In this section
Universal accessibility is an inclusive approach that enables any person to perform activities independently and achieve equivalent results.
Mandate
Committee members advise Élections Québec on its universal accessibility initiatives. They have a say in Élections Québec’s processes, services, communications, and environments. They help develop solutions to make voting more accessible to the entire electorate.
Members are appointed for a two-year term and attend approximately two meetings a year.
Eligibility
To be a member of the universal accessibility committee, a person must:
- Meet all the conditions required to exercise the right to vote in Québec
- Have personal or professional expertise in universal accessibility
- Not be a staff member of a political party (federal, provincial, or municipal)
- Not hold a position or hold office in a political party (federal, provincial, or municipal) following a nomination
- Not be an elected representative anywhere in Québec (school, municipal, provincial, or federal level)
Allowance
Members receive an allowance of $285 per day or $142.50 per half-day for their participation in meetings. This allowance covers preparation time for meetings, travel time to Québec City or to the planned location, and all costs incurred, excluding travel and accommodation expenses.
Transportation and meal expenses to participate in meetings, as well as the cost of accommodations, when required, are reimbursed according to a directive defined by the Chief Electoral Officer based on the Directive sur les frais remboursables lors d’un déplacement et autres frais inhérents (in French only) issued by the Secrétariat du Conseil du trésor of the Gouvernement du Québec.
Committee guidelines
The members of the universal accessibility committee agree to adopt certain behaviours when exercising their mandate. Each member is responsible for performing their duties with discernment and honesty.
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Respect
Group members must treat each other, the institution, and everyone with whom they are called upon to interact with consideration and respect. They work in collaboration with each other. They listen and are open-minded, so that all members can express themselves freely. They respect their colleagues’ right to speak and their ideas.
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Competency
Members perform their work in the group to the best of their knowledge, skills, and ability. They prepare seriously and diligently for meetings, in particular by reading the documents they receive. They demonstrate curiosity and provide thoughtful, knowledge-based opinions. They also attend meetings regularly and actively participate in the work of the committee.
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Impartiality
Members are politically neutral when performing their work in the group. They avoid partisanship and act on their own behalf independent of any political party. They make proposals and recommendations consistent with the impartiality of Élections Québec and in the interest of all electors, without discrimination.
Throughout their term, members exercise discernment in publicly expressing political opinions that could affect how citizens perceive the working group. When in doubt, they consult Élections Québec before expressing their opinion.
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Loyalty
Members honour their commitments and duties to their colleagues and Élections Québec to ensure cooperation and the effectiveness of the work.
Members must not disclose any information or document provided or discussed in the context of the working group’s work, during and after their term, except when otherwise specified by Élections Québec.
In order to promote open and frank discussions, all comments made during the meetings remain anonymous. Hence, whenever talking about the Committee and its work, members will refrain from attributing comments or opinions to a specific member, both during and after their term.
Members do not take positions publicly on behalf of Élections Québec or the Chief Electoral Officer. They act in their own name only.
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Integrity
Members act fairly and honestly. They ensure that their decisions and recommendations are made in the public interest. They avoid putting themselves in a situation where they would be beholden to someone who could exert undue influence on them in the performance of their duties.
Members must not act in such a way as to obtain an unfair advantage for themselves or for a third party as a result of their duties or any information to which they may be privy in the course of their duties, either during or after their term.
Lastly, members avoid placing themselves in situations of potential or apparent conflict of interest. They must complete and sign the Déclaration relative aux conflits d’intérêt (in French only) at the start of their term and update it as necessary throughout their term. In this way, members report any new potential or apparent conflicts of interest as soon as possible and sign an amended declaration to this effect. Depending on the nature of the conflict of interest, Élections Québec determines whether it is appropriate to exclude the member in question temporarily from the discussions or to end their term.