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.