Author(s):
Rhonda Shirreff
Dec 15, 2014
December 31, 2014 marks an important deadline for compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). By this date, organizations with 20 or more employees in Ontario must file, and make available to the public, an accessibility compliance report.
Organizations with 20-49 Employees – The report requires organizations with 20 or more employees in Ontario to answer questions about their requirements under the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service Standards (Customer Service Standards).
Organizations with 50+ Employees – Organizations with 50 or more employees in Ontario must also answer questions about their requirements under the Integrated Accessibility Standards (Integrated Standards), including the requirement to develop, implement and maintain an accessibility policy and a multi-year accessibility plan. It is important for large organizations to note that additional requirements related to training and processes for receiving and responding to feedback in accessible formats will take effect on January 1, 2015. Large organizations will also be required to file additional accessibility compliance reports every three years.
Accessibility compliance reports can be filed online with the Ministry of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure.
The AODA requirements summarized in our AODA checklist are either currently in effect or will take effect on January 1, 2015. This checklist is not exhaustive. Depending on the nature of the organization, there may be additional requirements that should also be considered. a number of additional requirements will come into force at a later date.
The Ministry has also created an AODA Compliance Wizard to assist organizations in determining which AODA requirements apply to them. For further resources, including helpful links and Osler Updates, see our AODA resource page.
For more information, contact Jason Hanson, Allan Wells, Sven Poysa or Rhonda Shirreff.
By Rhonda Shirreff