About the Interim Progress Report

This report is the second of three annual updates on the WorkSafeBC Accessibility Plan, 2023–2026. As part of our commitment to accessibility, this report highlights barriers that have been identified and outlines our plans to address or mitigate these barriers.

To learn more about our guiding principles, framework, and approach to accessibility, please review our three-year WorkSafeBC Accessibility Plan, published in September 2023. You can also review our first progress report, WorkSafeBC Accessibility Plan — Progress Report: September 1, 2023 to August 31, 2024.

What we heard

Barriers and opportunities

From June 15, 2024, to June 16, 2025, we received 16 reports of barriers and opportunities to improve accessibility, including:

• 5 barriers emailed to accessibility@worksafebc.com
• 11 barriers received through our online feedback mechanism

We centrally recorded the barriers and shared them with our Accessibility Leaders Working Group to identify the department and people responsible for addressing the feedback.

The following are the types of barriers identified in our plan:

1. Systemic. An organization’s policies, practices, or procedures result in exclusion of people with disabilities. This can look like not providing sign language interpreters or requiring unnecessary certifications for jobs.
2. Physical. Obstacles in a built environment that make access difficult, such as inaccessible spaces or restrooms without automatic doors.
3. Technology. When technology can’t be accessed by people with disabilities, such as websites, documents, or databases that are not accessible for screen readers.
4. Information or communication. When people with disabilities are excluded because they use other ways to communicate. For example, not providing large-print versions of material, or creating videos, events, or meetings without closed captions.
5. Attitudinal. Barriers from false assumptions about disabilities, like not involving people with disabilities in decisions or doubting their abilities.
6. Sensory. When sensory information such as lights, sounds, and smells prevent participation in the environment.

Of the 16 submissions received, there were:

• 3 systemic barriers
• 4 physical barriers
• 3 technology barriers
• 4 information and communication barriers
• 2 attitudinal barriers

Additionally, we also received reports that didn’t specify a barrier but identified new opportunities to improve accessibility at WorkSafeBC.

All barriers and opportunities have been brought to the attention of our Accessibility Committee and Accessibility Leaders Working Group members for additional feedback, recommendations, and necessary actions.

What we did

Here’s how we’ve delivered on our priorities so far.

Accessibility Leaders Working Group

To support the implementation of our plan, in 2024 we created the Accessibility Leaders Working Group, which includes representation from the following teams:

• Real Property and Workplace Services
• Innovation and Technology
• Communications
• Talent Acquisition
• Psychological Health and Safety
• Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

The working group is responsible for:

• Bringing together key leaders in the organization to collaborate on enhancing accessibility in their operational areas
• Reviewing barriers and determining actions to address them
• Developing tailored accessibility-related plans and initiatives within their departments

In 2025, we are onboarding new members to the Accessibility Leaders Working Group, including representatives from new teams in Learning and Development Services and Claims and Rehabilitation Services.

Accessibility Committee

Our Accessibility Committee continues to meet quarterly to review new barrier reports, make recommendations to improve accessibility, and provide input on our progress. The majority of our committee members have lived experience of disabilities or are individuals who support persons with disabilities. Additionally, our senior manager of Indigenous Relations and a representative from our Joint Equity Diversity Inclusion Committee attend committee meetings.

Pillar update: Organizational culture of inclusion and accessibility

Learning about equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI)

• We’ve developed an EDI Foundations e-module refresher, designed to sustain learning from our mandatory training workshop all employees at WorkSafeBC are required to take. Employees must complete the training refresher two years after the mandatory training.
• In the development of this e-module, we contracted an external vendor to ensure accessibility was embedded throughout the project lifecycle, from the storyboard design, case studies and knowledge-check questions, to the final testing of the e-module software.

Building a culture of inclusion and accessibility through awareness

• We continue to broadly share accessibility resources through our intranet, including:
  • Instructions on hosting accessible meetings and events
  • Checklists for creating accessible documents and presentations
  • Instructions for requesting ergonomic support and individualized accommodation
• Our New Employee Orientation team in the People and Culture division met with the Abilities Inclusion Evolution employee resource group (ERG), and our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion team to receive accessibility feedback on their new SharePoint site. The team applied an accessibility lens to ensure onboarding information is clearly structured and easy to navigate. The site includes essential information for everyone, as well as resources on how to access assistive technologies.
• Our Abilities Inclusion Evolution ERG recognized National AccessAbility Week in May 2025. This year’s theme was “Breaking barriers together: Paving the way for an inclusive future.” In an internal news article, the ERG highlighted the work WorkSafeBC has done to remove barriers and identified opportunities for employees to both contribute to the ERG and to reflect on inclusivity at work. The internal campaign highlighted the importance of applying inclusive thinking in daily life to support people with disabilities. It encouraged small actions, like checking for accessibility, using inclusive language, practicing empathy, and leveraging accessible technology. We also encouraged staff to lead by example and seek continuous learning through self-directed courses on our learning portal. These courses are e-modules on creating accessible workplaces, supporting self-disclosure, and building inclusive cultures.
• We recognized the International Week of Deaf People in September 2024 by publishing a news article on our intranet. Our goal was to raise awareness of the achievements and challenges faced by D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals and encourage inclusive practices in the workplace. Within the article we explain key terms such as Deaf, deaf, hard of hearing, and deafened. We also emphasize the diversity of sign languages, including American Sign Language (ASL), Quebec Sign Language, and Indigenous sign languages used in Canada. The article also offers staff practical communication tips to support D/deaf and hard of hearing colleagues, such as speaking clearly without yelling, maintaining eye contact, using accessible technology like Microsoft Teams features, and considering visual elements in meetings.
• We recognized ADHD Awareness Month in October 2024, highlighting the importance of increasing understanding and reducing stigma around ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). The internal article explains the three types of ADHD: hyperactive/impulsive, inattentive, and combined. It also emphasizes how symptoms can vary widely, especially among women, who are often misdiagnosed. In the article, we point out that ADHD can come with strengths like creativity and problem solving. The article also recognizes the need for individualized support in the workplace and the importance of offering practical strategies for employees to create more inclusive environments, including using assistive technology, minimizing distractions, and adapting communication methods.
• We co-sponsored the annual Ride for Hearing in June 2025, a 105 km cycling event aimed to raise awareness about hearing loss. This ride is organized by the Rotary Club of Vancouver Hearing Foundation and supports research and services for the Deaf and hard of hearing community in B.C. This year we covered registration costs for 12 riders from WorkSafeBC. Together, our riders raised over $6,300 to support life-changing cochlear implant surgeries and the new BC Rotary Hearing and Balance Centre at St. Paul’s Hospital.
• We began offering The Working Mind training workshop as a professional development option for all employees. This evidence-based training program helps build awareness, reduce stigma, and strengthen our collective ability to support mental well-being at work. Introduced to WorkSafeBC staff a few years ago, many staff have already completed this course.
• We supported 10 staff members to attend the Hoopfest 2025 wheelchair basketball fundraiser, one of our most anticipated annual events. Hoopfest brings together colleagues of all physical abilities to participate in a fun, fast-paced tournament that raises funds for inclusive sports programs across B.C. It’s a meaningful way to promote accessibility, build team spirit, and support the BC Wheelchair Basketball Society’s mission to create inclusive play opportunities for children and adults alike.

Pillar update: Employment

Training our Talent Acquisition and Talent Management teams

• Our Talent Acquisition and Talent Management teams have completed core accessibility training, including:
  • Foundations of Accessibility
  • Accessible Allyship and Engaging People with Disabilities
  • Plain Language
  • Accessibility for People Leaders and Accessibility in the Employee Lifecycle
• Our Talent Acquisition team added a new learning pathway to SocialTalent, the team’s internal training platform. The new learning pathway includes “How to build a fair interview process for disabled people” and “How to be neuro-inclusive during the hiring process.” Bias training for talent advisors and partners is also embedded in modules throughout the year.

Improving accessibility for applicants

• We are updating our online applicant tracking system to help create a more accessible and supportive process for applicants with disabilities.
• We launched a new applicant testing policy in January 2025. It now outlines our accommodation process to increase transparency. External applicants (those who don’t already work at WorkSafeBC) have the opportunity to take practice assessments and internal employees (those who are applying for a different role) have the opportunity to take on-demand online assessments at any time, even before a job competition is in process. This helps internal applicants complete the assessments without the urgency and time restriction of a competition, which better serves potential accommodation.
• We hired an independent accessibility auditor to review our virtual assessments. We worked with our vendor to identify which assessments are not compliant with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 and where workarounds are required. In some cases, we’re now providing alternate formats or using earlier, more accessible versions of assessments, until full compliance can be achieved.
• We embedded clear messaging in both job postings and emails to candidates regarding accommodations in the assessment process. We have a dedicated email address allowing candidates to make requests confidentially and with greater ease.
• We are developing a toolkit to help hiring managers create an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. Additionally, new interview training for hiring managers is in development which includes a module on reducing potential discrimination or bias.
• To make our recruitment process more accessible, the Talent Acquisition team is working to reduce the number of steps involved in pre-employment testing. Since starting this work, we’ve updated about 100 job classifications, cutting down on time and touchpoints and saving candidates over 1,000 hours combined. Feedback from new hires has shown a 10 percent increase in satisfaction with the recruitment process, showing that these changes are making a real difference.

Pillar update: Information and communication

Inclusive language

• In December 2024, we updated our organization’s editorial style guide, adding the Disability Inclusive Language Guide as a reference.

Siteimprove

As part of the departmental plan, our Marketing and Communications team acquired the Siteimprove platform to operationalize compliance with the Accessible British Columbia Act and ongoing auditing of our brand and digital properties:

• The Siteimprove implementation phase is complete. We are now in the remediation phase, using Siteimprove to track WCAG 2.1 AA compliance and generate monthly and quarterly reports.
• A Statement of Work is being finalized to define KPI targets and guide continuous improvement.
• Incremental changes are underway, including workflow refinements and feedback loops to support remediation.
• A new Siteimprove-specific sitemap is being implemented to improve PDF tracking and remediation.
• Our Web Services team is undergoing certification training in the Siteimprove platform. This is tailored learning for the team to support remediation efforts.

Pillar update: Technology

Ergonomics and technology enablement

• More staff are returning to our offices in the summer and fall. Our Technology Enablement team is working closely with our Ergonomics team and other technological service areas to communicate standards for hardware technology and personalization options for staff.
• We continue to remind managers to proactively arrange ergonomic assessments and order necessary equipment as soon as possible.

Assistive technology

• To enhance understanding of Microsoft Teams and the technology that supports hybrid meetings, we are conducting more in-person demonstrations and roadshows at our offices in B.C.
• We created a new knowledge article on our intranet about assistive technology. The article defines assistive technology and explains how to access accessibility features and tools. The article also describes how to request specific assistive software from our internal resource database. We are committed to understanding how system updates can disrupt the functionality of our existing assistive technology and software.

Forms

• We received responses to barriers regarding our external forms that currently only have a sex-at-birth field, with limited options for workers to self-identify. We are in the process of updating our Worker Report of Injury form to allow workers to self-identify, with options for Indigenous identity, gender, and pronouns. We’re also training our Claims and Rehabilitation Services staff to ensure the appropriate change management process, so staff are prepared to support this update.

Pillar update: Accessibility in physical spaces

• We continued to embed accessibility and universal design principles in planning, developing, and upgrading our physical spaces.
• In response to a few reports of barriers, we corrected an inaccessible washroom door that limited access for individuals using larger wheelchairs. We also installed an automatic door opener adjacent to the women’s changing room in our Richmond office.
• We are adding an automatic door opener within our Kelowna office and are reviewing door access controls in Richmond to support accessibility.
• We are reviewing and updating our accessible parking spaces to improve accessibility, signage, and usability.
• We continued to provide our staff with access to our Workplace Services Portal to request workspace adjustments.
• We highlighted accessibility features on our intranet site, including pages that highlight our ergonomics program as well as maps that show features like accessible single-stall washrooms, sharps containers, and eye-wash stations for all offices at WorkSafeBC.
• We have been integrating accessibility requirements and considerations within our home modification program for seriously injured workers requiring home adaptations.

New pillar: Learning and development

Our goal

Prioritize equity, diversity, inclusion (EDI), and accessibility principles in delivering learning at our organization, including in-person, online, blended, and self-directed learning.

Work to date and what to expect:

• We are working on an EDI and accessibility learning redesign project to review and update our training materials. We worked with an external vendor to review learning materials including:
  • Training modules
  • PowerPoint slides
  • Lesson plans
  • Case studies
  • Handouts
  The vendor identified ways to shift to more inclusive language from an EDI lens, as well as identifying benefits and gaps in accessibility.
• We worked with our Communications and EDI teams to review high-level organizational change recommendations from the vendor to determine whether further actions were needed.
• We are drafting a recommendations report that incorporates a summary of the review. It will propose next steps to integrate accessibility tools and resources into our existing materials, and the design and development of new materials. We’ll also set guidelines for the delivery and/or facilitation of training.
• We’ve added information about accessibility features to our PowerPoint template. The template is used by internal trainers delivering training with PowerPoint Live. We encourage instructors to include these slides in all their session. These slides include:
  • How to use the pop-out content function
  • How learners can move slides at their own pace
  • How to use live captions
  • How to enable high contrast and zoom in/out features
• We use the Accessibility Checker feature within our surveying software for post-training surveys. This is currently embedded within Qualtrics. We’ll soon be documenting the process for using this tool for all Qualtrics users in the department and will be encouraging them to use it when generating training evaluation surveys.

What's next

Our plans for 2026 and beyond

Expanding the Accessibility Committee

We’re in the process of expanding our Accessibility Committee to include the voices of people who work outside of WorkSafeBC and have perspectives on accessibility. We also plan to enhance representation in the committee to reflect the diversity of B.C.’s population.

Upcoming standards for employment and service delivery

In May 2024, the Government of British Columbia released draft accessibility standards for service delivery and employment. They aim to set clear guidelines for how prescribed organizations can remove and prevent barriers that restrict people with disabilities from equally participating in the workforce and accessing services in the community.

In preparation, we will be developing our next accessibility plan (2026–2028) with these requirements in mind.

New plan in 2026

WorkSafeBC will develop a new Accessibility Plan by September 2026 to ensure ongoing compliance and responsiveness to feedback. This is required by Section 11(2) of the Accessible British Columbia Act, which outlines that each organization must review and update its accessibility plan at least once every three years.

Our new plan will be aligned with emerging provincial accessibility standards on employment and service delivery.

How to provide feedback

We welcome your thoughts on our accessibility plan and any barriers you’ve seen or experienced when interacting with us.

Visit this online form for options to provide feedback on this plan and on accessibility at WorkSafeBC.

You can include photos and videos with your feedback.

All feedback will be summarized and shared with our Accessibility Committee and our leadership to inform our future accessibility planning.

Other requests

• If you are a WorkSafeBC employee seeking accommodation in your work, please contact your manager or People & Culture partner.
• If you are a worker, employer, or member of the public, and wish to file a complaint about alleged unfairness in your dealings with WorkSafeBC, please contact the Issue Resolution Office.

Conclusion

This report highlights the progress we’ve made in advancing accessibility and inclusion in our identified pillars and how we’ve addressed barriers reported. WorkSafeBC is committed to making our organization inclusive and accessible to all by addressing and removing systemic barriers.

On behalf of our organization, we would like to thank everyone who has submitted a barrier through our feedback mechanisms. We greatly appreciate your engagement and look forward to your continued feedback as it plays a vital role in shaping our efforts to become a barrier-free organization.

Related link

• WorkSafeBC Accessibility Plan — Progress Report: September 1, 2023 to August 31, 2024