The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) aims to make the province of Ontario fully accessible for people with disabilities by 2025. Since the AODA became law in 2005, Ontario has established accessibility standards for customer service, information and communications, employment, transportation, and the built environment: design of public spaces.
There are currently two separate reviews of Ontario’s accessibility laws underway:
1. Review of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act
Dean Moran of the University of Toronto Faculty of Law has been appointed to conduct this second independent review of Ontario’s accessibility legislation. Her review seeks to examine Ontario’s progress towards achieving the goals for accessibility set out in the AODA and its standards. Throughout this review, Moran will meet with representatives of the many stakeholder groups affected by the AODA, including individuals with disabilities and representatives from the obligated sectors under the legislation (Source: AODA review).
Public consultations will be held between March 18 and April 22, 2014 both in person and online.
Individual comments or written submissions are also being accepted until June 1, 2014. Click here for more information.
2. Review of the accessible customer service standard
The AODA requires the review of each accessibility standard five years after it becomes law. This is done in order to determine whether the standard is working as intended and to allow for adjustments to be made.
The first accessibility standard to be made into regulation under the AODA was the customer service standard. Upon review, the Standards Development Committee developed initial proposed changes and is now seeking public input prior to finalizing its recommendations to the government. That’s where you come in.
The following components of the customer service standard are involved in these proposed amendments:
- Class structure of organizations based on number of employees
- Policies, practices, and procedures
- Service animals
- Support persons
- Training
- Feedback processes
- Notice of availability and format of documents
Please consult the Ministry website for a full breakdown of these proposed amendments:
Public feedback on the proposed revised customer service standard will be accepted from March 3 to April 16, 2014 and can be provided online.
- The basics of the WSIB’s NEER system - September 29, 2017
- Summarizing WSIB’s proposed Rate Framework, part 3 - August 25, 2017
- Summarizing WSIB’s proposed Rate Framework, part 2 - July 28, 2017
