Our Stories

National AccessAbility Week (NAAW) takes place from May 26 to June 1, 2025. To mark the week, Medavie is highlighting employees who are working to remove barriers and make workplaces and communities more inclusive for people with disabilities.

A 2024 National Accessibility Study by the Rick Hansen Foundation reports that nearly two-thirds (64%) of Canadians either have a disability themselves or live with or care for a family member who does.

Richard Howie

“As a member of Medavie’s Employee Resource Group (ERG), Diverse Abilities, Caregivers and Allies, I hope to share my own experiences and lend my support to help others with diverse abilities, or caregivers to loved ones. With either, it’s easy to feel alone, isolated, misunderstood, overwhelmed or simply lost.” 
- Richard Howie, Benefits+ Specialist, Medavie Blue Cross, St. John’s, NL

Richard describes the support he received and available resources, as “not only life-changing, but life-saving.”

Medavie's Commitment to Accessibility

To support accessibility, Medavie follows the POUR principles — making sure things are:

• Perceivable (easy to see, hear, or understand)
• Operable (easy to use)
• Understandable (clear and simple)
• Robust (works well with different tools and technology)

The goal is to ensure employees have equal access to their work environment and can carry out their duties without obstacles.

This includes:

• Making changes for employees who need them, like flexible work options or custom workstations.
• Following legislation and ensuring websites, documents, and webinars are accessible (including closed captioning).
• Maintaining workplace policies and programs that comply with legislation, including:
• employee compliance committee
• ethics hotline
• code of conduct
• Giving leaders the tools they need to support team members with disabilities.

To date, a total of three ERGs have been formed, including:

• Women in the Workplace
• Rainbow Network and Allies
• Diverse Abilities, Caregivers and Allies