December 14, 2001 The Ontarians with Disabilities Act (ODA) was passed by the provincial legislature in 2001, and came into force on February 7, 2002. The ODA applied to the public sector—government services—and called for, among other things, that public buildings, government services, and publications (including websites) be accessible to all Ontarians.

The ODA was not without its critics. In comparison to the Americans with Disabilities Act, which had inspired disabled Canadians to push for similar legislation at home, the ODA neither ensured accessibility nor compelled barrier removal. There were no enforcement mechanisms associated with the Act, and it required only that the government (and government agencies) have a plan for barrier removal, not that they actually bring that plan into force.

The ODA was replaced with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act in 2005.

-Caroline Lyster

• Gordon, P., Beatty, H., & Holder, B. (2002). An Analysis of the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001. Journal of Law and Social Policy 17. Retrieved from http://legalaid.on.ca/en/publications/downloads/journal_vol17/Beatty.pdf.

• Government of Ontario. (2001). Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001. Retrieved from http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_01o32_e.htm.

• Ontarians with Disabilities Act. (n.d.) Wikipedia. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontarians_with_Disabilities_Act.