Stephanie Cadieux

Chief Accessibility Officer

In May 2022, Stephanie Cadieux began a 4-year term as Canada’s first Chief Accessibility Officer (CAO).

Before her appointment, Ms. Cadieux was a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 2009 to 2022. Between 2010 and 2012, she held various positions, including:

Minister of Social Development
Minister of Labour, Citizens’ Services and Open Government, and
Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development

As Minister of Social Development, she served as lead social policymaker and introduced a breakthrough approach to remove policy barriers for people living with severe disabilities. From 2012 to 2017, she served as Minister of Children and Family Development. In this role, she focused on increasing adoption levels and support for young people before they aged out of foster care. She also championed an initiative that led to thousands of single parents being able to move into the labour market in jobs that would have otherwise been inaccessible due to lack of training and childcare support.

Before her work in provincial politics, she was the Director of Marketing and Public Relations for the BC Paraplegic Association.

Ms. Cadieux is a member of the disability community. She has used a wheelchair since the age of 18. Her lived experience gives her a deep understanding of the unnecessary barriers faced by people with disabilities. She recognizes the cost of these barriers to our collective wellbeing.