Accessibility Advisory Committee

The more accessible your business is, the more customers you can reach. The Ontario government asserts there are 2.6 million people with a disability in Ontario alone. With an aging population, that number will only increase. Operating a business that is accessible to all people allows you to attract more customers and more employees.

There are spillover benefits to running an accessible business. Whether it is a customer with a stroller who benefits from automatic door openers, or delivery people aided by wider doorways, your efforts will make your business more convenient and approachable to all.

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) is legislation passed by the Ontario Government in 2005. The goal of the Act is to develop, implement and enforce accessibility standards regarding goods, services, facilities, accommodation, employment, buildings, structures and premises to achieve accessibility for all Ontarians with disabilities.

You can find the AODA at the e-laws website as well as the Regulation containing the Accessibility Standards.

The AODA impacts small and large businesses alike. The requirements are based on how many people you employ. The size of businesses are grouped:

• 1-19 employees;
• 20-49 employees; and
• 50+ employees.

Some of the things businesses are required to do under the legislation relate to:

• Training your staff on providing accessible customer service;
• Providing accessible emergency and public safety information;
• Creating an accessibility policy;
• Creating a multi-year accessibility plan;
• Filing a compliance report with the province;
• Creating accessible public spaces; and
• Planning for accessible self-service kiosks.

The Ontario government has provided what businesses of varying sizes need to have accomplished and when. To learn more about the requirements for your business based on the number of employees, visit the Ontario Government website.

As an employer in Ontario, the AODA requires you to accommodate employees with disabilities. You must make your recruitment process accessible by offering accommodations, making your employees aware that supports exist and creating individual accessible workplace emergency response information to help keep workers safe.

The AODA requires you to train your employees and volunteers with respect to Accessible Customer Service, the Ontario Human Rights Code and any requirements that apply to their job duties and your organization. To learn more about training visit How to train your staff on accessibility. For free training materials visit the AccessForward website; it contains training modules, videos, and transcripts for training on all the Accessibility Standards contained in the Regulation.

One of the elements businesses must train their employees and volunteers on is the Ontario Human Rights Code. The Ontario Human Rights Code prohibits actions that discriminate based on protected grounds and protected social areas. One of the protected grounds is disability, and the protected social areas include housing, contracts, employment, goods, services and facilities, membership in unions, trade or professional associations.

Persons who believe they have experienced discrimination or harassment can file an application with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario. The Tribunal resolves claims of discrimination and harassment brought under the Human Rights Code.

Learn more about the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario on their website. You can also review the Human Rights Code on the e-laws website.

A compliance report is an online form completed by the business that indicates whether or not it conforms with the requirements set out in the Regulation to the AODA, Regulation 191/11, Integrated Accessibility Standards. The report focuses on different parts of the Regulation and asks yes or no questions to determine if you are meeting the standard set out in the Regulation.

Businesses with 20 or more employees must file a compliance report with the provincial government once every three years. To learn more about filing a compliance report and where to go to file one, visit Completing your accessibility compliance report.

The Act does not require you to make changes to your building for accessibility purposes. If you are building new or undertaking a significant redevelopment it is the Ontario Building Code that sets out the rules for making buildings accessible. Municipal Building Officials will be looking for certain requirements set out in the Building Code, such as the width of doors, the slope of ramps, power door openers, and all the features of an accessible washroom.

In the Act “redevelopment” is defined as planned significant alterations to public spaces but does not include maintenance activities, environmental mitigation or environmental restoration.

The AODA does require businesses to create accessible public spaces. Public spaces include:

• Parking lots and sidewalks;
• Service counters;
• Fixed waiting lines;
• Waiting areas with fixed seating;
• Recreational trails and beach access routes;
• Playgrounds; and
• Public eating areas.

You can learn more about How to make public spaces accessible | Ontario.ca by visiting the government’s website. The webpage sets out what you have to do, how to comply, and exceptions, if any.

General Information

The general information for businesses and non-profit organizations can be found on the Ontario government’s website Accessibility rules for businesses and non-profits | Ontario.ca.

Assistance with Training Your Employees

To access free training modules visit AccessForward for videos, transcripts and more relating to the AODA and the Accessibility Standards.

Ontario’s Accessibility Newsletter

For more information on accessibility in Ontario, including upcoming deadlines, subscribe to the AODA Toolbox by visiting Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility Newsletter.

The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario

To learn more about the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, including how to file an application, visit the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario | Tribunals Ontario website.

Except as otherwise provided by legislation, the Counties shall, upon request and in consultation with the person making the request, provide or make arrangements to provide accessible formats and communication supports for persons with disabilities. Accessible formats and communication supports shall be provided in a timely manner, taking into account the person's accessibility needs and at a cost that is no more than the regular cost charged to other persons.

This will not apply to products and product labels, unconvertible information or communications and information that the Counties does not control directly or indirectly through a contractual relationship. If it is determined that information or communications are unconvertible, the department shall provide the person requesting the information or communications with an explanation as to why the information or communications are unconvertible, and a summary of the unconvertible information or communications.
To request material in another format, please email access@uclg.on.ca or call 613-342-3840 ext. 2307.

In the event there is a temporary service disruption in availability of facilities, services or programs used by persons with disabilities (e.g. elevator, door opener), the Counties shall give notice to the public of the reason for the disruption, the date(s) of the disruption, its anticipated duration and a description of alternative facilities, services or programs available. Such notice may be provided by a variety of methods, depending on the circumstances, and may include posting in a conspicuous place(s) at the affected facility, or the Counties' website, or by such other method as is reasonable in the circumstances.

Notice of Disruption Form

The Counties shall accommodate the use of service animals by people with disabilities to ensure accessibility to Counties' services and programs, unless the animal is otherwise excluded by law, such as in food preparation areas.

If a service animal cannot be easily identified as a service animal, individuals representing the Counties may ask the person to provide documentation from a regulated health professional, which must confirm the person needs the service animal for reasons related to their disability.

All Counties' employees, elected officials, volunteers and third parties providing services and programs to the public on the Counties' behalf, as well as those who develop policies, practices and procedures governing the provision of services and programs to the public will receive accessibility training.

The training provided shall be appropriate to the duties of the employee, elected official, volunteer or third party. Training shall take place as soon as practicable and, upon completion, the Counties shall keep a record of the training provided including dates on which accessibility training took place.

Training shall be provided one an ongoing basis as policies, procedures and legislation change.

The Counties shall provide individualized workplace emergency response information to employees who have a disability if the disability is such that the individualized information is necessary and the Counties is aware of the need for accommodation. The Counties shall provide the information as soon as practicable after becoming aware of the need for accommodation.

If an employee who receives individualized workplace emergency response information requires assistance, and with the employee's consent, the Counties shall provide the workplace emergency response information to a person designated by the Counties to provide assistance to the employee.

The Counties shall review the individualized workplace emergency response information where the employee moves to a different location in the organization, when circumstances change with the employer, with the employee, or the workplace, when overall accommodation needs or plans are reviewed, and when the employee reviews the general emergency response plans and policies.

All employment postings shall provide information about the availability of accommodations for applicants with disabilities in the recruitment process. Job applicants who are individually selected for an interview and/or testing shall be notified that accommodations for material to be used in the process are available upon request.

The Counties shall consult with any applicant who requests such an accommodation in a manner that takes into account the applicant's disability. Successful applicants shall be notified about the Counties' policies for accommodating employees with disabilities as part of their offer of employment.

The Counties will inform employees of the policies used to support employees with disabilities, including policies on the provision of job accommodations that take into account an employee's accessibility needs. The Counties shall provide this information to new employees as soon as practicable after they begin their employment and provide updated information to all employees whenever there is a change to existing policies on the provision of job accommodations that take into account an employee's accessibility needs.

When an employee is absent from work due to a disability and requires related accommodations in order to return, the Counties shall provide such accommodations and supports whenever practicable. Such return-to-work processes shall be documented and outline the steps the Counties will take to facilitate the employee's return to work.

The Counties shall document any individual accommodation plan for employees with accessibility needs.

Feedback on how services and programs were delivered to persons with disabilities shall be invited, forwarded to the County Clerk, responded to, documented and tracked. Feedback shall be collected by phone, email, website comments, in person, or by mail. Feedback in person shall be accepted at any of the Counties' public facilities. Feedback shall be accepted in accessible formats and with other communication support as required.

The Counties will ensure its feedback process is accessible by providing or arranging for accessible formats and communication supports on request.

Link to feedback form