Today, the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario, announced the reappointment of Stephanie Cadieux for a second mandate as Chief Accessibility Officer (CAO), effective May 2, 2026. This three-year term reappointment reflects the Government's commitment to achieving the goal set out in the Accessible Canada Act to create a Canada without barriers by 2040. As a recognized leader and champion of accessibility and disability inclusion, Ms. Cadieux will continue to be a prominent voice for Canadians with disabilities.
Ms. Cadieux was appointed as Canada's first CAO on May 2, 2022. She has been providing advice to the Minister on a wide range of accessibility issues and reporting on outcomes under the Act. As part of her mandate, she also engaged with and encouraged partners and disability stakeholders to take meaningful action to remove barriers for persons with disabilities.
In her first term as CAO, Ms. Cadieux published three annual reports that provided a portrait of Canada's accessibility landscape and identified areas where collective efforts are needed to advance accessibility. The reports include regulatory development, mandatory training on accessibility and disability inclusion, as well as accessible employment and transportation. She also released a commentary on accessible air travel in Canada that outlines progress to date, highlights ongoing challenges and offers recommendations for priority areas of action to make air travel accessible for persons with disabilities.
