of GBA Plus to better understand the diverse needs of our employees and ensure that initiatives are inclusive and effective.

Additionally, we have made significant strides in supporting employees with disabilities through the implementation of a process for medical exclusions related to official language requirements and the availability of ergonomic assessments in-house to ensure that employees with disabilities can thrive in their workplaces. By leveraging these achievements and continuing to listen to the lived experiences of our employees, we will create a more accessible and inclusive workplace. The following actions will help us continue to drive progress towards this vision.

Barriers

24. Not all training videos or audio recordings have transcripts.
25. Use of a complex learning management system (LMS) creates navigation and/or ease-of-use challenges for peoples with cognitive or learning disabilities.
26. Accessibility is not consistently considered during the development and design of learning resources. Staff require further training and tools to aid them in the development and design of learning resources.
27. Co-working spaces such as classroom settings for corporate learning have barriers related to focus, sensory input and stress. This is heightened for persons with disabilities, particularly those who are neuro-divergent.
28. Existing templates were not designed exclusively with colours that meet accessibility requirements.
29. The current electronic medical device approval process is long and frequently has delays.
30. Employees with disabilities face challenges in accessing accommodations due to a lack of clear guidance on the duty to accommodate, resulting in managers being uncertain about their obligations to provide accommodations up to the point of undue hardship. This contributes to stigma, where employees are reluctant to disclose their functional limitations to managers and do not request accommodations.
31. Inconsistent funding or perception of available funding for accessibility accommodations across different branches limits CSIS’ ability to provide equal access to programs and services.

Actions

Action 24 – Medium term

Make transcripts available for all published training videos (past and future).

Indicator: All embedded videos have associated transcripts.

Action 25 – Long term

The selection of a new LMS is vetted with accessibility in mind, in particular with regards to ease of use.

Indicator: Reports from LMS selection process indicating that accessibility was a criterion for any chosen LMS, that ease-of-use was considered, user reports/surveys indicating satisfaction, ease of use and accessibility.

Action 26 – Medium term

Offer training and guidance to staff to enhance their understanding of accessible learning resource development and facilitation, including the use of a checklist to ensure best practices.

Indicator: A standardized accessibility checklist or evaluation tool to measure the accessibility of learning resources developed by staff is designed and implemented.

Action 27 – Short term

Provide fidgets in classrooms and/or meeting rooms as recommended by employees. Fidget toys can channel restless energy and improve focus and emotional regulation.

Indicator: All classrooms have fidgets available for learners to use.

Action 28 – Long term

Update existing templates used for web-based training modules.

Indicator: All web-based training uses accessibility-friendly templates.

Action 29 – Short term

Review current medical device policy to improve efficiency.

Indicator: Relevant policy partners have reviewed the medical device policy and process and determined next steps.

Action 30 – Long term

Review and update the workplace accommodation procedure to provide clear guidance on the duty to accommodate.

Indicator: New procedure is published and communicated with employees.

Action 31 – Long term

Establish a centralized accessibility funding model to support accessibility costs, enabling CSIS to better support all employees with disabilities.

Indicator: Centralized funding is established and in use.

7. Transportation

In the previous accessibility plan it was initially determined that the priority area of transportation was not applicable to our organization. However, through consultation with employees with disabilities, we gained a deeper understanding of their needs and identified an opportunity to improve accessibility. As a result, we partnered with a provider to launch a pilot project offering accessible transportation services, featuring vehicles equipped with ramps and seating for additional passengers. This initiative has enhanced accessibility for our employees in the National Capital Region (NCR), providing them with on-demand transportation to participate fully in work-related activities, such as off-site meetings, conferences and events.

Barriers

32. Many employees in the NCR are not aware of the accessible transportation pilot service available.

Actions

Action 32 – Short term

Recirculate and amplify communication of accessible transportation pilot.

Indicator: Communication campaign is launched; employees who have used the service report feedback to the program owner.

Consultations

In preparing the accessibility plan, we engaged in a comprehensive consultation process to gather input and insights from the lived experiences of employees with disabilities. We began by consulting with our internal Accessibility Committee, which is comprised of employees with expertise and experience in accessibility, employees with disabilities and accessibility allies.

To reach a broader audience, we launched an anonymous online survey on accessibility that was available to all employees, and included diverse employee affinity networks such as the newly formed Neurodiversity Network. This survey helped us gather valuable data, both quantitative and qualitative, on the accessibility barriers and challenges faced by employees, as well as their ideas for improving accessibility in the organization.

In addition to the survey, we held a hybrid focus group (combining virtual and in-person participation) with employees with disabilities. This focus group provided a safe and supportive space for participants to share their experiences, discuss the proposed plan and provide feedback on the identified barriers and activities.

We also met with leaders from the teams who would be implementing the activities to discuss specific accessibility issues in their priority areas and gather more feedback as we worked together to identify barriers and respective activities to improve accessibility.

Throughout the consultation process, we prioritized the privacy and confidentiality of all participants, while also seeking to gather rich and meaningful feedback that would help us to create a more inclusive and accessible work environment.

To inform decision-making and ensure that our plan is evidence-based and effective, we also drew on available research and data, including the Public Service Employee Survey results and the Canadian Survey on Disability.

We believe that the consultation process has helped us to create a more comprehensive and inclusive accessibility plan, and we are committed to continuing to engage with employees with disabilities, their allies and subject matter experts during the implementation of this accessibility plan.

Glossary

Ableism

Ableism is a belief system, analogous to racism, sexism or ageism, that sees persons with disabilities as being less worthy of respect and consideration, less able to contribute and participate, and of less inherent value than others. Ableism may be conscious or unconscious and may be embedded in institutions, systems or the broader culture of a society.

Accessibility

Accessibility is the combination of aspects that influence a person’s ability to function within an environment.

Accessible

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

Accommodation

Accommodation is the personalized adaptation of a workplace to overcome the barriers faced by persons with disabilities. For example, an accommodation could be providing an employee with an assistive item, such as an ergonomic keyboard or mouse, or adjusting an employee's weekly targets to align with their abilities.

Barrier

Barrier means anything physical, architectural, technological or attitudinal, anything that is based on information or communications or anything that is the result of a policy or a practice—that hinders the full and equal participation in society of persons with an impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication or sensory impairment or a functional limitation.

Disability

Disability means any impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication or sensory impairment—or a functional limitation—whether permanent, temporary or episodic in nature, or evident or not, that, in interaction with a barrier, hinders a person’s full and equal participation in society.

Seeing disabilities affect vision, including total blindness, partial sign and visual distortion.

Hearing disabilities affect ability to hear, including being hard of hearing, deafness or acoustic distortion.

Speech or communication disabilities affect ability to speak or difficulty speaking or being understood.

Mobility issues affect ability to move your body, including the required use of a wheelchair or a cane, or other issues impacting your mobility. Issues with flexibility or dexterity affects ability to move joints or perform motor tasks, especially with your hands.

Mental health issues affect psychology or behaviour, such as anxiety, depression, social/compulsive disorder or phobia or psychiatric illness.

Sensory/environmental disabilities affect sensitivity to light, sounds or other distractions, as well as allergens and other environmental sensitivities.

Cognitive disabilities affect ability to carry out tasks involving executive functioning, such as planning and organization, learning information, communication and memory, including Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and learning disabilities.

Intellectual disabilities affect your ability to learn and adapt behaviour to different situations.

Chronic health conditions or pain affect ability to function on a regular or episodic basis due to migraines, Crohn's disease, colitis and other disabilities or health conditions.

Discrimination

Discrimination means treating someone differently or unfairly because of a personal characteristic or distinction, which, whether intentional or not, has an effect that imposes disadvantages not imposed on others or that withholds or limits access that is given to others.

Inclusion

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

Neurodiversity

Neurodiversity refers to the diversity of human brains and minds, encompassing a wide range of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral differences. It acknowledges that people's brains function and process information in unique ways, and that these differences are a natural part of human variation.

Neurodivergence / Neurodivergent

Neurodivergence is a term that refers to individuals whose brains and minds work differently from what is considered “typical,” often including conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Dyslexia. Neurodivergent individuals may experience differences in sensory processing, executive functioning, social interactions, communication styles, learning and emotional regulation. These differences vary between individuals and can be considered beneficial or challenging depending on the circumstances.

Neurotypical

Neurotypical refers to an individual whose brain functions and processes information in a way that is considered "typical" or "average" within a given population.

Systemic barrier

A systemic barrier is a pattern of behaviour inherent in the policies and practices of an organization, which creates or perpetuates disadvantage for persons with disabilities.