Cascade Aerospace Accessibility Plan

This Accessibility Plan has been prepared for Cascade Aerospace. Please send all feedback on accessibility and barriers as required by the Accessible Canada Regulations to:

At Cascade Aerospace, accessibility is a fundamental part of our operations and long-term vision. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where everyone can engage with our programs and participate fully, in alignment with the Accessible Canada Act and current national accessibility standards. Cascade aims to embed accessibility into our company culture. We provide training to our management team and employees on accessibility, respectful workplace, and disability awareness, while ongoing education is provided across all departments. We have also established a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Committee to guide and monitor our accessibility initiatives and ensure accountability. Accessibility is integrated into our strategic planning, with measurable goals and regular evaluations, reflecting our belief that accessibility is not a one-time effort but a continuous journey toward greater inclusion.

Recruitment efforts at Cascade Aerospace primarily utilize online channels. Job openings are posted on multiple websites such as cascadeaerospace.com, Indeed, Canada Job bank etc. All follow Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1, AA standard in their construction.

Cascade Aerospace is committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable recruitment process by actively working to eliminate discriminatory barriers. We address attitudinal barriers by clearly communicating in all job postings that persons with disabilities are welcomed and encouraged to self-identify. Each posting includes the following statement:

“Our goal is to be a diverse workforce that is representative, at all job levels, of the citizens we serve. Cascade Aerospace has an Employment Equity Policy and we welcome applications from Aboriginal People, Visible Minorities, Persons with Disabilities, and Women in occupations or positions where they are underrepresented. If you are a member of one of the equity groups, you are encouraged to self-identify on your application form, cover letter, or resume.”

A few barriers for the recruitment and hiring process that can be identified are communication, procedural, and systematic.

Interviews can be conducted via Microsoft Teams to leverage accessibility features such as live captions and transcriptions for candidates who are deaf or hard of hearing. Communication barriers are mitigated by ensuring job postings are written in plain language and made available in accessible formats. Procedural barriers are reduced by providing clear instructions on how to request accommodations and by training HR staff to handle these requests with confidentiality and respect. Systemic barriers related to self-identification are addressed through a confidential Employment Equity Questionnaire, along with transparent communication about how the information is used and protected. This allows individuals to voluntarily self-identify as a Woman, Aboriginal Person, Person with a Disability, or Visible Minority, supporting our broader equity and inclusion goals. To ensure accessibility, Cascade is prepared to modify the interview process upon request to remove physical or sensory barriers.

The nature of providing aircraft maintenance, our primary function, is physically demanding. As such, many of our roles require physical ability, manual dexterity, and sensory acuteness. Aircraft Maintenance Engineers must have the ability to physically access large aircraft and be aware of their surroundings. The ability to accommodate extensive physical or sensory disabilities within these types of roles or the production area of the hangar would be prohibitive. Other roles within the company offer more opportunities for accommodation.

Interviews with exiting employees also address employment equity. The exit interview gives employees another opportunity to self-identify and notify us of any barriers that they may have encountered that may have led to their resignations. This information is recorded and reported upon regularly.

Through a comprehensive assessment of the physical accessibility of the facility and surrounding property Cascade has identified possible barriers to complete accessibility. Upon review, certain offices were identified as inaccessible to persons with disabilities as well as the outdoor training portable. Training can be offered in other meeting rooms or offices to accommodate people with disabilities. The offices that are inaccessible do not have ramps or elevators, making it very difficult for people with assistive devices to access.

Currently, there is no person working at cascade who requires the use of assistive devices.

Accessible entrances are provided both internally and externally. The external entrance is located at the front of the building at Reception. The internal entrance provides access to the parking lot and rear of the building located on the south side of the cafeteria. An elevator in the reception area provides access to the 2nd floor.

Other ways Cascade provides an accessible built environment:

Windows built-in accessibility features are available for any persons needing visual/speech assistance. Additionally, company-wide remote server access is available to those employees where a work-from-home solution is possible and would accommodate accessibility needs. Further avenues for accessibility need to be explored, however, improvements to accessibility have been previously implemented in a case-by-case basis. Examples of such include modifications to accommodate colour blindness.

All employees are able to access documents and other communication materials both electronically and in print. Communications have been designed for all people including those that have hearing or eyesight impairments.

Cascade Aerospace’s primary procurement activities center on the acquisition of replacement aircraft parts. As these parts are often challenging to source due to scarcity, it is difficult to make choices influenced on accessibility considerations.

Cascade follows universal design principles to create programs and services that are usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation. There is flexibility and accommodations that are made on a case-by-case basis to guarantee that all people are able to receive the same information and training. The training department at Cascade is working on making all training materials accessible by following Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. They have resolved past accessibility grievances by making certain that training materials are in alternative formats, provide closed captioning in training videos, have alt text for images, and accessible PDFs. They are currently working on training materials that are compatible with screen readers and voice recognition software.

Management and employees were also provided with training on how to support those with accessibility needs and ensure that all areas of business are barrier free.

The transportation category is not relevant to our customers or employees.

The active employees of Cascade Aerospace who have self-identified as Persons with Disabilities were consulted in a review of the accessibility plan draft. Participants were invited to submit their ideas on each of the categories represented in the plan and to comment on what has been identified as possible paths to better accessibility.

Consultation took place utilizing a survey sent to each self-identified person with disability which was delivered to each employee’s company inbox via internal email. The consultation survey was live between May 16, 2025 and May 30, 2025.

Participants to the survey were asked to read the draft plan and give their answers and thoughts in the survey. The comments and data that we collected came back with the following results:

Improvements to be made:

Cascade Aerospace’s accessibility plan is designed to foster an inclusive and equitable workplace by identifying and removing barriers for individuals with disabilities throughout the employment lifecycle—from recruitment to onboarding and beyond. The plan emphasizes compliance with the Accessible Canada Regulations and aligns with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1, AA standard), ensuring that job postings, training, and all processes are openly accessible. It also promotes diversity by encouraging self-identification among equity groups and offers accommodations such as modified interviews and accessible communication tools. Through the results from these consultations and after reviewing all accessibility considerations, Cascade will be able to make more informed decisions and take down the barriers to accessibility. Ultimately, the plan reflects Cascade’s commitment to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace.