TBS Accessibility Plan 2022–25 - Our Future Is Accessible

Mail

Director General of Human Resources
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
Office 3-03328
90 Elgin St
Ottawa ON K1A 0R5

Email

AccessibilityPlan-PlanAccessibilite@tbs-sct.gc.ca

Telephone

1-877-636-0656

Teletypewriter (TTY)

613-369-9371

Anonymous feedback

You can provide feedback anonymously by completing our short and easy-to-use online form. You are welcome to:

• comment on this accessibility plan
• identify barriers you have faced at one of TBS’s work locations or with one of its programs, initiatives, tools or services
• ask questions

What we do with your feedback

We will analyze feedback to identify trends and patterns, as well as any gaps we can address to improve our efforts to remove barriers and become an accessible and inclusive employer and service provider.

We will publish annual progress reports in the years between accessibility plans, allowing you to monitor our progress and enabling us, with your feedback, to continue to adjust our accessibility plan as needed to get the best results.

Request an alternate format

Use the contact information listed above to request a copy of the accessibility plan progress report or the feedback process description in an alternate format.

The alternate formats that can be requested include:

• print
• large print (larger and clearer font)
• braille (a system of raised dots that people who are blind or who have low vision can read with their fingers)
• audio (a recording of someone reading the text out loud)
• electronic formats that are compatible with adaptive technology

Journey-mapping

TBS’s Human Resources Division, in collaboration with the Accessibility Network and the TBS Champion for Accessibility, conducted journey-mapping exercises with employees with disabilities to identify pain points during their employment with TBS, from the time they applied for their job to the present day.

Several journey-mapping sessions were moderated by the co-chairs of the Accessibility Network. Each session consisted of a 90-minute discussion of responses to questions intended to explore employees’ experiences in TBS’s work environment. The sessions focused on the five key pillars of Nothing Without Us: Accessibility Strategy for the Public Service of Canada, whichare:

1. employment, including recruitment, retention and promotion
2. accessibility of the built environment
3. information and technology that is usable by all
4. programs and services that are accessible
5. workplace culture

The sessions offered employees the opportunity to explain the kinds of barriers they face in their career at TBS in a safe, non-judgmental space with colleagues who share their concerns. All information collected was treated as confidential to protect each participant’s identity.

Some employees chose to provide their input in writing via an anonymous online survey.

The data received from the journey-mapping sessions was used to create four fictional personas. These personas help tell accurate stories of employees with disabilities at TBS in an impactful way that protects their anonymity.

The journey-mapping sessions were key to evaluating TBS’s level of accessibility and resulted in many of the key initiatives outlined in this accessibility plan, including the early adoption and implementation of the following:

• the Workplace Accommodation Centre
• the Mentorship Plus program
• the Employment Equity Recruitment Team
• the Workplace Accessibility Passport

Consultation on the built environment

In February 2022, the Champion for Accessibility and the Accessibility Network, in collaboration with Corporate Services Sector and the Human Resources Division, invited employees with disabilities at TBS to a consultation on TBS’s built environment. The goals of the session were to:

• identify physical barriers that hinder employees from fully participating in TBS’s workplace
• group barriers as priorities in the short, medium and long term

The session resulted in an action plan to address barriers in the built environment at TBS over the next three years.

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility Committee

The Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility Committee (IDEA Committee) was a key partner in developing this accessibility plan by providing a forum where employees and management could openly discuss ideas, concerns and opportunities to improve accessibility at TBS. The committee’s involvement was key to ensuring that our approach was sound and inclusive before we developed the accessibility plan further.

The committee also had the opportunity to review an early draft of the plan and provide comments.

Chaired by TBS’s Champion for Diversity and Inclusion, the IDEA Committee’s primary objective is to:

• identify and discuss issues that have an impact on designated group members and equity-seeking groups
• provide advice to management on strategies or techniques to address such issues

Meetings are attended by representatives from sectors across TBS and by the co-chairs for employee networks, including the Accessibility Network. Meetings were also open to all employees.

Accessibility Network

In addition to providing its input through journey-mapping sessions and IDEA Committee meetings, the Accessibility Network had the opportunity to comment on the first draft of this accessibility plan in person at a network meeting and in writing.

The network also reviewed the final version of the plan and helped test its online accessibility.

Learning from past consultations

As part of planning for its first departmental accessibility plan, TBS drew from the following:

• the Office of Public Service Accessibility’s GC-wide consultations for the federal public service’s Accessibility Strategy for the Public Service of Canada
• the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer’s consultations for its review of the Employment Equity Act

TBS also drew from the following studies:

• a gap analysis of select federal buildings, including TBS’s building at 90 Elgin, Ottawa, undertaken by Public Services and Procurement Canada in collaboration with the Rick Hansen Foundation
• a report by the Canadian National Institute of the Blind on way-finding technology, signage and benchmarking of workplace accommodations, conducted by the Office of Public Service Accessibility and TBS

Recruitment

• In March 2022, TBS’s Human Resources Division established an Employment Equity Recruitment Team to help increase the hiring of people with disabilities and other under-represented groups. The team was also tasked with improving the accessibility and employee experience of applying for jobs at TBS and competing for them.

• Through a collaborative review of the application process with employees with disabilities and members of equity-seeking networks, the following issues were highlighted:

  • application forms are too long, and their language is unclear
  • applicants often don’t understand how GC staffing processes work
  • interview panel members are not diverse, and they are not trained to conduct an inclusive interview that is respectful of different backgrounds
  • statements of merit criteria for jobs often include experience and knowledge that can only be obtained by working for the GC, which excludes candidates from under-represented groups outside the GC

  To address these issues, the Human Resources Division’s Employment Equity Recruitment Team is:

  • prioritizing the use of plain and inclusive language in job posters and removing government jargon
  • providing a link in job posters that refers candidates to a document that explains how staffing in the GC works and defines staffing terms
  • adding the following to job posters:
    • a link to Canada.ca explains how to request accommodation for skills assessment when applying for a job
    • an email address for requests for accommodation
    • a statement that indicates that accommodation is available at every step of the hiring process, including the job application
  • ensuring diversity among selection board members to prevent unconscious biases at every step of the selection process
  • ensuring that board members have completed training to reduce or prevent unconscious bias
  • continuing to work with subject-matter experts at ROSEPH (French only) to:
    • improve the recruitment of under-represented groups
    • gain access to untapped talent that is sometimes difficult to reach

    To expedite the hiring of employees with disabilities, the team is incorporating all lessons learned and launching targeted job processes to recruit employees that identify as belonging to one or more employment equity groups, including people with disabilities. The planned targeted processes include the following groups and levels:

    • EX-01 and EX-03
    • EC-05 and EC-06
    • AS-01 and AS-02

    Staffing processes for the AS group began in July 2022, with the other groups to begin in 2023.

    The team will continue its work to provide a barrier-free and positive experience for all candidates, from the moment they view the advertisement until they complete their onboarding with TBS. To ensure that the latest best practices are used and to help with recruitment efforts, the Human Resources Division also consulted with subject-matter experts, such as ROSEPH (French only) and equity-seeking employee networks at TBS.

• The Human Resources Division’s Corporate Resourcing and Innovation team launched a pilot project to support hiring from under-represented groups, including people with disabilities, by highlighting and promoting opportunities using the LinkedIn social media platform. The team expects that the high visibility of the platform will help reach a broader audience.
• The team continues to identify and promote sources of talent to encourage the hiring of people with disabilities at TBS. Ways to access talent sources include the following:
  • consulting a list of qualified people with disabilities available for hire through the Employment Opportunity for Students with Disabilities
  • hiring individuals with intellectual disabilities in collaboration with the non-profit organization LiveWorkPlay
  • participating in the Federal Internship Program for Canadians with Disabilities
• TBS is also conducting a review of its employment systems, as required under the Employment Equity Act,^{Footnote 6} to identify and remove systemic and attitudinal barriers to employment opportunities for designated group members.

Retention

TBS realizes that recruiting and hiring employees with disabilities is only the first step in creating a more diverse and inclusive workplace. Our efforts will be undone if we are not able to retain our employees.

Information in the 2019 Benchmarking Study of Workplace Accommodations by the Office of Public Service Accessibility, and more recent consultations with TBS employees with disabilities, indicates that a major barrier to accessibility and inclusion is the slow and complicated process to obtain workplace accommodations. TBS has launched two ambitious initiatives to provide employees with everything they need in a timely and dignified manner:

• Piloting the Workplace Accessibility Passport: At TBS, the passport’s implementation is led by the department’s Workplace Accommodation Centre. As previously mentioned, the passport facilitates recruitment, retention and career advancement for employees with disabilities by providing them with a single location to obtain workplace supports. The passport will travel with the employee throughout their federal public service career, reducing the need to renegotiate workplace supports when the employee’s job changes.

  TBS was an early adopter of the passport and continues to promote its use to managers and employees.

• The Workplace Accommodation Centre: This centre is a collaborative pilot program between TBS and the Department of Finance Canada, funded by the Office of Public Service Accessibility through the Centralized Enabling Workplace Fund and led by TBS’s Corporate Services Sector.
• The centre is implementing a centralized and neutral case management model for accommodation requests. It will provide services to all employees who request accommodations, not only employees who have self-identified as a person with a disability. It will:
  • follow the principles of user-centred design and “lean” methodology. This methodology emphasizes continuous improvement, eliminating waste, and respect for people.
  • explore the feasibility of expanding accommodation case management services beyond the initial two departments

  The centre’s approach could create a new user-centred model for managing accommodations requests in the federal public service. Its specific goals are to:

  • streamline workplace accommodation practices
  • improve employees’ experiences
  • facilitate the accommodation process for managers
  • make expert guidance on accessibility readily available
  • support a “yes by default” culture

Career advancement for employees with disabilities

Employees with disabilities, like their colleagues, are ambitious and expect that their hard work will be rewarded with career advancement opportunities. However, during our consultation process, TBS employees continued to mention career advancement as a major concern and were looking for learning and mentorship opportunities.

To address their concerns and increase the representation rate of employees with disabilities at all levels within TBS, not only more junior levels, TBS has co-developed and launched initiatives to remove barriers to success and to support career progression:

• Mentorship Plus: Launched in December 2020, this program was co-developed with the participation of equity-seeking groups, including employees with disabilities. It aims to enhance traditional mentorship by adding the element of sponsorship. The program pairs employees with executive mentors and sponsors to:
  • help navigate the system for upward mobility
  • provide better visibility in informal networks
  • provide access to developmental opportunities that build the skills that are necessary for executives

  TBS is proud to be participating in this program, which is managed internally by the Human Resources Division. For information about the program’s implementation GC-wide by the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer, see the Design and delivery of programs and services section of this document.

  To date, 42 employees from employment equity and equity-seeking groups at the EX minus 1 and EX minus 2 level have been matched with a sponsor from the executive group. Planning is underway to increase the number of participants.

• Mosaic Leadership Development Program: Launched in December 2021 by the Centre on Diversity and Inclusion, this program aims to help equip equity-seeking employees at the EX minus 1 level to enter the executive group.

  The Mosaic program has four main components:

  1. sponsorship
  2. learning opportunities
  3. experience-building opportunities
  4. assessment against EX-01 criteria

  The program has the following aims:

  • bridge the representation gap for equity-seeking employees, including employees with disabilities, in the executive group
  • ensure that all employees can see people like themselves reflected in senior leadership in the federal public service
  • accelerate meaningful culture change at TBS so that it is more inclusive, diverse, equitable and accessible

  TBS will identify success measures for implementation within the department based on desired outcomes and performance measures to be adopted in 2023 by the Centre on Diversity and Inclusion.

• In 2023, the Human Resources Division will co-design opportunities for career progression with persons with disabilities. These opportunities will supplement the Mentorship Plus program and Mosaic Leadership Development Program.
• Leveraging staffing flexibilities: As set out in the TBS Departmental Employment Equity Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan 2019–22 (accessible only on the GC network) managers are encouraged to use staffing flexibilities to promote high-performing employees who belong to employment equity groups, including employees with disabilities.
• Managers can also appoint employees with disabilities if they do not initially meet the language requirements of the position but agree to do so within two years. This flexible approach helps support employees with disabilities who may struggle to learn a second language because of their disability.

Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer

• The Self-ID Project modernized the form used to capture data on employment equity groups in the public service, including employees with disabilities, with the goal of increasing the number of forms completed. Increasing the quality and quantity of self-identification data supports the design, delivery and evaluation of targeted plans and programs to increase diversity and inclusion across the GC.

  The Self-ID Project launched in 2020 with stakeholder consultations. The modernized self-ID form was completed in 2021 and will be implemented in the near future. The new Self-ID application aims to meet the highest level of digital accessibility standards (WCAG 2.1 AAA), which is higher than the current digital accessibility standards set for the GC (WCAG 2.0 AA).

• Launched in December 2020, Mentorship Plus aims to address gaps in representation of equity-seeking groups, including employees with disabilities, in the GC’s senior leadership. The program has begun to create a diverse talent pipeline by increasing the visibility of mentees and protégés through informal networks, access to career opportunities, and support to develop the skills necessary for executives.

  Mentorship Plus is in place in 49 federal departments and is benefitting the careers of employees with disabilities across the public service.

• The Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer is collaborating with the Public Service Commission of Canada to enhance recruitment and retention support for students with disabilities in partnership with academic institutions.
• The Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer also worked with the Canada School of Public Service to develop the course “Addressing Disability, Inclusion and Barriers to Accessibility” (course number INC115).
• The Mosaic Leadership Development Program for employees at the EX minus 1 level was co‑developed by the Centre on Diversity and Inclusion with employee networks to help equip equity-seeking employees to become executives. The program consists of four components: sponsorship, learning opportunities, experience-building opportunities and assessment against EX-01 criteria.

  The program launched in December 2021 with 39 participants who graduated in November 2022. The next call-out for candidates is expected to be in winter 2023. In 2023, the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer will consult stakeholders to identify desired outcomes and specific performance measures.

• In 2020, the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer amended the nomination criteria for the Executive Leadership Development Program (ELDP) to help ensure better representation of three under-represented equity-seeking groups (persons with disabilities, Indigenous peoples and visible minorities) within ELDP cohorts. At least 50% of nominations by all departments and agencies must belong to one or more of these three groups. The Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer has also given itself discretionary power to nominate and select employees with disabilities who have not been nominated by their department.

  Implementing this approach resulted in an increase from 2021 to 2022 in the representation of executives with disabilities, from 5.35% to 11.00% in the EX-01 to EX 03 stream of ELDP.

• The Directive on Official Languages for People Management was reviewed to identify and remove barriers for employees who are not able to meet the linguistic requirements of EX-02 to EX-05 bilingual positions because of language-related disabilities:

  When administrative measures can be put in place, imperative staffing is not mandatory for EX-02 to EX-05 positions or their equivalent when a candidate has received an exclusion for a medical reason confirming a long-term or recurring physical, mental or learning impairment that prevents them from attaining, through language training, including with accommodation, the required second official language proficiency.^{Footnote 5}

  The amended directive went into effect in September 2021.

• The Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer will be posting a revised version of Duty to Accommodate: A General Process for Managers that supports a collaborative approach to accommodation and promotes the use of the GC Workplace Accessibility Passport. In addition:
  • TBS guidance and direction to federal organizations on the future of work have incorporated greater consideration of the duty to accommodate and accessibility in arrangements for telework, hybrid work and fully remote work
  • renewed web resources, including the revised Guidance on Optimizing a Hybrid Workforce: Spotlight on Telework (May 2022), promote a barrier-free workplace through flexible and equitable working arrangements
• The Federal Speakers’ Forum on Diversity and Inclusion was co-developed with equity-seeking groups to give voice to public servants who wish to share their expertise, lived experience, perspectives and stories about their personal diversity and inclusion journey in the federal workplace.

  Openings hearts and minds can shift the culture of the workplace and help make it more inclusive and diverse. The forum launched in April 2021 and has over 50 speakers who have made over 200 appearances.

The Office of Public Service Accessibility

• Launched in April 2019, the Centralized Enabling Workplace Fund (CEWF) is a $10-million fund administered by the Office of Public Service Accessibility over a five-year period. The fund invests in innovative and experimental ideas, projects and initiatives to:
  • improve workplace accommodation practices
  • remove systemic barriers that create a need for individual accommodation

  Examples of initiatives that receive funds through the CEWF are:

  • the Workplace Accessibility Passport
  • the Lending Library pilot project (accessible only on the GC network)
  • the Workplace Accommodation Centre pilot project
• The Government of Canada Workplace Accessibility Passport is a flagship initiative of the Accessibility Strategy for the Public Service of Canada and a key project funded by the CEWF. The passport helps address the obstacles that federal public service employees and applicants with disabilities face in obtaining the tools and supports to perform at their best and succeed in the workplace.

  The passport will facilitate recruitment, retention and career advancement for employees with disabilities by providing employees with a single location to identify and update their workplace supports. Once signed by the employee’s manager, the passport serves as an agreement between the manager and employee on the measures in place to help the employee thrive.

  Development and testing the passport as an accessible Microsoft Word document began in 2020. Over 23 departments opted into the testing phase, which ended in March 2022. As of spring 2022, a digital version of the passport has been available on the Government of Canada Workplace Accessibility Passport page. Organizations are being encouraged to continue to adopt and implement the passport through communication, awareness activities and educational initiatives.

• The Office of Public Service Accessibility developed guidance and tools, including the Accessibility Self-Assessment Tool (accessible only on the GC network), to:
  • help federal organizations with accessibility planning
  • help organizations self-assess their accessibility readiness
  • initiate the Accessibility Hub (accessible only on the GC network) on GCpedia

  The self-serve Accessibility Hub has resources on various accessibility-related topics, such as guidance for developing accessibility plans, information on disability inclusion and more.

  These tools have been operational since 2019 and will continue to be updated until 2024.

• The Office of Public Service Accessibility continues to collaborate with key partners, such as the Canada School of Public Service, to lead GC-wide engagement activities that help build accessibility confidence, competencies and ultimately advance the goals of the Accessibility Strategy for the Public Service of Canada. Target audiences include senior leaders, managers, employees and functional communities. GC-wide events take place throughout the year, most notably during the National AccessAbility Week in May or June and the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in December.

TBS’s Acquired Services and Assets Sector

• TBS’s Acquired Services and Assets Sector (ASAS) is developing the TBS Guide to Accessibility in Federal Procurement, to be published on the Canada.ca website by March 2023,to:
  1. promote, reinforce and align procurement practices with accessibility requirements for ICT used by employees and the public so that accessibility is considered in acquiring and developing ICT solutions and equipment, as set out in the following:
     • Policy on Digital and Service
     • Guideline on Making Information Technology Usable by All
     • Standard on Web Accessibility, which will soon be replaced by the new Standard on ICT Accessibility that will expand the scope of ICT under the Policy on Service and Digital
  2. inform departments and public federal resources, including the following:
     • Accessibility Strategy for the Public Service of Canada
     • Public Services and Procurement Canada’s Accessible Procurement Resource Centre
     • Shared Services Canada’s Accessibility, Accommodation and Adaptive Computer Technology program
• In May 2021, ASAS revised the Directive on the Management of Procurement to support the GC’s accessibility goals by:
  • mandating that the private sector include accessibility considerations when specifying requirements
  • ensuring that deliverables incorporate accessibility features
• ASAS continues to help inform and promote policy requirements, accountabilities, best practices and key instruments related to accessibility in federal procurement through engagement and outreach efforts. These activities include participation and presentations made at:
  • the Agents of Change for Accessible Procurement Centre of Excellence
  • multiple sessions of the Canadian Institute of Procurement and Materiel Management’s 2022 national workshop
• ASAS is working with the Canada School of Public Service to update procurement-related courses to include accessibility requirements and latest best practices. Updated courses are expected to be available in 2023.
• ASAS aims to help increase recruitment, hiring and career advancement of people with disabilities through the following:
  • A GC collective recruitment process for the Purchasing and Supply group at the PG-03 and PG-04 levels was launched to establish a pool of qualified candidates from equity-seeking groups, including people with disabilities. This initiative includes training for candidates to succeed in “best fit” interviews and cultural and emotional awareness for hiring managers. The pool was made available to all departments in August 2022.
  • The Comptrollership Leadership Development Program (CLDP) launched in November 2021. The purpose of the CLDP is to prepare senior functional practitioners for executive roles and to help employees from equity-seeking communities advance to more senior levels. Departments and agencies were asked to nominate employees from equity-seeking groups to participate. The first cohort completed the program in May 2022. The second cohort is being planned with key stakeholders such as the University of Ottawa, the Department of Finance Canada, the Office of the Comptroller General and people with disabilities.
  • ASAS’s Professionalization Action Plan is being developed to promote gender equality, diversity, and inclusion within the real property community. The plan will aim to:
    • identify training and awareness-raising opportunities
    • explore opportunities for mentorship, consultation and engagement of equity-seeking groups
    • help improve the representation of people with disabilities in the real property community

TBS’s Strategic Communications and Ministerial Affairs

• In September 2022, TBS’s Strategic Communications and Ministerial Affairs branch published Guidelines on Making Communications Products and Activities Accessible. The guidelines include specific measures to consider when developing accessible communications. Examples of such measures are:
  • including visual representation of people with disabilities in everyday situations
  • applying plain language principles
  • using built-in audio and visual accessibility features
  • having users with lived experience test content and provide feedback

  The guidelines will help ensure consistency in the accessibility of TBS and GC communications products and activities, and will make best practices available to communications practitioners.

Office of the Chief Information Officer

• The Chief Data Officer for the Government of Canada published the recently approved Standard on Systems that Manage Information and Data (published as Appendix J of the Directive on Service and Digital). The standard requires that all new and modernized or upgraded systems that fall under the standard must comply with specified ISO 16175-1:2020 requirements, which include requirements for accessibility.

  Implementation of the new standard is scheduled to occur over the next two years for existing non-legacy systems.

• The Office of the Chief Information Officer is developing a new Standard on ICT Accessibility, which will replace the Standard on Web Accessibility and will be published in two phases. Phase 1 will focus on foundational elements of ICT that will have a low cost to implement. Phase 2 will implement requirements that are costlier and require more effort. This two-phase approach will increase departmental readiness and reduce the effort required to meet future standard requirements. Phase 1 is planned for release in the 2023–24 fiscal year.
• With Shared Services Canada, the Office of the Chief Information Officer co-developed an ICT accessibility measurement scorecard and maturity model. The scorecard was developed as a tool to help departments self-assess the accessibility of their existing ICT. The tools will be piloted in 2023–24.

Workplace culture

• Need continued support to work remotely, as it provides the ability to work more productively, comfortably and safely
• Need a proactive approach to workplace accommodations to allow employees and managers to see success rapidly

Workplace practices

• Need a safe and healthy workplace where barriers are identified, prevented and removed
• Need training for managers and employees on accessibility and inclusivity at work
• Need hiring and development programs for employees with disabilities to improve career progression
• Need a buddy system at entry to TBS and a mentoring system at key points in career
• Need faster access to adaptive equipment to aid with employee productivity
• Need better accommodations for staffing processes, as the lack of access to competitions impedes career mobility

People management

• Need a streamlined centralized process for workplace accommodations
• Need support for employees who have episodic disabilities to manage their careers in accordance with their health status
• Need equal access to promotions through an improved performance management and talent management system

To help show the human side of these issues, TBS created “personas” that reflect the challenges discussed during the journey-mapping sessions. Although they are fictional, we hope that the following personas are true to the spirit of employees with disabilities who work at TBS.

Sophia

“My biggest fear is of being helpless in a fire (at work). How can I be assured of my safety?”

Sophia was born with a physical disability and requires a wheelchair as a mobility aid. She has worked at TBS for nine years.

Matthew

“I have good managers, but they can do more. I get good appraisals, such as ‘Very pleased, thank you for the good work.’ But there’s no guidance on how to get a promotion.”

Matthew has worked at TBS for 12 years. Ten years ago, he was diagnosed with a degenerative neurological condition, which impacts his mobility and some fine motor skills. Over the last four years, his condition has deteriorated. He now self-identifies as having a disability and needs accommodations.

Lisa

“When you have an invisible disability, it’s easy to get overlooked.”

Lisa joined TBS four years ago as a student and was bridged in when she completed her degree. She has invisible disabilities: mental health disorders, learning disabilities, and difficulties with her hearing.

Marta

“There are a lot of financial implications, there’s not a lot of wiggle room. Question of who pays for adaptations is important and we need to improve.”

Marta has worked for the public service for 18 years. She has a mental health disorder and learning disabilities and is a survivor of past trauma. Marta entered the public service through a development program and now works as a supervisor of a medium-sized team.