Message from Leadership

Message from Anne Naser, President and CEO

It is my privilege to present WorkSafeBC’s Accessibility Plan for 2026 to 2029. This plan builds on the foundation laid by our inaugural plan and reflects our ongoing commitment to understanding and improving accessibility in our organization.

Equity, diversity, and inclusion are integral to how we work and serve employers and workers. That’s why accessibility continues to be a strategic priority for WorkSafeBC.

This plan underscores our dedication to proactively removing barriers while embedding accessibility into how we work, make decisions, and deliver our programs and services. It also strengthens our commitment to accountability by measuring our progress, reporting transparently on our efforts, and identifying opportunities to do better.

As accessibility standards across British Columbia evolve, we know that this is a journey of continuous learning and improvement. Thank you to the employees, committee members, and leaders whose expertise and dedication have helped move this work forward. And thank you to those who have shared feedback about your experiences with accessibility. Your contributions have shaped our progress and we welcome your continued input as we work toward a more accessible and barrier-free WorkSafeBC.

Message from Wendy Strugnell, Head of People & Culture

Creating an inclusive workplace where people feel supported, able to contribute fully, and experience a sense of belonging is a key part of our People & Culture strategy. Over the last few years, we have taken important steps to identify and remove barriers, strengthening our organization’s capacity for inclusion. This work reflects who we strive to be at WorkSafeBC. Our values of compassion and respect remind us to understand the unique needs of others, make space for all perspectives, and foster an environment where every individual feels heard and included.

Guided by these values, our first Accessibility Plan helped us make meaningful progress by listening, learning, and working together. I am grateful for the ongoing contributions of employees who have shared their experiences, as well as the Accessibility Committee, Accessibility Leaders Working Group, and the Abilities Inclusion Evolution employee resource group.

Accessibility is a shared responsibility, and each of us plays an important role in creating environments where everyone can thrive. As we look ahead, I am encouraged by the opportunities outlined in the 2026–2029 Accessibility Plan and the direction it provides for our continued journey. While there is still more to learn and improve, I am confident that by continuing to listen, collaborate, and take action, we can build a workplace that is increasingly accessible, inclusive, and supportive for all.

Message from our Accessibility Committee

Accessibility is everyone’s responsibility — a shared commitment that grows stronger through partnership and collaboration. Lived experience is central to this work because it strengthens the decisions we make. Accessibility improvements are most meaningful when they are informed by people who encounter barriers firsthand.

Our committee members represent a range of disabilities and perspectives. The diversity of our lived experiences allows us to cultivate a space of inquisitiveness and openness. Through this, we can support WorkSafeBC to identify and address barriers that might otherwise go unnoticed.

The Accessibility Committee is committed to ensuring that lived experience continues to be heard and valued, so that this work stays grounded in the realities of the people it is meant to serve.

Message from our Accessibility Leaders Working Group

We know accessibility is an ongoing journey that requires continuous learning, listening, and improvement. As leaders, we work across divisions to identify barriers, respond to feedback, and centre the lived experiences of people with disabilities. We continue to deepen our understanding of accessibility and advance initiatives that help create more equitable and inclusive experiences for employees and those we serve.

Looking ahead, we will continue to engage with people with lived experience of disability, hear their feedback, and seek out leading practices to improve how we design services and support people. We will share our progress, apply what we learn, and take actions to drive meaningful, measurable improvements over time.

Together, we can help ensure accessibility is embedded in how we design services, make decisions, and create more equitable, barrier-free experiences for our employees, workers, and employers.

Introduction

This is the 2026–2029 WorkSafeBC Accessibility Plan.

The plan outlines our accessibility commitments for the next three years. It’s an extension of our initial plan, which centred the employee experience and emphasized capacity-building through training, resource development, data collection, and a review and enhancement of select employment and hiring processes.

In developing this plan, Accessibility Committee members contributed insights and perspectives through multiple discussions that helped shape the commitments and priorities included in this plan.

How does this plan differ from the last plan?

In this plan, we:

• Refine our focus areas to better reflect accessibility across our operations
• Broaden our efforts to capture the employee and client experience
• Prioritize wider adoption of our barrier-reporting systems
• Embed accessibility into WorkSafeBC priorities and larger plans

Disability language

This plan uses person-first and identity-first language when referencing a person’s disability experience. These options are the current best practice for disability-inclusive language, as they represent the most common preferences.

• Person-first names the person before the disability. For example, saying “people with disabilities” or “person with a disability.” This language emphasizes disability as something that’s separate from the individual.
• Identity-first names the disability before the person. For example, saying “disabled people” or “disabled person.” This language reflects the view that disability is an inherent and inseparable part of one’s identity.

By alternating between these terms, we aim to acknowledge and respect both preferences.

Accessibility feedback

Do you have accessibility feedback for WorkSafeBC? Please let us know!

Visit this online form to provide feedback on this plan and/or accessibility at WorkSafeBC. You can include photos and videos with your feedback.

We’ll summarize all feedback and share it with our Accessibility Committee and leadership to inform future accessibility planning.

Other types of feedback or requests

If you’re a WorkSafeBC employee seeking accommodation, please contact your manager or People & Culture partner.

If you’re a worker, employer, or member of the public who wants to file a complaint about your experience with WorkSafeBC, please contact our impartial Issue Resolution Office.

More information about WorkSafeBC

Not familiar with WorkSafeBC? Read more about us in Appendix A.

Our people-centred approach

We take a people-centred approach to accessibility planning. This means our priorities and decisions are guided by the needs, values, and lived realities of our people — including employees, leadership, and the workers and employers we serve.

To ground our work in the lived experience of people with disabilities and the operational realities of our teams, the equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) team consulted the Accessibility Committee and the Accessibility Leaders Working Group.

Accessibility Committee

This committee includes employees with lived experience of disability or personal experience supporting persons with disabilities. It advises WorkSafeBC on accessibility-related topics to ensure accessibility decisions are informed by people with real barrier experiences. The group reviews new barrier reports, makes recommendations to improve accessibility, and provides input on progress.

Accessibility Leaders Working Group

This group is made up of leaders from different departments at WorkSafeBC. They support practical implementation of accessibility within their operational areas. The group engages in organizational accessibility planning, exploring best practices and relevant accessibility standards. They also review barrier reports, determine functional solutions, and develop tailored plans and initiatives to set these solutions in motion.

Up next: External Accessibility Advisory Committee

To expand engagement, we’re working to establish a third advisory group that represents the client/injured worker perspective. Once established, this group will help us explore barriers and accessibility opportunities in our services.

Our work to date

EDI roadmap

Advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) is a strategic priority for WorkSafeBC. The EDI roadmap tracks our journey in embedding EDI across the organization. Accessibility is a key part of this roadmap because it impacts how inclusive our organization is.

Since 2022, the roadmap has informed our current state, progress, and next steps for EDI and accessibility. As barriers are identified and addressed, we strengthen accessibility across the organization and make progress toward our EDI goals.

This work is guided and supported by our EDI team, within our People and Culture division, the Accessibility Leaders Working Group, and the Accessibility Committee.

Employee Psychological Health and Safety Strategy

WorkSafeBC’s Employee Psychological Health and Safety Strategy centres our commitment to promoting psychological well-being and preventing harm to psychological health. The strategy focuses on:

• Reducing stigma
• Supporting employee well-being
• Ensuring employees have access to the resources, supports, and accommodations they need to participate fully in the workplace

By promoting psychological safety and inclusive workplace practices, the strategy helps create an environment where employees feel supported, valued, included, and able to fully participate in their work.

Progress since the 2023 plan

Microsite

We designed a new digital space to host our accessibility information. The WorkSafeBC accessibility microsite houses digital and downloadable copies of our Accessibility Plan and progress updates. It’s also where people can provide feedback and suggestions on how we can improve accessibility.

This microsite is WCAG version 2.2 compliant.

Launch of accessibility feedback mechanism

As part of our compliance with the Accessible BC Act, we included an accessibility feedback section on our microsite. It includes an anonymous form that anyone can use to share feedback on barriers and accessibility at WorkSafeBC.

There are other options for sharing feedback as well, including ASL. All feedback is brought to the Accessibility Committee and Accessibility Leaders Working Group quarterly.

2024 highlights

After we released our first Accessibility Plan, we received 48 reports of barriers. Most were employment-related barriers that highlighted opportunities to improve the accessibility of our employee experience. To begin this work, we:

• Explored a more accessible job applicant tracking system to improve the candidate experience and reduce barriers during recruitment.
• Improved our pre-employment testing practices.

Other reported barriers were categorized as:

• Physical, relating to our meeting and interview spaces, workspaces, and workplace environments (including scents, lighting, and noise).
• Technology, highlighting issues with our internal systems and technologies.
• Information and communication, concerning our meeting and presentation practices.
• Organizational culture, highlighting issues with language and a need for broader disability awareness.

To start examining and addressing these barriers, we focused on education and awareness-building. We offered various staff training opportunities that covered foundational and role-specific accessibility topics. We also carried out accessibility campaigns, resource development, and renewed communication of our Scent-Free Workplace Policy.

2025 highlights

In 2025, we received fewer barrier reports. To keep momentum from the previous year going, we continued working on our education and awareness-building. Key achievements included:

• Developing accessible EDI refresher training
• Expanding accessibility awareness initiatives
• Recognizing disability-related awareness events
• Providing targeted accessibility training for talent acquisition and talent management teams
• Adopting disability-inclusive language guidance

We also continued our employee experience efforts, with a focus on:

• Strengthening organizational culture
• Improving recruitment practices
• Advancing inclusive learning
• Expanding assistive technology resources, ergonomic supports, and workplace modifications

Lastly, we added a learning and development focus to our accessibility work. The goal of this addition is to support trainers and course designers to embed accessibility and inclusion into training design, delivery, and evaluation.

2026 highlights

In 2026, we continued to improve accessibility across multiple areas. Here’s a summary of our progress:

• Organizational culture
  • Training updates: We’re updating our EDI training for employees and leaders. At the end of the updates, employees will have refreshed training on allyship, and leaders will have updated learning on EDI principles in everyday leadership and decision making.
  • Accessibility resources page: We launched a new accessibility resources page on our intranet. It brings together practical tools and guidance in one place to help employees make their meetings, communications, and everyday work more accessible.
  • Employee personnel files: We introduced alternative formats and additional support for personnel file/information access.
• Consultation framework: We’re developing a consultation framework to improve how we engage with employee resource groups, the Joint Equity Diversity Inclusion committee, and other communities who experience barriers. This will help ensure feedback is heard, considered, and used to improve inclusion across the organization.
  • Self-directed learning: We continue to encourage employees to build their knowledge through self-directed learning on topics such as creating accessible workplaces, supporting self-disclosure, and fostering inclusive cultures.
  • Employee resource group: We continue to partner with the Abilities Inclusion Evolution Employee Resource Group to recognize disability awareness days and promote greater understanding and inclusion of people with disabilities across the organization.
• Employment
  • Employee supports: We improved mental health and wellness services through a new employee family assistance program. The program includes new counselling supports for Indigenous people. We also continue to promote awareness and reduce mental health stigma through ongoing programs, resources, and initiatives.
  • Recruitment: We continued efforts to improve the accessibility of our recruitment process, including:
    • Developing clearer information about interview accommodations
    • Reviewing job testing to reduce barriers and bias
    • Creating training for hiring managers on accessible and inclusive recruitment practices
    • Strengthening processes to support workplace accommodations throughout the hiring process
• Information and communication
  • Website accessibility: We improved the accessibility of multiple website features, including tables and expandable sections. These changes make information easier to read on mobile devices and easier to navigate for people using screen readers and keyboard navigation tools.
  • Content and brand development: In response to findings from an external accessibility review, we’re working to revise our content standards to reflect accessibility best practices. This involves applying plain language principles and integrating accessibility checks into each stage of content development. To support compliance with these new standards, we’re creating a document library for staff. This library will have filters for relevant standards and criteria for accessibility compliance.
  • Community connections: As part of our ongoing work to connect with community and increase awareness of worker’s rights and WorkSafeBC services, we’ve been participating in disability-related events, like the Rotary Ride for Hearing event and Hoopfest.
• Technology
  • Call centre captioning: We introduced a new program to improve call captioning and transcription for our call centre employees.
  • Expanding meeting room technology: We’re ensuring more of our meeting rooms have access to video and conferencing technology. These features will improve accessibility for hybrid or remote participation.
• Physical spaces
  • Design standards: We updated our workplace design standards so new and renovated workspaces are accessible and inclusive.
  • New Surrey workplace that’s “inclusive by design”: We built a new workplace in Surrey that prioritizes barrier-free design. It includes accessible workspaces and a sensory-friendly room.
  • Ergonomic equipment: We added a wider range of ergonomic equipment that can be tested and used by staff.
• Learning and development
  • Closed captioning: We now add closed captioning to new videos in our learning materials. Additionally, when our clients and vendors include a video in their courses, we ask them to include closed captions. If they cannot include the captions, we add them ourselves.

What we’ve learned about barriers

By engaging in this work over the last few years, we’ve gained a better understanding of barriers at WorkSafeBC. We’ve learned that the most effective way forward is to shift from addressing barriers individually to making systemic improvements that benefit everyone.

To reflect this learning, our new approach to barriers and accessibility focuses on:

• Creating system-wide improvements, not just individual fixes to barrier reports.
• Building accessibility into how we design and deliver services.
• Applying what we’ve learned from barriers to guide our planning and decision making.
• Prioritizing barrier prevention and a consistent focus on accessibility.

Our action plan

This accessibility action plan represents our commitments over the next three years. It’s organized around seven focus areas:

1. Organizational culture of accessibility and inclusion
   This area focuses on embedding accessibility and inclusion into how we work. It supports shared awareness, accountability, and leadership so that accessibility is reflected in our everyday decisions and behaviours.
2. Employment
   This area focuses on employment practices. It aims to embed accessibility throughout the employee lifecycle.
3. Information and communication
   This area is about making information easy to access, understand, and use. It includes clear language, accessible documents, accessible web services, and inclusive communication practices.
4. Technology
   This area focuses on digital tools, systems, and platforms. It includes improving compatibility with assistive technologies and reducing barriers in our software and online systems.
5. Physical spaces
   This area focuses on the built environment, including meeting rooms, and other workspaces. It includes removing and preventing barriers in our workplace and looking for opportunities to ensure spaces are inclusive.
6. Learning and development
   This area is about internal training and professional development. It aims to improve the accessibility of our learning experiences.
7. Service delivery
   This area focuses on programs and services. It aims to remove barriers in how services are designed and delivered so that everyone can engage fully and equally.

Note: These focus areas have evolved since our initial plan. As our understanding and experience with accessibility grows, we’ll continue to refine our approach to reflect new learning, emerging priorities, and feedback from our community.

Organizational culture of accessibility and inclusion

Recruit for External Accessibility Advisory Committee

We’ll begin recruiting for an External Accessibility Advisory Committee. This committee will support our accessibility work by offering insight from the client/injured worker perspective.

• Internal impact: The committee will support ongoing learning across the organization, helping us understand how policies, processes, and services may create or remove barriers.
• External impact: Accessibility improvements will be informed by clients with lived experience of disability.

Employment

Pilot asynchronous/pre-recorded video interviewing

We’ll pilot pre-recorded video interviews for screening. This will allow candidates to record their responses at a time and pace that best meets their needs.

• Internal impact: Hiring teams will gain experience with more flexible and inclusive recruitment practices that support a broader range of candidates. If successful, the pilot may lead to a more diverse range of applicants.
• External impact: Candidates with disabilities will have greater flexibility and choice in how they demonstrate their skills and experience.

Train hiring managers on accessible recruitment practices

We’ll deliver additional training for hiring managers on accessible recruitment practices.

• Internal impact: Hiring managers will build confidence in supporting accessible and equitable recruitment practices.
• External impact: Disabled candidates will benefit from a hiring process that is more responsive, respectful, and accessible to their needs.

Train talent acquisition teams on accessibility and bias-aware recruitment

We’ll provide ongoing training for talent acquisition teams on accessible, bias-aware recruitment practices.

• Internal impact: Talent acquisition teams will have the knowledge, tools, and confidence to apply more consistent and inclusive recruitment practices. Ongoing learning will also help teams recognize potential barriers, reduce bias in hiring processes, and support hiring managers in creating more accessible candidate experiences.
• External impact: Candidates will benefit from a recruitment experience that is more equitable, accessible, and responsive to diverse needs.

Implement an accessible job applicant tracking system

We’ll implement a new job applicant tracking system (ATS) designed to support accessible and inclusive recruitment practices. The ATS is our online hiring system, where people apply for jobs and recruiters manage applications throughout the recruitment process. The new system will improve the recruitment experience by supporting compatibility with assistive technologies, like screen readers and voice recognition tools.

• Internal impact: Recruitment teams and hiring managers will benefit from a more inclusive system that supports accessible hiring practices and reduces administrative barriers related to accommodations.
• External impact: Candidates with disabilities will have a more accessible and equitable experience when applying for opportunities.

Review recruitment assessments with accessibility lens

As vacancies arise, we’ll update the tests and pre-employment assessments that are used during hiring to reduce barriers and support an equitable hiring process.

• Internal impact: Hiring managers and recruitment teams will have more accessible and consistent assessment practices to support equitable hiring decisions.
• External impact: Candidates will have a more equitable opportunity to demonstrate their skills and qualifications.

Information and communication

Raise awareness of the ways people can provide accessibility feedback

We’ll work to increase awareness of our accessibility feedback mechanism, so employees, clients, and members of the public know how to identify and report barriers and share accessibility feedback.

• Internal impact: More employees will know how to report barriers. They will also know where to direct others who have feedback to share.
• External impact: More clients and members of the public will know how to report barriers or share feedback.

Continue building new relationships with organizations that are of interest to people with disabilities

We’ll continue to build and strengthen relationships with disability organizations and community groups. Through such relationships and outreach at events, we hope to make it easier for disabled people to take part in our research, events, and consultations.

• Internal impact: Employees will build stronger connections to disability communities.
• External impact: More clients and community members will benefit from our programs and services.

Integrate accessibility into information and communications

We’ll proactively integrate accessibility into how we create and share information across our communication channels. For example, websites, digital content, multimedia, and social media. By embedding accessible communication practices from the start, we’ll reduce barriers that impact access to information.

This work will focus on implementing things like plain language, content standards, accessible document design, alternative formats, accessibility checks, and web accessibility standards.

• Internal impact: Employees will have access to more accessible information, tools, and resources. This makes it easier to find, understand, and use workplace resources supporting greater inclusion, productivity, and participation across the organization.
• External impact: Workers, employers, and other members of the public will benefit from information and communications that are more accessible, inclusive, and easier to understand. Accessible web content and digital services will improve access to services, increase engagement, and help ensure a wider range of people can obtain the information they need.

Technology

Continue expanding accessible meeting room technology

We’ll continue to increase the number of meeting spaces equipped with Microsoft Teams Room technology, which includes live captioning, high-quality audio and video, and integrated audiovisual tools.

• Internal impact: Employees will benefit from more accessible and inclusive hybrid meetings.
• External impact: Accessible meeting technology will make it easier for a wider range of participants to engage in consultations, presentations, and collaborative discussions, supporting more inclusive communication.

Improve accessibility features in new tools

We’ll enable Copilot in Microsoft Edge. Once enabled, we’ll evaluate the program’s accessibility features and share findings, guidance, and best practices with employees. This will help to ensure that new AI technologies are implemented with accessibility in mind.

• Internal impact: Employees will gain a better understanding of Copilot’s accessibility features and how AI can support a variety of work styles and accessibility needs.
• External impact: As employees build their knowledge of accessible AI tools, clients will benefit from more accessible communications, documents, and services.

Physical spaces

Assess and improve accessibility across workplaces

We’ll assess accessibility across all workplaces using the guidance and principles outlined in CSA B651:23 Accessible Design for the Built Environment. Findings will inform building improvements.

• Internal impact: Employees will benefit from workplaces that are more accessible and inclusive.
• External impact: Clients, visitors, and community members will benefit from more accessible facilities and improved experiences when accessing our workplaces and services.

Learning and development

Embed accessibility into learning design and delivery

We’ll continue to embed accessibility into the design, development, and delivery of learning. We’ll do this by aligning learning materials, processes, templates, and facilitation practices with organizational accessibility guidelines. This will support the consistent creation and delivery of accessible and inclusive learning experiences.

• Internal impact: Employees will have learning experiences that are more accessible, inclusive, and consistent. The learning and development team will have clear tools, standards, and processes to consider accessibility at each stage of the design and delivery of learning.
• External impact: By strengthening accessibility practices within employee learning, the organization will build broader accessibility capability and awareness. Over time, this will support more accessible programs, services, communications, and interactions with the people we serve.

Build accessibility knowledge and capability within the learning and development team

We’ll continue to build accessibility knowledge and skills across the learning and development team. This will help employees gain confidence in identifying and addressing barriers when designing, developing, and delivering training.

• Internal impact: The learning and development team will have the knowledge and tools they need to embed accessibility into their work. This leads to more inclusive and effective learning experiences for employees.
• External impact: As accessibility knowledge grows across the organization, the people we serve will benefit from more accessible and inclusive services.

Service delivery

Build accessibility-informed Service Culture within our Claims & Rehabilitation Services division

We’ll strengthen accessibility awareness, knowledge, and confidence across our claims and rehabilitation services staff by introducing accessibility concepts through existing channels (for example, monthly safety meetings). This will help staff recognize, understand, and respond to accessibility barriers that clients may experience, while supporting the integration of accessibility into everyday practices and decision making.

• Internal impact: Our staff will develop greater awareness of accessibility, disability inclusion, and the role they play in identifying and reducing barriers.
• External impact: Clients will benefit from interactions and services that are more informed by accessibility principles.

Review and improve communications throughout the claims process

We’ll review how we currently communicate with injured workers throughout the claim process to identify and to remove barriers and highlight opportunities for greater accessibility. This review will focus on things like plain language, communication formats, and the overall experience of navigating a claim.

By embedding accessibility throughout the claims process, we’ll make it easier for workers to obtain information, understand next steps, and participate fully in their recovery and return to work.

• Internal impact: Employees will have clearer guidance and improved tools to support accessible communication with injured workers.
• External impact: Workers will benefit from a process that is easier to access, understand, navigate, and engage with.

Monitoring and evaluation

Progress on this Accessibility Plan will be monitored through an annual review and public progress update. This regular reporting will help maintain accountability, support continuous improvement, and ensure the plan remains responsive to emerging accessibility needs.

To strengthen monitoring and communication efforts, we aim to develop an accessibility dashboard that brings together accessibility-related information from across the organization. By consolidating information, including progress across different departments, the dashboard will help:

• Identify trends
• Monitor recurring barriers
• Inform decision making
• Measure and report on the effectiveness of accessibility initiatives over time

Conclusion

Over the past three years, we’ve learned a lot about barriers and accessibility from our employees and community members. This new plan builds on our learnings to further improve accessibility across WorkSafeBC.

Over the next three years, we’ll continue to apply what we learn from accessibility feedback, barrier reports, and lived experience to make meaningful improvements for people with disabilities. We’ll also continue focusing on proactive barrier prevention to further strengthen accessibility across our operations.

We know meaningful progress requires ongoing collaboration. We’ll continue to listen and learn from our committees to ensure our efforts are informed by lived experience.

To provide additional feedback on this plan, please contact us at accessibility@worksafebc.com.

Appendix A: About us

WorkSafeBC is a statutory corporation established under the Workers Compensation Act. We have a mandate to promote safe and healthy workplaces in British Columbia and support injured workers with compensation and rehabilitation services.

We partner with employers and workers in BC to:

• Prevent workplace injury, illness, and disease
• Rehabilitate those who are injured, and provide timely return to work
• Provide fair compensation to replace workers’ loss of wages while recovering from injuries
• Ensure sound financial management for a healthy workers’ compensation system

Our workforce is made up of more than 3,500 employees. Our employees work hard to serve 2.6 million workers and about 270,000 employers in BC. For more information, visit our website.

Appendix B: Definitions

Disability

According to the Accessible BC Act (the Act), disability is the result of an impairment interacting with a barrier. When this interaction interferes with someone’s ability to participate fully and equally, they are disabled by that barrier.

Barrier

The Act defines a barrier as anything that limits the full and equal participation of a person with an impairment.

Accessibility

Accessibility is the proactive and intentional effort of identifying, removing, and preventing barriers.

Accommodation

Accommodation is a change that’s made to an existing policy, task, or environment that minimizes or removes a barrier for someone. In most cases, accommodations are made at the request of the person who’s already experienced the barrier.

Appendix C: Our guiding framework

This Accessibility Plan is guided by the Accessible BC Act and two core principles:

• “Nothing about us without us”
• Social model of disability

The Accessible BC Act

WorkSafeBC is required to comply with the Accessible BC Act. As a prescribed organization, we must work to identify, remove, and prevent barriers.

There are three specific requirements:

• Create an accessibility committee that includes people with lived experience of disability.
• Create a public accessibility feedback mechanism that people can use to reports barriers at any time. Organizations must involve the accessibility committee when reviewing and addressing barriers from this mechanism.
• Publish an Accessibility Plan that describes how the organization will identify, remove, and prevent barriers. Organizations must consult the accessibility committee when developing this plan. The plan must also consider barriers reported through the feedback mechanism.

“Nothing about us without us”

This phrase originated from disability rights activists in the 90s. It describes how people with disabilities need to be meaningfully engaged in the development of policies, programs, and services that affect them.

The phrase emphasizes lived experience, shared decision making, and ensuring disabled people have an active role in shaping the policies and initiatives that impact their lives. It’s now associated with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The social model of disability

The social model is a modern understanding and approach to disability. It sees disability as something that’s caused by the barriers in our society. Under this model, society must chance to be more accessible to diverse ways of being.

This contrasts with the medical model of disability, which sees a disabled person’s body or brain as the problem. Under this model, a person with a disability must be fixed, cured, or accommodated so they can better manage the barriers in the world.