Owlware is Making Wise Choices To Develop a Fully Accessible Ontario

One in seven people in Ontario have a disability.  Over the next twenty years that number will rise as the population ages.  As a result, more individuals with disabilities will continue to experience major barriers to employment and services, limiting their ability to participate fully in society.

To bridge this gap the Ministry of Community and Social Services has introduced new legislation called AODA, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.  Under this act, Ontario is developing accessibility standards to ensure people with disabilities have full access to services and job opportunities.

Companies can prepare for the legislation by training staff on how to serve a customer with a visual impairment, make their website accessible for people with learning, hearing or visual disabilities or develop human resource policies that ensure people with disabilities have equal opportunities. These new and forthcoming laws are mandatory and intend to break down barriers so people with disabilities can participate easily in society.  

Owlware Ltd, a disability service provider for the Ontario Disability Support Program in North York coordinates training and employment opportunities for people with disabilities.  This company has spearheaded a number of innovative programs to assist companies, as well as individuals, with disabilities to make the transition into employment. Owlware offers, affordable one stop solutions to help companies become more accessible for people with disabilities.  They are now recruiting for internships to assist them to deliver the following services to organizations who want to become both inclusive and accessible:

• Software program that evaluates your website and builds accessible sites
• Consultations and advise on how to improve policies, programs and communications for people with disabilities
• An employment program to help clients gain customer service skills within a web development environment.  

The project is called the Access Ability ProjectFor more information on AODA ,solutions for accessibility,  or if you are interested in  the challenge on an internship to deliver these services please contact Frank Sroka, Manager of Programs and Services  at (416) 391-2441  (frank@owlware.com) 

THE BASICS OF AODA

The following information is directly quoted from & found at the following website: www.aoda.ca

THE BASICS OF AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005)

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA), is a law passed by the Ontario legislature that allows the government to develop specific standards of accessibility and to enforce them. The standards are made into laws called regulations, and they provide the details to help meet the goal of the AODA. The AODA is the foundation on which the standards are built.

The purpose of the accessibility standards is to move organizations in Ontario forward on accessibility. The standards will set requirements in a number of key areas and will be reviewed at least every five years. New requirements may be added. Ontario will move step by step towards accessibility that is widespread and commonplace, accessibility that people with disabilities can count on, on a daily basis. In this way Ontario will fully benefit from the contributions, involvement and spending power of people with disabilities.

Further, increasing accessibility will help prepare Ontario for the future. As the population ages, the number of people with disabilities will increase. Visitors and tourists, along with their friends and family will need to travel, shop, use programs, services, and information and to access buildings, parks, and other places in a way that is accessible to them. The customer service standard is the first standard developed under the AODA. Other proposed standards are being developed in the areas of transportation, information and communications, employment and the built environment.

Accessibility Standards for Customer Service Regulation

Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, Ontario Regulation 429/07, is an Ontario law that came into force January 1, 2008. It is the first accessibility standard created under the authority of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA).

What is it?

All providers that are covered by the customer service standard must comply with the 11 requirements. Providers with 20 or more employees and all designated public sector organizations have three additional requirements. The customer service standard applies to all organizations, both public and private that provide goods or services either directly to the public or to other organizations in Ontario (third parties) and that have one or more employees in Ontario.

More Regulations to Come

Ontario’s next future three accessibility standards will remove barriers will come in three areas:

• Transportation — making it easier for people with disabilities to get to where they need to go
• Employment — expanding Ontario’s labour pool and welcoming people with disabilities into more workplaces
• Information and Communications — giving people with disabilities access to more of the information we all depend on.

How Will This Standard be Enforced?

The AODA allows for enforcement of the customer service standard through inspections, compliance orders and administrative penalties. There are fines for persons or organizations convicted of an offence under the AODA.

The fines are:

• Up to $50,000 for each and every day or part day that an offence happens
• For a corporation, up to $100,000 for each and every day or part day that an offence happens.

What are the Deadlines for Complying with the Standard?

The deadlines for complying with the customer service standard are based on the two categories of organizations described in the previous chapter:

• January 1, 2010 – for all providers listed or described as designated public sector organizations in subsection 1(2) or in the schedules to the standard.
• January 1, 2012 – for all providers with at least one employee that are not designated public sector organizations.

A Brief Introduction to OWLware...

COMPANY PROFILE

At Owlware we believe that the most important asset in any organization is the unique skills of its employees and the ability to adapt to change. This need has been more evident in today’s knowledge-driven economy. Constant technological advancements coupled with global competition demand that training and skills development become a priority for any organization. The solution was in creating customized web-based courses for the corporate and private sectors, resulting in both a flexible and competent training alternative. Hence, we have become an active service provider for Ontario Disability Support Program and WSIB. We believe that there should be no barriers to learning and strive to ensure that the e-learning (online training) advantage is accessible to all.

OUR MANDATE

Our mandate is to develop innovative training solutions to ensure a successful transition into the work place. Since its inception, Owlware has been an innovative company that recognized the need for an effective approach to enhance individual productivity and organizational training requirements.We provide professional course development and support in web-based training, on-line distance education, synchronous (virtual) training and skills upgrading.We educate and provide best practices in the most current emerging e-learning technological.We assist in promoting and maintaining professional accreditation within various associations through the use of e-learning methods.

OUR HISTORY

Owlware is an all Canadian company where its principle owner takes an active role in the organizations development and direction ensuring service and client satisfaction are ongoing priorities. The management team has extensive experience in computer based training and expertise working with individuals and various social service organizations specializing with disability issues.