Veterans Affairs Canada releases 2022-2025 Accessibility Action Plan
News release
Plan identifies accessibility barriers and lays out actions to prevent and remove them
22 December 2022 – Charlottetown – Veterans Affairs Canada
Today, Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) released its first Accessibility Action Plan. The Plan lays out the Department’s commitment to improve accessibility by identifying barriers and the actions that VAC can take to prevent and remove them.
VAC has a long history of serving clients with disabilities, as Veterans are more likely to have physical and mental health conditions when compared to the general population, according to VAC’s Life After Service Studies.
The accessibility barriers in this Action Plan were identified in consultation with persons with disabilities, putting the “nothing without us” principle into practice. VAC conducted an external consultation using Let’s Talk Veterans and also consulted internally with its Employee Accessibility Network.
The Action Plan identifies accessibility barriers in several priority areas and outlines more than 40 concrete, measurable actions to address them, such as:
- adding described video and subtitles to audio visual displays in visitor centres;
- creating a process to collect ongoing feedback from persons with disabilities on built environment-related accessibility issues; and
- improving the application process for VAC programs and services.
VAC will monitor the progress on these actions and publish an annual progress report. An updated accessibility action plan will be produced every three years.
The Accessible Canada Act requires all federally-regulated entities, such as VAC, to publish their first accessibility action plans by 31 December 2022. The purpose of the Act is to achieve a barrier-free Canada by 2040.
Quotes
“It’s so important to be breaking down barriers for persons with disabilities, especially here at Veterans Affairs Canada. I’m so pleased to see the publication of the Accessibility Action Plan. A tremendous amount of consultation and planning has gone into this document. This plan will help remove barriers, making VAC a more accessible service provider and a more inclusive workplace.”
The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence
Quick facts
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VAC’s Accessibility Action Plan looks at barriers in seven priority areas: employment, built environment, information and communication technologies (ICT), communication (other than ICT), procurement of goods, services and facilities, design and delivery of programs and services, and organizational culture.
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An accessibility barrier is anything that does not allow persons with disabilities to be included and take part in all areas of life. The Accessible Canada Act identifies five types of accessibility barriers: physical and/or architectural, technological, information and communication, attitudinal, and systemic.
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VAC’s Accessibility Action Plan includes the Bureau of Pensions Advocates as well as the Office of the Veterans’ Ombud. The Veterans Review and Appeals Board has published its own Accessibility Action Plan on its website.
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Questions and/or feedback related to accessibility at VAC can be sent by mail, email, telephone, or through the Department’s anonymous online feedback form.
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VAC’s Accessibility Action Plan and a description of our feedback process are available in alternate formats upon request. Please visit our web site for more information.
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Contacts
Media Relations
Veterans Affairs Canada
613-992-7468
media@veterans.gc.ca
Erika Lashbrook Knutson
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Veterans Affairs
erika.lashbrookknutson@veterans.gc.ca
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