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Accessibility Plan

2026 – 2028

About this Accessibility Plan

Northcrest Developments is committed to making our workplaces, communications, technologies, and services more accessible for everyone. This accessibility plan outlines how we will identify, remove, and prevent accessibility barriers over the next three years. The plan was developed through consultation across the organization and also includes feedback from employees with disabilities.

This plan begins with key information about our organization and how we consulted people with disabilities in the development of this plan. The remaining sections outline the accessibility actions we plan to take. It is organized into headings required by the Accessible Canada Act.

If you need this report in a different format, please find out how to ask for alternative formats in the Alternate Formats section.

Definitions

The following definitions apply throughout this accessibility plan:

Accessibility: The design of products, devices, services, environments, technologies, policies and rules in a way that allows all people, including people with disabilities, to access them fully and equally.

Assistive device/technology: Any item, device, tool, program, or piece of equipment that supports a person with disabilities in the activities of their life. A person may use assistive devices/technologies all the time or some of the time. Assistive devices/technologies can support many functions, such as movement, navigation, communication, and overall health and wellbeing.

Barrier: Anything that might hinder the full and equal participation of people with disabilities. Barriers can arise in architecture, technologies, communications, policies and procedures, or peoples’ attitudes.

Disability: When an impairment or difference in a person’s physical, mental, sensory, cognitive, learning, or communication ability interacts with a barrier and limits their full and equal participation in society. A disability can be permanent, temporary, or can change over time. It can be visible or non-visible to other people.

General

This section introduces Northcrest Developments, our commitment to accessibility, ways to contact us to share your accessibility-related feedback or request alternate formats.

About Northcrest Developments

Northcrest Developments is a Toronto-based real estate development company established to lead re-development of the former Downsview Airport lands into a new community named YZD. We are a wholly owned subsidiary of the Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP), a federal Crown corporation.  Over 50 employees work at Northcrest Developments.

You can learn more about Northcrest Developments and what we do by visiting our website at the following link: https://www.northcrestdev.ca/

Our Commitment to Accessibility

Northcrest Developments is committed to preventing and removing barriers to accessibility. We want to make sure that employees, partners and vendors, and people who engage with us through our communications and events have the opportunity for welcoming, supportive, dignified, and accessible experiences.

We recognize that accessibility is always evolving and means different things to different people. We continue to learn from the disability community, review new standards and best practices, and identify barriers to accessibility so we can address them proactively. We strive to integrate accessibility from the beginning of everything we do so our spaces, communications, and experiences are more welcoming, usable, and inclusive. This commitment supports better outcomes for everyone, now and in the future.

Through the actions in this plan, we will continue learning and improving accessibility across Northcrest Developments.

Feedback

Northcrest Developments welcomes feedback and suggestions from employees, customers, partners, and the public. You can give feedback about this accessibility plan or barriers you have experienced when interacting with Northcrest Developments. Your feedback helps us improve accessibility for everyone at Northcrest Developments.

To share feedback please use the ways listed in the Contact information section.

How we use feedback

We will share your feedback with the appropriate teams based on the type of feedback. It may be actioned right away, or in a future accessibility plan. Our progress reports will include a summary of the feedback we received and how it was considered.

We publish an accessibility plan every 3 years and progress reports in the years between plans. We will keep your feedback for at least 7 years.

Alternate Formats

You can request this accessibility plan, including our feedback process in the following alternate formats:

We can provide the following formats within 15 days of a request:

  • Print
  • Large print (increased font size)

We can provide the following formats within 45 days of a request:

  • Braille (a system of raised dots that people who are blind or who have low vision can read with their fingers)
  • Audio (a recording of someone reading the text out loud)

If you require an alternate format of this plan, please contact us using the ways listed in the Contact Information section.

Contact Information

The person responsible for collecting and storing feedback is our Director, Legal.

You can contact us in any of the following ways:

Email: ebrachaniec@northcrestdev.ca

Phone: 437-912-9333

Hours of operation: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time Monday to Friday. Closed on Statutory holidays.

Mail: 161 Bay Street, Suite 1305, Toronto, Ontario M5J 2S1

Online contact form: www.northcrestdev.com/#contact

You can contact us anonymously by not including identifying information in your message. We will acknowledge receiving your message unless it is submitted anonymously. 

Consultations

At Northcrest Developments, we strive to create a welcoming and inclusive place for everyone to share feedback about accessibility. As part of the development of this plan, we consulted people with disabilities to identify potential barriers and understand accessibility gaps and opportunities. We view accessibility and our understanding of it, as an evolving process. As a result, we firmly believe in gathering and implementing accessibility feedback year-round and continuously striving to be more accessible.

Whom We Consulted

To support Northcrest Developments’ ongoing commitment to accessibility and inclusion, and to meet the requirements for consultations under the Accessible Canada Act, we consulted employees with disabilities early in the development of this plan. We reached out to all employees for feedback, but particularly sought feedback from employees with disabilities. This approach ensured that we engaged people with disabilities, people who may not identify as having a disability but have accessibility needs, and people who may not have a disability but have noticed an accessibility barrier.

Twenty-one (21) employees completed the survey, which is approximately 40% of all Northcrest Developments employees. Of the people who responded, 1 person said they have a disability, 1 person said they were not sure, and 2 people said they don’t have a disability but are close to someone who has a disability.

The number of respondents who self-identified as having a disability was limited. As a result, we recognize that additional opportunities to gather accessibility feedback from people with disabilities may help us better understand accessibility barriers and priorities across the organization. We are committed to collecting ongoing accessibility feedback from employees through our feedback process and will strive to remind and encourage employees to share their feedback that way. Over the next 3 years, we will also seek opportunities to gather feedback about accessibility from a broader community, including employees and visitors with disabilities, through more surveys or other consultation methods.

Our Approach to Consultations

We consulted our employees in August 2026 through a voluntary survey. The virtual survey was developed with accessibility in mind. We used high contrast visuals and enabled adjustable font sizes, and it was compatible with technologies like screen readers and text-to-speech applications.

We made the survey available for 2 weeks. All employees were invited to complete it, and we offered accessibility accommodations to anyone who needed them to participate. The survey asked about any known barriers within our organization, ideas to improve accessibility, and priorities to consider for this plan.

We understand that accessibility and disability can be complex, and that everyone has different ideas of what these terms mean. In the survey introduction, we shared a brief explanation of what we mean when talking about disability so that employees understood the survey includes people with a wide range of experiences such as apparent and non-apparent, temporary, episodic and mental health related disabilities.

Results of Consultations

We received thoughtful feedback from survey respondents that touched on accessibility in nearly all the accessibility priority areas listed the section that follows. We reviewed an aggregated summary of the survey responses, and these helped shape the barriers and prioritized actions in this plan. We thank all employees who participated and shared their feedback with us.

Key themes of the feedback include:

  • Survey respondents identified opportunities to address attitudinal and organizational barriers. Co-workers and organizational practices don’t always consider and allow for different ways of working and existing. Further developing flexible and inclusive policies, practices, and workplace culture can support everyone to succeed.
  • Some survey respondents identified opportunities to enhance awareness and inclusion for employees with non-apparent disabilities such as neurodivergence (ADHD, anxiety, autism).
  • Some survey respondents expressed interest in a proactive approach to improving accessibility. This means we seek out potential barriers and gaps and prevent or remove them before they become barriers that exclude people with disabilities. It also focuses on future-proofing Northcrest Developments, so we are prepared to welcome everyone and are more accessible by default.
  • Survey respondents identified transportation as a potential accessibility barrier for people travelling to and from the site office, particularly for people without access to a personal vehicle. While a range of transportation options are available, respondents noted that those options may not be suitable or convenient for all accessibility needs.

Our Accessibility Commitments

At Northcrest Developments, we believe accessibility is a shared responsibility that we strive to incorporate into our day-to-day work. This section describes accessibility progress we’ve made to date, identified barriers, and planned actions to remove and prevent barriers across the 7 priority areas of the Accessible Canada Act. Accessibility considerations across these priority areas will help us take meaningful steps to enhance accessibility across our organization.

Employment

This priority area focuses on making Northcrest Developments a more inclusive, accessible workplace. This means ensuring recruitment, hiring, onboarding, training, growth opportunities, accommodations, and employment changes are equitable and accessible for people with disabilities.

Progress to Date

  • As a small organization, we are able to provide focused attention to each accommodation request. This allows us to respond to requests and resolve them more quickly.
  • Each accommodation request initiates a review of our corporate processes to help us identify if changes are needed to be more accessible.

Identified Barriers

  • Job postings note that Northcrest Developments is an equal opportunity employer but don’t directly invite people with disabilities to apply. Postings also don’t mention availability of accommodations.
  • Jobs are only posted on third-party job boards, which may not be accessible to everyone.
  • Accessibility training is provided during onboarding and from time to time every few years. Accessibility training specific to different departments is not regularly provided. This can lead to accessibility not being kept at the top of people’s minds.
  • Employees report a lack of awareness and inclusion for neurodivergent employees.
  • Employees report attitudinal barriers around expectations for pace, workload, particular ways of working that don't account for different ways of working and existing.
  • Employees report organizational barriers around meeting practices, such as a lack of breaks between meetings and a lack of captions and transcriptions.
  • We have learned that we have not yet established a strong culture of open disclosure and inclusive discussions of disability, barriers, and accessibility. This makes it challenging for some employees to disclose their disabilities or to share their accessibility requirements.
Actions to be taken

By the end of 2026, we plan to:

  • Share this accessibility plan with employees to remind everyone of our commitment to accessibility and to help support a more inclusive culture where accessibility is openly discussed and top of mind. We will encourage everyone to explore the plan.
  • Begin developing an accessibility training/learning plan that ensures opportunities for learning continue beyond onboarding. Training/learning opportunities will consider topics such as:

o   Accessibility considerations within different roles and departments.

o   Ways to build awareness of accessibility barriers so they can be identified more easily and proactively.

o   Building understanding of different ways of working and non apparent disabilities such as neurodivergence.

o   Reducing attitudinal and organizational barriers.

In 2027, we plan to:

  • Include a clear invitation for people with disabilities to request accommodations and apply for jobs at Northcrest Developments in appropriate job postings.
  • Post job opportunities on our website in an accessible format such as HTML so applicants have the choice not to be re-directed to a third party, which may not be accessible.
  • Review our meeting practices to identify known barriers and create a plan to address them proactively. This may include building in time for breaks and enabling captions and transcripts.

On an ongoing basis, we plan to:

  • Remind employees and visitors to share accessibility feedback all year long. This could be through our feedback process, employee surveys, or visitor feedback opportunities.
  • Consider opportunities to share information and highlight stories of accessibility to help build enhance the accessibility and inclusion of our workplace culture.
The Built Environment

As a development organization, we understand the importance of accessible spaces. This priority area aims to make our offices, outdoor spaces, and any Northcrest Developments spaces useable and inclusive for everyone.

Progress to date

  • Initiated the creation of an ergonomics program to help train employees to provide ergonomics assessments for improved workstation accessibility. The program is aiming for launch in 2027.
  • Our site office was renovated in 2024, which included accessibility improvements such as ramps, doors operated by a wave to open function, and accessible washrooms.

Identified barriers

  • While the Toronto downtown office building provides accessible entrances, the office suite entrance does not have an automatic door opener. This can make it less accessible for some people to access our suite.
  • Employees report that the downtown and site offices can be cold, which disrupts people’s ability to focus.
  • Phone booth workspaces are not accessible, particularly for people with physical or mobility disabilities.
  • An accessibility review has not been completed at the downtown and site offices, so barriers may exist that we are not aware of such as signage barriers and sound, ergonomic, and sensory barriers.
Actions to be taken

In 2027, we plan to:

  • Communicate the lack of an automatic door opener at the downtown office suite door to the landlord/property management and request that accessibility enhancements be considered.
  • Monitor employee feedback regarding thermal comfort in the downtown and site offices and will work with property management to address concerns where feasible.
  • Explore the potential to conduct accessibility assessments of the downtown and site offices to identify barriers and ways to prevent and remove those barriers.

In 2028, we plan to:

  • Identify an accessible alternative to phone booths that are a quiet, private space for people to use. Then, make that space available and tell staff about it.
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

In this priority area we focus on accessibility of digital technology such as software, websites, applications, and assistive technologies that Northcrest Developments is responsible for. This includes ensuring these technologies are compatible with assistive devices/technologies.

Progress to date

We are developing an updated website. It will include enhanced functionality for screen reader compatibility.

Identified barriers

  • Outlook's immersive reader is not fully compatible with screen readers. It reportedly leaves some information unread, such as full background text in a forwarded email.
  • New regulations, under an amendment to the Accessible Canada Regulations, outlining requirements for information and communication technologies applies to Northcrest beginning December 5th, 2027. We have not yet determined where gaps exist between our planned website update and other digital technologies current state and the amended regulations.
Actions to be taken

By the end of 2026, we plan to:

  • Review the applicable requirements under the information and communication technologies regulations. We will begin making a plan towards compliance in 2027.

In 2027, we plan to:

  • Review the immersive reader capabilities to identify and understand barriers or gaps. Then, make a plan to remove them within Outlook or through the use of other screen readers.

On an ongoing basis, we plan to:

  • Monitor the accessibility of our website on a quarterly basis and ensure any new content aligns with WCAG level A. If barriers are identified, we will address them as soon as we can.
Communication, Other Than Information and Communication Technologies

Communication is central to working with our peers, communities, and partners. In this priority area, we focus on making all forms of communication easy to find, understand, and use. We regularly communicate through our website and social media using written information and images, emails, written reports, contracts and other documents.

Progress to date

  • Alternate formats of Northcrest Developments’ documents are provided upon request.

Identified barriers

  • Some of our PDF files and digital assets are not accessible. Our primary file format for documents is PDF, but we do not generally remediate or format our documents specifically for accessibility. This creates barriers for people with disabilities.
  • A list of accessibility service providers, such as sign language interpreters and CART captioners, is not readily available to our event teams. This can potentially cause delays in providing these services to event attendees who request accommodations.
  • We do not have accessible communication guidelines to support consistent practices across the organization.
Actions to be taken

In 2027, we plan to:

  • Identify priority PDF and digital asset files that need updating to an accessible format. Then we will begin updating them as soon as we can.
  • Ensure accessible document and digital asset practices are in place, so newly created documents are more accessible. 

In 2028, we plan to:

  • Develop an accessible communications guide to support more accessible and consistent communication practices.

On an ongoing basis, we plan to:

  • Contribute to a list of vendors/service providers relevant for accessible multimedia, so known vendors can be easily contacted.
The Procurement of Goods, Services and Facilities

Accessible procurement means incorporating accessibility into our procurement process, and considering accessibility when we purchase goods, services and facilities. This priority area focuses on ensuring everyone has the opportunity to participate in our procurement processes and that the things we buy or lease are inclusive and useable for people with disabilities.

Progress to date

  • ICT procurement informally includes expectations or considerations for accessibility requirements such as alignment with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) principles, where applicable.

Identified barriers

  • We do not have a structured procedure to ensure that accessibility is considered as part of all procurement processes
  • Our standard procurement documents have not been assessed for accessibility, such as compatibility with screen readers and useability with keyboard controls.
Actions to be taken

In 2026, we plan to:

  • Implement our first official procurement policy. This will include guidance on when accessibility considerations may be relevant and appropriate as part of the procurement process
  • Provide an information session for employees to introduce the new procurement policy in a way that supports different learning styles. The session will also remind everyone to integrate accessibility into procurement discussions, documents, contract renewals, and practices.

In 2027, we plan to:

  • Review standard/common procurement documents for accessibility, then make a plan to make improvements based on the findings.

In 2028, we plan to:

  • Review procurement practices and the newly implemented policy to identify ways to require staff to consider accessibility in the procurement process. For example, a text field that requires employees to explain why accessibility is not included in the procurement to identify gaps and provide the opportunity to monitor procurement practices in the future.

On an ongoing basis, we plan to:

  • Continue seeking opportunities to identify barriers in the procurement process and to find ways to improve accessibility of the process or end products/services.
The Design and Delivery of Programs and Services

Northcrest Developments hosts various events and programs at our YZD site at the former Downsview Airport site. We aim to consider accessibility and inclusion when we develop our events and programs and when we deliver them, so everyone has the opportunity to participate in Northcrest Developments experiences in a way that works for them.

Progress to date

  • An Accessibility Handbook was recently created to help us and our partners create more accessible public-facing events.
  • Our placemaking team monitors accessibility of events. All events as of 2025 have considered accessibility, for example a relaxed skating hour in Hangar Skate 2026.
  • We’ve collaborated with an accessibility consultant for some events such as Play on the Runway, to bring more accessible activities and to enhance accessibility of the event.
  • The site office offers an Access Kit, developed in collaboration with an accessibility consultant. The kit includes various items that are available as a package or individually, based on each visitors needs. So far, we’ve received positive feedback about the kit.
  • A designated employee monitors and shares updates on new or changed accessibility requirements within the development sector to help ensure we remain aware of accessibility requirements in our work.

Identified barriers

  • Events may not be accessible for people with all kinds of disabilities and accessibility requirements.
  • Internal events and meetings do not have guidelines to help make them more accessible. Guidance is externally focused.
  • The Access Kit is currently available on request, but its availability is not widely shared before the event so people may not know about it in advance or know to ask for the kit.
  • We do not currently track use of the Access Kit, so there is no way to measure its success or identify opportunities to improve.
Actions to be taken

By the end of 2026, we plan to:

  • Promote the Accessibility Handbook to employees and provide ongoing reminders over the next 3 years that it’s available, how to use it, and the benefits to using it.
  • Begin sharing with event attendees that the Access Kit is available in advance of public-facing events, with details on how to request a kit. 

In 2027, we plan to:

Update the Accessibility Handbook.

As part of this update, we will aim to:

  • Review the handbook to ensure a variety of disabilities and accessibility requirements are considered and reflected in the handbook.
  • Consult people with lived experience to gather their perspectives and feedback on creating accessible events.
  • Consider ways to make the handbook applicable to internal events and meetings.

In 2028, we plan to:

  • Consider opportunities to track use of the Access Kit. If an appropriate method is determined, we will make a plan to implement a tracking process.
Transportation

In this priority area we focus on making it more accessible for people with disabilities to plan their transportation and to arrive at Northcrest Developments offices or events. This includes ensuring accessible transportation options are available and shared with everyone and making sure it’s accessible to arrive at the destination.

Progress to date

  • We provided an accessible shuttle service to our Play on the Runway event in 2025 to support accessible access between the event location and a nearby transit station.
  • Our site office was renovated in 2024 which included providing clearly marked, accessible parking spaces.

Identified barriers

  • The site office does not have nearby accessible public transportation options and rideshares/taxis can be limited, making it difficult to reach/leave the site for people who don't drive or don't have access to a personal vehicle.
  • Reception lacks readily available information for visitors about accessible transportation options.
Actions to be taken

By the end of 2026, we plan to:

  • Begin sharing transportation information with new hires and visitors so they can plan ahead about transportation to/from our offices, particularly the site office.

In 2027, we plan to:

  • Prepare accessible transportation information in a readily available, accessible format that can easily be shared with visitors. We will update this information as needed.

In 2028, we plan to:

  • Explore options for improving accessible transportation to/from our site office. 

What’s Next

This plan is the starting point for the next phase of our accessibility work. Now that our plan is in place, we will move from planning to action. Over the next 3 years, we will carry out the actions in this plan, track progress, continue listening to accessibility feedback and share an update on our progress in our 2026 and 2027 progress reports. Our accessibility working group will meet at least every 6 months to do this work, share new ideas, and help keep accessibility top of mind.

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[Archive: Accessibility Policy 2023 to 2026]