AODA Making Ontario Accessible – Effective January 2016, employers must meet additional obligations under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)
Background – What is the AODA?
In 2005, the provincial government passed the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act with the goal of making Ontario accessible by 2025.
People with disabilities face obstacles that make it difficult, sometimes impossible, to do the things most of us take for granted. Things like going shopping, working, or taking public transit; organizations can remove some of these barriers by doing things differently.
Ontario Employers must implement Accessible Standards
The purpose of the AODA is to involve Ontario employers in the development and implementation of accessibility standards in their workplaces in key areas that impact daily living. The AODA has 5 components:
- Customer Service
- Communication
- Employment
- Transportation
- Built Environment (public spaces)
Does the AODA apply to all Ontario Employers?
Employers with 1 or more employees must implement AODA standards.
Accessible standards, requirements and implementation deadlines vary depending on the organization size and for private, non-profit or public sector organizations.
2016 Implementation Requirements for Private Sector Companies
January 2016 – Employers with 50 or more employees are required to implement accessibility across all stages of the employment relationship (hiring, training, promotion, return to work after illness or injury, and more) and provide accessible formats and communication supports about goods, services or facilities, on request.
January 2016 – Employers with fewer than 50 employees are required to train employees on the requirements of AODA and to make any feedback tools (customer comment cards, on-line surveys) available in accessible formats, on request.
Past Implementation Deadlines for Private Sector Companies
2012 – By January 1, 2012 all organizations should have implemented the Customer Service Standard. Employers with 20 or more employees should have filed an AODA compliance report on customer service. All organizations should also have implemented accessibility in their emergency plans.
2014 – Employers with 50 or more employees should have developed an accessibility policy and multi-year plan on how to implement the requirements of the legislation. There are additional requirements for employers introducing new or major changes to self serve kiosks or websites. AODA compliance report should have been filed by the end of 2014.
2015 – Employers with 50 or more employees are required to train employees on the requirements of AODA and to make any feedback tools (customer comment cards, on-line surveys) available in accessible formats, on request.
2015 – Employers with fewer than 50 employees are required to develop accessibility policies. Employer’s introducing new or major changes to self-serve kiosks have additional requirements to comply with under AODA.
Where can I learn more about AODA?
Learn more about accessibility in Ontario and the AODA.
