Accessibility Plan – Federal Sites

GENERAL 

Garda Canada Security Corporation and Garda Security Group G.P. (hereinafter “GardaWorld”) is committed to contributing to the goal of an accessible and barrier-free Canada across all its federal sites. 

The Accessible Canada Act (the “Act”) and the Accessible Canada Regulations (the “Regulations”) establish a legal framework for making progress on accessibility and focus on the identification, removal and prevention of barriers to accessibility in the seven (7) key areas of the workplace, which are detailed in this Accessibility Plan (the “Plan”). 

Through the development and ongoing implementation of the Plan (the “Plan”), GardaWorld aims to put forward proactive measures to identify and remove barriers to accessibility in the workplace, while fostering continuous improvement over the 2026-2029 period, and preventing the creation of new barriers. 

The Plan builds upon the 2023-2026 framework and incorporates progress achieved through 2024 and 2025 reporting periods. It covers a three-year period (2026 to 2029) to enable GardaWorld sufficient time to align itself with an achievable strategic plan and in accordance with legislative requirements. 

Statement of Commitment

GardaWorld is committed to: 

a)    Understanding and complying with legislative accessibility requirements as they relate to employees, customers, members of the public, and business operations;
b)    Treating each person in a manner that preserves their dignity and independence; and
c)    Addressing the accessibility needs of people with disabilities in a timely manner, consistent with the principles of dignity, independence, inclusion and equal opportunity.

GardaWorld is committed to maintaining a safe and accessible environment for its employees, customers, suppliers, candidates, visitors and all persons who enter its premises, conduct business with it, access its corporate website or communicate with it. 

This Plan sets out GardaWorld’s commitment and strategy to remove barriers to employment accessibility and encourage the full inclusion of people with disabilities at GardaWorld by describing the policies, accomplishments, and actions the company has taken and is taking to improve opportunities for people with disabilities. 

Progress to date (2024-2025 Highlights)

GardaWorld has made meaningful progress towards its accessibility commitments, including:

• Strengthening and revising it Diversity and Inclusion Policy to reinforce inclusive employment practices
• Enhancing recruitment communications to welcome people with disabilities and confirm accommodation availability 
• Expanding accessible communication tools through Microsoft Teams, now broadly available across employee groups, including mobile users 
• Completing a review of the hiring process to remove barriers and improve accessibility at all stages of employment 
• Conducting a comprehensive accessibility review of GardaWorld websites, including upgrades to Drupal 10 and continued WCAG alignment efforts 
• Improving internal awareness of accessibility features and expanding accessible communication practices across the organization 
• Receiving limited formal feedback, but identifying internal opportunities to clarify accommodation request processes 
• Maintaining ongoing collaboration with external disability-focused organizations to inform continuous improvement.

Feedback 

GardaWorld welcomes ongoing feedback on its Accessibility Plan, not only from employees, but also from all members of the public. 

There are three ways that individuals can provide feedback on accessibility to GardaWorld: 

• Telephone: 
  Feedback can be provided by calling 1-800-461-9330 (English and Spanish) or 1-800-235-6302 (French)
• GardaWorld Ethics Hotline
  https://www.garda.com/ethicshotline
  This link to a confidential and secure third-party site where individuals can complete an online report on accessibility and this Plan. This link allows individuals to provide feedback on an anonymous basis, if desired. 
• Mail 
  Feedback can be provided by sending a letter by mail addressed to the Legal Department at the following address: 

 2300 Emile Belanger Street, Montreal (QC) H4R 3J4

Acknowledgement of receipt will be included in the process and will be provided in the same manner as the feedback was received, unless a different channel or format is requested. When feedback is provided anonymously, acknowledgement of receipt will not be issued. 

Members of the public are encouraged to provide feedback on this Accessibility Plan and/or feedback process, and/or to contact GardaWorld to request alternate formats of this Accessibility Plan, feedback process, or progress reports, as desired by contacting Geneviève Lamarre, Labour and Employment Lawyer, or alternate to receive feedback on behalf of GardaWorld.

Definitions

Barrier means 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 practice—that hinders the full and equal participation in society of a person with an impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communications or sensory impairment or a functional limitation. 

Disability means:

a)    any degree of physical infirmity, malformation or disfigurement that is caused by bodily injury, birth defect or illness and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, includes diabetes mellitus, epilepsy, a brain injury, any degree of paralysis, amputation, lack of physical co- ordination, blindness or visual impairment, deafness or hearing impediment, muteness or speech impediment, or physical reliance on a guide dog, or other animal or on a wheelchair or other remedial appliance or device,
b)    a condition of mental impairment or a developmental disability,
c)    a learning disability, or a dysfunction in one or more of the processes involved in understanding or using symbols or spoken language,
d)    a mental disorder, or
e)    an injury or disability for which benefits were claimed or received under the insurance plan established under the applicable legislation. 

Alternate Formats 

GardaWorld will provide its Plan in the following formats, upon request: 

• Print and/or large print
• Braille 
• Audio
• Electronic (compatible with adaptative technology that is intended to assist persons with disabilities).

AREAS 

Employment 

GardaWorld recognizes that accessible employment practices improve retention, performance, innovation, and workplace inclusion. 

For 2026-2029, GardaWorld commits to:

• Further refining accessibility within its Diversity and Inclusion framework
• Continuing to ensure accessibility considerations are included in performance management and exit feedback processes 
• Expanding accessibility awareness to all employees 
• Continuing annual recognition of the Internation Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3^rd.

The Built Environment 

The built environment includes human-made spaces, such as buildings and outdoor areas. By the nature of its business, GardaWorld does not own the buildings where it operates, as its activities are conducted at various client sites. 

GardaWorld will:

• Continue to follow client emergency and/or landlord evacuation and safety procedures
• Collaborate with clients to identify and support accessibility requirements where possible
• Periodically review internal emergency preparedness practices to ensure accessibility considerations are incorporated.

Information and Communication Technologies 

GardaWorld is committed to maintaining accessible digital environments. Building on 2024-2025 improvements, GardaWorld will:

• Continue to improve WCAG 2.0 AA compliance across all GardaWorld digital platforms
• Maintain and enhance accessibility features within Drupal web infrastructure
• Continue conducting regular accessibility audits of websites and digital content
• Improve captioning and accessibility of video content where feasible
• Maintain a dedicated accessibility information section on GardaWorld websites.

Communication (other than Information and Communication Technologies) 

GardaWorld is committed to clear, accessible, and inclusive communication. For 2026-2029, GardaWorld will:

• Continue expanding accessible communication tools across Microsoft Teams and internal platforms
• Continue to improve employee awareness and training on accessibility features
• Further evaluate communication effectiveness through employee feedback mechanisms
• Enhance availability of accessible formats upon request
• Continue improving clarity and plain-language communication pieces
• Maintain best-effort accessibility across social media platforms.

The Procurement of Goods, Services and Facilities 

GardaWorld will continue to ensure accessibility considerations are included in procurement processes by:

• Responding to employee and supplier accessibility needs
• Continue informing employees on how to request specific accessibility tools (e.g., ergonomic desks, readers, extra screens, headphones, etc.) 
• Continue alignment with client procurement and facility requirements where applicable.

The Design and Delivery of Programs and Services 

GardaWorld is committed to ensuring accessibility is embedded in all programs and services.  For 2026-2029, GardaWorld will:

• Continue integrating accessibility into corporate policies and procedures
• Strengthen annual policy reviews to ensure accessibility compliance
• Ensure accessibility information is included in employee documentation where appropriate
• Improve staff awareness of disability inclusion and accessibility expectations
• Standardize accessible format availability for internal documents and manuals. 

Transportation

GardaWorld will continue to:

• Assess accessibility needs related to employee transportation requirements
• Work with clients to evaluate vehicle accessibility where applicable
• Ensure transportation practices align with health, safety, and accessibility obligations.

Consultation 

GardaWorld continues to operate under the guiding principle of “Nothing without us,” ensuring persons with disabilities are included in accessibility planning and improvement.

Consultation for the 2026–2029 Plan includes:

• Internal employee feedback mechanisms
• External consultations with disability-focused organizations across Canada
• Review of prior feedback received during 2024-2025 reporting cycles.

Key findings from consultation include:

• General satisfaction with accessibility of communication and workplace environment
• Identification of a need to further clarify accommodation request procedures for employees
• Continued value in strengthening awareness and consistency of accessibility processes across the organization.

GardaWorld remains committed to ongoing consultation and collaboration to support continuous improvement and inclusion.

Closing Statement

GardaWorld remains committed to advancing accessibility across all aspects of its operations. This 2026-2029 Plan builds upon demonstrated progress from 2024 and 2025 and establishes a continued path toward identifying, removing, and preventing barriers for persons with disabilities.

AREAS

Employment

GardaWorld recognizes that accessible employment practices are fundamentally sound practices that benefit businesses and the economy, as in better job retention, higher attendance, lower turnover, enhanced job performance and work quality, better safety records and a more innovative workforce.

In order to achieve a workplace fully inclusive to people with disabilities, GardaWorld will implement the following measures:

• Develop a policy that specifically addresses accessibility in employment, applicable to all GardaWorld employees to ensure that employment practices are accessible for people with disabilities (hereinafter the “Accessibility Policy”), which will include.
  • o Reviewing existing training and development programs to ensure that people with disabilities are supported at every stage of their employment;
  • o Reviewing the performance management and career development processes to ensure it considers the needs of employees with disabilities; and
  • o Providing information in a format that is accessible to the specific needs of employees with disabilities when requested.
• Conduct a thorough review of the hiring process to ensure that it is not a barrier to people with disabilities and implement the following:
  • o Ensure that job postings state that people with disabilities are welcome and that GardaWorld will accommodate their needs, upon request, during all stages of the hiring process and throughout their employment; and
  • o During performance reviews and exit interviews, encourage employees with disabilities to share their experiences with the company and provide feedback in terms of accessibility and inclusion.
• Revise the training offered to all employees to include modules on the concept of disability and resources/procedures for employees with specific disability-related needs.
• Recognize and promote the International Day of Persons with Disabilities annually on December 3, in to:
  • o Celebrate the valuable contributions and leadership of GardaWorld employees and all Canadians with disabilities;
  • o Highlight the work of individuals, organizations and communities who are removing barriers; and
  • o Reflect on GardaWorld’s ongoing efforts to become a better, more accessible and more disability-inclusive company.

The Built Environment

The built environment includes human-made spaces, such as buildings and outdoor areas. By the nature of its business, GardaWorld does not own the buildings where it operates, as its activities are conducted at various client’s site, including port, airport, Immigration Prevention Center, etc.

GardaWorld has established evacuation plans and emergency procedures that are designed to protect the members of the public as well as employees and therefore respect the different needs of people with disabilities and comply with the requirements established by each of its clients.

GardaWorld is committed to continuing to periodically review the Emergency Evacuation Plan, in collaboration with its clients, to ensure compliance with established requirements, including accessibility.

Information and Communication Technologies

GardaWorld is committed to promoting and continuously improving the accessibility of its websites to facilitate consultation by all persons, with or without disabilities.

Garda.com is built on the Drupal 8 platform, which has built-in advance accessibility features based on World Wide Web Consortium (“W3C”) and Web Content Accessibility Guideline (“WCAG “) guidance, including:

• Integrated support for screen readers
• Support for aural alerts
• Controlled Tab Order
• Fully responsive front-end theming
• Text resizing enables
• Compulsory alt text for images

As part of its ongoing efforts to improve accessibility, GardaWorld also optimized text contrast ratios site wide.

GardaWorld’s website is largely compliant with the WCAG 2.0 level AA, but there are some exceptions, such as not all videos are captioned.

GardaWorld’s goal is to make its websites accessible and usable for everyone. To this end, GardaWorld is committed to:

Conducting an accessibility assessment of the websites and making them fully compatible with the WCAG 2.0 level AA;
Adding a page dedicated to accessibility; and
Continuing to review its websites for ease and accessibility.

Communication (other than Information and Communication Technologies)

Accessible communications benefit all audiences by making information clear, direct and easy to understand. It takes into consideration the various barriers to accessing information, and provides opportunities for feedback.

Communications means the interaction between two or more persons or entities, or any combinations of them, where information is provided, sent or received.

Any person may request access to a document provided by GardaWorld in an alternative format, as listed in the Alternative Formats section of this Plan.

GardaWorld makes a constant effort to use clear and simple language in all its communication to ensure they are accessible to everyone.

Employees who have access to computers for business purposes communicate with each other through MICROSOFT TEAMS, which is a platform that includes accessibility features, such as live captions for meetings AND transcripts for calls, as well as tools to enlarge the screen, contrast color, etc.

In addition, GardaWorld’s intranet allows for immersive reading of all its articles.

To ensure accessible communications, GardaWorld is committed to:

• Implementing measures to ensure that employees are aware of these features and have access to personalized support when needed to better understand and use them effectively;
• Conducting an employee survey to assess whether communications are meeting accessibility needs ensuring the survey can be completed multiple ways (upon request);
• With input from employees, evaluating how to better integrate accessibility into GardaWorld’s communications; and
• Creating a list of external resources for quick access to alternative formats on demand;

Social media platforms have different levels of accessibility. They don’t always allow for the creation of fully accessible content. This means that accessible social media communications are on a best-effort basis.

The Procurement of Goods, Services and Facilities

This area refers to how GardaWorld acquires and purchases goods, services or other items.

GardaWorld focuses on employees proactively by providing them various tools to make the workplace more accessible.

In terms of procurement, GardaWorld is committed to the following:

• Listening to and being responsive to the accessibility needs of employees and suppliers; an
• Informing employees on how to request specific accessibility tools (e.g., ergonomic desks, readers, extra screens, headphones, etc.).

With respect to services and facilities, GardaWorld is committed to the guidelines, measures and policies implemented by its clients.

The Design and Delivery of Programs and Services

Whether internal or external, the design and delivery of programs and services must be fully accessible, and this is GardaWorld’s goal. To achieve this goal, GardaWorld is committed to:

• Ensuring that accessibility is fully integrated in all GardaWorld’s corporate policies, decision-making processes and procedures;
• Reviewing GardaWorld’s decision-making process and all its corporate policies to identify policy instruments that do not include accessibility components and how GardaWorld can address any identified gaps;
• Ensuring that all documents and manuals GardaWorld produces can provide accessibility information or are offered in accessible formats; and
• Ensuring that staff responsible for programs and services understand the concept of disability and the company’s objective in this regard.

Transportation

GardaWorld employees may be required to use GardaWorld’s own fleet of vehicles or vehicles provided by clients.

GardaWorld is committed to continuing to assess how to make transportation more accessible to its employees with disabilities while respecting the requirements established by the manufacturer and in compliance with the employer’s obligation to ensure the health and safety of its employees.

GardaWorld is also committed to working with its clients to assess the compliance of vehicles used by its employees, particularly with respect to accessibility.