Defence Construction Canada
Who we are
Defence Construction Canada (DCC) is a Crown corporation that provides innovative and cost-effective contracting, construction contract management, infrastructure and environmental services, and lifecycle support for Canada’s defence requirements.
Our Client-Partners are the Assistant Deputy Minister Infrastructure and Environment (ADM IE) Group at the Department of National Defence (DND) and the Communications Security Establishment (CSE).
What We Do: When DND decides to initiate a project, it contacts DCC to procure and manage the associated project contracts on its behalf. These projects range from innovative to traditional: from control towers to dockyards, from hangars to tank maintenance facilities, from community centres to accommodation facilities, and from roads to sewer and water systems. Some projects may simply involve everyday maintenance work. Others are more complex with very high security requirements.
Why we are involved
DCC’s workforce reflects Canadian society, comprising people from diverse cultures and backgrounds. We believe employee diversity is a strategic advantage and work to leverage the differences among members of our team — to create a workplace in which all employees feel included and can achieve their full potential.
Our goal is to provide an accessible, productive and respectful work environment that embraces equity, diversity and inclusion, and encourages all employees to contribute to a respectful workplace free from bias, harassment and discrimination.
As a federal Crown corporation, DCC is subject to the Accessible Canada Act (ACA). The ACA was enacted to help create a barrier-free Canada by 2040 through the proactive identification, removal and prevention of barriers to accessibility by organizations under federal jurisdiction.
Since 2019, when the ACA came into effect, DCC has identified several barriers that it will work to remove or prevent in the coming years. These include a range of barriers that may be attitudinal, technological, systemic, physical and architectural, and information- and communication-related.
As part of its ongoing commitment to improving accessibility for Canadians, DCC has already carried out a few initiatives to address these barriers, including incorporating accessibility features into its e-procurement portal and employee training platform, and updating policies to reflect accessibility concerns.
Accessibility initiatives
DCC has already carried out a number of initiatives that addressed identified barriers, including the following:
Enhanced recruitment of individuals with disabilities.
DCC has engaged disabilities organizations across Canada to help identify candidates with disabilities for employment opportunities at DCC.
Implemented corporate diversity and wellness strategies.
DCC has implemented corporate strategies—and updates them periodically—focused on diversity and inclusion and workplace wellness and mental health. The goal of the strategies is to ensure DCC provides a welcoming, respectful, inclusive and healthy workplace for all DCC employees, which helps foster accessibility for all, including those with physical and mental health-related disabilities.
Under the strategies, DCC is carrying out a full suite of awareness, training and policy development and enhancement activities.
Updated or new policies.
DCC updated its Ergonomics Policy to improve awareness of the importance of ergonomics in the workplace. Under the policy, DCC employees can request an ergonomic assessment of their workstation to help reduce the likelihood of ergonomic injuries, which can lead to disabilities.
DCC introduced a Flexible Workplace Policy that allows DCC employees some choice in work location, which can make it easier for individuals with disabilities to carry out their duties.
Framework for a safe return to the workplace.
DCC’s safe return to workplace framework is facilitating DCC’s post-pandemic return to the workplace, with the physical and psychological health and safety of DCC employees being paramount.
The framework acknowledges the possible impacts of returning to the workplace and allows managers to take the circumstances of individual employees into account.
Enhanced the digital work environment.
DCC enhanced its digital work environment by introducing tools such as Microsoft Teams and cloud-based computer storage, so DCC employees can work and collaborate with colleagues, Client-Partners and industry, regardless of whether they are in the physical or virtual DCC workplace.
Updated DCC’s branding and website.
DCC refreshed its website and branding in 2021, taking accessibility guidelines (such as those related to colour contrast, readability, navigation and information structure) into account.
Implemented e-procurement.
DCC implemented e-procurement so bidders can bid on DCC contracts via a web portal and use accessibility tools that are not available for paper-based procurements.
Introduced employee training platform with accessibility features.
DCC introduced a digital employee training platform that has accessibility features such as closed captioning and text transcriptions.
Participated in accessibility law training.
The members of the Accessibility Working Group took training on complying with accessibility laws to gain a better understanding of accessibility legislative requirements and the barriers individuals with disabilities face.
