Skip to content
Menu
  • English Selected
  • Français

 

Header secondary

  • Sign up for eNews
  • Donate

Header

  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Our Programs
    • Leadership Team
    • Board Members and Committees
    • Donors
    • Annual Reports
    • 2021-23 Strategic Plan
    • FAQ
    • Work With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Champion's Circle
    Hero
    Passionate about accessibility? We need your help
    Get Involved
  • About Rick
    • About Rick
    • Rick's Story
    • Man In Motion World Tour
      • Man In Motion World Tour
      • The Dream
      • Tour Timeline
      • Tour Gallery
      • Tour Team
      • 35th Anniversary
    • Rick’s Work and Vision
    • A Conversation with Rick
    • Awards & Honours
    Hero
    Passionate about accessibility? We need your help
    Get Involved
  • Get Involved
    • Get Involved
    • Donate
    • Legacy Giving
    • Fundraise
    • Help make Canada accessible
    • Everyone Everywhere
    • National AccessAbility Week
    Hero
    Passionate about accessibility? We need your help
    Get Involved
  • Become Accessible
    • Become Accessible
    • Rating & Certification 
      • Rating & Certification 
      • Rating Request Form
      • RHFAC FAQ
      • RHFAC v3.0
    • Accessibility Training and Education
      • Professional Training
      • Accessibility Training and Education
      • Tuition Grants
    • Accessibility Resources
    • Accessibility Professional Network
      • Accessibility Professional Network
      • FAQ: Accessibility Professional Network
      • Login
      • RHFAC Professional Directory
    • Post an Accessibility Job
    • Accessibility Advisory Services
    • Buildings Without Barriers Challenge
    • Leaders in Accessibility
    • B.C. Accessibility Grants
    Hero
    Passionate about accessibility? We need your help
    Get Involved
  • Schools & Communities
    • Schools and Communities
    • Create an Inclusive School Year
      • Start with Awareness
      • Concentrate on Kindness 
      • Boldly Take Action
    • Resource Library
    • Ambassador Presentations
      • Ambassador Presentations
      • Book a Presentation
      • About Our Ambassadors
    • Difference Maker Awards
      • Difference Maker Awards
      • Difference Maker Winners
    • Supplementary Resources
    • Our Partners
    Hero
    Passionate about accessibility? We need your help
    Get Involved
  • News & Stories
    • News & Stories
    • Blog
    • Media Centre
    • Newsletter
    • Disability Reports
    Hero
    Passionate about accessibility? We need your help
    Get Involved
  • Search

Breadcrumb

  1. Rick Hansen Foundation
  2. News & Stories
  3. Blog
  4. Currently selected Introducing Canada’s First Chief Accessibility Officer, Stephanie Cadieux
Headshot of Stephanie Cadieux who has short brown hair and glasses. She is wearing a black blazer and white shirt and is in front of a black background.

Introducing Canada’s First Chief Accessibility Officer, Stephanie Cadieux

Rebecca Blissett By Rebecca Blissett On February 13, 2023 Community Spotlight

We’re thrilled that Stephanie Cadieux, Canada’s first Chief Accessibility Officer, will be kicking off the #APN2023: Building Together conference presented by Royal Bank of Canada, held on March 1 & 2, 2023. Along with Michael Gottheil (Accessibility Commissioner to the Canadian Human Rights Commission) and Brad McCannell (Vice President, Access and Inclusion, Rick Hansen Foundation) she will be featured in a keynote session titled Toward a United and Accessible Canada.

 RHF had the opportunity to ask Stephanie some questions about accessibility, inclusion, and creating culture change. Here is what she had to say:

Q: You’re serving as an independent special advisor to the Ministry of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion. What does this actually mean?

A: The role of Chief Accessibility Officer was created under the Accessible Canada Act. I’ve been in the position now since May 2022. I’m responsible for monitoring and reporting on outcomes achieved under the Act, as well as providing the Minister of Employment and Social Development with advice on systemic and emerging accessibility and disability inclusion issues. In a nutshell, I’m here to be a champion and a challenger for accessibility across the federal government, bringing oversight and cohesion to the many different efforts being made. I’m looking for common challenges and best practices, taking stock of what’s working well and what might need more thought, then working to ensure that those with the power to direct change have that information.

Over this first year, I’ve been reaching out broadly to have conversations with advocates, champions, and policy makers to get a sense of the landscape and to hone in on how I can be most effective and determining what my first priorities should be. I’ve been learning and expanding my own thinking about what a barrier-free Canada means and what it will take to get there.

Q: What is the broad definition of disability, and why is it so important?

A: Under the Accessible Canada Act, disability is defined as “any impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication or sensory impairment—or a functional limitation—whether permanent, temporary or episodic in nature, or evident or not, that, in interaction with a barrier, hinders a person’s full and equal participation in society.”

It’s important to have this broad definition to ensure that we are being as inclusive as possible when we consider what might constitute a barrier. It can be too easy to think of accessibility as only a matter of wheelchair access, when the truth is so much more complex. People with disabilities are as diverse as the rest of the population. Many people have invisible disabilities and often face barriers that aren’t taken into consideration.

Stephanie Cadieux, who has shoulder length brown hair and glasses. She is wearing a green cardigan with dark coloured pants and holding a Starbucks cup. She is using a wheelchair and is smiling away from the camera.

Q: How can we get people to understand that accessibility goes far beyond the idea of wheelchair ramps?

A: I believe that storytelling is one of the most powerful tools we have when it comes to fostering understanding on a large scale. To tell those stories, we need better data about the types of accessibility issues being encountered by diverse people with disabilities. Once we have that data, we can find stories that exemplify what is happening and share those stories far and wide.

For people with disabilities this might seem obvious, but for people charged with making change, who don’t have lived experience, the idea of removing all the barriers (especially the ones that might be less obvious) can be overwhelming. When people share stories about how they came to understand accessibility and implemented solutions, with concrete examples of problems solved, it can empower others.

Happily, with the Accessible Canada Act, the onus is now on federal government and federally-regulated industries to proactively identify and remove barriers. That means it is no longer up to people with disabilities to do all the work of self-identifying and explaining how they are being excluded. That being said, for those who feel safe to do so and are in positions to do so, speaking up and sharing about personal experience still makes a big difference. It helps to normalize these experiences, and fosters understanding.

Q: What are the first steps to creating culture change?

A: This is a great question! For culture change to really take hold, changes need to take place on many interconnected levels. It may seem obvious, but the first step is bringing the existence of a problem to light. Even this is not as simple as it may sound, because wide-scale unconscious bias may mean that most people don’t even realize that there is a problem, and so it falls to those directly affected to raise the issue. Once they raise it, they then have to be heard and taken seriously – and because unconscious bias can run deep, this may not always happen right away. So the person who has bravely spoken out may become discouraged and refrain from trying again. That first step is actually a very big one. People can take unconscious bias training in the workplace, but getting messages across to the population in general can be trickier.

After awareness comes action and this can take place at many levels. It might mean advocacy, engaging decision-makers and change-leaders to help. Then, it might mean the creation of new policies or legislation, as in the case of the Accessible Canada Act. But even after legislation, the work of creating understanding must continue or we risk apathy or people seeing accessibility as just something else that can be checked off a list. In reality, we have to continuously talk about it and normalize it, embed it in day-to-day thinking so that it becomes something we are always factoring into our plans, processes, and products. So curiosity, storytelling, and sharing continue to be important every step of the way.

Q: What is one simple act people can take to encourage accessibility in their communities?

A: Examine your own unconscious biases. What assumptions are you making? Are you saying to yourself: “this entrance isn’t accessible, but that’s okay, because people can use a back door, if necessary” or “that door is heavy and there isn’t a push button, but that’s okay, because people with disabilities don’t go places alone.” Challenge your own thinking and be an ally. What I mean by that is, in your workplace or community, when you see something that would present a barrier to someone with a disability, speak up, help to educate others, help them see the barrier, and what can be done to remove it.

--

Learn more from Canada’s first Chief Accessibility Officer, Stephanie Cadieux at the Accessibility Professional Network #APN2023: Building Together Conference March 1-2, 2023.

Related articles

Announcing 2023's Difference Makers! Colourful graphics of people with different abilities are celebrating.
Announcing the Recipients of the 2023 RHFSP Difference Maker of the Year Awards!/Annonce des lauréates et des lauréats du prix Personne qui fait une différence de l’année 2023 du PSFRH!
GWL Realty Advisors Champion Disability Inclusion within ESG
Three young people on a playground smiling and looking through a climbing rope. One youth has low vision and is wearing sunglasses.
Including Disability in the Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) Conversation with Youth
Man hitting golf ball while using adaptive golf cart on St. Andrews golf course.
Driving Towards Inclusive Golf for All

Rebecca Blissett

Rebecca Blissett is the writer for the Rick Hansen Foundation. She has been a storyteller through using the written word and photographs her entire adult life. Her experience in journalism gave her a deep appreciation for telling untold stories, particularly when it comes to people with disabilities. She is happy to be part of the movement to make Canada more accessible and inclusive.

Back to top

Next Story

The Creation of a Culture Shift
Rebecca Blissett By Rebecca Blissett
Read More

Stay in Touch

Receive Foundation emails to stay up-to-date on our impact and programs.

Contact Us

1-800-213-2131
info@rickhansen.com

Rick Hansen Foundation
300-3820 Cessna Drive
Richmond, BC
Canada V7B 0A2

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linkedin
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
Imagine Canada

The Standards Program Trustmark is a mark of Imagine Canada used under license by the Rick Hansen Foundation.

About Us - EN

  • About Us
  • Our Programs
  • Leadership Team
  • Board Members and Committees
  • Donors
  • Annual Reports
  • 2021-23 Strategic Plan
  • FAQ
  • Work With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Champion's Circle

About Rick - EN

  • About Rick
  • Rick's Story
  • Man In Motion World Tour
    • Man In Motion World Tour
    • The Dream
    • Tour Timeline
    • Tour Gallery
    • Tour Team
    • 35th Anniversary
  • Rick’s Work and Vision
  • A Conversation with Rick
  • Awards & Honours

Get Involved - EN

  • Get Involved
  • Donate
  • Legacy Giving
  • Fundraise
  • Help make Canada accessible
  • Everyone Everywhere
  • National AccessAbility Week

Become Accessible - EN

  • Become Accessible
  • Rating & Certification 
    • Rating & Certification 
    • Rating Request Form
    • RHFAC FAQ
    • RHFAC v3.0
  • Accessibility Training and Education
    • Professional Training
    • Accessibility Training and Education
    • Tuition Grants
  • Accessibility Resources
  • Accessibility Professional Network
    • Accessibility Professional Network
    • FAQ: Accessibility Professional Network
    • Login
    • RHFAC Professional Directory
  • Post an Accessibility Job
  • Accessibility Advisory Services
  • Buildings Without Barriers Challenge
  • Leaders in Accessibility
  • B.C. Accessibility Grants

Schools & Communities - EN

  • Schools and Communities
  • Create an Inclusive School Year
    • Start with Awareness
    • Concentrate on Kindness 
    • Boldly Take Action
  • Resource Library
  • Ambassador Presentations
    • Ambassador Presentations
    • Book a Presentation
    • About Our Ambassadors
  • Difference Maker Awards
    • Difference Maker Awards
    • Difference Maker Winners
  • Supplementary Resources
  • Our Partners

News & Stories - EN

  • News & Stories
  • Blog
  • Media Centre
  • Newsletter
  • Disability Reports

Legal

  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Ethical Reporting Policy
  • Complaints Policy
  • Imagine Canada Certification
  • Accessibility Commitment
  • Diversity and Inclusion
Imagine Canada

The Standards Program Trustmark is a mark of Imagine Canada used under license by the Rick Hansen Foundation.

Charitable Registration Number: 10765 9427 RR 0001 © 2023 Rick Hansen Foundation. All Rights Reserved.

Back to Top
Hero

Our programs and initiatives work to create an accessible and inclusive world where people with disabilities can live to their full potential. 

Learn more
Hero

When Rick set out to wheel around the world in 1985, he had three missions: to raise awareness about the potential of people with disabilities, create accessible and inclusive communities, and find a cure.

Read more
Hero

Receive updates from RHF on the impact we’re making for people with disabilities across Canada.

Subscribe
Hero

Have your site rated and certified for meaningful access for people with physical disabilities. Make your community more welcoming and inclusive for all!

Get Started
Hero

Receive free educational resources that teach youth about the importance of access and inclusion.  

Learn more
Hero

Browse the latest stories about access and disability inclusion. 

Read our Blog