Tuesday, January 24th, 2012
I am going to tell you a story that will test your knowledge of your current legal responsibilities under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and the Ontario Human Rights Code. For those readers who pass the test, congratulations, you are providing all your customers with the respect they deserve and have sufficient knowledge to insulate your organization from legal liability. For those of you who don’t pass, well, we’ll give you another chance and point you in the direction of some helpful resources to help you get on track!
Read the rest of this post »Tuesday, January 17th, 2012
As you probably know, the Transportation Standards under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act will come into force over the next five years. The Government has released the accessible transportation compliance dates, and you can find them all below. Obligated transportation providers can keep this schedule as a quick reminder of present and future compliance deadlines.
Read the rest of this post »Thursday, December 22nd, 2011
It’s the time of the year again when employers and payroll specialists have to start their T4 year-end process and need to know what’s new in payroll for 2012. In addition, several changes to pension, employment standards and other legal requirements are coming into force January 1, 2012. This blog post provides you with a brief summary of some of the changes employers need to know and prepare for:
Read the rest of this post »Wednesday, December 14th, 2011
January 1, 2012, is the date to complete all actions required under the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service and emergency preparedness requirements in the Integrated Accessibility Standards. The good news is, if your organization is obligated to report, you do not have to file with the government until December 31, 2012.
Read the rest of this post »Tuesday, December 13th, 2011
All businesses with at least one employee will have to comply with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Customer Service Standard taking effect January 1, 2012. With regards to restaurants you need to have a policy on allowing people to use their own assistive devices to access your goods and services, and that includes your menu.
Read the rest of this post »Wednesday, December 7th, 2011
The Accessibility Standards for Customer Service require employers to provide accessible customer service to persons with disabilities. In order to comply with the legislation, all businesses and organizations providing goods or services to the public with at least one employee in Ontario must meet several requirements by January 1, 2012. What we gathered at our most recent AODA seminar is that employers are very concerned about the training aspect of the customer service obligations.
Read the rest of this post »Tuesday, November 29th, 2011
Under the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulations of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), effective January 1, 2012, organizations in Ontario must provide and make available in an accessible format or with appropriate communication supports, information about emergency response plans or public safety to customers and employees with disabilities.
Read the rest of this post »Wednesday, November 16th, 2011
December 3 is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. On this December 3, the global celebration has an appropriate theme, “Together for a better world for all: Including persons with disabilities in development”. Some people are unaware of a global mandate to achieve accessibility, and may feel isolated when their specific jurisdiction introduces new laws benefitting people with disabilities. Understanding we are all moving in the same direction, albeit using varying methods and timelines, is important when making decisions in your organization.
Read the rest of this post »Thursday, October 27th, 2011
First Reference and Stringer Brisbin Humphrey are presenting a half-day seminar on November 9, 2011, which will provide an overview of the AODA compliance framework focusing on practical guidance in the form of templates, checklists and resources tailored to assist you in understanding and meeting the specific requirements that are applicable to your organization, whether it be a public, private or non-profit enterprise.
Read the rest of this post »Wednesday, October 26th, 2011
The Accessibility Standards for Customer Service require employers with 20 or more employees to document policies. The Integrated Accessibility Standards require employers to document policies and multi-year accessibility plans if they have 50 or more employees. So smaller organizations might breathe a sigh of relief knowing that they don’t have to document and keep track of their accessibility policies and plans under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).
Read the rest of this post »Friday, September 30th, 2011
Along with the customer service standard, four out of the five accessibility standards under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act are now law and in place. They are accessibility standards in the areas of Customer Service, Information and Communication, Employment and Transportation. These standards are complex and they require understanding and preparation. Ontarians can no longer ignore them.
Read the rest of this post »Wednesday, September 28th, 2011
You may have read the recent story about a blind rowing champ who was asked to leave the premises of an Esso gas station store. Victoria Nolan attempted to enter the premises with her guide dog when she was promptly told to leave the store. Ms. Nolan is not new to this problem, and she contacted the Toronto police who seemed to have extracted some kind of apology from the employee. An Esso spokesperson stated that the company tells retailers to allow service animals onto the premises. Apparently, there was a communication breakdown when instructing this employee about the topic of service animals.
Read the rest of this post »Wednesday, August 24th, 2011
The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) allows for severe maximum monetary penalties for any violation to the Act. Details on how these administrative penalties work are found in the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation, which came into force July 1, 2011.
Read the rest of this post »Wednesday, July 27th, 2011
Generally, disruptions to all of your services, such as during a power outage or during a labour dispute, do not require this special notice. However, if the disruption has a significant impact on people with disabilities, you should provide notice of the disruption of service. In Ontario, under the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, as of January 1, 2012, organizations are required to publicly notify customers of temporary disruptions of services or facilities or if they are expected to be temporarily unavailable in the near future, including the steps to take to access alternative methods.
Read the rest of this post »Monday, June 27th, 2011
Some organizations might be happy to hear that, but it’s not what you think. According to some, corporate social responsibility (CSR) was never more than a stopgap measure that allowed unsustainable companies to clothe themselves in robes of virtue.
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Andrew Taillon:
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