Yazmine C. Laroche was awarded the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, at the 2:00 p.m. ceremony on Friday, June 14, “in recognition of her distinguished career in the federal public service and, in particular, her significant contribution to greatly improved accessibility for all Canadians.”
She was appointed Canada’s first-ever deputy minister for Public Service Accessibility in 2018 and is the first visibly disabled person to be appointed to serve in a deputy minister role in the federal public service.
Her mandate is to design a strategy to make the Canadian public service the gold standard of accessibility and inclusion. Laroche has had an illustrious career, holding progressively more senior leadership responsibilities in areas as diverse as arts policy, transport, infrastructure, strategic planning and financial management.
An avid world traveler with a mission to make things better, Laroche’s work has shaped Canada’s conversation about people with disabilities, accessibility and awareness.
She serves as Deputy Minister Champion for Federal Employees with Disabilities. Her role ensured that the voices of public servants with disabilities were incorporated into Bill C-81, the Accessible Canada Act.
Laroche is also the Deputy Minister Champion for her alma mater Carleton University, where she obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications in 1982. She is a director and former chair of Muscular Dystrophy Canada. She led the New Deal for Cities and Communities, which includes earmarking federal funds to support national objectives for sustainable communities. Most recently, she
oversaw the Gordie Howe International Bridge project, expected to set standards in innovation and creativity.
She was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012 for her work in the community.