Accessibility Plan
Table of Contents
General
Background
The Leaders' Debates Commission has developed a departmental Accessibility Plan as part of its compliance with the Accessible Canada Act (ACA).
The ACA is the Government of Canada's federal legislation to create a barrier-free Canada by 2040. The ACA requires regulated entities to identify barriers and develop actions to eliminate barriers across the following seven accessibility priority areas:
- employment
- built environment
- information and communications technologies
- communication, other than information and communication technologies
- the procurement of goods, services and facilities
- the design and delivery of programs and services, and
- transportation
The Act requires all regulated entities, including the Leaders' Debates Commission, to do the following:
- develop and publish an accessibility plan
- implement a process to receive and respond to feedback on accessibility and on the plan itself in a timely manner, and
- publish annual progress reports to communicate progress made against the plan
The Commission recognizes the importance of consulting with persons with disabilities in the development of its accessibility plan and ongoing evaluation of the plan's effectiveness.
About the Leaders' Debates Commission
The Commission is an independent and impartial public body created by Order in Council P.C. 2018-1322 ("OIC") on October 29, 2018 and amended by Order in Council P.C. 2020-0871 ("OIC") on November 5 2020.
Its core mandate is twofold. First, to organize two leaders' debates for the next federal general election – one in each official language. Second, to prepare a report to Parliament, following the debates, outlining findings, lessons learned, and recommendations.
The Commission has thus far organized leaders' debates for the 2019 and 2021 federal general elections.
Accessibility statement
The Leaders' Debates Commission is committed to making debates accessible to all Canadians, including those with disabilities and those living in remote areas and those living in official language minority communities.
For the leaders' debates to be a democratic exercise, citizens must be able to access and experience the debates in an accessible way. To reach as many Canadians as possible, the Commission must ensure the debates' signal reaches as many Canadian households as possible; that Canadians are able to watch, listen or read the debates in a language and format that is accessible to them; and that the debates allow them to engage in a way that makes them feel that the debates are for them.
The Commission is committed to making sure the debates are accessible not only in French and English but also in other languages, including Indigenous languages, ASL, LSQ and closed captioning.
The Commission is committed to making work more accessible for our secretariat as we want our staff to be included and supported at work. We want to foster a culture of accessibility and disability inclusion.
Contact Information and Feedback process
The Leaders' Debates Commission welcomes feedback from our employees, stakeholders, and members of the public on this accessibility plan.
We are committed to reviewing the feedback we receive and taking steps to address barriers that are identified through this feedback.
You can submit feedback about accessibility at the Leaders' Debates Commission or about this plan by contacting:
- Jess Milton, Director, Production & Engagement
- Email: info@debates-debats.ca
You can provide contact information or submit feedback anonymously. The Commission is only able to acknowledge receipt and respond directly to feedback if contact information is provided.
Alternate Formats
This plan and a description of our feedback process can also be provided in alternative formats.
Formats available:
- large print (Increased font size)
- braille (a system of raised dots that people who are blind or who have low vision can read with their fingers), and
- audio (a recording of someone reading the text out loud)
Areas Described under Section 5 of the Accessible Canada Act (ACA)
Organization Wide Initiatives
Making debates accessible is part of the Leaders' Debates Commission's mandate.
We need to prioritize accessibility and focus on those with disabilities for the debates to be truly accessible. Our secretariat has a great role to play when issuing the request for proposal for a debates producer as once the contract is awarded, the debates producer is responsible for the promotion, production, and distribution of the debates. It is therefore the Commission's role to ensure that the RFP reflects the Commission's mandate.
In the future, there should be a focus on ensuring distribution partners for accessible formats to maximize reach in these communities. Work can be done to develop relationships with organizations who are leaders in Canadians living with disabilities.
A focus in this area aligns with the 2021 Canadian Election Study findings that more work could be undertaken to build awareness of debates in future federal elections.
This "off cycle" work is particularly important in a minority government context as it would effectively allow a future Commission to be ready to "press play" in a snap election.
We need to hear the perspectives of people with disabilities when thinking about accessibility. They are the most impacted by accessibility and we need to listen to their feedback.
The following goals will help us fulfill that mission:
2023
- Review our strategy around ongoing engagement and consultations with people with disabilities.
2024
- Implement our updated strategy for ongoing engagement and consultation with people with disabilities.
Employment
The Leaders' Debates Commission is a small independent body, with only one full-time employee and two part-time employees. Everyone works remotely, so there is no built environment. There is a lot of work to do between elections and during the election but not many people to do it. This means that our employees have many duties. We count on our secretariat staff to do their work well. As such, each workplace needs to be accessible for our team to effectively manage their responsibilities.
While there is not currently a built environment for our small secretariat, we want our staff to know they can be accommodated if they face barriers at work. We make sure our employees know how to request and receive accommodations. We are committed to providing potential hires during the election cycle with the understanding that accommodations would be available for their accessibility needs. We will continue to include disability is in our hiring strategies moving forward.
Here are the ways we are improving accessibility in employment:
2023
- Review our accommodation policy. We will make sure that the process and who is responsible for that process are clear.
2024
- Review and revise the language of potential job postings and the description of roles to make sure they are inclusive and accessible.
The Built Environment
Since 2021, the Leaders' Debates Commission's secretariat works remotely. The Commission no longer has a physical office.
We are committed to providing potential hires during the election with a safe and accessible workspace which would include accessible features whenever possible.
We will conduct a thorough review of the barriers that might exist in the built environment when the location/s of the debates is identified and ensure that we address them and include recommendations.
The following goals will help us reduce or remove barriers:
When the location/s of the next debates for the next federal general election is/are identified:
- We will work with the building location management team to investigate options for accessible emergency notification methods for people with disabilities.
- We will create a feedback mechanism for potential hires to share their comments about the functionality and accessibility of their workspace.
- We will have a process for employees with disabilities to request adjustments or accommodations to their workspaces.
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
Web technology plays an integral role in how we do our work at the Leaders' Debates Commission. With our small secretariat working remotely, web tools help us to connect, share, meet and create as a team, as well as reach and communicate with our stakeholders and advisors. They also allow us to communicate with Canadians and the media.
Since 2021, meetings with our advisory board and with stakeholders, both here in Canada and around the world, are virtual. Web technology allows us to run these meetings and consultations in a safe way. It is important that the technology we use is accessible to the people who work at the Commission and to the advisors and stakeholders that we consult with.
The Commission's website, including all new published content conforms with the Treasury Board Standard on Web Accessibility.
These goals will help the Commission build more accessible communications technology:
2023
- Review and address any barriers in our web tools that might exist.
2024
- Improve accessibility with the Commission's social media presence.
Communication, other than ICT
Engaging with stakeholders both here and abroad is a vital part of the Leaders' Debates Commission's work. We consult widely on a number of issues and regularly communicate with stakeholders. We also communicate with Canadians and the media.
We have a responsibility to make sure that the way we share information and engage with stakeholders is accessible to everyone.
In 2021, the English-language and French-language debates were available live on 36 television networks, four radio networks, and more than 115 digital streams. Canadians were also able to watch the debates online after they aired in the language of their choice. The debates were provided in 16 languages, including six Indigenous languages and ASL and LSQ. They were also available in closed captioning and described video. Fewer than 5% of non-viewers indicated that their main reason for not watching the debates was a lack of accessibility.
Here is how we will make sure our communication is accessible:
2023
- Review our strategy to manage awareness of any existing barriers.
2024
- Implement a strategy that fosters an increasing level of accessibility and disability inclusion by providing audio descriptions and transcripts of the next leaders' debates that meet accessibility standards.
The Procurement of Goods, Services and Facilities
The Leaders' Debates Commission is assisted in terms of administrative support from the Privy Council Office for procurement services for any contracts that the Commission may decide to put in place or engage with. As needed, Requests for proposals (RFPs) are issued through this administrative arrangement.
Barriers are reduced when accessibility is considered at the outset of any process.
The following goals have been created to ensure accessibility is a priority in procurement:
2023
- Bolster accessibility considerations in our statements of work for vendors, when applicable.
2024
- Implement required accessibility services in the request for proposal for the next debates (e.g., digital audio, captioning, sign language interpretation).
The Design and Delivery of Programs and Services
This priority accessibility area relates to eliminating and preventing barriers to enable receipt of services that are accessible to all. The Leaders' Debates Commission is responsible for engaging a debates producer for the next debates and making sure that in its request to proposal, accessibility standards and accessible practices are encouraged, considered, and included.
Making debates more accessible is a continued commitment to ensure the next leaders' debates reach as many Canadians as possible. Effective and informative debates serve the public interest and work to remove barriers between Canadians, including those with disabilities. They represent an opportunity for the country to come together and enable Canadians to watch and listen in an accessible way.
Here are our goals to improve accessibility of our services:
2023
- Develop a set of accessibility guidelines for the next debates producer RFP.
2024
- Implement in the next RFP the accessibility guidelines.
Transportation
This priority accessibility area relates to eliminating and preventing barriers within the federal transportation network. Given the nature of the Leaders' Debates Commission's mandate and operations, this area is not included in the scope of the accessibility plan and as such, no goals have been created.
Consultations
The Leaders' Debates Commission consulted with its small secretariat about barriers and ways to improve accessibility at the Commission. We also discussed with them how to further deepen our engagement level with persons and stakeholders with disabilities during the "off-cycle" period and during an election period and how best to implement our strategy going forward. As a result, we asked stakeholders for their feedback in virtual meetings on how to make the next leaders' debates more accessible. We will continue to listen to and work with people with disabilities to improve accessibility. We look forward to strengthening our relationships with stakeholders with disabilities to make sure their perspectives continue to be a vital focus for the Commission and for the next leaders' debates.
Consultations with Stakeholders with Disabilities
The Leaders' Debates Commission consulted with accessibility experts in both 2019 and 2022 about how to make the leaders' debates more accessible for Canadians living with disabilities. We were encouraged to consider accessibility measures not as a "duty to accommodate" but rather as a way to "engage, communicate and collaborate with Canadians." The shift in language left an impact, affecting the way the Commission not only develops its internal culture, but also how we communicate externally, especially with regards to our procurement documentation.
Experts also invited the Commission to consider how a rapidly aging population is increasing accessibility issues. Those consulted encouraged the Commission to look beyond online service offerings and consider other options as these offerings may present a barrier. "Yes, online is good for some," experts noted, "but that can't be the only option."
Accessibility media experts consulted proposed that the Commission and the debates producer should identify ways to encourage partnerships with accessible media and feature persons with disabilities as part of the debate.
2023 Consultations
In 2023, the Commission consulted during the development of this accessibility plan. Interviews were conducted to understand barriers and identify actions to address identified barriers.
The main takeaways were:
- Closed captioning in the leaders' debates should be live and not be created by artificial intelligence; and
- The debates producer should look for opportunities to feature persons with disabilities as part of the debate.
The Commission will consider these main takeaways as we work to improve accessibility and implement our goals.
Glossary
Accessibility
The degree to which a product, service, program, or environment is available to be accessed or used by all.
Accommodation
Any change in the working environment that allows a person with functional limitations in their abilities to do their job. Changes can include:
- adjustments to the physical workspace
- adaptations to equipment and tools
- flexible work hours
- job-sharing
- relocation of the workspace within the greater workplace
- the ability to work from home
- reallocation or exchange of some non-essential tasks for others, and
- time off for medical appointments
Accommodations (adjustments) can be temporary, periodic, or long-term, depending on the employee's situation or changes in the workplace.
Barrier
Anything that hinders the full and equal participation in society of persons with an impairment. This includes:
- physical
- mental
- intellectual
- cognitive
- learning
- communication or sensory impairment, or
- a functional limitation
Barriers can be physical, architectural, technological, or attitudinal. (Source: Accessible Canada Act)
Disability
Any of the following impairments that in interaction with a barrier, hinders a person's full and equal participation in society:
- physical
- mental
- intellectual
- cognitive
- learning
- communication or sensory impairment, or
- a functional limitation
(Source: Accessible Canada Act)
Employee
A person employed by the Leaders' Debates Commission.
Persons with disabilities
Persons who have a long-term or recurring physical, mental, sensory, psychiatric, or learning impairment and who:
- consider themselves to be disadvantaged in employment by reason of that impairment, or
- believe that an employer or potential employer is likely to consider them to be disadvantaged in employment by reason of that impairment
Persons with disabilities include persons whose functional limitations owing to their impairment have been accommodated in their current job or workplace. (Source: Employment Equity Act)
Secretariat
Employees working at the Leaders' Debates Commission.