Ontario passes "Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act"

May 10, 2005 The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) was enacted with the goal of achieving accessibility for all Ontarians with disabilities with respect to goods, services, facilities, accommodation, employment, buildings, structures, and premises on or before January 1, 2025. The AODA laid out a process for the development of accessibility standards by government committees, and these Standard Development Committees were required to set out—and meet—a series of 5-year targets to ensure compliance with the 2025 deadline.

Standards Development Committees were instructed to focus on five areas:

1) Accessible Customer Service standards, addressing business practices and training necessary to provide quality customer service to persons with disabilities.

2) Accessible Information and Communication standards, addressing the removal of barriers in access to information.

3) Accessible Built Environment standards, addressing access into and within buildings and outdoor spaces.

4) Employment Accessibility standards, addressing paid employment practices and employer-employee relations.

5) Accessibly Transportation standards, addressing access to public transportation.

Unlike the Ontarians with Disabilities Act (ODA), which it replaced, the AODA applied to both the public and private sector, and required compliance with the developed standards. It permitted the government to provide incentives for compliance, when appropriate, and also specified hefty financial penalties that would be levied against persons or organizations that did not comply with accessibility standards.

-Caroline Lyster

Ontario passes "Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act"

May 10, 2005 The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) was enacted with the goal of achieving accessibility for all Ontarians with disabilities with respect to goods, services, facilities, accommodation, employment, buildings, structures, and premises on or before January 1, 2025. The AODA laid out a process for the development of accessibility standards by government committees, and these Standard Development Committees were required to set out—and meet—a series of 5-year targets to ensure compliance with the 2025 deadline.

Standards Development Committees were instructed to focus on five areas:

1) Accessible Customer Service standards, addressing business practices and training necessary to provide quality customer service to persons with disabilities.

2) Accessible Information and Communication standards, addressing the removal of barriers in access to information.

3) Accessible Built Environment standards, addressing access into and within buildings and outdoor spaces.

4) Employment Accessibility standards, addressing paid employment practices and employer-employee relations.

5) Accessibly Transportation standards, addressing access to public transportation.

Unlike the Ontarians with Disabilities Act (ODA), which it replaced, the AODA applied to both the public and private sector, and required compliance with the developed standards. It permitted the government to provide incentives for compliance, when appropriate, and also specified hefty financial penalties that would be levied against persons or organizations that did not comply with accessibility standards.

-Caroline Lyster