Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act
| Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 | |
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| An Act respecting the development, implementation and enforcement of standards relating to accessibility with respect to goods, services, facilities, employment, accommodation, buildings and all other things specified in the Act for persons with disabilities | |
| Enacted by | Legislative Assembly of Ontario |
| Date of Royal Assent | 13 June 2005 |
| Date commenced | 13 June 2005 |
| Legislative history | |
| First reading | 12 October 2004 |
| Second reading |
18 November 2004 22 November 2004 25 November 2004 2 December 2004 |
| Third reading |
9 May 2005 10 May 2005 |
| Status: In force | |
The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) is a statute enacted in 2005 by the government of Ontario, Canada for the purpose of improving accessibility standards for Ontarians with physical and mental disabilities to all public establishments by 2025.
Some businesses began taking steps to bring their organizations into compliance in 2005. Compliance deadline dates depend on the size of the institution and the sector in which it operates.
In 2001, the government of Ontario passed into law the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001, requiring the government to adopt practices that eliminate barriers to participation of individuals with disabilities. Such practices are adopted by consultation with groups and individuals affected by or representing those with disabilities. These include defining building and structure guidelines, only leasing properties compliant with the guidelines, and sourcing products which "must have regard to their accessibility for persons with disabilities".
The Act also required all government ministries and municipal governments to prepare accessibility plans to identify, remove, and prevent barriers to participation throughout their operations. By 31 December 2002, all provincial websites were required to be accessible. Other institutions required to provide annual plans addressing accessibility issues included public transportation systems, hospitals, district school boards, universities, colleges of applied arts and technology, and other government agencies.
The legislation was regarded as weak, as it had no enforcement, imposed no penalties, and required no deadlines. Groups lobbied the government to improve the legislation.
The scope of the legislation includes both public and private institutions. It targets the removal of barriers to participation.
By 2015, five standards have been established as regulations enacted by the government.
The first was the "Customer Service Standard", taking effect on 1 January 2008. This standard requires that individuals with disabilities are able "to obtain, use and benefit from goods and services". This includes businesses granting access to service animals and support people in publicly-accessible areas, provide accessible customer service, and implement a feedback system.
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