Summary
The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), aims to identify, remove, and prevent barriers for people with disabilities. It applies to all levels of government, nonprofits, and private sector businesses in Ontario that have one or more employees.
- The Access for Ontarians with Disabilities’ purpose is to benefit all Ontarians by setting out a process for developing and enforcing accessibility standards to eliminate barriers and increase inclusivity to achieve accessibility for Ontarians with disabilities with respect to goods, services, facilities, accommodation, employment, buildings, structures and premises.
- Ontario is the first province and one of the first jurisdictions in the world to enact specific legislation establishing a goal and timeframe for accessibility.
- Ontario is the first jurisdiction to legislate accessibility reporting and to establish standards in employment (and other areas), which includes accessibility rules for businesses and non-profits.
In this Article, I provide a short overview of the Access for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (“AODA”). It recognizes the history of discrimination against persons with disabilities in Ontario.
The AODA’s purpose is to benefit all Ontarians by setting out a process for developing and enforcing accessibility standards to eliminate barriers and increase inclusivity to achieve accessibility for Ontarians with disabilities with respect to goods, services, facilities, accommodation, employment, buildings, structures and premises. It is applicable in public and private sectors.
If you reside or work outside Ontario, this Article is not likely to apply to you.
Context
Ontario is the first province and one of the first jurisdictions in the world to enact specific legislation establishing a goal and timeframe for accessibility. It was also the first jurisdiction to legislate accessibility reporting and to establish standards in employment (and other areas), which includes accessibility rules for businesses and non-profits.
Under the AODA, the government of Ontario is responsible for creating Accessibility Standards that organizations must follow. Accessibility Standards include:
- Information and Communication
- Transportation
- Employment
- Design of public spaces
- Customer Service
AODA training is also thorough and includes:
- The purpose of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act
- An organization’s policy on providing accessible customer service
- How to interact with people with various types of disabilities
- How to interact with people who use an assistive device or require the assistance of a service animal or support person
- Information on how to use any equipment or devices available in an organization to help provide goods, services or facilities to people with disabilities
- What to do if a person with a disability is having difficulty accessing an organization’s goods, services or facilities
Staff must also be trained when there are any changes to accessible customer service policies.
Customer Service Accessibility Standard
The AODA is also unique because goods or services must be provided in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities. When communicating with a person with a disability (like Persons Who Stutter - PWS) providers of goods and services must do so in a manner that considers the person’s disability. Persons with disabilities must be given an opportunity equal to that given to others to obtain, use and benefit from goods or services. This Standard is helpful because it can teach employees how to interact properly with PWS, or other communication disabilities, and provide appropriate communication supports. All people deserve to access goods, services, and facilities in ways that respect their independence and their dignity.
To learn more about the AODA and Accessibility Standards you can access:
https://www.ontario.ca/page/accessibility-in-ontario
If there a particular employment topic or issue that you would like me to address in a future article, let me know! You can reach me at: mathew.yaworski@stutter.ca
All correspondence will be treated as confidential.
Disclaimer: The opinions and statements in this article are solely the author’s and do not represent the Government of Canada or the Department of Justice Canada. Nothing in this article should be construed or relied upon as legal advice or opinion. Consult a lawyer for specific advice concerning your situation.