What is AODA?

There are 2.6 million people in Ontario with a disability.

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) is a law that organizations in Ontario must follow. It mandates that every organization must follow accessibly standards to make their company assets more accessible to people with disabilities, including:

  • Visual impairments.
  • Hearing disabilities.
  • Speech impairments.
  • Physical or mobility impairments.
  • Intellectual disabilities.
  • Learning disabilities.
  • And more.

The AODA law came into effect in 2005, stating that all organizations must have an accessibility policy developed that outlines how businesses will make decisions and commitments to the accessibility standards.

There are five standards under the AODA law:

  • Information and communications.
  • Design of public spaces.
  • Customer service.

AODA aims to remove and prevent barriers for Ontarians with disabilities. AODA standards are important for all businesses and industries. It makes your company assets, such as your website, services, and products accessible to a bigger audience.

AODA also applies to your internal operations. Organizations must have accessibility policies in place, outlining their commitments to making the hiring and employment process accessible for candidates with disabilities.

Each organization has the flexibility to set accessibility standards that work best for its company and audience, but it must specify the actionable commitments to making their internal and external business processes and services accessible to Ontarians with disabilities.

There are tons of resources and toolboxes available that management and leadership teams can use to guide their teams on accessibility best practices.

If you need help implementing AODA standards, contact us for help today.