2026–28 Accessibility Plan

General

Executive summary

At the Bank of Canada, our commitment to accessibility is rooted in our values, which guide us to include everyone. Our efforts to support a barrier-free Canada by 2040 are connected to and mutually reinforced by:

• the Bank’s priorities, including ongoing work in support of equity, diversity and inclusion
• legislation, such as:
  • the Accessible Canda Act (ACA)
  • the Canadian Human Rights Act
  • the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
  • the Canada Labour Code
  • the Employment Equity Act
• the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Inclusivity and accessibility depend on understanding the experiences of persons with disabilities, including the way they are impacted by barriers. The ACA defines a disability as any impairment that hinders a person from fully and equally taking part in society. Examples include impairments that are:

• physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication or sensory
• a functional limitation
• permanent, temporary or episodic in nature
• evident or not

A barrier is anything that prevents persons with disabilities from fully and equally participating in society. Barriers can be:

• physical, architectural, technological or attitudinal
• based on information or communications
• the result of a policy or a practice

The ACA includes seven principles that model how we conduct our efforts in identifying, preventing and removing barriers impacting those with disabilities.1

• “everyone must be treated with dignity
• everyone must have the same opportunity to make for themselves the life they are able and wish to have
• everyone must be able to participate fully and equally in society
• everyone must have meaningful options and be free to make their own choices, with support if they desire
• laws, policies, programs, services and structures must take into account the ways that different kinds of barriers and discrimination intersect
• persons with disabilities must be involved in the development and design of laws, policies, programs, services and structures
• accessibility standards and regulations must be made with the goal of achieving the highest level of accessibility”

We honoured these principles when we developed the Bank of Canada’s 2026–28 Accessibility Plan, consulting with employees who have disabilities and with expert organizations that serve people with disabilities. The plan identifies 9 barriers and 33 actions we commit to taking to improve accessibility in the priority areas of the ACA.2

To deliver on the commitments in the plan, we formed an Accessibility Working Group (AWG), including employees with disabilities and key internal partners focused on enhancing accessibility. Working with the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) team in Human Resources, the AWG:

• raises the visibility of the plan
• implements actions in the plan
• evaluates the effectiveness of those actions

Our vision for accessibility

The Bank of Canada is accessible to all employees and Canadians, including persons with disabilities. We recognize disability is an important part of diversity, and we value all that persons with disabilities contribute to our workplace and communities. We show our commitment to accessibility every day in how we work and lead.

About this plan

The world around us is complex, and we need open conversations and reflection to identify and remove barriers faced by persons with disabilities. Working with key partners leads to authentic and concrete commitments. As we developed the plan, these principles helped us explore two key areas:

• Understanding the lived experience of employees and members of the public: We surveyed employees and offered them focus groups and interviews to identify barriers people experience with the Bank. We also collected anonymous public feedback through an online form.
  • You can learn more about our consultation process under the Consultations heading of this plan.
• Acknowledging the impact of barriers to access and equity: We reviewed internal data and a range of policies, processes and programs. This review allowed us to identify barriers in how the Bank operates and find ways to improve.

This plan reflects collaboration with senior leadership and other key partners at the Bank. Stakeholders from all levels of the organization helped us identify sustainable and achievable actions that consider:

• the varying needs of employees and the public
• the resources available to plan and deliver on the actions
• organizational priorities

This accessibility plan applies to the Bank of Canada and includes the Canada Savings Bonds (CSB) Program, which the Bank administers on behalf of the Government of Canada. The policies, processes and practices that the Bank uses to carry out its operations also apply to the CSB Program.

Building on our previous plan

We achieved some important successes with our previous plan, and those efforts have set a strong foundation for the work of the next three years. Some of these successes include:

• completing exercises to measure our policies and practices against national accessibility standards
• launching an online-learning module about accessibility for all employees
• attracting and hiring more employees with disabilities (percentage hired from outside the Bank has grown yearly: 5.6% in 2022, 6.4% in 2023 and 9.2% in 2024)
• auditing the built environment, or physical spaces at all Bank locations, and making many accessibility improvements to the Bank’s regional offices in Montréal and Halifax
• improving how accessible our processes for recruitment, procurement and event planning are
• continuing the work of the AWG and Enabled, our employee resource group for employees with disabilities and their allies

Some multi-year projects identified in the previous plan continue into this plan.

Reporting on our plan

As required by the ACA, we will:

• publish a report every year on our progress
• review and update our accessibility plan every three years
• measure our overall progress and how the plan influences the culture and experiences of accessibility at the Bank

Your input

We are committed to removing barriers for persons with disabilities, acknowledging that doing so removes barriers for everyone. This commitment includes having a feedback process so that employees and members of the public can share their ideas and experiences with us at any time, including input on our accessibility plan, and inform us of barriers they encounter with the Bank.

Here are the ways you can reach the Senior Accessibility and EDI Specialist to give your feedback:

• mail: 234 Wellington Street, Ottawa ON K1A 0G9
• web page
• toll-free telephone call within North America: 1‑800‑303‑1282
• telephone call from outside North America: +1-1‑613‑782‑8111
• teletypewriter device: 1‑888‑418‑1461

If you provide your contact information, we will respond in a timely manner using the same method of communication you used for sending your feedback. Please note that we will only reply to feedback related to accessibility.

If you need support to give this feedback, let us know, and we will do our best to accommodate you. You can submit feedback anonymously or provide your contact information for a response.

Addressing areas identified in the Accessible Canada Act

1. Employment

Every aspect of employment—including all formal and informal policies, processes and practices that affect candidates and employees—must be accessible. Some areas of employment are:

• recruitment
• onboarding and offboarding
• engagement and retention
• career progression

The Bank must also live up to its duty to accommodate candidates and employees, as set out by human rights legislation.3

Desired outcomes

• The Bank attracts and hires persons with disabilities at a level that reflects the labour market.
• In the Bank’s employee engagement surveys, employees with disabilities report being treated with respect at a level that matches that of all employees.

Barrier 1

Our current number of applicants and new hires who self-identify with disabilities is lower than the availability of persons with disabilities in the overall workforce.

Actions

1. Review and update communication materials for recruitment to showcase the Bank’s inclusive practices and work environment.
2. Increase focus on candidates with disabilities in external recruitment efforts to encourage more of them to apply for jobs at the Bank.
3. Position the Bank’s recruitment team as leaders in accessibility at the Bank: give them the knowledge and tools they need to support hiring managers to uphold accessibility in recruitment processes.

Barrier 2

Employees with disabilities report that their experiences of bias and exclusion are often a result of their colleagues’ and leaders’ limited awareness and understanding of disability and accessibility.

Actions

4. Offer Bank-wide education for employees and leaders (e.g., types of disabilities, ableism, stereotypes).
5. Create opportunities for all Bank employees to hear the lived experiences of employees with disabilities.
6. Build a checklist to help employees, groups and teams plan inclusive and accessible events.
7. Continue to work with the Bank’s employee resource groups to engage allies and raise awareness of accessibility.

2. Built environment

The built environment includes all the spaces people create, such as buildings, parks and sidewalks. When constructing or updating buildings or public spaces, designers should ensure everyone can use them easily and in the same way. Some areas of the built environment where persons with disabilities commonly experience barriers include:

• entrances and emergency exits to buildings
• pathways between areas of travel (including door operators)
• parking and loading zones
• signs to direct and alert4

Desired outcomes

• The Bank plans for its built environment and services to remain accessible.
• Employees and visitors are informed, supported and empowered to access Bank spaces comfortably and to advocate for accessibility improvements for themselves and others.

Barrier 3

Although the built environment meets accessibility standards based on an external expert assessment, employee feedback suggests accessibility could be further improved.

Actions

8. Explore employee feedback and draw on a recent external assessment to understand specific usability concerns. Identify and prioritize targeted, low-cost improvements (e.g., signs, minor updates to entry and exit points).
9. Create guidelines to support accessible design decisions at Bank offices.
10. Follow an inspection and maintenance plan to ensure all automated doors work as designed.
11. Let employees know about the options to adjust their workspace (e.g., ergonomics assessment, accommodation).
12. Use signs in appropriate workspaces, service areas and public spaces to tell employees and visitors about available accessibility features; remind them how they can use the feedback process to report barriers.
13. Create a sensory-friendly room in the Bank where employees can work.
14. Use the results of a design study on the Bank of Canada Museums’ built environment to find more opportunities to enhance accessibility.

3. Information and communication technologies

Information and communication technologies (ICT) are various technological tools and resources used to transmit, store, create, share or exchange information. Some examples of ICT include web pages and mobile applications, electronic content, telecommunications products, computers, information kiosks and videos.5 

Desired outcomes

• The Bank understands how accessible its ICT currently is and complies with standards.
• Employees recognize the importance of accessible content and confidently use accessibility features and tools.

Barrier 4

Limited information and expertise about the accessibility of ICT may make it challenging to meet Bank and employee needs under the proposed regulations.

Actions

15. Survey Crown corporations and relevant organizations on steps they will take to comply with the standard for accessibility of ICT products and services, published by Accessibility Standards Canada.6
16. Measure Bank practices against the Accessibility Standards Canada standard for accessibility of ICT products and services.

Barrier 5

Bank technology already includes accessibility features, but some employees don’t know how to use them.

Actions

17. Hold drop-in sessions for employees to showcase existing accessibility features and technologies.
18. Empower employees to use Bank tools and resources to create accessible content.

3.1 Communication, other than information and communication technologies

The communication priority area recognizes that people give, receive and understand communication in different ways. An organization must take these differences into account and provide its communications in plain language and in various accessible formats. Some examples of communications products include signs, directions, documents, forms, bills and receipts that are not digital.

Desired outcome

• Employees at all levels consistently use plain language and develop content at appropriate reading levels.

Barrier 6

The inconsistent use of plain language across the Bank makes it difficult for some employees to fully understand important information.

Actions

19. Raise awareness of the importance of plain language.
20. Develop recommendations for the level of ease (readability) with which readers can understand various Bank materials.
21. Update the documents employees use to understand key technologies so that they are easy to read.

4. Procurement of goods, services, and facilities

The ACA requires accessibility in procurement, including goods, services and facilities. It also states that procurement processes such as bidding and evaluation, along with related communications and documents, should be accessible.

Desired outcomes

• The Bank applies accessibility criteria and guidance in its procurement processes, ensuring goods and services can be accessed with ease.

Barrier 7

Accessibility considerations are not fully identified and embedded in the Bank’s procurement framework and tools.

Actions

22. Build a medium-term strategy for including accessibility in procurement.
23. Benchmark the Bank’s strategy for accessible procurement with those of other Crown corporations.
24. Develop tools to help stakeholders procure accessible services and products (e.g., embed content into templates, share commodity networks).

5. Design and delivery of programs and services

The Bank is required to ensure the accessibility of its internal and external programs and services. That assessment includes making sure that programs and services are barrier-free in their design, communication and delivery. These efforts must include programs and information for current employees, retirees and the public.

Desired outcomes

• Employees report positive experiences with the accommodation process and can access the guidance, expertise and tools they need for effective accommodations.

Barrier 8

The accommodations process can be difficult to navigate for leaders and employees.

Actions

25. Review the accommodations process and find ways to improve it.
26. Create a way to measure employees’ satisfaction with the support and services they receive during the accommodations process.
27. Increase regular check-ins with employees who have accommodations in place.
28. Update relevant policies and resources to include reference to accommodation, as needed.
29. Assess the current level of expertise in ICT related to accommodation at the Bank. If needed, explore internal and external options to enhance it.
30. Educate employees on accommodations and what to do if they need help.

6. Transportation

The ACA’s transportation priority is focused on removing barriers to travel between provinces or outside of Canada by plane, train, bus or ferry. It also includes business vehicles used by organizations that are regulated by the federal government. Organizations must consider the accessibility of travel policies and procedures as well as that of the vehicles they make available to employees.

According to the ACA, accessible transportation can overlap with other priority areas of the ACA that organizations are required to include in their accessibility plans. These areas include the built environment (for example, accessible parking spaces), employment (accessible transportation policies, including requirements to travel, travel reimbursement policies and location of meetings) and procurement (accessible vehicles in automotive fleets).7

Desired outcomes

• The Bank proactively supports the travel of employees and visitors with disabilities. It shares useful information and ensures accessible travel needs are met through its accommodations process, where appropriate.

Barrier 9

Employee feedback and the findings of an external expert assessment identify a lack of supports for fully accessible public transportation and drop-off points at Head Office.

Actions

31. Engage, when possible, with external partners about the barriers affecting the ease of travel to Head Office and the Bank of Canada Museum for visitors and employees with disabilities.
32. Ensure employees and external partners travelling for Bank business or training have accessible transportation.
33. Review our policies and communications related to travel and transportation, as needed, to ensure they remain barrier-free.

Consultations  

The Bank aligns with the “nothing without us” principle at the heart of the ACA. We are committed to ensuring that persons with disabilities are actively involved in identifying, removing and preventing barriers. This commitment means inviting those with lived experience to help develop and evaluate the Bank’s Accessibility Plan so that accessibility measures are shaped not only for them but with them. Engagement sessions, targeted outreach and ongoing dialogue are embedded into our approach to ensure our policies, work environments and services address the real needs of employees and visitors with disabilities.

All employees were invited to participate in the consultations for the updated plan. Employees who disclosed a disability through the Bank’s self-identification tool and who gave consent for the Human Resources department to contact them were also sent a personal and confidential invitation by email. The consultations were well attended, with more than 240 employees participating. Participants included significant representation of current employees with disabilities, about 50% of the total group of employees who have self-identified. Consultation engagements included:

• an online survey
• focus groups (bilingual, in person and virtual offerings)
  • one session for all employees; two sessions limited to those who identify as an employee with a disability; one session limited to members of Enabled, the Bank’s employee resource group
• one-to-one meetings
• information shared through our online feedback form during the consultation period

As we begin implementing this plan, the Bank will continue to engage meaningfully with employees, the public and experts with lived experiences of disability.

Appendix: definitions

Accessibility: The “degree of ease that something (e.g., device, service, physical environment and information) can be accessed, used and enjoyed by persons with disabilities. The term implies conscious planning, design…or effort to make sure something is barrier-free to persons with disabilities. Accessibility also benefits the general population, by making things more usable and practical for everyone, including older people and families with small children.”8

Barrier: A barrier is anything preventing persons with disabilities from fully and equally participating in society. Barriers can be:

• physical, architectural, technological or attitudinal
• based on information or communications
• the result of a policy or a practice

Disability: The ACA defines a disability as any impairment that hinders a person from fully and equally taking part in society. Examples include impairments that are:

• physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication or sensory
• a functional limitation
• permanent, temporary or episodic in nature
• evident or not

Policies, formal and informal: Formal policies and practices are the official, written rules that guide behaviour and decision-making in the workplace. Informal policies and practices are unwritten norms—what employees do and follow day to day, based on workplace culture and expectations.