1.1 Process for receiving and dealing with accessibility-related feedback
The Accessible Canada Act (the Act) and the Accessible Canada Regulations require federally regulated entities, including Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC), to establish a process for receiving and dealing with accessibility-related feedback.
Feedback on accessibility can include your thoughts on:
- VAC’s Accessibility Action Plan (the Plan) and Progress Reports
- accessibility barriers at VAC
- how accessibility barriers at VAC can be identified, removed, and prevented
- accessibility best practices or success stories related to accessibility at VAC
An accessibility barrier is anything that does not allow persons with disabilities to be included and take part in all areas of life and society. Barriers prevent persons with disabilities from taking part in the same way that persons without disabilities can. The Act identifies five types of accessibility barriers:
- physical or architectural
- technological
- related to information and communications
- attitudinal
- systemic
How to provide your feedback
Feedback for Veterans Affairs Canada
Please send questions or feedback related to the Department’s Accessibility Action Plan, Progress Reports or accessibility at VAC in general, in one of the following ways:
Email:
Phone:
Toll-free: 1-866-522-2122
TDD/TTY: 1-833-921-0071
Mail:
Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Services Branch
Veterans Affairs Canada
PO Box 7700
Charlottetown PE C1A 8M9
Attention: Director General, Human Resources
Online:
Through the anonymous feedback form on the VAC website.
Feedback for the Bureau of Pensions Advocates (BPA)
Please send your questions or feedback related to the accessibility of BPA’s service in one of the following ways:
Email:
Phone:
Mail:
Bureau of Pensions Advocates Accessibility Feedback
P.O. Box 7700
Charlottetown, PE C1A 8M9
Attention: Project Officer, Implementation and Strategic Support
Online:
Through the anonymous feedback form on the VAC website.
Please note that all feedback will be acknowledged in the same manner it was received (for example, an email response to an email message), unless it was provided anonymously. Your feedback will be used to improve accessibility at VAC. We may address some feedback right away or use it to develop future accessibility plans and progress reports. We will include your feedback and how we used it in our future Accessibility Action Plans and Progress Reports.
Alternate formats
The following are available in alternate format by using the contact information above:
- VAC’s Accessibility Action Plan
- VAC’s description of its accessibility-related feedback process
- annual progress reports on the implementation of VAC’s Accessibility Action Plan and how feedback is being considered
Alternate formats include:
- large print (increased font size and clarity)
- 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 (an electronic format that is compatible with adaptive technology that is intended to assist persons with disabilities)
1.2 Introduction message
On 11 July 2019, the Accessible Canada Act (Bill C-81) came into force. The Act seeks to make Canada barrier-free by 1 January 2040.
The Act also requires federally regulated entities to develop an Accessibility Action Plan to identify, remove, and prevent accessibility barriers under federal jurisdiction in the following priority areas:
- employment
- the built environment (buildings and public spaces)
- information and communication technologies
- communication, other than information and communication technologies
- the procurement of goods, services and facilities
- the design and delivery of programs and services
- transportation
VAC’s Accessibility Action Plan 2022-2025 (the Plan) identifies several actions to take to prevent and remove accessibility barriers in these priority areas. The Plan also identifies actions that will support the Department in advancing its accessibility culture shift.
VAC is proud to have released its first ever Accessibility Progress Report 2023, which highlights achievements since the Plan was implemented in 2022.
This Accessibility Progress Report 2024 does not cover the entire calendar year, given the time that was required to have the Report approved and published. VAC’s Accessibility Progress Report 2024 will touch on areas such as internal and external consultations, and organizational culture shift. Any progress made in 2024 that is not addressed in this Report will be carried over and covered in the Accessibility Action Plan 2025-2028.
As the Department moves forward on its journey to become barrier-free, we will embrace the opportunity to report back annually on progress, and to strengthen our performance measurement capacity. Through updated accessibility action plans and progress reports, the Department will hold itself accountable.
1.3 Progress at a glance
In December 2022, VAC released its Accessibility Action Plan 2022-2025 with 37 actions to remove and prevent accessibility barriers. In 2023, two new actions and one new barrier were added, followed in 2024 with six new actions and two new barriers. One barrier and three action items were split and revised resulting in an additional eight new actions.
VAC is on track to meet the commitments set out in the Department’s Accessibility Action Plan 2022-2025.
The Accessibility Progress Report 2024 now identifies 53 actions in total. Of these 53 actions:
- 24 actions were/will be completed by December 2024:
- 19 that have been completed as of June 2024.
- Five that were/will be completed by December 2024.
- 26 actions are in progress:
- Ten had their completion dates changed due to delays caused by factors depending on other organizations, or needing more work than expected. Changes in completion dates are identified in Section 2 of the Report.
- 16 are on track to be completed by their original dates of completion.
- Three actions have not yet started:
- Two have maintained their original completion dates.
- One has had its completion date changed due to delays. This is because more work was deemed necessary than initially anticipated. This change is identified in Section 2 of the Report.
Of note, 20 of these actions pertain directly to Veterans and their families while 33 actions focus internally to VAC staff and operations.
1.4 Message from the Deputy Minister and VAC’s Accessibility Champion
We are pleased to share the final progress report on Veterans Affairs Canada’s Accessibility Action Plan 2022-2025. This document highlights the significant advancements we have made across all priority areas. The Report fulfills the requirements of the Accessible Canada Act and the Accessible Canada Regulations.
As with our Accessibility Action Plan 2022-2025 and Accessibility Progress Report 2023, this document has been shaped by feedback from and consultation with persons with disabilities. We are committed to ensuring that individuals with lived experience are involved in shaping the policies that affect them, as described in “Nothing without Us”.
As the Department’s Deputy Minister, and as Champion of Accessibility, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to our Veterans and their families, the Accessibility Network, and our employees for sharing your experiences and thoughts on accessibility. Your input is crucial.
We are committed to identifying, removing, and preventing the barriers you have faced and to sharing our progress on the accessibility plan. Our goal is to ensure our programs, services, and benefits are accessible and that our employees have the tools needed to be successful.
Our vision extends beyond compliance, it is about cultivating a Department where everyone understands what accessibility is and why it matters. Although we have made progress in the past two years, our work is far from complete. As we move forward, we will continue to identify, remove, and prevent barriers at VAC.
We invite you to read the Progress Report 2024 and welcome your thoughts and feedback as we work together with our Government of Canada colleagues towards a barrier-free Canada by 2040.
Paul Ledwell
Deputy Minister
Pierre Tessier
Champion of Accessibility
1.5 Accessibility statement
VAC commits to continuous learning, and to taking steps now and into the future to foster a respectful, equitable and accessible environment that removes accessibility barriers and supports inclusion for all.