Accessibility Plan

NAV CANADA is committed to removing barriers to accessibility and creating inclusive workplaces and experiences for our employees, customers and stakeholders.

This Accessibility Plan supports our responsibilities under the Accessible Canada ActOpen a new window (S.C. 2019, c. 10). Our plan outlines how we are advancing accessibility by listening to lived experiences, improving our processes and practices, and taking concrete actions to remove barriers. The plan reflects our ongoing commitment to accessibility and to building a more inclusive future.

A key principle of the Accessible Canada Act is meaningful consultation and involvement of persons with disabilities in decisions that affect them. Feedback from our consultations highlighted that participants noticed positive progress in accessibility at NAV CANADA, including greater awareness during meetings through tools like closed captioning; opportunities to provide feedback via surveys and confidential interviews; and the creation of an Employee Resource Group for persons with disabilities, called Alliance for ACCESS.

Participants also identified areas where further improvement is needed. These included the accommodation process, accessibility of physical spaces, and digital accessibility— particularly, related to accessible meetings, documents, and assistive technologies. Feedback also indicated that approaches to accessibility can vary across teams, often depending on individual managers or local practices.

This plan reflects much of the feedback received during consultations, including concerns about inconsistent accessibility experiences across roles, locations, and management practices. While barriers to accessibility in the workplace remain, the plan strengthens consistency by embedding accessibility more sustainably across the employee journey.

It also strengthens accessibility in the built environment by integrating it into planning and safety practices and sets us on a clear path to embedding accessibility across the digital lifecycle. Finally, the plan reinforces our commitment to increasing employee and management knowledge and understanding of accessibility and disabilities.

Here are a few selected accomplishments achieved over the course of our previous Accessibility Plan.

• Launched organization wide accessibility training, Unlocking Accessibility: Creating an Inclusive Workplace.
• Launched organization wide disability and accommodation training.
• Developed and launched Plain Language Guidelines to support clear and accessible communication.
• Committed to incorporating accessibility into the design of all future renovations, wherever feasible.

For more information on our progress please see our 2024 Progress Report and 2025 Progress Report.

NAV CANADA manages Canada’s civil airspace and the North Atlantic oceanic airspace under Canada’s control.

Air transportation is essential to Canada’s economy and connects communities across the country and around the world. Our role is to help aircraft travel safely and efficiently through our airspace.

We manage air traffic through control centres, towers, flight service stations, and navigation systems across Canada. We work with airlines, cargo operators, charter and helicopter services, and general aviation pilots. Together, we help keep the skies safe.

NAV CANADA employs approximately 5,700 people at more than 100 locations. The work can be physically and mentally demanding, and safety is our top priority. Aviation is a highly regulated industry, and we are committed to balancing safety requirements with the needs of employees and customers, including persons with disabilities. Our Accessibility Plan supports this commitment.

To learn more about what we heard from people with disabilities see our consultation section.

At NAV CANADA, accessibility is essential to who we are and to the future we are shaping together. Our purpose is to keep the skies safe. That commitment extends to the way we work, the experiences we create, and the communities we serve.

We are dedicated to identifying, removing and preventing barriers so that our employees, customers, and stakeholders can participate equally, effectively and with confidence. We strive to foster a workplace where people feel respected, supported, and valued for the perspectives they bring.

As our organization evolves, we will work to embed accessibility more consistently into every part of our work environment in a sustainable way, recognizing that current experiences can vary depending on role, location, and local practices. This includes the spaces where we gather, the systems and tools that connect us, and the practices that guide our day-to-day work. We know that this will take time. We also recognize that accessibility barriers can have immediate impacts on employees, and that taking action where possible now is important.

We will continue listening to, learning from, and consulting with people with lived experience, so that accessibility can grow thoughtfully, with purpose and with people at the centre.

NAV CANADA welcomes feedback from our employees, customers and members of the public, about our Accessibility plan and accessibility in general at NAV CANADA.

What feedback can I provide?

• You can provide feedback about NAV CANADA’s Accessibility plan
• You can provide feedback about barriers encountered when dealing with NAV CANADA

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 teams responsible for accessibility at NAV CANADA.
• Your feedback may be actioned while the current accessibility plan is in place, or it may be considered for a future plan. Plans are developed and published every three years.
• A summary of your feedback and how it was considered will be included in our progress reports.
• We will keep your feedback for at least seven years.

How can I provide feedback?

You can give us your feedback using one of the following methods:

Mail:
Atn: Manager, Legislated Programs
151 Slater Street, Suite 120  
Ottawa, Ontario 
K1P 5H3

Email: accessibility-accessibilite@navcanada.ca

Telephone: 
1-800-876-4693
8:00 to 18:00 (Eastern Time), Monday to Friday

Our online feedback form

If you would like this Accessibility Plan or a description of our feedback process in an alternate format, please contact the Manager, Legislated Programs using any of the following ways:

• Email: accessibility-accessibilite@navcanada.ca
• Phone: 1-800-876-4693
  Hours of operation: 8:00 to 18:00 (Eastern Time), Monday to Friday

• Mail:
  151 Slater Street, Suite 120
  Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5H3

• Online feedback form: Online feedback form

When alternate formats will be ready

The following alternate formats are available upon request:

Within 15 days of request:

• Print
• Large print (increased font size)

Within 45 days of request:

• Braille
• Audio

The following definitions apply throughout this plan:

Disability: Any impairment, or difference in physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, or communication ability. Disabilities can be permanent or temporary, and 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.

NAV CANADA employs approximately 5,700 people across its various work sites, including employees with disabilities. By improving accessibility at NAV CANADA, we can better support our current workforce and attract more employees with disabilities in the future. Over the next three years, we will improve the accessibility of the employee lifecycle and recruitment process. We will standardize accommodation processes, reduce bias, and embed accessibility across hiring, training, and onboarding. These goals are intended to reduce the administrative and emotional burden that may be placed on employees, and to support more predictable, transparent experiences regardless of role, work location, or manager. We will also strengthen our knowledge and external partnerships to better attract, support, and retain people with disabilities.

Identified barriers

Feedback highlighted that employment related barriers often interact with one another, creating cumulative impacts over time. Further accessibility challenges related to employment identified during consultations, interviews and feedback sessions include:

Accommodations

While we have worked to improve the accommodation process experience, feedback indicates more work is needed.

• The accommodation process itself has been described as complex, difficult to navigate, and administratively burdensome.
• Employees cited lengthy timelines, unclear steps and uncertainty about process accountability and decision-making.
• There are delays in the implementation of accommodations in cases where employees have to change positions.

Recruitment

Feedback suggests that hiring and promotion practices are not consistently accessible. Traditional interview formats and Transport Canada's strict medical requirements for Air Traffic Controllers may create unintentional barriers for some candidates.

Culture

Feedback received indicated that some workplace norms, assumptions, and expectations were not designed with the experience of people with lived experience in mind, particularly those with less visible or episodic disabilities, such as mental health conditions or neurodivergence. This can contribute to misunderstanding, stigma, or a sense of exclusion.

Training

Employee feedback indicates inconsistent leadership and management responses to accessibility, with approaches varying across teams and locations:

• Inconsistent policy and process application.
• Some managers have narrow interpretations of disability and capability.
• Accessibility priorities are not consistently reinforced in management forums.

Feedback also indicated that onboarding training materials are inaccessible.

Actions for 2026 to 2029

Accommodations

• By June 2027 we will establish a structured and coordinated process, led by a small, centralized working group, to support the timely implementation of accommodations.
• By June 2027, we will create a step-by-step infographic and an at-a-glance guide that clearly explain the accommodation process for actively working employees who request workplace accommodations. These resources will include roles, responsibilities, and clear decision-making accountability at each stage. Ultimately, individuals requesting accommodations will gain clarity and understanding of what to expect when the process has been launched.

Recruitment

• By June 2027, we will make it easier for candidates to find and understand information about requesting accommodations during the hiring process. This will include clearer information on our career websites, application materials, and candidate preparation resources about available supports and how to access them.
• By June 2028, we will review and improve how candidates for management roles are assessed to ensure assessments are consistent and reduce the risk of bias. This will include updating interview practices, evaluation criteria, and rating scales.
• By June 2028, we will introduce an annual review of the external recruitment process for non-operational roles. The review will analyze how candidates, including people with disabilities, progress through each stage of the hiring process to identify possible unintended barriers to accessibility, inclusion, or employment equity. What we learn will help guide future improvements to recruitment practices.
• By June 2029, we will build and maintain partnerships with community organizations that support people with disabilities to strengthen recruitment and outreach efforts. Through these partnerships, we aim to increase the representation of people with disabilities hired.

Training

• By June 2028, we will help employees better understand visible, invisible, and episodic disabilities and accessibility. We will do this by delivering at least two disability awareness initiatives each year, such as workshops, learning sessions, or awareness campaigns.
• By June 2029, we will review Accessibility Standards Canada on employment and develop a company-wide accessibility training plan. This plan will support consistent training that is tailored to different roles across the company.
• Each year, when Leadership and Development programs are reviewed, we will include accessibility principles and inclusive design practices. We will also encourage program contributors to add content that builds awareness and understanding of accessibility and inclusion, where appropriate.
• By December 2028 we will review and update corporate onboarding resources to include accessibility considerations, such as plain language and accessible formats, so onboarding is accessible to everyone. This will include:
  - Reviewing and improving the accessibility of corporate onboarding information on the intranet.
  - Piloting an onboarding survey for new employees containing a specific question about accessibility barriers and supports.
  - Using survey results to identify accessibility gaps in onboarding materials or processes and sharing improvement opportunities with those involved and implementing those improvements if feasible.

The accessibility of our buildings affects whether people with disabilities can enter and use our spaces in the same way as others.

NAV CANADA operates more than 100 staffed locations across the country, including air traffic control centres, towers, flight service stations, maintenance facilities, and offices. While all buildings met the building code at the time they were constructed, employees shared that some legacy design decisions continue to create daily barriers, particularly for those with mobility, sensory, or energy limiting disabilities.

NAV CANADA has taken steps to improve accessibility, including upgrading older buildings, and continues to look for ways to make our physical spaces more accessible.

Identified barriers

Accessibility challenges related to the built environment identified during consultations, interviews and feedback sessions.

Mobility and physical access

• Limited elevator access, including small elevators that restrict movement and manoeuvrability.
• Stair-only access in some locations such as towers and flight service stations, limiting independent access.
• Inconsistent installation of automatic door openers.
• Replacement of accessible door hardware with round doorknobs, making doors harder to use for some people with disabilities.
• Limited accessibility considerations in emergency preparedness planning.

Sensory Environment

• Limited options for adjustable or flexible lighting.
• Limited access to quiet or low stimulation work areas.

Parking

• Some badged parking garage entrances do not have level access.

Actions for 2026 to 2029 

Mobility and Physical Access & Sensory Environment

• We are adding accessibility reviews to our building condition assessment program. Each year, we will review 20% of staffed sites and residences as part of our regular assessment cycle. The results will help us decide on future building improvements.
• By June 2027, we will review emergency evacuation maps at all staffed sites and update them to improve accessibility. This includes ensuring the maps are available in large print, braille and installed at accessible heights.
• By June 2027, we will pilot bilingual braille wayfinding signage at facilities in the National Capital Region. We will purchase a braille printer and install braille signage. We will test how well it works by asking persons who read braille for feedback. If the pilot program is successful, we will expand this initiative by buying braille printers for other regions and gradually roll out braille wayfinding signage at facilities across the country.
• By June 2028, we will develop and deliver training for managers and employees. The training will explain emergency evacuation procedures and the supports available for people who may need help during an evacuation, including employees with disabilities. This work will include:
  -Deciding how the training will be developed and delivered
  -Defining what the training will cover
• By June 2028, we will review emergency procedures and guidelines on our internal website to improve accessibility.

Parking

• By June 2029 we will review accessible parking spots at our NAV CANADA owned, staffed sites to ensure an appropriate number of spots are available and to bring them into alignment with present standards.

NAV CANADA relies on more than 200 information and communication technologies (ICT) and digital tools to support internal operations and deliver services to customers, including its public website, internal systems, and advanced air navigation technologies. ICT plays a critical role in improving accessibility by helping employees and customers access information, services, and systems more easily. We are committed to continuing to identify and remove digital accessibility barriers.

Over the next three years, NAV CANADA will focus on improving digital accessibility by strengthening guidance, planning, and review processes.

Identified barriers 

Accessibility challenges related to ICT identified during consultations, interviews and feedback sessions limiting effective participation in day-to-day activities the workplace.

• Limited access to assistive technologies and inconsistent availability of accessibility supports such as audio tools and speech to text.
• Lack of customization options in digital tools.
• Issues like low contrast, poor legibility, inconsistent fonts, weak search functions, and confusing or poorly designed user interfaces create problems for users.
• Limited awareness among supervisors of alternative tools that support executive functioning.

Actions for 2026 to 2029

• By June 2027, we will develop a process to identify accessibility barriers on the employee facing website and make improvements over time.
• By December 2027, we will provide employees who are involved in the development, maintenance or procurement of information and communication technologies with digital accessibility fundamentals training.
• By June 2028, we will develop guidance on the types of assistive technologies and supports available and how to access them. We will also complete an initial review of commonly used technologies to help reduce wait times when they are requested.
• By December 2028, new and updated public and employee facing web pages and web applications will meet the required accessibility regulations.
• By December 2028, new public facing mobile applications will meet the required accessibility regulations.
• By December 2028, we will have completed conformance assessments, including gap analyses, against applicable accessibility regulations for all existing mobile applications.
• By December 2028, we will make sure that digital documents that are available for download from our public facing webpages and mobile applications are accessible and meet required accessibility regulations.

Clear and accessible communication is essential to NAV CANADA’s work and to keeping people connected, informed, and safe. Making communication accessible helps remove barriers, supports inclusion, and ensures that people with disabilities can engage on an equal basis with others. Over the next three years we are taking steps to ensure that information, meetings, and decision-making processes are intentionally designed to be inclusive, accessible, and informed by those who are affected. We will also provide clear guidance and accountability to support employees in doing this well.

Identified barriers

Accessibility challenges related to communication identified during consultations, interviews and feedback sessions.

Accessible information

• Some documents are difficult to read due to small text, tiny images, or unclear wording.

Inclusive consultation

• Decisions, policies, practices, and services are sometimes developed without meaningful input from people with disabilities, which can result in barriers or exclusion.

Accessible meetings

• Meetings are not always accessible due to factors such as poor audio quality, inconsistent microphone use, last minute format changes, fast paced presentations without visual supports, or limited advance sharing of materials. This can cause barriers to the inclusion and participation of people with disabilities.
• Meeting invitations do not always clearly describe the purpose of the meeting, which can limit preparation and participation.
• Practices vary regarding the use of audio visual tools, meeting recordings, and transcription.
• Some speakers and presenters lack awareness of accessible meeting facilitation and inclusive communication best practices.

Actions for 2026 to 2029

• By June 2027, we will review and update our digital document best practices and increase awareness of this resource among employees.
• By June 2027, we will develop and publish Accessible Meeting and Facilitation Guidelines to support more consistent expectations for how meetings are planned and run, regardless of format or facilitator.
• Over the next three years, we will use a formal Consultation Framework to help members of the Accessibility Working Group create and maintain consultation plans. These plans will explain when, how, and who to consult so consultation is meaningful as Accessibility Plan commitments are carried out.

Procurement plays a critical role in advancing accessibility at NAV CANADA, as the goods, services, and facilities we purchase directly shape how inclusive our organization is for employees and partners. NAV CANADA has made progress by embedding accessibility requirements where applicable into our policies, sourcing tools, and procurement templates.

Identified barriers

• Accessibility considerations are not always consistently addressed during procurement due to limited awareness and the absence of standardized, early stage requirements.

Actions for 2026 to 2029

• By June 2028, we will update procurement intake and purchasing guidance to help ensure accessibility is considered in relevant purchases. When full accessibility is not possible, the reasons will be documented.
• By June 2028, we will update our procurement and contract templates, where applicable, to include accessibility requirements for suppliers and ensure these requirements are included in contracts.

At NAV CANADA, we are committed to making our programs and services accessible to users, including airlines, pilots, and other airspace users. That is why we are actively working to identify and remove barriers to accessibility.

Identified barriers

• Accessibility has not always been considered early in the design of programs and services.

Actions for 2026 to 2029

• By June 2028, we will prioritize the review of the programs and services that have the most usage and track identified barriers in one location.
• By June 2029, we will make sure that each program and service has an agreed upon action plan. This will include guidance and awareness initiatives for front line employees.

Ensuring accessible transportation supports equitable participation in work related activities and events. We recently added a field to the travel booking form that allows employees to identify their accessibility needs. The current Plan’s goal will help ensure that these needs continue to be identified early and addressed in a consistent and coordinated way.

Identified barriers

• There is no standard process for booking large group meetings. As a result, accessibility needs are sometimes missed, creating barriers for some employees when travelling for work.

Actions for 2026 to 2029

• By December 2026, we will implement a process to capture and address accessibility requests for large group bookings.

NAV CANADA engaged the services of accessibility consultants Left Turn Right Turn to facilitate consultations with persons with disabilities on our behalf. Listening to people with lived experience is essential, and we are committed to ongoing conversations to help ensure our decisions are accessible and equitable.

Consultation activities included:

• an organization-wide employee survey;
• a series of voluntary one-on-one interviews with employees, conducted virtually or via telephone according to preference;
• a focus group with the Alliance for ACCESS employee resource group, conducted virtually; and
• a "pop up” engagement at NAV CANADA’s Aviation Safety Forum conference in Ottawa.

What we heard through these consultations helped guide the priorities and actions in this Accessibility Plan. Participants consistently emphasized the importance of seeing their feedback reflected not only in commitments, but in improved day-to-day experiences over time.

Employee survey

In December 2025, NAV CANADA employees were invited to participate in an online survey. The survey was intended for employees who identify as having a disability, as well as those who are close to someone with a disability, to share their experiences and perspectives. Participation was voluntary, and responses were anonymous. Sample questions included:

• Are you a person with a disability?
• Which types of disabilities impact you and/or the people you are close to?
• Have you personally encountered accessibility barriers as an employee of NAV CANADA? If so, can you describe those barriers?
• In the past 2 years, did you encounter any accessibility barriers during a recruitment or hiring process at NAV CANADA? If so, can you describe those barriers?
• In the last 2 years, have you experienced any barriers in the workplace medical accommodations process at NAV CANADA? If so, can you describe those barriers?
• In the last 2 years, have you experienced any digital accessibility barriers at NAV CANADA? If so, can you describe those barriers?
• Do you have any ideas for how accessibility could be improved at NAV CANADA?
• Are you interested in providing further feedback about accessibility at NAV CANADA in an individual confidential interview with a representative from our accessibility consultant team?

The survey closed on January 17, 2026. A total of 110 employees responded to the survey.

44% of respondents identified as a person with a disability. The types of disabilities represented included:

• neurodivergence (including learning, intellectual, or developmental disabilities)
• hearing-related disabilities
• physical or mobility-related disabilities
• mental health disabilities
• chronic pain
• vision-related disabilities
• chronic illness

One on one interviews

Survey respondents were invited to express their interest in participating in a confidential one-on-one interview with our accessibility consultants.

One-on-one interviews were conducted with a small group of interested employees in January 2026.

Among the small group of interviewees 75% identified as a person with a disability.

To help guide the conversations, participants were provided with questions in advance.

A sampling of the questions posed includes:

• Have you encountered times where you couldn’t participate fully as an employee? Please tell us about them if you’re comfortable.
• What’s working well for accessibility at NAV CANADA, as an employee with a disability?
• What do you think NAV CANADA should prioritize in the 2026 to 2029 Accessibility Plan?

Employee Resource Group focus group session

We also asked our accessibility consultants to facilitate a focus group with our Employee Resource Group for people with disabilities and allies, Alliance for ACCESS. A small group of employees, both with and without lived experience, participated in the session.

A participation guide was shared with focus group participants in advance, and some of the questions included were:

• Have you encountered times where you couldn’t participate fully as an employee? Please tell us about them if you feel comfortable.
• If you could change one thing about how NAV CANADA approaches accessibility for employees, what would it be?
• Is there anything we haven’t asked you think is important to share about accessibility at NAV CANADA as a workplace?

Conference pop-up

In October 2025, our accessibility consultant attended 2 days of NAV CANADA’s 3-day Aviation Safety Forum. The consultant attended in person for one day and participated virtually via Microsoft Teams on the second day. They also attended a social “meet and greet” event associated with the conference.

A boardroom was reserved to support informal, in-person consultations during the in-person conference day.

No external stakeholders formally provided feedback about accessibility or disability-related barriers during this consultation activity.