Independent Living Centre Kingston

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act 2005

Purpose of the AODA

To make Ontario accessible for people with disabilities by 2025 the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) requires businesses and organizations to provide accessible environments for people with disabilities and meet specific accessibility standards in five important areas.

Accessibility Standard: Customer Service

Ontario has developed a new Accessible Customer Service Standard. All businesses with at least one employee will have to comply with the new standard by January 1, 2012.

The customer service standard will help people by:
* understanding that customers with disabilities may have different needs, and
* finding the best way to help them access your goods and services

Accessibility Standard: Transportation

The proposed Accessible Transportation Standard focuses on making transportation services accessible, including buses, trains, subways, streetcars and ferries. Some requirements include:
* providing on-board announcements of stops and connections
* establishing criteria and processes to determine eligibility for specialized transit services; and
* having features such as grab bars and allocated spaces for people with mobility disabilities.

Accessibility Standard: Information and Communications

The proposed Accessible Information and Communications Standard outlines how businesses and organizations will have to create, provide and receive information and communications in ways that are accessible for people with disabilities.

The proposed Accessible Information and Communications Standard will require obligated organizations to:
* provide information and communication to people with disabilities in a way that accommodates their disability, and
* make websites accessible. 

Accessibility Standard: Employment

The goal of the proposed Accessible Employment Standard is to help employers create equal employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

The proposed standard means that obligated organizations will have to:
* deliver accessibility awareness training to employees
* accommodate persons with disabilities in the recruitment process
* develop individual accommodation plans for employees with disabilities, upon request
* deliver individualized workplace emergency information to employees with disabilities
* take into account the accommodation needs of employees with disabilities in existing performance management, career development and redeployment processes
* develop procedures for return-to-work of employees who are absent from work due to a non-workplace injury or illness that uses individual accommodation plans, where appropriate.

Accessibility Standard: Built Environment

The Final Proposed Accessible Built Environment Standard provides recommendations to government on how to remove barriers in buildings and outdoor spaces for people with disabilities.

The standard was developed by a committee composed of people representing:
* disability communities
* not-for-profit organizations
* broader public sector
* businesses, and
* building industry.


For more information contact Independent Living Centre Kingston
298 Concession St., Kingston, Ontario K7K 2C1
Ph: 613-542-8353 * TTY: 613-542-8371 * Fax: 613-542-4783
Email: info@ilckingston.com * Web: www.ilckingston.com