May 2025 AAACT Now for AccessibilityNewsletter

Spring has arrived, bringing warmer days and renewed energy! As the season blossoms, we’re excited to prepare for National AccessAbility Week (NAAW). Read below for exciting NAAW events happening across the Government of Canada (GC) – don’t miss out on the chance to make a difference!

National AccessAbility Week 2025

National AccessAbility Week (NAAW), celebrated this year from May 25 to 31, offers a meaningful opportunity to explore accessibility and inclusion in the workplace, and to reaffirm our shared commitment to building a more inclusive public service.

Throughout the week, a variety of engaging activities will take place across the GC. We encourage everyone to take part, as this is a valuable chance to learn, collaborate and contribute to advancing accessibility in the public service and beyond.

Below is a list of planned events that are open to all GC employees, and we also encourage you to participate in activities hosted by your own departments. For more information on activities hosted by the Accessibility, Accommodation and Adaptive Computer Technology (AAACT) program, visit our NAAW 2025 web page.

Let’s make the most of this inspiring week, together!

AAACT Accessibility Trivia

As part of this year’s exciting NAAW lineup, we’re thrilled to invite you to play AAACT Accessibility Trivia – a fun and interactive way to celebrate accessibility, build connections, and spark learning across the public service!

How does it work? It’s simple!

Register now, and the challenge kicks off on Monday, May 26th. Each morning, you’ll receive a link to a GCForms questionnaire featuring that day’s trivia questions. Complete the daily questionnaire and explore key accessibility concepts that will broaden your knowledge. After submitting your answers, you’ll receive the correct responses, allowing you to track your progress and enhance your understanding each day.

At the end of each day, if you get 5 or more questions correct, your name will be entered into a prize draw. Two lucky winners will be announced on Friday, May 30th, during our Accessible Horizons live event and will receive an exclusive AAACT water bottle!

Don’t miss out on the fun! Register for AAACT Accessibility Trivia today, and be sure to sign up for the Accessible Horizons live event to join us for the grand prize draw!

So, are you ready to test your knowledge, discover new insights, and win awesome prizes? Join the fun, challenge yourself, and help make this NAAW celebration one to remember.

Fostering Disability Allyship for a More Inclusive Public Service

The Office of Public Service Accessibility and the Canada School of Public Service are hosting an event for GC public servants on Monday May 26th, from 1:30-3:00 PM (ET). This engaging event will bring together public servants with disabilities to share their personal stories and insights, and offer their perspectives for fostering an inclusive public service through an intersectional lens.

Participants will gain a fresh perspective on disability allyship and how to effectively challenge biases and apply practical strategies to promote workplace inclusion through compassion, communication and collaboration.

We’re especially excited to share that Nadine Charron will be a featured speaker at the event, offering her unique experiences and perspectives.

We encourage all to attend this important event - register today.

Creating an Inclusive Workplace Culture

You’re invited to an interactive and insightful session focused on creating a culture of inclusion of persons with disabilities.

In this session, you will:

• Explain the impact of a positive workplace culture on the inclusion of persons with disabilities
• Use neutral or non-ableist words to foster diversity and inclusion in the federal public service
• Be equipped to learn more about disability inclusion and what they can do to positively influence workplace culture

How to register

English session:

• Date: Thursday May 29, 2025
• Time: 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM (ET)
• Registration: Register for the English creating an inclusive workplace culture session

French session:

• Date: Tuesday May 27, 2025
• Time: 10:00-12:00 PM (ET)
• Registration: Register for the French creating an inclusive workplace culture session

This event will be held in a hybrid format. There are only 24 in-person spots available, and registration is on a first-come, first-serve basis. The in-person session  will take place at 219 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa, Ontario.

Register today and take the next step toward shaping a more inclusive workplace. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to make a real difference!

Embracing Digital Accessibility

We’re excited to announce that our very own Nadine Charron and Luna Bengio will be leading a session on Embracing Digital Accessibility for the Canadian Innovation Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED).

Event details

Date: Wednesday May 28, 2025

English session

• Time: 1:30 – 3:00 PM (ET)
• Registration: Register for the English embracing digital accessibility session

French session

• Time: 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM (ET)
• Registration: Register for the French embracing digital accessibility session

Over the course of 90 minutes, you’ll:

• Gain a deep understanding of the critical role digital accessibility plays in workforce diversity, compliance, and public service delivery.
• Engage in group discussions, case studies, and practical activities that explore real-world accessibility challenges and solutions.
• Learn how adaptive technologies can remove barriers and drive meaningful change in your organization through digital accessibility.

This session offers invaluable insights and tools to help you champion digital accessibility in your workplace. Don’t miss out—register today and take the first step towards creating a more inclusive and accessible digital environment!

Accessible Horizons NAAW Edition

The AAACT team is excited to invite you to a NAAW special edition of Accessible Horizons! Join us on Friday May 30th as we welcome our very first special guest! During this live recording, we’ll showcase our AAACT client space, explore the differences between the medical and social models of disability, and feature an engaging conversation with our very first guest!

Event details

Date: Friday May 30, 2025

English session:

• Time: 2:00 - 2:45 PM (ET)
• Registration: Register for the English Accessible Horizons session

French session:

• Time: 1:00 - 1:45 PM (ET)
• Registration: Register for the French Accessible Horizons session

Platform: Webinar via Microsoft Teams

Sign language interpretation: available for both sessions

Can’t join live? No problem! Accessible Horizons is available as a podcast, so you can listen to the conversations anytime, anywhere! Simply visit our AAACT podcast web page to listen or subscribe on one of our available podcast platforms to stay updated with new episodes.

How AAACT Can Help You?

At AAACT, we take accessibility to heart not only during NAAW but all year round. Our program supports employees and managers from all GC organizations to identify accessibility needs and recommend reasonable and effective solutions. We offer personalized support through informal consultations, tailored job accommodation recommendations, and adaptive solutions such as customized hardware and software. Our services extend to both short-term and long-term employees, offering support and ongoing collaboration to ensure seamless integration of adaptive technologies as quickly as possible. The program relies on a lending library, which facilitates quick access to a multitude of tools, such as adapted computer technologies and equipment that can remove barriers.

In addition to hands-on support to GC employees, AAACT promotes inclusive design and digital accessibility by helping organizations build accessibility into products, services, and content from the start. We offer a variety of accessibility training sessions to empower everyone with the knowledge and tools to help integrate accessibility into your digital projects. Employees, managers, and departments are encouraged to contact AAACT for expert guidance on reducing workplace barriers and creating environments where everyone can thrive.

To learn more, visit our How AAACT can help you? web page.

AAACT client testimonials

“A big thanks to you and your team for facilitating the new equipment process and loan period. It helped me have a successful return to work after a long period of leave, and helped break down barriers to my return."

“I just wanted to thank you and your team for all your help and support in my transition back to work following my injury! You helped me immensely and just knowing I had your support as well as my teams, just put me at ease and took a significant pressure off.”

“Thank you again for all your help. I really appreciate it and could not have achieved so much using the accessibility functions without your guidance and advice.”

GC Workplace Accessibility Passport

AAACT, in partnership with the Office of Public Service Accessibility (OPSA), is excited to invite you to an informative session about the GC Workplace Accessibility Passport. The Passport fosters collaboration between employees and their managers to address and overcome workplace barriers effectively.

Why Attend?

Gain valuable insights into:

• The GC Workplace Accessibility Passport and its simple, effective model.
• The numerous benefits it offers.
• The resources available to support its implementation.

Details

Date: June 11, 2025

English session:

• Time: 1:30 to 2:30 PM (ET)
• Registration: Register for the English GC Workplace Accessibility Passport session

French session:

• Time: 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM (ET)
• Registration: Register for the French GC Workplace Accessibility Passport session

Delivery Platform: Microsoft Teams

Who Should Attend? All federal public service employees.

If you have any questions, please contact AAACT Learning.

Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD)

May 15th is Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD)—a time to highlight the importance of inclusive digital design and ensure technology is usable by everyone, including people with disabilities. AAACT is proud to support this mission by offering a wide range of services, including accessibility testing and training opportunities to help federal public servants to build more inclusive digital experiences. We encourage you to get involved and explore ways to improve accessibility in your work. Visit the Digital Accessibility Toolkit for practical tips and tricks to make your digital documents more accessible. Every step toward accessibility makes a difference!

For more information on AAACT services, visit the How AAACT Can Help You? web page.

Shared Services Canada’s Feedback Mechanism

Do you have feedback, comments or suggestions on how to improve accessibility in our Shared Services Canada (SSC) workplace, policies, programs or services? In 2022, SSC launched an Accessibility feedback process, to help identify and reduce accessibility barriers across its enterprise processes, improving the accessibility of services. If you have ideas to improve accessibility, we want to hear from you! Provide feedback on accessibility at Shared Services Canada.

Contact us for more information about the AAACT Newsletter at our email: aaact-aatia@ssc-spc.gc.ca