Accessibility Laws

The Ontarians with Disabilities Act, and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, passed by the Provincial Goverment in 2001 and 2005 respectively, are designed to increase awareness and remove barriers affecting people with disabilities.

Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001

The purpose of the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001 (ODA) is to improve opportunities for people with disabilities and to provide for their involvement in the identification and prevention of barriers to their full participation in life. Under the ODA local accessibility advisory committees were established and municipalities were required to have an annual accessibility plan in place.

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005

In 2005 the Provincial Government passed the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA). The intent of this legislation is to make Ontario fully accessible for people with disabilities by 2025.

The AODA proposes that standards be developed in the following areas to ensure a barrier-free environment for people with disabilities:

customer service,
transportation,
information and communications,
built environment, and
employment.

Ontario's first accessibility standard, the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, came into effect on January 1, 2008. Established under the AODA, the standard states what organizations in Ontario must do to make their goods and services more accessible to people with disabilities.

Copies of both statutes can be viewed by clicking here.