The AODA Legal Responsibilities For Ontario Businesses
Customer Service, Employment and Information/Communications
The purpose of Ontario Regulation 191/11 Integrated Accessibility Standards is to create a more inclusive province, that can attract more economic growth by removing as many barriers as possible, making Ontario open for everyone.Customer Service
The AODA Customer Service Standard requires all organizations to identify barriers, and remove them, in order to provide customer service that is more accessible to people who have disabilities.If a person with a disability is accompanied by a guide dog or other service animal, the provider shall ensure that the person is permitted to enter the premises with the animal and to keep the animal with him or her, unless the animal is otherwise excluded by law from the premises.
Every provider shall ensure that the following persons receive training about the provision of the provider's goods, services or facilities, as the case may be, to persons with disabilities:
- Every person who is an employee of, or a volunteer with, the provider.
- Every person who participates in developing the provider's policies.
- Every other person who provides goods, services or facilities on behalf of the provider.
Every provider shall prepare one or more documents describing its policies with respect to the matters governed by this section and, on request, shall give a copy of any such document to any person.
Every provider shall establish a process for receiving and responding to feedback about the manner in which it provides goods, services or facilities to persons with disabilities.
Every provider shall establish a process for receiving and responding to feedback about the manner in which it provides goods, services or facilities to persons with disabilities.
Every provider shall develop, implement and maintain policies governing its provision of goods, services or facilities, as the case may be, to persons with disabilities.
The goods, services or facilities must be provided in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities.
If a person with a disability is accompanied by a support person, the provider shall ensure that both persons are permitted to enter the premises together and that the person with a disability is not prevented from having access to the support person while on the premises.
The goods, services or facilities must be provided in a manner that respects the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities.
If a person with a disability is accompanied by a support person, the provider shall ensure that both persons are permitted to enter the premises together and that the person with a disability is not prevented from having access to the support person while on the premises.
The provision of goods, services or facilities to persons with disabilities must be integrated with the provision of goods, services or facilities to others, unless an alternative measure is necessary, whether temporarily or on a permanent basis, to enable a person with a disability to obtain, use or benefit from the goods, services or facilities.
Persons with disabilities must be given an opportunity equal to that given to others to obtain, use and benefit from the goods, services or facilities.
When communicating with a person with a disability, the provider shall do so in a manner that takes into account the person’s disability.
Persons with disabilities must be given an opportunity equal to that given to others to obtain, use and benefit from the goods, services or facilities.
When communicating with a person with a disability, the provider shall do so in a manner that takes into account the person’s disability.
Employment Standard
The purpose of the Employee Standard is to help make hiring and employee support practices more accessible.Every employer shall notify its employees and the public about the availability of accommodation for applicants with disabilities in its recruitment processes.
Every employer shall, when making offers of employment, notify the successful applicant of its policies for accommodating employees with disabilities.
Every employer shall inform its employees of its policies used to support its employees with disabilities, including, but not limited to, policies on the provision of job accommodations that take into account an employee's accessibility needs due to disability.
Every employer shall, when making offers of employment, notify the successful applicant of its policies for accommodating employees with disabilities.
Every employer shall inform its employees of its policies used to support its employees with disabilities, including, but not limited to, policies on the provision of job accommodations that take into account an employee's accessibility needs due to disability.
Every employer shall consult with the employee to provide or arrange for the provision of accessible formats and communication supports for relevant information.
Every employer, other than an employer that is a small organization, shall develop and have in place a return to work process for its employees who have been absent from work due to a disability and require disability-related accommodations in order to return to work.
An employer that uses performance management in respect of its employees shall take into account the accessibility needs of employees with disabilities, as well as individual accommodation plans, when using its performance management process in respect of employees with disabilities.
Every employer, other than an employer that is a small organization, shall develop and have in place a return to work process for its employees who have been absent from work due to a disability and require disability-related accommodations in order to return to work.
An employer that uses performance management in respect of its employees shall take into account the accessibility needs of employees with disabilities, as well as individual accommodation plans, when using its performance management process in respect of employees with disabilities.
Every employer 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 employer is aware of the need for accommodation due to the employee’s disability.
Every employer shall review the individualized workplace emergency response information from time to time
Every employer shall review the individualized workplace emergency response information from time to time
Employers, other than employers that are small organizations, shall develop and have in place a written process for the development of documented individual accommodation plans for employees with disabilities.
An employer that provides career development and advancement to its employees shall take into account the accessibility needs of its employees with disabilities as well as any individual accommodation plans, when providing career development and advancement to its employees with disabilities.
An employer that uses redeployment shall take into account the accessibility needs of its employees with disabilities, as well as individual accommodation plans, when redeploying employees with disabilities.
An employer that provides career development and advancement to its employees shall take into account the accessibility needs of its employees with disabilities as well as any individual accommodation plans, when providing career development and advancement to its employees with disabilities.
An employer that uses redeployment shall take into account the accessibility needs of its employees with disabilities, as well as individual accommodation plans, when redeploying employees with disabilities.
Information and Communications
The purpose of the Information and Communications standard is to help organizations make their information accessible to people with disabilities.Every obligated organization that has processes for receiving and responding to feedback shall ensure that the processes are accessible to persons with disabilities by providing or arranging for the provision of accessible formats and communications supports, upon request.
Every obligated organization shall upon request provide or arrange for the provision of accessible formats and communication supports for persons with disabilities, in a timely manner that takes into account the person’s accessibility needs due to disability; and at a cost that is no more than the regular cost charged to other persons.
If an obligated organization prepares emergency procedures, plans or public safety information and makes the information available to the public, the obligated organization shall provide the information in an accessible format or with appropriate communication supports, as soon as practicable, upon request.
The Government of Ontario and the Legislative Assembly shall make their internet and intranet websites and web content conform with the World Wide Web Consortium Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, at Level AA.
Designated public sector organizations and large organizations shall make their internet websites and web content conform with the World Wide Web Consortium Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, initially at Level A and increasing to Level AA.
Every obligated organization that is an educational or training institution shall provide educational or training resources or materials in an accessible format that takes into account the accessibility needs due to a disability of the person with a disability to whom the material is to be provided for.
Designated public sector organizations and large organizations shall make their internet websites and web content conform with the World Wide Web Consortium Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, initially at Level A and increasing to Level AA.
Every obligated organization that is an educational or training institution shall provide educational or training resources or materials in an accessible format that takes into account the accessibility needs due to a disability of the person with a disability to whom the material is to be provided for.
Obligated organizations that are school boards or educational or training institutions shall provide educators with accessibility awareness training related to accessible program or course delivery and instruction.
Every obligated organization that is a producer of educational or training textbooks for educational or training institutions shall upon request make accessible or conversion ready versions of the textbooks available to the institutions.
Every obligated organization that is a producer of educational or training textbooks for educational or training institutions shall upon request make accessible or conversion ready versions of the textbooks available to the institutions.
The libraries of educational or training institutions that are obligated organizations shall provide, procure or acquire by other means an accessible or conversion ready format of print, digital or multimedia resources or materials for a person with a disability, upon request.
Every obligated organization that is a library board shall provide access to or arrange for the provision of access to accessible materials where they exist.
Every obligated organization that is a library board shall provide access to or arrange for the provision of access to accessible materials where they exist.