About DP World Canada
DP World is a leading provider of smart logistics solutions, enabling the flow of trade across the globe. Wherever we operate, we integrate sustainability and responsible corporate citizenship, striving for a positive contribution to the economies and communities where we live and work. We do this by building and growing long-lasting relationships – with governments, shippers, traders, and other stakeholders along the global supply chain.
DP World Canada’s head office is in Burnaby, BC, and we operate terminals in Vancouver, Prince Rupert, Surrey, Nanaimo, and Saint John. We are Canada’s largest container terminal operator. This Plan focuses on our Nanaimo entity. Please use the following link below to view Accessibility Plans for our Vancouver, Fraser Surrey, Saint John, and Shared Services entities.
LINK: https://www.dpworld.canada.com/accessibility/
DP World Nanaimo conducted its first barge service in June 2012 and completed its first 100-container exchange within the first 6 months. Since then, DP World Nanaimo has remained the operating tenant of the Duke Point terminal under the Nanaimo Port Authority. The terminal serves as a vital multi-purpose cargo hub. Originally built in 1982, the terminal features a single berth facility with 182 meters of vessel space, including a structure for barge berthing. With 15 acres of paved storage area, it plays a key role in handling and shipping forest products and containers, facilitating crucial trade operations in the region.
Requirements
As a federally regulated company in the transportation sector, DP World Canada is governed by theAccessible Canada Act (ACA).
The ACA is a federal law enacted by the Canadian government in 2019 to promote and ensure equal access and inclusion for persons with disabilities. Its purpose is to remove existing barriers and to prevent new barriers in employment; the built environment; information and communication technologies (ICT); communication other ICT; the procurement of goods, services and facilities; the design and delivery of programs and services; and transportation. The ACA applies to all federally regulated entities, including companies, organizations, and government agencies.
Per the ACA, all federally regulated entities must:
- Prepare and publish an initial Accessibility Plan
- Establish an accessibility feedback process
- Report annually on the progress towards the plan and address any feedback received
Our Accessibility Plan must be reviewed in its entirety and published every three years.
Overall, the Accessible Canada Act represents a significant step towards creating a more inclusive and accessible society for all Canadians, including those with disabilities. By complying with these requirements, DP World Canada seeks to provide equal access and opportunities to all members of society.
Executive Summary
DP World Canada believes that everyone should be treated fairly and equally at work, and we have been working hard to create an environment where everyone has the same opportunities. We recognize that accessibility must become an area of focus as we look to expand our efforts in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The table below demonstrates our efforts to ensure accessibility for everyone.
Many of our Commitments are shared across our various legal entities, including those that published their first Accessibility Plans in 2023. Commitments in Employment, ICT, Communications, Procurement of Goods, Services & Facilities, Design & Delivery of Programs & Services, and Transportation were started in 2023. We’ve adjusted and accounted for our progress across these areas where relevant.
Table 1.
Executive Summary: DP World’s Accessibility Plan 2024-2027.
| Priority Area | Commitments |
|---|---|
| Employment | Commitment 1: To create a barrier-free and inclusive recruitment strategy that is accessible for all job applicants. Commitment 2: Develop a more inclusive culture that promotes inclusivity and accessibility to highlight DP World Canada’s Seven Priorities of Responsible Business Practices, especially Safety, Wellbeing, Ethics, Community Engagement, and People Development. Commitment 3: Plan an employee communication campaign starting in 2023 to inform them of new accessibility policies and services available to them. Communications will include awareness of disability definitions and common barriers to accessibility. |
| Built Environment | Commitment 1: Increase the accessibility around the Main Terminal Office. Commitment 2: To develop a priority plan and budget for the assessment and incorporation of accessible design into the future development of DP World Canada’s built environment. Commitment 3: Establishing designated parking spot(s) near the entrance with proper signage for employees or visitors with accessibility challenges by September 2026. |
| Information & Communication Technology (ICT) | Commitment 1: Understand and make available existing accessibility features available through our 3rd-party ICT providers. |
| Communication (other than ICT) | Commitment 1: Identify barriers that prevent inclusive communication norms at DP World Canada and address these opportunities to improve how information is communicated, and we engage our employees. |
| Procurement of Goods, Services, & Facilities | Commitment 1: Evaluate how DP World Canada will promote accessibility and accessible design in the relationship we have with our external vendors. |
| Design & Delivery of Programs & Services | Commitment 1: Provide a barrier-free, accessible experience for our customers. |
| Transportation | We have included transportation as a priority area as per the requirements of the Act, however, by definition, it falls outside the purview of DP World Canada. |
Accessibility Statement
DP World Canada is committed to recognizing and tackling obstacles and limitations that hinder the complete engagement of people with disabilities by executing our Accessibility Plan.
We will continue to seek input from the general public, our workforce, and experts in relevant fields, including people with disabilities, to ensure that we do not introduce new barriers in future business practices.
Accessibility Committee
An Accessibility Committee will be established as a sub-committee within a broader Diversity & Inclusion Committee. Our current Accessibility Plan project group includes:
Kim Macey
Director, People & Sustainability
Lauren Nickerson
Director of Health, Safety, Security, and Environment
Liz Collins
Manager, Human Resources
Feedback
DP World Canada is committed to providing an open and transparent feedback process. For more information, to provide feedback, or to request alternative formats of this Plan, please contact DP World Canada through one of the following methods:
Email: [email protected]
Direct mail: Suite 1500, Metrotower II, 4720 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC V5H 4N2
Telephone: 604-252-2473
Attention: Lauren Nickerson, Director of Health, Safety, Security, and Environment
Alternative Formats
DP World Canada’s Accessibility Plan is available in the following formats:
- Large Print
- Electronic
- Audio
A Braille copy of DP World’s Accessibility Plan may be requested by email at [email protected] or by phone at 604-252-2473
PRIORITY AREAS
Area 1: Employment
Our Accessibility Goal
DP World Canada is dedicated to fostering a workplace culture that fully embraces and actively promotes Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) for people with disabilities throughout all aspects of our employment policies and practices.
Current Level of Accessibility
DP World Canada has put a focus on DEI and made significant progress towards creating a more welcoming environment for a diversity of minority groups. This includes people with disabilities.
Our recruitment team has made a significant effort toward improving accessibility in our application and interview process. We recently updated our Equal Employment Opportunity Statement and introduced an accommodation request process for all candidates and new employees. Additionally, we are in the process of identifying additional job boards that promote accessible job opportunities.
Recently, we incorporated DEI training for our leaders, but have not yet included specific training on accessibility. We also maintain policies related to our duty to accommodate and anti-discrimination, which explicitly account for people with disabilities as a protected group.
Actions
Commitment 1:To create a barrier-free and inclusive recruitment strategy that is accessible for all job applicants by:
- Continuing to Investigate options for expanding candidate outreach to include job boards dedicated to supporting people with disabilities.
Commitment 2: Develop a more inclusive culture that promotes inclusivity and accessibility to highlight DP World Canada’s Seven Priorities of Responsible Business Practices, especially Safety, Wellbeing, Ethics, Community Engagement, and People Development by:
- Establishing accessibility and unconscious bias training as part of our DEI training for leaders and hiring managers starting in 2025.
Commitment 3: Plan an employee communication campaign starting in 2024 to inform employees of new accessibility policies and services available to them. Communications will include awareness of disability definitions and common barriers to accessibility.
Area 2: Built Environment
Our Accessibility Goal
DP World Canada wants to make sure that both employees and customers can access our facilities easily and safely. Our long-term goal is to include accessibility in all our expansion and upgrade projects. In the short-term, we need to understand what changes are possible and how they will impact the roles of different people who use the facilities.
Current Level of Accessibility
The current state of accessibility in the built environment for DP World Nanaimo presents challenges for individuals with accessibility needs. The main office, washroom facilities, and operations office are all inaccessible for persons with physical impairments, lacking ramps, having stairs, manual doors, and no signage for the visually or hearing impaired. Common workspaces, such as the Terminal Lunchroom, First Aid Room, and maintenance areas including the Maintenance Office and Lunchroom, are also not accessible, featuring barriers like stairs, tight spaces, and no automatic doors or designated parking.
We recognize that there are inherent barriers for many of the jobs performed by DP World employees that are associated with bona fide occupational requirements established for safety reasons. With that said, DP World will review accommodation requests for employees and, when possible, provide accommodation if there is alignment with safety standards and procedures.
Actions
Commitment 1: Increase the accessibility around the Main Terminal Office by:
- Investigating the feasibility of modifying the main office trailer to be outfitted for wheelchairs by December 2025.
- Assessing accessibility considerations in future planning state for possible expansion as required.
Commitment 2:To develop a priority plan and budgets for the assessment and incorporation of accessible design into the future development of DP World Nanaimo’s built environment by:
- Creating a list of possible accessible upgrades by June 2026.
- Establishing a budget for future accessibility upgrades, if required, by June 2027.
Commitment 3:Establishing designated parking spot(s) near the entrance with proper signage for employees or visitors with accessibility challenges by September 2026.
Area 3: Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
Our Accessibility Goal
DP World Canada wants to make sure that all employees and customers, including those with disabilities, have access to Information and Communication Technology and tools that allow them to engage fully with DP World Canada without any barriers getting in the way of communication.
Current Level of Accessibility
Many of the ICT systems and tools used by DP World Canada are determined at a global scale by our parent company. However, we recognize that we have not yet made accessibility a priority in our local ICT initiatives.
The BC Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) has provided an industry-wide Digital Accessibility Assessment tool which DP World will use to assess our various ICT systems.
Additionally, DP World Canada employees have access to assistive technologies such as specialized keyboards, mice, and monitors upon request.
Actions
Commitment 1: Understand and make available existing accessibility features available through our 3rd-party ICT providers by:
- Establishing a priority list of 3rd-party ICT tools to assess accessibility features by June 2026.
- Starting the roll-out of accessibility features for our top priority 3rd-party ICT tools to employees starting in 2027.
- Working with subject matter experts around communicating with people with disabilities to establish a written best-practices guide for the development and dissemination of key communications to ensure accessibility (e.g., plain language, formatting, alt-text for images, etc.) by June 2026.
- Providing training opportunities to all employees responsible for communication, including Marketing, HR, and Communications, on using accessible communication standards, best practices, and plain language starting in 2026.
- Assessing the feasibility and ability of DP World Canada to incorporate accessibility standards and design practices into our procurement policy by June 2026.
- Providing all employees in procurement with training on any changes to our procurement policy that incorporate accessibility starting in 2027.
- Identifying employee groups that interact with customers regularly and assessing the need for accessibility training by June 2027.
- A review of the new commitments and actions related to the Built Environment
- A review of the amendments made to all other sections of the Accessibility Plan based on progress made by our other business units
- Making explicit our commitment to continue working with people with disabilities to ensure that the actions we are taking are moving in the right direction and removing barriers effectively.
- Tying DP World Canada’s core values and business practices more directly into the Plan.
Area 4: Communication, other than ICT
Our Accessibility Goal
DP World Canada is committed to removing communication barriers both internally and externally by incorporating accessible design into our communication strategies.
Current Level of Accessibility
We are in the beginning stages of promoting more accessible communication standards at DP World Canada. We prioritize the use of plain language and aim to be brief and to the point.
Actions
Commitment 1:Identify any barriers that are preventing inclusive communication norms at DP World Canada and address opportunities to improve how information is communicated by:
Area 5: Procurement of Goods, Services, and Facilities
Our Accessibility Goal
DP World Canada believes that creating a barrier-free Canada extends beyond the work we do internally. We know that our procurement process is an opportunity to make sure we and our vendors are committed to accessibility. DP World is committed to understanding how accessibility can become part of our standard procurement process.
Current Level of Accessibility
DP World Canada has not previously included accessibility in the procurement policy and criteria. However, we are currently working on a reassessment of our procurement policies to incorporate new elements. Accessibility will be a key consideration in this assessment.
Actions
Commitment 1: Evaluate how DP World Canada will promote accessibility and accessible design in the relationship we have with our external vendors by:
Area 6: Design and Delivery of Programs and Services
Our Accessibility Goal
From the point of sale to interacting with ship captains, DP World Canada aims to identify the accessibility needs at each point of contact with our customers and their employees throughout the delivery of our current programs and services.
Current Level of Accessibility
DP World Canada offers a variety of programs and services, including shipping container services, stevedoring, and shipping logistics. Customers can request services and provide feedback by phone, email, online form, and through other virtual services such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom.
While accessibility has not been explicitly part of the design and delivery of our services, our customer-facing employees are provided with training and mentorship to ensure clear and respectful communication is being practiced.
Actions
Commitment 1:Provide a barrier-free, accessible experience for our customers by:
Area 7: Transportation
The Accessible Canada Act identifies transportation as the seventh priority area of accessibility. While we acknowledge our involvement in the transportation industry, it should be noted that DP World Canada is not responsible for the transportation of members of the public. We have included transportation as a priority area as per the requirements of the Act, however, by definition, it falls outside the purview of DP World Canada.
CONSULTATIONS
Summary
The concept of “Nothing About Us Without Us” supports the notion that persons with disabilities must be involved in developing DP World Canada’s plan to support us in identifying opportunities to progress accessibility in our policies and procedures and the built environment. We consulted with the British Columbia Centre for Ability (BCCFA) in the development of our Accessibility Plan.
Consultation Process
The consultation process for the Nanaimo Accessibility Plan was done in two parts:
We provided the BCCFA with a draft of our Plan and amendments as a Word document for their review. We followed this with live sessions on May 2 and May 15, 2024, to discuss the impact and significance of our goals towards creating an accessible workplace and experience for our employees, customers, and the public.
The session was hosted virtually on Zoom and the consultation team from BCCFA was asked in advance about any accommodation that may be needed for the session.
During the session, participants had the option to turn on closed captioning. Each priority area of the Plan was discussed and accompanied by a PowerPoint presentation for everyone to see.
Results
During the session, we reviewed each of DP World Canada’s Accessibility Commitments and gathered feedback from the BCCFA. Overall, the BCCFA found the Plan to be clear and logical and that it shows a commitment to making a positive impact on the community through accessibility measures.
Most of the Commitments and corresponding action plans provide a coherent and logical progression. However, the BCCFA identified a couple of key areas where further elaboration on the actions was needed to provide a clear and meaningful commitment. This was incorporated throughout the Plan by:
Future Consultations
Future versions of DP World Canada’s Accessibility Plan will place greater emphasis on conducting a more comprehensive consultation process to fully align with the concept of “Nothing Without Us”. Our goal is to engage broader mechanisms for consultation of organizations, employees, and customers through testimonials and storytelling, feedback surveys, and facilitated consultative sessions. We recognize that the more robust our consultation phase is in future republications of our plan, the more likely it is that barriers will be identified and meaningful progress on accessibility, and DEI, will be achieved.
CONCLUSION
DP World Canada’s Accessibility Plan aims to demonstrate our strong dedication to identifying, removing, and preventing barriers to accessibility in all seven (7) priority areas described in the Accessible Canada Act. We know that the first publication of this Plan is the first step towards creating a more equitable workplace and that there will be more we need to do. By setting targets and holding ourselves accountable, we will create a workplace that provides equal opportunities for all.
We recognize that promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) at DP World Canada will have far-reaching benefits for our employees, union members, and our business as a whole. We will dedicate resources to making meaningful progress on our Accessibility Plan commitments to contribute to a more accessible Canada.
We acknowledge that advancing accessibility is just one aspect of our DEI journey, we are determined to create a workplace that is safe, accessible, and equitable for all marginalized groups, including but not limited to, Indigenous people, racialized individuals, members of the 2SLBGTQ+ community, and women.