Consultation with accessibility advocacy organizations
In the preparation of the accessibility plan, CATSA hosted a series of engagement sessions with accessibility advocacy organizations. These sessions concentrated on communications, facilitation through the screening checkpoint, and employment.
The sessions took place in June 2025, with participants representing a diverse range of disabilities including:
- Able and Available
- Autism Canada
- Barrier Free Canada
- Canadian Association of the Deaf
- Canadian Council of the Blind
- CNIB
- Community Living Ontario
- La Confédération des organismes de personnes handicapées du Québec
- Employment Accessibility Resource Network
- Inclusion Canada
- Live Work Play
- National Coalition of Guide and Service Dog Users
- Ontario Disability Employment Network
- Ottawa Disability Coalition
- People First of Canada
- Spinal Cord Injury Canada
- Spinal Cord Injury Ontario
During the engagement sessions, CATSA and the participants discussed barriers in communication, screening facilitation, and accessible employment. Feedback on CATSA’s current accessibility programs and proposed solutions informed the development of action items in this plan, including a review of its content to ensure alignment and consistency.
Between October 27 to November 24, CATSA consulted with both the accessibility advocacy organizations that attended the engagement sessions and additional organizations, to gather feedback on the content of the accessibility plan. These groups received the plan in accessible formats when requested and were encouraged to share it with their members and networks.
CATSA included the following organizations in its targeted consultation for groups:
- Able and Available
- Alzheimer's Society Montreal
- Autism Canada
- Barrier Free Canada
- Breaking Down Barriers Independent Living Resource Center
- Canadian Association of the Deaf
- Canadian Council of the Blind
- CNIB
- Community Living Ontario
- Council of Canadians with Disabilities
- Dementia Society of Ottawa and Renfrew County
- Employment Accessibility Resource Network
- Fibromyalgia Association Canada
- Inclusion Canada
- Kéroul
- La Confédération des organismes de personnes handicapées du Québec
- Live Work Play
- Ontario Disability Employment Network
- Ottawa Disability Coalition
- People First of Canada
- Race and Disability Canada
- Spinal Cord Injury Canada
- Spinal Cord Injury Ontario
Consultation with CATSA employees
Employees were informed via the intranet and invited to provide feedback via the same mechanisms as the general public and groups representing the interests of persons with disabilities.
Consultation with screening personnel
CATSA’s Operations branch collaborated with screening contractors to ensure screening personnel were informed of the opportunity to consult on CATSA’s accessibility plan. Screening personnel were directed to the plan on CATSA’s internal network.
All groups informed of the consultation period, including employees, screening personnel and accessibility advocacy organizations were invited to submit feedback. Options included an online form available on CATSA’s external website, via social media, by calling 1-888-294-2202 (toll-free) or 1-833-339-1021 (TTY), or by mail and in person at:
Accessibility Feedback – Corporate Affairs
Canadian Air Transport Security Authority
99 Bank St., 6 Floor, Ottawa, ON, K1P 6B9
Feedback from CATSA’s online form, TTY line, and Client Satisfaction team was forwarded to a central inbox (corporateaffairs.affairesorganisationelles@catsa.gc.ca) to ensure all input was captured.
Ongoing consultations
CATSA will continue engaging with the public, screening personnel, CATSA employees, and accessibility advocacy organizations to support implementation of this plan. The organization will work and collaborate with rights holders to identify consultation best practices and provide advance notice of outreach activities when possible.
Implementation of consultation feedback
All feedback received as part of the public consultation of CATSA’s accessibility plan was reviewed, assessed, and actioned as required by a cross-functional working group responsible for the development and management of the accessibility plan.