For a downloadable word document of this Accessibility Plan, please click here.
1. General
1.1 Message from the CEO – Carmela Haines
Access Communications Co-operative Limited is pleased to present our Accessibility Plan for the period June 1, 2026 to May 31, 2029. This plan builds on the progress made under our first Accessibility Plan and reflects our ongoing commitment under the Accessible Canada Act to identify, remove, and prevent barriers for employees, members, customers, volunteers, and the communities we serve.
Since the introduction of our initial Accessibility Plan in 2023, Access Communications has continued strengthening accessibility across the organization through improvements to facilities, workplace practices, customer service delivery, communications, technologies, and consultation processes. These efforts reflect our commitment to creating a more inclusive and accessible environment for everyone we serve.
Accessibility is an ongoing commitment that requires continuous improvement, inclusive thinking, and meaningful engagement. Over the next three years, we will continue integrating accessibility considerations into our workplaces, customer experiences, communications, technologies, procurement practices, and operational decision-making processes.
We remain committed to advancing accessibility across six key areas identified under the Accessible Canada Act: the built environment; employment; information and communication technologies; communication other than ICT; the procurement of goods, services, and facilities; and the design and delivery of programs and services.
I would like to thank our Accessibility Committee, employees, members, customers, volunteers, and community stakeholders for their continued support and contributions as we work toward a more accessible and inclusive organization.
1.2 Contact Information & Feedback Process
You can submit feedback anonymously about accessibility or this plan by contacting: Senior Manager, Human Resources Information about how to submit feedback to is also available on our public website at the following link: https://www.myaccess.ca/accessibility-feedback |
1.3 Alternative Formats
You can request alternative formats of this plan, and a description of our feedback process by contacting us as described in the feedback section above. An accessible electronic version of this plan compatible with assistive technologies is available on our website at: https://www.myaccess.ca/accessibility/accessibility-plan We will provide the following alternative formats within 15 days of the initial request:
We will provide the following alternative formats within 45 days of the initial request:
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1.4 Executive Summary
The Accessible Canada Act (ACA) came into force in July 2019 with the goal of creating a barrier-free Canada by 2040. The Act is grounded in principles that support dignity, equal opportunity, inclusion, and meaningful participation for persons with disabilities. As a federally regulated organization, Access Communications Co-operative Limited is required to develop, publish, and update an accessibility plan in accordance with the Accessible Canada Act.
Access Communications is a Saskatchewan-based, not-for-profit co-operative that provides internet, television, telephone, and security monitoring services to more than 235 communities across approximately 200,000 square kilometres of rural Saskatchewan. Accessibility remains closely connected to the co-operative’s values of inclusion, community, service, and supporting the diverse needs of employees, customers, members, volunteers, and the communities we serve.
Since the publication of our initial Accessibility Plan in 2023, Access Communications has continued working to identify, remove, and prevent barriers across the organization through improvements to facilities, workplace practices, customer service delivery, communications, technologies, and accessibility awareness initiatives.
Key progress completed during the previous planning cycle includes:
Accessibility upgrades to washrooms, entrances, doors, signage, parking areas, and physical workspaces across multiple operational locations.
Accessibility considerations incorporated into renovation planning and facility improvement projects.
Enhancements to recruitment, hiring, onboarding, and accommodation processes to better support applicants and employees with disabilities.
Workplace accommodations and accessible work arrangements implemented to support diverse employee needs.
Improvements to website accessibility resources, accessibility information, and public feedback mechanisms.
Ongoing review of communication tools, technologies, and customer accessibility supports.
Increased employee awareness and organizational communication related to accessibility and inclusion.
Ongoing consultation opportunities for employees, customers, volunteers, members, and community stakeholders to provide accessibility feedback and recommendations.
Accessibility-focused community programming and communication initiatives, including accessibility-related content and closed captioning enhancements.
During the development and implementation of its Accessibility Plans, Access Communications has utilized accessibility consultation, educational resources, webinars, guidance materials, and subject matter expertise to support continuous improvement efforts and alignment with evolving accessibility requirements and best practices.
The Accessible Canada Act identifies seven priority areas. Six of these areas apply to Access Communications: the built environment; employment; information and communication technologies (ICT); communication other than ICT; the procurement of goods, services, and facilities; and the design and delivery of programs and services.
This Accessibility Plan outlines the barriers identified within these priority areas and the actions Access Communications will continue taking to remove existing barriers, prevent new barriers, and further integrate accessibility considerations into operational planning, workplace practices, customer service delivery, communications, procurement activities, and organizational decision-making processes.
Access Communications recognizes that creating an accessible and inclusive environment is a shared responsibility across all areas of the organization. The organization remains committed to continuous improvement, meaningful consultation, ongoing accessibility awareness, and publishing progress reports in accordance with Accessible Canada Act requirements as we continue working toward a more accessible and inclusive organization for all.
1.5 Definitions
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, temporary, 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. |
2. Areas Described under Section 5 of the ACA
2.1 The Built Environment
In Regina the co-operative has a combined head office and retail location, while also maintaining a separate warehousing facility. In addition, Access Communications operates retail and office locations throughout Saskatchewan in Estevan, North Battleford, Saskatoon, Weyburn, and Yorkton. The objective is to ensure everyone (staff/public) who enters the organization’s locations/offices have barrier-free access to full and equal participation.
Access Communications has recently updated all workstations to meet accessibility standards at all locations. In addition, feedback received through consultations will be looked upon to implement improvements as identified for the built environment, related to elimination of barriers thereby assisting Access Communications in alignment with ACA principles.
Access Communications reviewed all its offices, retail locations, and buildings in Saskatchewan to identify built environment barriers. The locations are used by employees, volunteers, and customers.
Accessibility Goals
Access Communications will review and update, as necessary, all required accessible signage at every location to identify what is accessible.
Access Communications will review and evaluate feedback from the survey and implement improvements to the built environment to remove and prevent barriers.
Access Communications will continually review the built environment to identify ways to implement accessibility best practices, where possible.
Access Communications will continue to proactively incorporate accessibility considerations into plans for future renovations and/or in acquiring new space.
2.2 Employment
Tackling employment-related barriers will help Access Communications act on the ACA’s principles. It will help make sure that all people have the same employment-related opportunities. Access Communications has a host of indoor administrative and outdoor physical labour type positions. Travel and performance of duties within a customer’s home and yard is required for certain positions. Hybrid work from home may be accommodated for certain positions where workstations in home replicate the organization’s internal policy standards.
Access Communications will evaluate and review the consultation feedback received in consideration of its hiring and onboarding, training, and wellbeing to identify and eliminate employment barriers.
Access Communications has been responsive to the needs of its employees as they arise. Managers have a formal role in the accommodations process as they are the first people to be approached by an employee. In addition, management is also provided with Mental Health in the Workplace training.
Accessibility Goals
Access Communication employees will receive training on the fundamental principles of accessible communications, which includes understanding alternate formats and their responsibilities in accommodating such requests. This training will ensure that our employees have the knowledge and skills to effectively meet the needs of individuals who require accessible communication formats.
Access Communications will review its recruitment and hiring process to find and remove accessibility barriers for job applicants.
Access Communications will publish and share guidelines on how employees and applicants with disabilities can request accommodation.
Access Communications will include information in job postings about how applicants can request and receive accommodation during the hiring process. Access will also remind job applicants they can request accommodation when contacted for an interview.
2.3 Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
Addressing ICT-related barriers will help Access Communications act on the ACA’s principles. Ensuring that Access Communications’ internal and external technology tools, including our internal and external websites, are accessible will help employees and customers have barrier-free access to full and equal participation in society.
Accessibility Goals
Access Communications will research, evaluate, and review its communication equipment and technologies to identify barriers and make plans to make them accessible.
Access Communications will complete further research, evaluation, and review of its internal and external websites to identify barriers and make them more accessible. The external website will have its own accessibility page.
2.4 Communication, other than ICT
Tackling communication-related barriers will help Access Communications act on the ACA’s principles. It will ensure that all people are treated with dignity and have meaningful options and the freedom to make their own choices, with support if they desire.
Access Communications employees and customers communicate in several different ways, from reviewing our internal/external websites, in-person, over the phone, via online chat, and email. A review was done of all internal and external communications, besides ICT, to identify barriers and solutions.
Accessibility Goals
Access Communications will provide awareness training to its staff for alternate forms of accessibility communication and how to accommodate such requests.
Access Communications will establish internal standards for plain and inclusive language and incorporate them into internal and external communications whenever possible.
Access Communications will ensure information in alternative formats is available upon request where possible.
2.5 The Procurement of Goods, Services, and Facilities
Addressing procurement-based barriers will help Access Communications act on the ACA’s principles. It will help make sure that all persons have barrier-free access to full and equal participation in society.
Access Communications buys various products and services to support our work and employees. We use a system of rules and guidelines to ensure we buy competitively priced products, and services for the best value for money. We are dedicated to ensuring the products and services we buy are as accessible as possible. The following goals will ensure accessibility is considered when we make a new purchase.
Accessibility Goals
Access Communications will include a review for accessibility considerations for the built environment within its final approval processes to avoid barriers and align with ACA principles where possible. Access Communications will provide awareness training for individuals responsible for procurement within the built environment.
2.6 The Design and Delivery of Programs and Services
Access Communications provides local television programing within Saskatchewan. Barriers and actions areas related to this have been listed under Communications, other than ICTs.
2.7 Transportation
Access Communications Co-operative does not offer transportation services and therefore has nothing to report under this heading.
3. Consultations
Access Communications recognizes the importance of ongoing consultation with employees, customers, members, volunteers, and persons with disabilities to support meaningful accessibility improvements and reduce barriers across the organization.
Access Communications formed an internal working group (The Accessibility Committee) with representation from departments across the organization to support the development and ongoing implementation of its Accessibility Plans. Oversight of accessibility initiatives and ongoing progress continues to be supported through the organization’s Accessibility Committee in collaboration with operational leadership.
During the initial development of its first Accessibility Plan, Access Communications retained the services of Left Turn Right Turn Ltd. (LTRT), an independent accessibility consulting organization, to assist with stakeholder consultation, accessibility surveys, barrier identification, and guidance related to Accessible Canada Act requirements and accessibility best practices.
LTRT assisted Access Communications in surveying employees, volunteers, customers, and members to better understand accessibility barriers and opportunities for improvement across the organization. Their support helped identify physical, technological, communication, and attitudinal barriers and assisted in the development of the organization’s initial accessibility priorities and action planning.
Since the implementation of the initial Accessibility Plan, Access Communications has continued utilizing accessibility resources, educational webinars, consultation opportunities, guidance materials, and subject matter expertise to support ongoing accessibility awareness, continuous improvement efforts, and alignment with evolving accessibility requirements and best practices.
Access Communications recognizes the importance of lived experience in helping identify, understand, and remove accessibility barriers. Feedback and participation from individuals with disabilities continue to play an important role in shaping accessibility priorities, operational improvements, and future planning activities.
3.1 Internal Consultations
Access Communications initially conducted anonymous and confidential employee and volunteer accessibility surveys to gather feedback regarding barriers and accessibility experiences within the workplace. Feedback themes were reviewed to identify opportunities for improvement related to physical accessibility, workplace accommodations, communication methods, technology, and organizational awareness.
Since the initial consultation process, Access Communications has continued encouraging employee and volunteer accessibility feedback through internal communication channels, including the organization’s internal websites, email communications, engagement surveys, accessibility discussions, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiatives, and ongoing organizational communication opportunities.
3.2 External Consultations
Access Communications initially conducted anonymous and confidential customer and member accessibility surveys to better understand barriers experienced by customers, members, volunteers, and community stakeholders.
Feedback received through these consultation activities assisted in identifying accessibility barriers and opportunities for improvement related to facilities, communications, technology, customer service, and accessibility awareness across the organization.
Since the implementation of the initial Accessibility Plan, Access Communications has continued providing opportunities for customers, members, volunteers, employees, and community stakeholders to submit accessibility feedback and recommendations through multiple communication channels and community outreach initiatives.
Consultation opportunities and requests for accessibility feedback have been communicated through the organization’s external website, accessibility feedback forms, AccessNow TV ad avails, the Community Calendar, AccessNow Radio spot, YouTube accessibility awareness videos, community messaging initiatives, and ongoing accessibility awareness activities.
Feedback received through these ongoing consultation opportunities continues to support future accessibility planning, continuous improvement efforts, and barrier reduction initiatives across the organization.
4. Conclusion
This accessibility plan identifies successes, barriers, and next steps to remove barriers and prevent new ones based on the feedback received through the internal and external consultation phases.
Access Communications will continue working toward integrating accessibility-by-design principles into operational planning, workplace practices, customer service delivery, communications, technology improvements, and facility planning activities.
Accessibility remains an ongoing journey requiring continuous evaluation, consultation, collaboration, and improvement across all areas of the organization.
Access Communications is committed to implementing this plan to achieve a solid foundation and a fully accessible Canada by 2040.
APPENDIX – The Principles of the ACA
The Principles of the ACA are set out at section 6 of that Act. They are:
all persons must be treated with dignity regardless of their disabilities;
all persons must have the same opportunity to make for themselves the lives that they are able and wish to have regardless of their disabilities;
all persons must have barrier-free access to full and equal participation in society, regardless of their disabilities;
all persons must have meaningful options and be free to make their own choices, with support if they desire, regardless of their disabilities;
laws, policies, programs, services and structures must take into account the disabilities of persons, the different ways that persons interact with their environments and the multiple and intersecting forms of marginalization and discrimination faced by persons;
persons with disabilities must be involved in the development and design of laws, policies, programs, services, and structures; and
the development and revision of accessibility standards and the making of regulations must be done with the objective of achieving the highest level of accessibility for persons with disabilities.
Access Communications considered these principles in preparing its accessibility plan.