Listening that changed our direction on accessibility
By Kerianne Wilson, Director, Customer Accessibility at Air Canada.
Our conversation about accessibility kicked off with a simple question: What barriers do you face when you travel? The answers were honest and specific. For instance, people named the stress of not knowing if a mobility aid would arrive safely. They described the fatigue of repeating needs at every touchpoint. They talked about websites and apps that didn’t work with the tools they rely on. And they shared the bright spots, too, like moments when an employee listened, adapted and made the journey dignified from start to finish. Those stories became our compass.
We treated listening as a practice, not a phase. We consulted with our advisory committee, disability organizations, customers and employees and built in course corrections where feedback told us to do better. That cycle — listen, learn, act, report — kept us honest and focused on the changes that matter most including clearer communication, better handling of mobility aids, accessible digital pathways and consistency across the journey.
Some of the most powerful moments were quiet ones. I remember Isabelle Ducharme, Chair of the Board of Directors at Kéroul, saying that it was the first time they felt truly heard in a structured way and that being asked, specifically, about barriers changed the conversation: “It’s important for me to choose a company or service that I know is committed to making every part of the journey as accessible as possible. It’s equally important that the company clearly communicates what it’s doing, both long-standing efforts and new initiatives, to be as inclusive as it can be.” Others told us that seeing their feedback reflected in priorities indeed built trust. It also shaped our tone. We promised to be transparent about what we could do now, what would take time and what we still had to figure out. We wouldn’t overpromise; we would report, learn and improve openly.
Joanne Smith, host of CBC’s “Moving On,” showed me how a single, thoughtful question — How does Air Canada’s work for accessibility underscore trust and turn frustration into a partnership? — offers the insight a corporation needs to make the right changes: “The progress Air Canada has made in accessibility has transformed my flying experience from being accommodated to feeling genuinely included at every stage of travel. This shift is grounded in trust — built through consistent, thoughtful support at every touch point — and it’s something I now experience firsthand. For me, this level of inclusion and reliability is what truly embodies care and dignity.”
What I’ve learned is that accessibility isn’t built from policy; it’s built from participation. The people who travel with us gave us more than feedback; they gave us a direction. They helped us see where small adjustments could transform experiences and where deeper, systemic work was necessary. They reminded us that while technology and processes matter, what people remember is how we made them feel: seen, safe and respected.
That’s the standard we carry into every decision now. Consultation isn’t a checkbox but a commitment. And it’s why we’ll keep listening continuously so that what we build reflects real needs, not assumptions.
Thank you for following along. The journey continues.