NAV CANADA is pleased to share its second annual progress report with our stakeholders and with the public.
The Accessible Canada Act is a federal law aimed at making Canada more accessible for everyone. In June 2024, we published our first accessibility plan which outlines our goals to achieve between June 2023 to May 2026.
Since releasing our first progress report last year, we have been working hard to make meaningful progress on these goals. We have improved accessibility in procurement, advanced inclusive hiring practices, prepared for accessible emergency procedures and facility updates, among key actions to moving our accessibility goals forward.
In spring 2025, we distributed a voluntary and anonymous survey to all employees, inviting them to share their feedback on our accessibility efforts. We received 95 responses, an increase of 239% engagement compared to last year’s survey. The perspectives shared through this survey have provided valuable insights that will inform and strengthen our future accessibility initiatives.
As of June 2025, we have completed 10 of our 25 goals in our accessibility plan and have made meaningful progress on an additional 14. This progress report outlines the accomplishments we've achieved over the past year, the work that remains, and the key lessons we've learned through employee consultations and stakeholder feedback.
By sharing this report, we reaffirm our commitment to building a more inclusive, barrier-free, and accessible organization for everyone.
NAV CANADA is dedicated to being accessible for everyone, including employees, customers, partners, and members of the public who have disabilities. Our commitment to accessibility is driven by our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging overall. At NAV CANADA, we believe that a culture of innovation and excellence is created by the mix of backgrounds, ideas and experiences that can be found in a psychologically safe and inclusive workforce. We cannot support the diversity within our organization without prioritizing the inclusive and accessible design of every facet of our company. This is why we are committed to continuously identifying and removing barriers to accessibility in our business.
We recognize that people with disabilities are the experts in their own experiences. As such, we are committed to meaningfully and proactively consulting people with disabilities and learning from their experiences as we carry out the goals in our Accessibility Plan and as we assess our progress. We will also work to remove barriers as we become aware of them, even if they are not a part of our plan. This Progress Report shows the steps we have taken to make NAV CANADA more accessible. We are proud of the work we have accomplished so far, while recognizing there is still much to do.
NAV CANADA plays a unique and critical role managing the 18 million square kilometres of Canadian civil airspace and the North Atlantic oceanic airspace under Canada’s control.
Air transportation is an essential industry that connects Canada to the world. It plays a vital role in our economy and in our communities from coast to coast to coast. Our critical role within the aviation ecosystem is to help guide aircraft safely and efficiently through our airspace.
We oversee air traffic through a sophisticated network of area control centres, air traffic control towers, flight service stations, maintenance centres, flight information centres, CARs stations and offices across the country. Our customers include airlines, business aviation and air cargo operators, air charters and air taxis, helicopter operators, and general aviation pilots and owners. In short, we oversee safety in the sky by connecting with aviation professionals across Canada.
NAV CANADA has approximately 5,600 employees and over 100 staffed sites.
Much of the work at NAV CANADA is physically and mentally challenging. Safety is a top priority in our operations. Air travel and air navigation is a highly regulated industry, including health and ability requirements of some staff. NAV CANADA is committed to finding ways to balance the demands of the industry with the needs of current and future employees, customers, and members of the public living with disabilities. The NAV CANADA Accessibility Plan is a step towards achieving that balance. This Progress Report is evidence of our commitment to meaningfully fulfilling our Accessibility Plan.
NAV CANADA welcomes feedback from our employees, customers, and members of the public about our Accessibility Plan, this Progress Report, and accessibility in general at NAV CANADA.
What feedback can I provide about?
Feedback can be provided anonymously. You will receive an acknowledgment of receipt unless you submitted the feedback anonymously.
How will my feedback be used?
Your feedback will be shared with and considered by the team(s) responsible for accessibility at NAV CANADA. It may be actioned during the length of the current plan or be considered for a future plan. Plans are developed and published every 3 years.
Your feedback and how it was considered will be included in our Progress Reports. We will keep your feedback for at least 7 years.
How can I provide feedback?
If you would like to share your feedback with us, you can contact us in the following ways:
You can request alternative formats of the NAV CANADA Accessibility Plan, this Progress Report, or the description of our feedback process. To request this Progress Report, the Plan, or the feedback process in an alternative format please contact us:
8:00 to 18:00 Eastern Time, Monday to Friday
We will respond to requests for other formats as soon as we can. For each alternative format, NAV CANADA commits to providing them as soon as possible and no later than:
The following definitions apply throughout this progress report:
Disability: Any impairment, or difference in physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, or communication ability. Disabilities can be permanent, temporary, episodic, or can change over time.
Barrier: Anything that might hinder people with disabilities full and equal participation. Barriers can be architectural, technological, attitudinal, based on information or communications, or can be the result of a policy or procedure.
Accessibility: The design of products, devices, services, environments, technologies, policies, and rules in a way that allows all people, including people with a variety of disabilities, to access them.
We set 2 goals in our accessibility plan that aim to improve accessibility across our entire organization. We want to improve the knowledge of the NAV CANADA community about accessibility and disability. We also want to build relationships with our employees and other stakeholders who have disabilities. Our organization-wide goals are:
By June 2025, NAV CANADA will develop a strategy around ongoing engagement and consultations with people who have disabilities.
Status: In progress.
Revised completion target: Fall 2025.
NAV CANADA has begun work on developing a long-term strategy to support ongoing engagement and consultation with people with disabilities. Initial research has been completed and a general outline for the strategy is in place. However, meaningful progress on this goal requires direct input from people with lived experience of disability.
To ensure the strategy is inclusive and informed by the insights, experiences, and perspectives of people with disabilities, the project’s timeline has been extended as we seek external partners to support its development. We also aim to gather insights from a future employee resource group for employees with disabilities before finalizing the strategy. The target completion date has been revised to Fall 2025 to allow for this essential input.
By June 2026, NAV CANADA will source and implement training on disability and accessibility awareness for all employees.
Status: In progress.
Work on this goal began in the fall of 2024 with the formation of an Accessibility Training Working Group with staff from key accessibility priority areas. These areas include employment, the built environment, information and communication technologies, and communications.
With support from disability-led accessibility consultants Left Turn Right Turn, we identified key components of the trainings and created an initial draft. We have partnered with Calian Learning to further refine and build the computer-based training module for all employees. Throughout the process, we have also sought feedback from our internal diversity and inclusion resource group. With this training, we aim to increase awareness and understanding about disability and accessibility within NAV CANADA. This training is expected to launch in the Fall of 2025.
We have committed to several goals relating to the built environment at NAV CANADA. We operate many staffed sites across the country, so it is important for us to make sure that these sites are as accessible as possible. We know that barriers exist at some of these sites, so we have committed to the following 6 goals related to the built environment. They are:
Effective immediately, when renovating or replacing features of the Technical Systems Centre (TSC), we will consult people with disabilities as well as architects and engineers who are knowledgeable about accessibility. We will incorporate accessibility into the design of any renovations from the beginning.
Status: Ongoing.
Renovation work at the TSC has started with Phase I of the work underway. The accessibility elements have been reviewed with the renovation project team and are being incorporated for action into the overall renovation project.
The full renovations are expected to be finished in January 2026. They will follow the federal accessibility standard (Canadian Standards Association B651) and include recommendations from an accessibility audit completed in June 2023 by Left Turn Right Turn. The team responsible for maintaining NAV CANADA’s air navigation facilities has reviewed the plans and supports the proposed accessibility improvements.
By June 2025, NAV CANADA will revise emergency evacuation plans to take into account employees or visitors with disabilities who may need support in evacuating the building.
Status: In progress.
Revised completion target: December 2025.
NAV CANADA is currently working to revise our emergency evacuation plans to make sure they better account for the needs of employees and visitors with disabilities. This work is being aligned with broader updates to all emergency evacuation procedures led by staff responsible for security and emergency planning.
To improve accessibility, construction staff are also preparing to produce braille versions of the evacuation plans, while large-print versions will be printed in-house and posted in key locations. These updates aim to ensure that evacuation procedures are inclusive and responsive to a wide range of accessibility needs.
By June 2025, we will explore the feasibility of installing emergency alarms that include both auditory and visual warning cues for people with sensory disabilities. We will work to install them where feasible. We will provide step-free access to all ground level emergency exits or to an accessible area of evacuation.
Status: In progress.
Revised completion target: December 2025.
NAV CANADA is working to make sure our emergency alarms and evacuation routes are accessible for people with hearing, vision, sensory, and mobility disabilities. Staff responsible for facilities are checking if the alarm systems include both sound and flashing lights, as now required by the recent updates to the National Building Code of Canada and the National Fire Code of Canada.
At this time, we expect most buildings already meet these requirements. We are also reviewing emergency exits to make sure there’s step-free access to ground-level exits or designated areas of evacuation. Any fixes identified during the audit will be made by our new deadline of December 2025.
By June 2025, NAV CANADA will ensure that emergency evacuation information is in large print and available in various formats (tactile, braille) and in a place that is clear of obstacles. We will include information about locations of accessible exit routes and refuge areas.
Status: In progress.
Revised completion target: December 2025.
This update is incorporated into the work of the goal above on revising emergency evacuation plans to include people with disabilities. As part of this work, braille and large-print versions of emergency evacuation information will be created and posted to improve accessibility.
By June 2025, NAV CANADA will install and maintain automatic door openers in buildings that we own. Where spaces are leased, we will work with landlords to have them installed and maintained.
Status: In progress.
Revised completion target: December 2025.
NAV CANADA is committed to improving accessibility by installing and maintaining automatic door openers in the buildings we own. For leased spaces, we are working with landlords to support these upgrades. All work will follow the latest federal accessibility codes, and we are aiming to complete this work by the revised target date of December 2025. At this time, we expect that many of our buildings already meet these standards, but we are conducting internal audits at all staffed sites to identify any remaining gaps.
By June 2026, we will review our recently completed built environment sampling audit and conduct a thorough accessibility audit of unaudited offices and facilities. We will implement the high priority changes and lower cost changes that have been identified through various audits. We will also develop a plan for addressing the more challenging and costly office changes that have been identified.
Status: In progress.
NAV CANADA is reviewing the results of a recently completed built environment sampling audit and will conduct full accessibility audits at remaining offices and facilities. High-priority and low-cost changes identified through various audits will be implemented, and a plan will be developed to address more complex or costly barriers.
Currently, we expect that most buildings already meet accessibility standards. We will be doing detailed reviews of all staffed sites to see what still needs to be fixed. The work will follow the latest editions of the National Building Code of Canada and Canadian Standards Association B651. The work will also involve close consultation with employees with disabilities to address any additional gaps.
NAV CANADA is proud to employ thousands of people at sites across Canada. We are committed to removing barriers for both current and future employees with disabilities.
In our last progress report, we shared that we had successfully completed 2 of our 7 goals. This year, we are proud to share that we have accomplished 3 more goals. We are continuing to make steady progress on the remaining 2 goals and are excited about the improvements still to come.
By June 2025, we will review the accommodations process, to look for barriers and ways to simplify the process.
Status: Complete.
NAV CANADA has successfully reviewed and streamlined the accommodations process. We have eliminated unnecessary steps, allowing managers to address short- and mid-term accommodation needs locally and promptly. Only longer-term accommodations now require further review. This change aims to make the process faster and more efficient for all employees.
By June 2025, NAV CANADA will ensure that all managers and employees involved in the accommodation process get training about the reasons for accommodation and the legal duty to accommodate employees.
Status: Complete.
NAV CANADA has successfully implemented mandatory computer-based training for all managers and employees involved in the accommodation process.
The computer-based training received positive feedback, highlighting its balanced approach from both the employee and employer perspectives. All Air Traffic Services (ATS) employees will complete it as part of their annual recurrent training. All other employees met the deadline for completing the training in Workday by January 31, 2025. New employees will complete the training as part of their onboarding. The policy and process documents are available for review by all employees and managers on Central.
By June 2025, NAV CANADA will review hiring practices and make a plan to address short-term and long-term barriers in the hiring process. We will offer accommodations to all candidates at each step of the recruitment process.
Status: In progress.
Revised completion target: August 2025.
NAV CANADA is committed to ensuring that its hiring processes are inclusive and accessible to all candidates. We continue to make progress toward our goal of reviewing hiring practices and developing a plan to remove both short- and long-term barriers in the recruitment process.
We currently include clear statements in all job postings about our commitment to accessibility and how candidates can request accommodations. We also offer accommodations proactively at each step of the hiring process. Each accommodation request is reviewed on a case-by-case basis to ensure that we provide supports to the candidate while still evaluating the bona fide occupational requirements.
Over the past year, we completed background research on inclusive hiring best practices to inform a broader strategy to remove barriers in the hiring process. We’ve compiled recommendations from disability advocacy groups other large national organizations who excel in accessibility and inclusion, and the Employment Standard published by Accessibility Standards Canada. A draft of our revised strategy is currently being reviewed for stakeholder feedback.
By June 2026, NAV CANADA will develop a targeted recruitment strategy specific to people with disabilities. We will also incorporate statements on job postings welcoming applicants with disabilities.
Status: In progress.
NAV CANADA is continuing its work toward developing a targeted recruitment strategy to attract and hire more people with disabilities. This strategy is focused on building meaningful connections with communities and increasing representation across the organization.
Currently, we are engaging with advocacy organizations to introduce them to NAV CANADA, our mission, and the types of roles we offer. These relationships will help us better understand how to reach and support potential candidates with disabilities. We remain on track to finalize our strategy by June 2026.
We rely on technology for a wide range of functions, from managing human resources to posting on social media and controlling Canada’s airspace. Ensuring that the digital tools and systems we use are accessible to everyone is a top priority. We set 4 goals to improve the accessibility of our information and communications technology systems, and we’re proud to have completed 2 of them. The goals we set for our information and communications technology systems include:
Starting immediately, NAV CANADA will fix existing barriers to our corporate website.
Status: Complete.
Since March 2023, our staff responsible for communications and technology have worked together to fix 16 types of accessibility issues found in the website audit we completed to develop our accessibility plan. We focused on the most important and realistic issues first.
As of September 2024, all the problems have been fixed except for 2 that are part of the website’s core design and can not be changed right now. These may be addressed in a future redesign. Given these limits, this goal is considered complete.
By June 2025, we will add information about Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 best practices to our internal guidelines for developing web content.
Status: Complete.
We are working on adding WCAG 2.0 best practices to our internal web content guidelines. Right now, these best practices are being written and will be posted on our intranet in June 2025. We will share them with all staff through our weekly newsletter and hold info sessions for teams that have a significant role in creating web content.
By June 2026, NAV CANADA will source and deliver digital accessibility training for key information technology (IT) staff.
Status: In progress.
There has been no change to this goal since last year’s update.
We have started looking into options for this training and are talking with accessibility experts who have lived experience with disability. Their input, along with advice from digital accessibility specialists and others with disabilities, will help us decide what the training should include. We are still on track to finish this work by June 2026.
At NAV CANADA, we are dedicated to ensuring that our communications are accessible to everyone. We set 3 goals to enhance the accessibility of our communications, we completed one goal in our last progress report and have made good progress in the remaining 2. The work we have done so far has made significant strides toward improving accessibility, and we are excited to continue our progress.
By June 2024, we will communicate best practices and encourage defaulting to electronic formats of any documents and communications. NAV CANADA will provide information on the website for requesting alternative formats of communications (e.g. electronic, braille, or large text).
Status: In progress.
Revised completion target: June 2025
We have begun promoting accessibility best practices and encouraging electronic documents as the default format across the organization. Electronic formats offer the most flexibility and are easier to make accessible for people with disabilities. We have also taken steps to ensure that audiences can request communications in alternative formats.
By June 2025, we will develop guidelines for plain language, detailing best practices to be applied when developing communication material. including plain language targets and how they can be verified. This information will be shared with all employees.
Status: In progress
Revised completion target: Fall 2025
Work is in progress to develop plain language guidelines that will support more accessible communication across the organization. A working group has met to discuss key elements for the project. This working group is made up of members from the Accessibility Working Group and staff responsible for translation and terminology and branding. Drafting the plain language guidelines is underway, and they will be integrated into the organization's editorial guide once complete.
These plain language guidelines will also form part of our broader inclusive language framework. Development is being informed by Accessibility Standards Canada’s draft standard on plain language (CAN-ASC 3.1), which, although still under review, provides a helpful foundation.
At NAV CANADA, we regularly buy goods, services, and facilities to support our work. In the past, accessibility hasn’t always been a key consideration in our buying processes. However, we have now successfully completed a goal aimed at making our buying practices more inclusive. We are proud of the progress we have made in this area.
By June 2024, NAV CANADA will review procurement-related policies and documents and where relevant we will include considerations for accessibility as part of the procurement process.
Status: Complete.
We have finished reviewing our procurement policies and documents to include accessibility considerations. Since last year’s progress report we have also implemented a new sourcing tool and have included questions for accessibility requirements to the relevant procurement templates.
At NAV CANADA, we are committed to ensuring that our programs and services are accessible to all stakeholders, including airlines, pilots, and other airspace users. We recognize that accessibility is essential in delivering effective, inclusive services, and as such, we are actively working to identify and remove any barriers.
This section outlines our ongoing efforts to design and deliver programs and services that prioritize accessibility, ensuring that everyone can benefit from the services we provide.
By June 2025, we will develop accessibility guidelines for event planning, including offering attendees information on what accessibility measures are already in place and how to request accommodations.
Status: In progress.
Revised completion target: Fall 2025.
We are working on accessibility guidelines to help us plan in-person, virtual, and hybrid events. These guidelines will enable stakeholders across the company to proactively consider accessible and inclusive event and meeting planning best practices to empower the full and equal participation of people with disabilities.
The project deadline has been moved from June to Fall 2025 to ensure proper consultation of stakeholders in creating a meaningful tool.
By June 2026, we will review our programs and services and consider when and how accessibility should be prioritized. When creating new service offerings or updating guidelines and procedures with respect to current offerings, we will include accessibility as part of the procedure where relevant.
Status: In progress.
We are reviewing our programs and services to decide how to prioritize accessibility. This will also include making sure accessibility is part of the process when we create new services or update existing ones.
A small group of staff, with help from accessibility consultants Left Turn Right Turn, has met to work on a framework for how we will prioritize accessibility in our programs and services. The project is still ongoing.
Any barriers and goals that relate to transportation are addressed in the built environment section of our plan and this report.
NAV CANADA consulted with our employees with disabilities as part of preparing this progress report.
To gather their input, we developed an anonymous, voluntary online survey and we sent it to all our employees. The survey was available in both English and French and was open between April 9 to 18, 2025.
Through the survey, we asked employees to share their perspectives on:
We received 95 responses to our employee survey. This is an increase of 239% engagement compared to last year’s survey with 28 respondents. The responses were thoughtful and gave helpful feedback. 22 respondents self-identified as having disabilities. 53 respondents said they did not have a disability. 20 preferred not to answer either way. The themes of the results are summarized below.
Lack of Awareness of our Accessibility Plan
53 respondents indicated they were not aware that NAV CANADA published an accessibility plan. Among the 42 respondents who were aware of the plan, 21 said their knowledge of the plan was limited or non-existent. 17 respondents described themselves as somewhat knowledgeable, and 4 said they were very knowledgeable.
These results suggest that greater efforts are still needed to raise awareness and understanding of our accessibility plan across the organization. Increasing internal awareness and engagement will continue to be a focus going forward, especially as we prepare for the release of our next plan in June 2026.
Need to Strengthen Relationships with Employees with Disabilities
Of the 22 respondents who self-identified as having disabilities, 8 people said that NAV CANADA’s Accessibility Plan reflects their needs and priorities either fully or somewhat. 8 people said that the plan does not reflect their needs and priorities. 6 people said they were not familiar enough with the plan to answer this question.
NAV CANADA continues to develop consultation and engagement strategies to ensure employees with disabilities are actively involved in all organizational initiatives, particularly those related to accessibility. Strengthening these relationships will help us identify and implement accessibility initiatives that are meaningful, relevant, and aligned with the needs of both our employees and stakeholders.
Mixed Opinions on our Progress on Accessibility
24 respondents said they have seen evidence that NAV CANADA has made progress on accessibility in its operations. 31 people described the progress as limited. 37 people said that they had not seen evidence of progress on accessibility at NAV CANADA. 3 people did not answer this question. This report reflects the progress we have made in advancing accessibility, and we look forward to sharing these achievements with our employees.
11 respondents said they have been involved in or consulted on accessibility initiatives at NAV CANADA. Examples of these included: participating in working groups; updating the Enterprise Sourcing and Procurement policy to include accessibility; giving accessibility feedback; having conversations with Human Resources; and developing training. The remaining 85 respondents said they had not been involved in any initiatives.
19 respondents said they were satisfied with the progress we have made toward our accessibility plan. Another 15 said they were somewhat satisfied. 18 respondents said they were not satisfied with our progress. The remaining 43 respondents said they were not familiar enough with the progress to comment on it. By sharing this progress report, we aim to keep employees engaged and informed about the progress we’ve made on accessibility and the work that continues.
When asked to share thoughts on NAV CANADA’s progress and accessibility, 43 respondents shared their perspectives. Here is a summary of what we learned through these responses.
We sincerely appreciate the feedback shared through this second survey. Each response helps us better understand the barriers that still exist and informs how we approach our remaining accessibility goals. As we continue to learn and grow through ongoing consultation, this input will be key to shaping more inclusive and effective accessibility efforts across the organization.
For example, the feedback regarding the need for greater organizational awareness on accessibility, neurodiversity, and inclusive leadership will be considered as we implement future training initiatives and refine our accessibility planning processes. Additionally, in response to feedback regarding physical accessibility barriers, our assessment of accessibility issues in the built environment is expected to be completed by June 2026.
NAV CANADA values the insights and experiences from employees, customers, and members of the public with disabilities. Diverse perspectives are essential to strengthening accessibility across our organization.
In 2024, we received one piece of feedback about current medical standards for air traffic controllers. The feedback was that these standards are too restrictive, emphasizing disqualification over accommodation, particularly for mental health and chronic conditions. The feedback noted that the approach should be updated to reduce stigma, encourage treatment, and focus on skill, safety, and wellbeing.
We recognize that strict medical requirements affect the prevalence and representation of people with disabilities in certain operational positions at NAV CANADA. Medical standards for air traffic controllers and pilots are defined and set under Transport Canada and the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs). As such, they are bona fide and essential requirements for incumbents of these positions, with the ultimate goal to ensure aviation safety.
We welcome employees, customers, and members of the public to submit feedback on both our accessibility plan and progress reports. Information about how to submit feedback is found in Section 2.3 of this report.
Accessibility remains a key priority for NAV CANADA, and we are dedicated to ensuring every part of our operations is inclusive for people with disabilities.
Over the past year, we have made meaningful progress toward our accessibility goals and are proud of what we have accomplished. At the same time, we recognize that there is still more to be done. We remain committed to advancing this work in the year ahead and look forward to sharing future updates.