Defence Team 2026 Accessibility Online Consultation Questionnaire- Short Form

Purpose and Scope

The purpose of the Defence Team 2026 Accessibility Consultation is to gather data on accessibility at the Department of National Defence and in the Canadian Armed Forces.

The consultation aims to understand Defence Team members' awareness of accessibility and related topics. It will also provide an opportunity to better understand the experiences of persons with disabilities in our workplace.

Accessibility concerns everyone. All Defence Team members, whether you self-identify as a person with a disability or not, are encouraged to participate and answer all questions you feel comfortable answering.

In this short version of the questionnaire, questions on accessibility barriers are prioritized. Respondents can choose to answer the remaining questions, but it is not required.

The completion of the consultation questionnaire will help ensure that the Defence Team continues to identify, better understand, and remove barriers to accessibility and inclusion in the workplace. Questionnaire responses will be summarized and used to measure progress on accessibility and inform future Accessibility Plans and Progress Reports.

Format and Time Commitment

In an effort to consult in more accessible ways, this short form questionnaire was designed to focus on core questions that will directly respond to understanding barriers to accessibility at the Defence Team while minimizing the completion time for participants.

The short version of the questionnaire contains 21 core questions with an additional 34 optional questions, which together make up the full consultation questionnaire.

After each set of core questions, you will have the opportunity to display the additional questions. If you choose to display the additional questions, you are not required to answer them. You may choose to answer as few or as many of the optional questions as you like.

The questionnaire has a maximum of 48 questions. Most questions are multiple choice, with a few that allow for more detailed answers. The questionnaire has a "skip logic" feature that changes the path through the questionnaire based on responses to questions. This makes sure that you only see questions that are relevant to you.

The questionnaire will take on average 15 to 20 minutes to complete.

The questionnaire will close on July 10, 2026 at 11:59pm EST.

Privacy and Confidentiality

The Defence Team 2026 Defence Team Accessibility Online Consultation is being conducted by the Defence Team Accessibility Office (DTAO).

Participation in the consultation and completion of the questionnaire is voluntary and confidential. Answers will remain anonymous, and the information provided will be administered according to the requirements of the Privacy Act, and the Access to Information Act.

The Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act entitles Canadian citizens, permanent residents of Canada, and individuals or corporations currently present in Canada to obtain copies of research reports and research information held in federal government files. Prior to releasing any information, the Director Access to Information and Privacy screens the information to ensure that the identities of individuals are not disclosed.

Only members of the DTAO responsible for analyzing the responses to the questionnaire will see submitted responses. Individual responses will not be linked to respondents, and data will be reported in aggregate only (meaning results will be combined to highlight key themes and insights before being shared more widely).

Please avoid sharing any personal information about yourself or others in your responses, such as names or job titles. If you do include personal details, note that they will be removed before results are shared.

If you have any difficulties accessing the questionnaire or if you would like to request another format of the questionnaire, please contact the Defence Team Accessibility Office positional inbox at DND_Accessibility-Accessibilite_MDN@forces.gc.ca or Sherri Wilson, Director, Inclusion, at sherri.wilson@forces.gc.ca.

This research project has been approved by the DND/CAF Social Science Research Review Board in accordance with DAOD 5062-0 and 5062-1. The SSRRB approval # is 2297/26L.

Risks

Participating in this study is considered to involve minimal risk. Some people may feel discomfort when answering some questions, however, the potential risk and level of distress is estimated to be no more than what one would experience in everyday life. If you experience discomfort, you may choose not to answer a question or a section of the questionnaire. A list of resources for your personal use will be provided at the end of the questionnaire, if you want to seek support.

By continuing with the questionnaire, you agree that you understand the information given to you about taking part in this consultation, and you agree to participate. Doing so does not give up your legal rights or release the researchers, sponsors, or involved organizations from their legal and professional responsibilities.

Definitions

Here are some definitions that might help you understand key terms used in this questionnaire better.

Accessibility: The degree to which a product, service, program, or environment is available to be accessed or used by all.

Accommodation: Any change in the work environment that address barriers in the workplace. Solutions can include:

adjustments to the physical workspace
adaptations to the equipment or tools
flexible work hours or job-sharing
relocation of the workspace within the greater workplace
the ability to work from home
reallocation or exchange of some non-essential tasks for others
time off for medical appointments

Barrier: 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: Any impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication, or sensory impairment — or a functional limitation — whether permanent, temporary or episodic in nature, evident or not, that, in interaction with a barrier, hinders a person’s full and equal participation in society.

Self-declaration: Applicants voluntarily providing information in appointment processes for statistical purposes related to appointments and, in the case of processes that target employment equity groups, to determine eligibility.

Self-identification: Employees providing employment equity information for statistical purposes in analyzing and monitoring the progress of employment equity groups in the federal public service and for reporting on workforce representation.

Stigma: The act of associating a person with an attribute that is negatively perceived in society in a way that reduces the person to that attribute. People who experience stigmatization may face social disapproval, loss of or diminished status, marginalization, humiliation or discrimination.