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:

Recruitment efforts at Cascade Aerospace primarily utilize online channels. Job openings are posted on two websites: Indeed.com and Cascadeaerospace.com. Both refer to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1, AA standard in their construction.

A concerted effort is made during the application process to remove discriminatory barriers. Attitudinal barriers are addressed by informing potential applicants that Persons with Disabilities are welcomed and encouraged to self-identify through the following statement on all job postings.

“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 either your application form, covering letter or resume.”

Cascade is able to modify the interview process upon request to eliminate physical/sensory barriers. Interviews may be held through Microsoft Teams in order to utilize its accessibility tools such as captions and transcriptions for applicants who are hearing impaired. Cascade will, to the best of its ability, accommodate any self-identifying candidate during the application and interview process.

In order to support Cascade Aerospace’s goal of creating a diverse workforce, during orientation, new employees are supplied with an Employment Equity Questionnaire to allow one to self-identify as a Woman, Aboriginal, Person with a Disability, or Visible Minority.

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 type of roles or the production area of the hangar would be prohibitive. Other roles within the company offer more opportunity 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.

Included within this report is a completed accessibility checklist that provides a comprehensive assessment of the physical accessibility of the facility and surrounding property.

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 lot and training portable for employees and is located on the south side of the cafeteria. An elevator in the reception area provides access to the 2nd floor. Upon the review, certain departments were identified as inaccessible to Persons with Disabilities as well as the Training Portable.

Cascade provides a scent-aware facility to address those who may be sensitive. Reminders are posted throughout the building. Most offices have overhead fluorescent lighting, however in most cases, this may be modified on an individual basis.

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. Documents are not always in accessible formats with respect to formatting and style.

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 currently strives to support minority-owned suppliers.

This category is not relevant at this time.

The transportation category is not relevant to our customers or employees as the majority do not rely on transportation as part their daily job duties.

The active employees of Cascade Aerospace who have self-identified as Persons with Disabilities were consulted in a review of the accessibility plan draft. A total of 10 possible 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 hosted by Qualtrics which was delivered to each employee’s company inbox via internal email. The consultation survey was live between May 29, 2023 and May 31, 2023.

Participants to the survey were asked to read the draft plan and give their answers and thoughts in the survey.

Survey participants suggested some ways that accessibility can be improved within our company.

These results, and further consultations, will be used to inform future decisions regarding accessibility, including the possible formation of an accessibility committee to address accountability to the plan’s initiatives.