The Voice of Canada News

Canadians expect innovative, efficient and productive programs and services from an inclusive federal public service that reflects the true diversity of Canada. On the occasion of National Access Ability Week, the Government of Canada today launched its first ever accessibility strategy for the public service of Canada, setting the conditions to identify, prevent, and remove barriers in the workplace to persons with disabilities.

The strategy, Nothing Without Us, is focused on 5 key objectives:

• improving recruitment, retention and promotion of persons with disabilities
• enhancing the accessibility of the built environment
• making communications technology usable by all
• equipping public servants to design and deliver accessible programs and services
• building public service that is confidently accessible

Guided by the principles in the proposed Accessible Canada Act and informed by extensive consultations, the strategy aims to prepare the public service to lead by example and become a model of accessibility, in Canada and abroad.

A number of promising initiatives are already underway. These include:

• promoting persons with disabilities through the Employment Opportunity for Students with Disabilities led by the Public Service Commission
• prioritizing accessibility in the renewal of the Parliamentary Precinct led by Public Services and Procurement Canada
• supporting innovation, experimentation and research in the critical area of workplace accommodation through the Centralized Enabling Workplace Fund led by the Treasury Board Secretariat

Successfully implementing of the strategy will result in more persons with disabilities employed by the Government of Canada in a barrier-free and inclusive workplace, where every employee has what they need to do their best work. The strategy will be reviewed in 2021 to assess progress.

Quotes

“By developing Canada’s first accessibility strategy for the federal public service, our government is helping create the most inclusive public service in the world. This is an important step in enabling the Government of Canada to set and meet high standards of accessibility in its policies, programs and services to all Canadians. It’s a strategy that reflects the true diversity of the people it serves and one that will help us achieve our ultimate goal: a barrier-free Canada where everyone is fully included.”

– The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility 

“Diversity is Canada’s strength and we are fully embracing a public service that reflects everything this country has to offer. The strategy laid out in Nothing Without Us comes from listening to more than 7,000 federal employees and disability stakeholders. It will guide our efforts to build an inclusive federal public service that is more innovative, efficient, and productive.”

– The Honourable Joyce Murray, President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Digital Government