Designing inclusive government programs and services (CA0082)

Issue to be addressed
Many Canadians continue to face systemic barriers when accessing government programs and services, particularly those from marginalized communities defined by race, gender, disability, income level or other intersecting factors. When public services are not designed with inclusivity at their core, they risk reinforcing inequality, limiting access to essential resources, and excluding voices from decision-making.

This issue highlights the ongoing need for government policies and services that are intentionally inclusive, equitable and informed by community input. By actively engaging affected populations and integrating their feedback, programs can become more user-friendly, fair and responsive ensuring that all Canadians feel seen and supported. Inclusive design is not just a matter of fairness; it's essential for effective governance and social cohesion.

Problem statement
Government programs and services often do not meet the diverse needs of all Canadians, particularly those from marginalized communities. When policies are not designed with inclusivity and equity in mind, they risk excluding people from essential resources and full participation in civic life. Without actively incorporating feedback from affected communities, services can remain inaccessible, unfair and unresponsive, which undermining trust and limiting their ability to serve the populations they are intended to support.

Commitment
The Government of Canada commits to designing and delivering government programs and services that are inclusive, equitable and informed by lived experiences. By actively engaging individuals across diverse identities, we will make sure public services are accessible, responsive and reflective of the real needs of Canadians. This means embedding inclusive design principles into every stage of policy and service development and creating feedback mechanisms that empower communities to shape the systems that serve them. The goal is to build trust, promote fairness and strengthen social cohesion.

What will we do?

4.1 Align the "open-by-default" and "secure-by-design" approaches to advance Indigenous and information sovereignty and limit legislative barriers through proactive disclosure to facilitate greater information sharing with Indigenous communities
4.1.1. Review the processes required for Indigenous people when accessing their data and information held by the RCMP. By end of 2028. RCMP
4.1.2. Collaborate with Indigenous communities (First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities) to determine what information should be prioritized in the process. By end of 2028. RCMP
4.1.3. Identify and address key barriers in the process to promote proactive disclosure for Indigenous communities accessing their data. By end of 2028. RCMP

4.2 Develop a targeted learning series on open data for use by federal public servants
4.2.1. Consult stakeholders on the essential content and desired outcomes of a foundational training or learning program for the federal public service on open data. By December 2026. TBS
4.2.2. Co-create the module(s) with civil society and Canada School of Public Service and do user testing. By December 2027. TBS
4.2.3. Publish the module(s) on an appropriate platform. By December 2028. TBS
4.2.4. Assess the effectiveness of the update of the module, by soliciting feedback on how to continually improve it. By December 2029. TBS

4.3 Monitor Canadians' experiences with serious legal problems and enhance the Department of Justice Canada's understanding of effective responses using findings from the National Justice Survey and Serious Legal Problems in Canada
Publish findings from the National Justice Survey and from Statistics Canada's Canadian Legal Problems Survey (CLPS), in user-friendly formats (for example, infographics or a simple dashboard).
Use the National Justice Survey data to inform decision-making both by the Department of Justice Canada and by key external stakeholders
4.3.1. Number of hits on the National Justice Survey results. Biannually until 2029. JUS
4.3.2. Number of Justice Canada research publications and resources that use National Justice Survey data and are publicly available. Biannually until 2029. JUS
4.3.3. Provide examples of National Justice Survey data being used to inform decision-making. Feedback will be compiled in March 2027 and at the end of the commitment and published in a report. JUS
4.3.4. Qualitative feedback from key stakeholders on accessibility and usability of the data. Feedback will be compiled in March 2027 and at the end of the commitment and published in a report. JUS

4.4 Update Justice Canada's State of the Criminal Justice System Dashboard and pursue the automation of updates to support easier dissemination of data to the public.
Explore, in collaboration with key partners, the possibility of expanding the indicators in the Department of Justice Canada's State of the Criminal Justice System dashboard to include available disaggregated data related to court delays and other key justice system issues
4.4.1. Number of Canada's State of the Criminal Justice System Dashboard indicators that have been automated. Biannually until 2029. JUS
4.4.2. Number of hits on Canada's State of the Criminal Justice System Dashboard webpages. Biannually until 2029. JUS
4.4.3. Provide examples of data being used to inform decision-making. Examples will be compiled in March 2027 and at the end of the commitment and shared via public report. JUS
4.4.4. Qualitative feedback from key stakeholders on accessibility and usability of the data. Feedback will be compiled in March 2027 and at the end of the commitment and shared via public report. JUS

4.5 Support the design and delivery of accessible administrative services
4.5.1. The number of administrative bodies-federal, provincial and territorial-that apply the Access to Justice Index to their operations for an initial assessment. Biannually until 2029. JUS
4.5.2. The number of administrative bodies that use the index for a further self-assessment to evaluate progress and identify additional improvements. Biannually until 2029. JUS
4.5.3. Feedback from administrative bodies on the effectiveness of the index as a tool to support more accessible and user-friendly services. Feedback will be compiled at the end of two years of promoting the Index-November 2027. JUS
4.5.4. Number of awareness raising activities (for example, webinars, talks at conferences). Biannually until 2029. JUS