2026 – 2028 Accessibility Plan

Alternate formats

• 2026 – 2028 Accessibility Plan (PDF)

Table of Contents

1. Message from the President and CEO
2. General
3. Progress Report
4. Consultations
5. Areas Described Under Section 5 of the Accessible Canada Act
6. CMHC’s Feedback Process
7. Conclusion
8. Glossary
9. Appendix A: Progress on 2023 – 2025 Accessibility Plan

Message from the President and CEO

At Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), we are committed to making accessibility a key part of building a strong housing system. CMHC understands that the more inclusive we are, the more Canadians will have a home they can afford and that meets their needs.

Since the launch of our first accessibility plan in 2023, CMHC has taken important steps to improve accessibility and disability inclusion. For example, resources such as the Universal Design Guide and the Housing Design Catalogue were created to promote accessible and adaptable housing. Accessibility was embedded in our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Framework, which introduced initiatives such as the Enabling Leaders Program™ to support career development opportunities for employees with disabilities. Also, accountability was strengthened to help build a psychologically safe and inclusive workplace. These are some of the steps that CMHC took, and while we are proud of our progress, we recognize that advancing accessibility is an ongoing journey. There is still important work ahead.

Our recent accessibility assessments and consultations further deepened our understanding of what CMHC is doing well, and where we need to improve. These insights shaped our 2026 – 2028 Accessibility Plan, which focuses on making CMHC more accessible.

Accessibility is a shared responsibility, and we are committed to doing our part in building a CMHC that is accessible for everyone.

Sincerely,
Coleen Volk, President and CEO
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

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General

2.1 Executive Summary

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) 2026 – 2028 Accessibility Plan explains how we will work toward becoming a barrier-free organization. It builds on our progress to date and describes how we will improve accessibility and inclusion for employees and the communities we serve. The plan is shaped by the principles and requirements of the Accessible Canada Act, and by the lived experiences of people with disabilities. It outlines the actions CMHC will take over the next three years to identify, remove, and prevent barriers to accessibility.

Our plan focuses on the seven priority areas described under Section 5 of the Accessible Canada Act. These areas include: 

• employment
• the built environment
• information and communication technologies (ICT)
• communication (other than ICT)
• the procurement of goods, services and facilities
• the design and delivery of programs and services
• transportation

We also added an eighth priority area, Governance and Culture, to highlight the importance of embedding accessibility into organizational practices and decision-making.

Key commitments in CMHC’s 2026 – 2028 Accessibility Plan include:

• Strengthening accessibility governance across CMHC.
• Making CMHC’s digital tools and office spaces more accessible.
• Expanding awareness and understanding of accessibility and disability inclusion.

Our plan was shaped by the input of employees, clients, and stakeholders with disabilities to address real barriers. We will continue to seek feedback, monitor our progress, and publish annual updates as we work toward becoming a barrier-free organization. Through our 2026 – 2028 Accessibility Plan, we remain committed to creating an inclusive workplace and making accessibility a key part of how we deliver on our mission with integrity and purpose.

2.2 About CMHC

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) contributes to the well-being of Canada’s housing system. We provide housing finance solutions and reliable access to mortgage funding. We also deliver housing programs for the Government of Canada and share important research, data and insights to help improve housing across the country.

We believe that safe, affordable, and accessible housing is essential. It helps people with disabilities live with dignity and independence. Our 2026 – 2028 Accessibility Plan outlines the actions we will take over the next three years to identify, remove, and prevent barriers to accessibility at CMHC. Our plan shows our commitment to creating an inclusive organization and to supporting the goal of the Accessible Canada Act.

2.3 Our commitment to accessibility

At CMHC, we are committed to identifying, removing, and preventing barriers to accessibility. We will continue to listen to people with disabilities and use their feedback to improve how we make CMHC more accessible and inclusive.

We are also committed to supporting the goal of the Accessible Canada Act by meeting its principles and requirements, and by adopting the standards developed by Accessibility Standards Canada.

2.4 Contact information

The designated contact person for accessibility at CMHC is our Senior Specialist, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. This specialist is responsible for overseeing our accessibility efforts and ensuring that we comply with the Accessible Canada Act.

If you want to share feedback about accessibility at CMHC, or obtain our 2026 – 2028 Accessibility Plan in an alternate format, please contact:

Contact Details

• Address: 700 Montreal Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0P7
• Email: contactcentre@cmhc.ca
• Phone: 1-800-668-2642 (video relay service available)

Requesting Alternate Formats

We are committed to making our 2026 – 2028 Accessibility Plan available in formats that meet your needs. To obtain our plan in an alternate format such as large print, braille, or audio, please contact us using any of the methods described above. For more information, please refer to the Feedback section of our plan.

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Progress Report

Since launching our 2023 – 2025 Accessibility Plan, CMHC has taken important steps to become a more accessible and inclusive organization. Guided by the experience and feedback of people with disabilities, we have completed the 35 actions we committed to in our 2023 – 2025 Accessibility Plan. These actions have improved access to our programs and services and made our workplace more accessible and inclusive. These efforts have also supported our progress toward becoming a barrier-free CMHC. For details on the actions we took in 2023 – 2025, please refer to Appendix A.

We have established strong processes to track our progress and monitor the development of new accessibility standards by Accessibility Standards Canada. These standards are voluntary unless they become regulated under the Accessible Canada Act. We are following them closely so our teams can adopt them where possible and be ready to meet them if they become regulatory requirements.

Through our 2026 – 2028 Accessibility Plan, we will build on this progress and continue taking steps to become a more accessible organization.

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Consultations

To develop our 2026 – 2028 Accessibility Plan, we conducted thorough assessments and consultations to better understand the state of accessibility across the organization. Through this work, we created safe spaces where participants, including people with disabilities, could share honest feedback to inform the plan.

We reviewed 90 CMHC policies, processes, and practices to identify barriers and opportunities for improvement. In addition, employees were invited to take part in a survey that included questions about accessibility and ways to make CMHC more inclusive. Interviews and focus groups were also held with business leads and employees with disabilities. We made sure that participants could share their experiences in ways that worked best for them. In total, 171 employees participated in these internal engagement activities.

To gather input from clients, stakeholders and members of the public, we developed an online survey to identify barriers people face when interacting with CMHC. This survey was widely shared on our website, social media, and newsletters to reach as many participants as possible. A total of 194 clients, stakeholders, and members of the public participated in this external engagement activity.

As a final step, CMHC consulted with participants to confirm that their feedback was reflected in our plan. These consultations also helped us see if our plan was clear, accessible, easy to follow, and relevant to the people it is meant to support.

All consultations were conducted in both official languages and included accessible and flexible formats. The feedback we received directly shaped the actions contained in our 2026 – 2028 Accessibility Plan.

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Areas Described Under Section 5 of the Accessible Canada Act

There are seven priority areas described under Section 5 of the Accessible Canada Act. These areas include: 

• employment
• the built environment
• information and communication technologies (ICT)
• communication (other than ICT)
• the procurement of goods, services and facilities
• the design and delivery of programs and services
• transportation

CMHC included an eighth priority area to our 2026 – 2028 Accessibility Plan, Governance and Culture, to highlight the importance of embedding accessibility into organizational practices and decision-making.

5.1 Governance and Culture

The governance and culture priority area focuses on creating a strong governance framework and a positive workplace culture that supports accessibility and inclusion. This means building awareness around accessibility, improving how we manage accessibility efforts, and having strong leadership support to make lasting improvements across CMHC.

Accessibility Achievements

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Framework: CMHC’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Framework guides our efforts to advance workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion. The framework emphasizes accessibility and is supported by effective leadership and oversight. It ensures strong accountability and ongoing progress toward building a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace.

Supportive and Empowering Culture: At CMHC, one of our core values is Community. This is reflected in the strong connections among employees with disabilities, including Employee Resource Groups. These groups play an important role in fostering inclusion and belonging by offering mentorship, networking, and learning opportunities that support professional growth. They help make our workplace more inclusive.

Accessibility Awareness: CMHC raises employee awareness about the experiences and contributions of people with disabilities during commemorative events such as National AccessAbility Week and International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

Leadership Accountability: Accessibility is built into the leadership accountabilities of all people leaders at CMHC. As part of our performance management process, leaders are evaluated on their ability to create and maintain a psychologically safe and inclusive workplace. This means ensuring employees feel respected, valued, and free to speak up.

Data-Driven Approach: At CMHC, we ask employees to self-identify during onboarding and to update their information at any time during their employment at CMHC. We also explain why this is important for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. This data helps us monitor workforce representation and other metrics to understand if employment equity groups, including people with disabilities, experience barriers in employment at CMHC. We also use an Inclusion Index, which captures dimensions like accessibility, to understand how included employees feel. These insights help us address gaps and sustain a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace.

Barriers to Accessibility

Accessibility Champion: CMHC does not have an executive leader dedicated to championing accessibility. Without an executive leader to drive change and prioritize accessibility, it can be more difficult to make lasting progress. This can also make it harder to ensure that accessibility stays a priority across the organization.

Accessibility Governance Capacity: CMHC does not have a dedicated role or team solely focused on accessibility. As accessibility standards and regulatory requirements evolve, this could increase the risk of not meeting the requirements of the Accessible Canada Act or keeping up with new standards. It could also make it harder for teams to stay informed, collaborate, and oversee accessibility initiatives across the organization. This could reduce the overall impact of our accessibility efforts.

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Framework: Implementing an ESG framework would create an additional pathway to embed accessibility into broader corporate priorities, ensuring it is integrated across organizational priorities.

Inclusion Index: Employees with disabilities report feeling less included compared to the corporate average. They are facing greater challenges in areas such as psychological safety, accessibility, and having their unique needs addressed.

Stigma Around Disabilities: Some employees with non-apparent or episodic disabilities report feeling judged or misunderstood. Limited awareness of these disabilities can lead to bias, discourage employees from seeking the support they need, and make it harder for them to be themselves and feel included at work.

Granville Island: Granville Island is an operationally self-sustaining entity managed by CMHC on behalf of the Government of Canada. It does not receive external funding to support its operations, which may have impacts on its ability to make significant accessibility improvements, meet new accessibility standards, and comply with new regulatory requirements under the Accessible Canada Act.

Actions to Improve Accessibility

1. Starting in 2026, CMHC will assign an executive champion for accessibility. This executive leader will advocate for accessibility as a corporate priority and help drive accountability across the organization.
2. By the end of June 2026, CMHC will formalize a cross-functional committee to improve the efficiency, integration and prioritization of accessibility across all areas of CMHC’s work. The committee will also stay up to date on new accessibility standards and regulations and share this information across the organization to support consistent and timely implementation.
3. By the end of June 2026, CMHC will strengthen knowledge and expertise across existing resources to more effectively govern accessibility efforts across the organization. This will help deliver on CMHC’s Accessibility Plan, meet new accessibility standards and regulations, monitor progress, and report on results. This will also help better align efforts across the organization and integrate accessibility into CMHC’s culture and operations, while mitigating risks of non-compliance with the Accessible Canada Act.
4. By the end of 2026, CMHC will implement an Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) framework with accessibility embedded within the “Social” pillar. Integrating accessibility in the ESG framework will strengthen our governance structure to more effectively manage and oversee our commitment to accessibility.
5. By the end of 2028, CMHC will work to close the gap between the Inclusion Index score of employees with disabilities and the overall corporate average.
6. By the end of 2028, CMHC will expand our awareness efforts about accessibility and disability inclusion to help reduce stigma. These efforts will challenge stereotypes, mitigate biases, and foster a culture where employees with disabilities feel included.
7. By the end of 2028, CMHC will review how Granville Island can meet any newly introduced accessibility standards and regulatory requirements under the Accessible Canada Act.

5.2 Employment

The employment priority area covers an employee’s entire experience at CMHC from recruitment and onboarding to performance management, development, accommodations, and eventual departure. It also includes support for short- and long-term disability absences.

Accessibility Achievements

Mandatory Accessibility Training: CMHC introduced mandatory accessibility and disability awareness training for all employees. This training will help build awareness, understanding, and the foundational knowledge needed to create a more inclusive and accessible workplace.

Accessible Training Design: CMHC designs training with accessibility in mind. We apply accessible training guidelines, work with accessible vendors, and incorporate employee feedback to support continuous improvement.

Leadership Development: CMHC helps employees with disabilities develop leadership skills and grow their careers through initiatives such as the Enabling Leaders Program™, the CMHC Leadership Academy, and our internal Coaching Program.

Performance Management: CMHC’s performance management principles emphasize fairness, flexibility, and frequent feedback. These principles are regularly monitored to ensure they remain equitable and inclusive.

Staffing Practices: CMHC’s staffing practices are guided by a directive that promotes fairness and transparency to help reduce barriers and bias in the staffing process. CMHC also developed a recruitment strategy to attract more people with disabilities to the organization.

Disability Management: CMHC has a team of disability management professionals who provide medical accommodations with care and attention to individual needs. Their work helps create a supportive and inclusive workplace.

Medical Accommodations Process: CMHC has improved the process for employees to request medical accommodations. We updated our medical accommodation directive and procedures to include a clear process map. This map explains who is responsible, who employees can contact, and the steps to follow. A case management system has also been introduced to make requests more efficient. To ensure employees are supported, we provided specialized training for people leaders and added a training module on medical accommodations to CMHC’s people leader training. We also included a module on medical accommodations in CMHC’s mandatory training on accessibility and disability inclusion. In addition, employees can get support and guidance on medical accommodations from CMHC’s Employee Resource Group for persons with disabilities and HR Business Partners.

Safe Work Practices: CMHC has introduced Safe Work Practices focused on psychological safety and scent sensitivity. These practices encourage open communication and help foster a respectful workplace environment.

Scent-Reduced Workplace: CMHC has taken steps to raise greater awareness about scent sensitivity in our offices. Signage is posted in shared spaces to provide clear visual reminders. We also use scent-free cleaning products where possible to support a healthier environment for all employees and visitors.

Barriers to Accessibility

In-Office Requirement: The transition to a revised hybrid in-office requirement has introduced challenges for employees with disabilities who previously thrived under more flexible work conditions. Employees with disabilities reported a lack of clear guidance and support for flexibility in navigating these changes.

Employment Accessibility Strategy: CMHC does not have an Employment Accessibility Strategy in place. While accessibility is embedded in most HR strategies, including CMHC’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Framework, there is an opportunity to more comprehensively align accessibility efforts across all phases of employment.

Advanced Accessibility Training: CMHC supports employees’ continuous development in areas that align to their work, including accessibility. However, we do not directly provide advanced and role-specific accessibility training to employees.

Recruitment Practices: There are opportunities to make CMHC’s recruitment practices more accessible and inclusive for candidates with disabilities. This includes improving job postings and exploring partnerships with external organizations that support people with disabilities.

Accommodation Process: CMHC made updates to the medical accommodation directive and procedures. However, some employees expressed a desire for further clarity and support in the process.

Scent in the Workplace: Employees with scent sensitivities or allergies have reported that scented products and fragrances in the workplace are impacting their ability to work comfortably and safely. They expressed that scent limits their full participation when working in the office.

Actions to Improve Accessibility

1. Starting in 2026, CMHC will implement our recruitment strategy to attract more people with disabilities to the organization. This strategy will help make CMHC’s recruitment practices more accessible and inclusive for candidates with disabilities. It will also contribute to meeting or exceeding CMHC’s annual workforce representation goal for people with disabilities.
2. Starting in 2026, CMHC will regularly review our job postings to ensure they remain accessible and inclusive for people with disabilities.
3. By the end of 2026, all CMHC employees will complete a mandatory training on accessibility and disability inclusion. This training will help employees understand key accessibility and disability concepts, interact respectfully with people with disabilities, and integrate accessibility into their daily work.
4. By the end of 2026, CMHC will launch an internal awareness campaign to promote greater understanding of scent sensitivities and their impact on health. The campaign will aim to create a more inclusive workplace by encouraging scent-reduced practices, clarifying employee responsibilities, and increasing awareness of available supports.
5. By the end of 2026, CMHC will conduct an Employment Systems Review, which will include an assessment of where current practices meet, or fall short of, Accessibility Standards Canada’s Employment Standard. Findings from this review will be included in CMHC’s next Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Framework. This will ensure that commitments to improve accessibility across all stages of employment are reflected and monitored through CMHC’s next Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Framework.
6. By the end of 2026, CMHC commits to reviewing the findings from the Government of Canada’s Better Accommodations Project to identify key takeaways that could be considered for CMHC's accommodation process.
7. By the end of 2027, CMHC will introduce a short feedback survey for all employees who request a medical accommodation. This will provide ongoing insight into what is working well, help identify common barriers, and support continuous improvement.
8. By the end of 2027, CMHC will promote curated learning offerings on accessibility and disability inclusion. This will include advanced and role-specific training to address evolving accessibility standards and regulatory requirements.

5.3 The Built Environment

The built environment priority area refers to the physical spaces that employees and visitors interact with when engaging with CMHC. This includes things like entrances, workstations, meeting rooms, signage, washrooms, and lighting. It also includes work-from-home environments where accessibility and ergonomic support play a role.

Accessibility Achievements

Accessibility Assessments of Owned and Leased Offices: CMHC conducted accessibility assessments of all our offices, guided by the CSA/ASC B651 Accessible Design for the Built Environment standard, as well as feedback from employees with disabilities. The findings informed a phased multi-year plan to implement accessibility upgrades across all offices, which began in 2025.

Emergency Preparedness: An assessment of CMHC’s emergency procedures was completed to ensure they are inclusive of people with disabilities.

Ergonomic and Wellness Supports: CMHC provides employees with access to ergonomic equipment, including adjustable desks, chairs, and monitors. Additional features such as wellness rooms and lockers support comfort and well-being onsite. Employees are also supported through our Ergonomic Program.

Ergonomic Equipment Fulfillment Process: In 2025, CMHC reviewed its ergonomic equipment fulfillment process after moderate satisfaction levels were reported in an ergonomic survey and through feedback from employees with disabilities. The review examined current procedures, identified key delays, and highlighted areas for improvement. Targeted solutions were then implemented to streamline the process for requesting, approving, and delivering ergonomic equipment.

Barriers to Accessibility

Limited Control in Leased Offices: CMHC has limited ability to make accessibility improvements in leased spaces, as some changes in leased spaces are at the landlord’s discretion.

Sensory-Friendly Spaces and Office Navigation: Some employees with disabilities reported challenges due to the limited availability of quiet, sensory-friendly spaces and the difficulty of navigating spaces with low contrast or similar layouts.

Actions to Improve Accessibility

1. Starting in 2026, CMHC will actively gather employee feedback to evaluate the impact of the ergonomic equipment fulfillment process improvements made in 2025. These changes are expected to increase employee satisfaction. Further updates to the process will be guided by employee input to ensure the program stays responsive, inclusive, and effective, especially for those needing timely accommodations.
2. Between 2026 and 2028, CMHC will continue rolling out its phased multi-year plan to improve accessibility in both owned and leased offices. This plan is based on the findings of our office accessibility assessments, which includes feedback from employees with disabilities.

5.4 Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

The information and communication technologies (ICT) priority area is about the digital tools and platforms CMHC uses to support employees, clients, and stakeholders. This includes things like computers, software, assistive devices, and other technologies that help with virtual communication and engagement.

Accessibility Achievements

Web Accessibility Strategy: CMHC has implemented a web accessibility strategy that contains clear goals and timelines. This includes consistent layout design, accessible pop-ups, meaningful text alternatives for images, and providing guidance on spreadsheet accessibility. Plain language is also being phased in across high-traffic and new public content to improve usability.

Approach to Digital Accessibility: CMHC has incorporated accessibility into its procurement of new information and communication technologies. We have also started improving internal systems, such as our HR Management System. In addition, we have developed a plan to assess the accessibility of our most frequently used digital systems starting in 2026. This will help create a roadmap to guide future accessibility improvements.

Barriers to Accessibility

Implementing Digital Accessibility Improvements: CMHC has a plan to assess the accessibility of its most frequently used digital systems starting in 2026. However, we do not currently have a roadmap to systematically guide the implementation of improvements. Without this, the organization may face challenges in aligning with national accessibility standards and regulations related to information and communication technologies and in effectively addressing accessibility barriers.

Granville Island’s Website: The Granville Island website has not been assessed against the CAN/ASC EN 301 549 Standard.

Actions to Improve Accessibility

1. Starting in 2026, CMHC will ensure that our web accessibility strategy is regularly reviewed and, where appropriate, updated to reflect alignment with the CAN/ASC EN 301 549 Standard and other relevant national standards and regulations. Updates will also be guided by business priorities, with the goal of fostering an inclusive digital experience for all users.
2. By the end of 2027, CMHC will assess the accessibility of our most frequently used digital systems. This assessment will follow national accessibility standards and regulations related to information and communication technologies and will use a user-informed approach.
3. By the end of 2028, CMHC will create a roadmap for digital accessibility improvements based on the findings from the accessibility assessment of our most frequently used digital systems. The roadmap will consider national accessibility standards and regulations related to information and communication technologies, user needs and experiences, organizational priorities, available resources, as well as the coordination and collaboration needed across CMHC to support implementation.
4. By the end of 2028, CMHC will assess the Granville Island website to ensure it meets the requirements of the CAN/ASC EN 301 549 Standard.

5.5 Communication, other than ICT

This priority area focuses on how CMHC communicates with employees, clients, and stakeholders. This includes internal and external communication formats, such as print materials, publications, social media posts, and other digital and non-digital content.

Accessibility Achievements

Inclusive Branding and Marketing: CMHC follows accessible design standards and inclusive writing principles in all digital and print communications. Our branding and marketing guidelines focus on font readability, logical layouts, colour contrast, and QR codes with alternate access options. These guidelines align with Website Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Level AA standards. We use inclusive imagery to authentically represent people with disabilities and accessible environments. Video content includes closed captions, transcripts, and multilingual adaptations when needed. Accessibility principles are also built into CMHC’s social media guidelines to ensure our information reaches and includes a wider, more diverse audience.

Accessible Communication Capacity: CMHC has strengthened its internal capacity to create accessible content. With training and a greater focus on accessibility, more communications and marketing employees have gained the knowledge and skills to prioritize accessibility in their work. This ensures that information is inclusive, accessible, and usable by all from the start.

Flexible and Responsive Communications: CMHC adapts materials to meet accessibility needs, including producing alternate formats like large print or braille upon request. All new publications are available in accessible or adaptable formats, and legacy content can be retrofitted as needed through a third-party service.

Accessibility Resources and Guidance: CMHC offers employees a variety of accessibility resources, including accessible document templates such as PowerPoint and Word that have been tested for accessibility. Employees also have access to a guide for creating accessible documents and other tools to integrate accessibility into their work and interactions. These include an Event Planning Guide, a Workplace Etiquette Guide, and an Engagement Guide to support inclusive and respectful engagement with diverse communities, including the disability community. Additionally, CMHC provides an Inclusive Terminology Guide to help employees use respectful and inclusive language when referring to or interacting with people with disabilities.

Barriers to Accessibility

Plain Language: Some people with disabilities reported difficulties in understanding CMHC’s public content. CMHC applies plain language wherever possible. Writing public content in plain language for a broad audience while ensuring technical specificity can be challenging.

Use of Accessibility Resources and Guidance: CMHC has created accessible resources and practical guidance to support inclusive communications, but these tools are not consistently used across the organization. Additionally, resources like the Event Planning Guide and Workplace Etiquette Guide could place greater emphasis on including people with disabilities, especially in meetings, events, and daily workplace interactions. Enhancing and promoting these tools would help employees plan and create more inclusive experiences from the start.

Actions to Improve Accessibility

1. Starting in 2026, CMHC will apply plain language across our communications where possible, with a focus on public content.
2. By the end of 2026, CMHC will review our Event Planning Guide through an accessibility lens to strengthen guidance on the inclusion of people with disabilities in events.
3. By the end of 2026, CMHC will continue to regularly review the Workplace Etiquette Guide through an accessibility lens to strengthen guidance on the norms and behaviours expected at CMHC while working in a hybrid environment. 

5.6 The Procurement of Goods, Services and Facilities

The procurement of goods, services and facilities priority area focuses on how CMHC considers accessibility when purchasing or leasing goods, services, and buildings. This includes all stages of the procurement process, from evaluation to final selection.

Accessibility Achievements

Accessibility in Procurement: CMHC has taken steps to embed accessibility into our procurement practices. Accessibility is now considered across procurement activities, including products and services. Procurement guidance, templates, and evaluation criteria have been updated to ensure accessibility is factored into procurement activities.

Updated Procurement Directive: CMHC’s procurement directive includes a requirement for internal business owners to consider accessibility in their procurement activities.

Accessible Procurement Training: Procurement staff regularly consult Government of Canada resources and participate in external training to enhance their knowledge of accessible procurement practices. These resources and training support procurement officers in considering accessibility more consistently across procurement activities.

Vendor Diversity Program: CMHC’s Vendor Diversity Program encourages participation from Indigenous, women-owned, and other underrepresented businesses, including businesses owned by people with disabilities. Since the launch in 2022, the program has supported contracts with diverse vendors.

Barrier to Accessibility

Accountability for Accessibility in Procurement: Accessibility is not always built into procurement in a consistent way. This is because the responsibility is with the business owner. While the procurement team helps with the process, it is the business owner who must ensure accessibility is considered in the procurement of goods, services, and facilities. Without clear accountability, accessibility can be seen as an optional “add-on” instead of a standard requirement.

Actions to Improve Accessibility

1. By the end of 2027, CMHC will create and implement a checklist to guide teams on when and how to include accessibility in procurement. This checklist will help to make accessibility more consistently prioritized in procurement processes.

5.7 The Design and Delivery of Programs and Services

The design and delivery of programs and services priority area ensures that CMHC’s programs and services are accessible to all employees, clients and stakeholders. This includes proactively considering accessibility during the design and delivery of programs and services to meet diverse needs.

CMHC supports housing developers in funding new projects. CMHC also offers a range of initiatives to help people in Canada access affordable housing, as well as rent, buy, and retrofit homes.

In addition, CMHC manages Granville Island on behalf of the Government of Canada. Located in Vancouver, Granville Island is a vibrant artistic and cultural hub, home to more than 350 businesses and over 3,100 employees.

Accessibility Achievements

Inclusive Public-Facing Services: CMHC’s Contact Centre staff are trained to tailor communication methods to accommodate individual preferences and needs. They also process requests for alternate formats with care and timeliness. At Granville Island, staff are also trained to provide inclusive and respectful services to all visitors, including those with disabilities. This ensures that everyone can fully participate in the cultural, social, and commercial experiences the site offers, in a manner that upholds dignity and meets diverse needs.

Granville Island Accessibility Page: A dedicated accessibility page on the Granville Island website provides key planning and logistical information for visitors with disabilities, supporting a more inclusive experience from the start.

Access to Accessible Housing Information: CMHC’s Accessible Housing webpage serves as a central hub where users, including people with disabilities, can access information on accessible and adaptable housing in one convenient place.

Digitization of Housing Knowledge Centre Materials: The digitization of materials in CMHC’s Housing Knowledge Centre supports inclusion by making it easier to adapt current and archived materials into accessible formats, increasing their availability to a wider audience. The Housing Knowledge Centre also processes requests for alternate formats with care and timeliness, ensuring information is accessible to those who need it.

Universal Design Guide: CMHC’s Universal Design Guide for New Multi-Unit Residential Buildings serves as a valuable tool for designers, builders, and developers to adopt innovative, flexible, and adaptable design principles and create more accessible and inclusive housing.

Housing Design Catalogue: CMHC’s Housing Design Catalogue offers adaptable options for homeowners, builders and communities to fit a range of housing needs, including those of people with disabilities.

Enhancements to Application Portal: CMHC reviewed our housing programs application portal and made accessibility enhancements to improve user experience. We now also proactively integrate accessibility in the design of all new housing program applications.

Barriers to Accessibility

Accessibility of Application Portal: Although enhancements have been made, further opportunities exist to improve keyboard navigation, compatibility with assistive technologies, and use of plain language in CMHC’s housing programs application portal.

Actions to Improve Accessibility

1. By the end of 2028, CMHC will identify and prioritize opportunities to further improve the accessibility of our housing programs application portal, focusing on keyboard navigation, compatibility with assistive technologies, and plain language. Accessibility will continue to be proactively integrated in the design of all new housing program applications.

5.8 Transportation

The transportation priority area is about making sure that travel and transportation related to CMHC activities are accessible for employees, clients, and stakeholders. While CMHC does not run transportation services, we include accessibility into our travel, hospitality, conference and event practices to help remove barriers for everyone.

Accessibility Achievements

Inclusive Travel, Hospitality, Conference and Event Guideline: CMHC’s Travel, Hospitality, Conference, and Event Guideline provides a structured framework for planning and approving travel. It supports inclusion by allowing employees to make travel and accommodation choices that meet their individual needs, including accessibility. For example, the guideline includes provisions for dependent care expenses to support employees providing care to dependents while traveling for business.

Barriers to Accessibility

Gaps in Travel, Hospitality, Conference and Event Guideline: CMHC’s Travel, Hospitality, Conference and Event Guideline specifies some accessibility needs, but it does not specify others, such as mobility supports, accessible venues, or sign language interpretation. As a result, these needs may be overlooked or inconsistently applied.

Actions to Improve Accessibility

1. By the end of 2026, CMHC will improve accessibility considerations in our Travel, Hospitality, Conference, and Event Guideline.

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CMHC’s Feedback Process

We welcome all feedback about accessibility at CMHC and on our 2026 – 2028 Accessibility Plan. Your feedback will be used to improve accessibility at CMHC and shape future accessibility plans and progress reports. We will review all feedback carefully and address it in line with the principles and requirements of the Accessible Canada Act.

CMHC’s Senior Specialist, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, is responsible for receiving and managing accessibility feedback. This specialist is also responsible for overseeing our accessibility efforts and ensuring that we comply with the Accessible Canada Act.

A full description of CMHC’s feedback process is available on CMHC’s website.

External Feedback

Clients, stakeholders and members of the public can contact the CMHC Contact Centre to provide feedback or request information about accessibility.

Contact Details

• Address: 700 Montreal Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0P7
• Email: contactcentre@cmhc.ca
• Phone: 1-800-668-2642 (video relay service available)

Internal Feedback

Employees can provide feedback or request information about accessibility through the following methods:

• Email: Send an email to CMHC’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team.
• HR Case Management System: Submit feedback through CMHC’s Human Resources Case Management System.
• Third-Party Platform: Use CMHC’s independent third-party platform to anonymously report work-related issues or concerns, including those related to accessibility.

Alternative Formats

CMHC is committed to ensuring our 2026 – 2028 Accessibility Plan is available to everyone. The plan can be requested in the following alternative formats:

• Print
• Large Print (increased font size)
• Braille (a system of raised dots that people who are blind or have low vision can read with their fingers)
• Audio (a recording of someone reading the text out loud)

How to Request Alternative Formats:

To request our 2026 – 2028 Accessibility Plan in an alternate format, please contact CMHC through one of the following methods:

• Address: 700 Montreal Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0P7
• Email: contactcentre@cmhc.ca
• Phone: 1-800-668-2642 (video relay service available)

Timeline for Delivery:

• Print and Large Print will be provided within 15 days of receiving your request.
• Braille and Audio will be provided within 45 days of receiving your request.

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Conclusion

CMHC’s 2026 – 2028 Accessibility Plan builds on the progress we made and focuses on the work we still need to do to create a more accessible and inclusive CMHC. We recognize that the actions we will take can only have impact if they lead to real and lasting change. We will continue working with people with disabilities to track our progress, strengthen accountability, and make sure our efforts respond to evolving needs and standards.

Over the next three years, we will publish progress reports to share what we have accomplished and where we still need to improve. These reports will show that, at CMHC, accessibility is not only about meeting requirements, but also about our collective responsibility to create an inclusive workplace and contribute to a well-functioning housing system.

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Glossary

Accessibility

Accessibility refers to how services, technology, locations, devices, environments, and products are designed to accommodate persons with disabilities. Accessibility means giving people of all abilities equal opportunities to take part in life activities. The term implies conscious planning, design, and/or effort to make sure something is barrier-free to persons with disabilities. Accessibility also benefits the general population by making everything more usable and practical for all people.

Barrier

The Accessible Canada Act defines a barrier as: Anything — including anything physical, architectural, technological or attitudinal, anything that is based on information or communications or anything that is the result of a policy or a practice — that hinders the full and equal participation in society of persons with an impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication or sensory impairment or a functional limitation.

Disability

The Accessible Canada Act defines a disability as: Any impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication, or sensory impairment- or 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.

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Appendix A: Progress on 2023 – 2025 Accessibility Plan

Progress levels:

• Completed
• Underway
• Upcoming

Transportation:

No actions were identified in CMHC’s 2023 – 2025 Accessibility Plan for this priority area.