Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act
The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) is a law in Ontario that sets out a process for developing and enforcing accessibility standards. The goals outlined in the act aim to make Ontario fully accessible by 2025. We are off course.
The pandemic has sidelined the AODA agenda. We need a government that will make accessibility a priority and ensure the province is fully accessible in three years.
SCIO has been highly involved with the standard development committees of the AODA. We sat on the Transportation Standard Committee and currently have dedicated staff as part of the Employment Standard, Education Standard and Health Standard. We have made progress but time is running out.
The one argument for accessibility that doesn’t get made nearly often enough is how extraordinarily better it makes some people’s lives. How many opportunities do we have to dramatically improve people’s lives just by doing our job better?
– Steve Krug
Recommendations for the next Government of Ontario
Spinal Cord Injury Ontario applauds the Accessibility Directorate’s Office for creating efficient processes within an open government where communities weigh in on the standard recommendations produced. We would like to see more traction in the process from recommendation to royal assent (making the standard law).
We are looking to candidates to tell us how their political agenda will move AODA standards forward and meet the 2025 deadline.
Recent Actions
News release sent out by the AODA to mark the 40th anniversary of Parliament agreeing to guarantee a constitutional right to equality to people with disabilities.
January 28, 2020
Ontario Establishes a New Framework to Continue Progress on Accessibility
Applying Cross-Government Actions to Advance Accessibility
2019 Legislative Review of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005
