Accessibility Directorate of OntarioMinistry of Community and Social Services

Towards an Accessible OntarioAccessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005

Canadian Assistive Devices Association

March 26, 2012

2

Purpose

To provide an overview of:• Importance of accessibility

• Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)

• Customer Service Standard

• Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation

• Status of built environment legislation

• Compliance assistance & resources available to organizations

3

• About 1.85 million people in Ontario have disabilities

• Seniors aged 65+ could more than double to4.1 million by 2036

• By 2017, more seniors than children aged 14 and under

Why Accessibility?The Numbers

15.5%people with disabilities

4

Why Accessibility?The Economics

• Labour Market Impact– Unemployment rate five times as high– High rate of job performance and retention– Increase employment income by up to $618

million– Increasingly dependent on a workforce with

disabilities or aging• Business Impact

– Revenue increases across the economy, particularly in the tourism and retail sectors.

– Opportunity for businesses to compete and succeed:

• attract customers & build customer loyalty• develop and market products• improve services for everyone

5

Why Accessibility? Benefits Everyone

• Accessibility not only helps people with disabilities, it benefits:

– seniors

– families travelling with young children

– shoppers

– visitors with luggage

Accessibility is the right thing to do!!!

6

An Accessible Ontario by 2025

Leader in Accessibility

• First in the world to mandate accessibility instead of react to complaints

• First in the world that requires staff to be trained on accessibility

• First in Canada with a clear goal and a time frame in which to meet that goal

7

About the AODAThe Goal & Standards

An accessible Ontario by 2025 in five key areas of daily living:

1. Customer ServiceAddresses how organizations offer equal access to their goods/services.

2. Transportation Addresses ways to prevent and remove barriers to transportation so that everyone can more easily travel in Ontario.

3. EmploymentRequires organizations to have a process on how to accommodate persons in activities such as interviews, workplace duties, etc.

4. Information and Communications Makes the ways organizations send and receive information and communications accessible to persons with disabilities.

5. Built EnvironmentWill address access to and within buildings and outdoor spaces.

8

Accessibility Customer Service Standard

Who has to Comply • The customer service standard is simply about:

– Understanding that customers with disabilities may have different needs

– Helping them access your goods and services

• Applies to all organizations with at least one employee in Ontario, that provide goods or services to the public or other organizations

• 360,000 organizations have to comply:– January 1, 2010 - broader public sector– January 1, 2012 - private and not-for-profit sectors

• 60,000 organizations have to report:– only those with 20+ employees– file report by December 31, 2012

9

Accessibility Customer Service Standard

What you have to Do to Comply 1) Develop customer service policies and procedures for

serving people with disabilities.2) Make sure that your policies and procedures are

consistent with the principles of independence, dignity, integration and equality of opportunity.

3) Have a policy on allowing people to use the following to access your goods and services:

– assistive devices– service animals– support persons

4) Consider a person’s disability when communicating

10

Accessibility Customer Service Standard

What you have to Do to Comply 4) Provide training on accessible customer service:

– staff, volunteers, contractors, and anyone who deals with the public on your behalf

– anyone involved in developing customer service policies, practices and procedures

5) Let people know about:– admission fees (if any) for support persons– temporary disruptions in services or facilities

7) Set up feedback process. Determine how to:– receive feedback – respond to feedback– make information about the process available to

the public

11

Training on Assistive Devices

• Training must cover the following: – Instruction on how to interact with people with disabilities who use

assistive devices or require the assistance of a service animal or a support person

– Instruction on how to use equipment or devices available at your premises or that you provide

• Accessibility Standards for Customer Service: Training Resource has unit on assistive devices:– What is an assistive device?– About commonly used assistive devices– How to interact with customers who use assistive devices

12

Accessibility Customer Service Standard

DocumentationPublic sector and organizations with 20+ employees must also:

1) Complete an online report on your compliance by the reporting deadline.

2) Document in writing all of your policies and procedures on how you provide accessible customer service.

3) Notify customers that all of the documents required by the standard are available upon request.

4) When providing documents required under the standard, make sure the information is in a format that takes into account the person’s disability.

13

Integrated Accessibility StandardsRegulation

(IASR)• Regulates three accessibility standards: Information and Communications; Employment; and Transportation

• Came into effect on July 1, 2011 and is now law.• Applies to all organizations in the public, private and non-profit sectors.• All Broader Public Sector organizations must report their compliance

with the IASR• Private and not-for-profit organizations with 50+ employees must also

report compliance online• Requirements will be phased in over time, giving organizations time to

integrate the accessibility requirements into their regular business processes.

14

Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation

General Requirements• Develop policies to support each

standard

• Establish and maintain multi-year accessibility plans

• Train employees and volunteers on the regulation & the Ontario Human Rights Code, as applicable

15

Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation

Summary of StandardsInformation and Communications • Will help people with disabilities access information and communications

that many of us rely on every day (e.g. accessible formats and websites and web content.

Employment• Builds on existing requirements of the Ontario Human Rights Code• Will help organizations support and keep more skilled employees• Will make accessibility a normal part of finding, hiring and

communicating with employees who have disabilities

Transportation • Will make it easier for people with disabilities to get to where they need

to go.

16

Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation

Early Requirements

As of January 1, 2012…• Accessible Public Safety Information (I & C Standard)

– Organizations that prepare emergency procedures, plans or public safety information and make them available publicly must provide this information in accessible formats or with communications supports on request.

• Workplace Emergency Information for Employees with Disabilities (Employment Standard)– Employers are required to have individualized workplace emergency

response information prepared for employees with disabilities.– Applies to permanent and temporary disabilities.

• Guidelines and templates have been developed to help organizations meet this requirement

17

Accessibility ReportingWho Needs to Report?

• Businesses and organizations covered by an accessibility standard– Customer Service: organizations with 20 or

more employees– IASR: organizations with 50 or more employees

• File reports online through the ServiceOntario (www.serviceontario.ca)

• Must make accessibility reports available to the public

18

• Changes will be reflected in two areas:– Within buildings, including:

• entrances, doorways and corridors• public washrooms

– In outdoor spaces, such as:• play spaces• pedestrian trails• accessible parking spaces

• Focus is on a go-forward basis

Accessible Built EnvironmentWhat to Expect

19

Getting to ComplianceA Progressive Approach

Compliance Assistance

Self-Certification Accessibility Reporting

Reports Audited; Risk Assessment Used to Determine Follow-up

Inspections& Enforcement

Non-compliant reports, non-filers, patterns of complaints

60,000 obligated organizations requiredto report

Supported by public education and awareness

360,000 organizations will be required to comply with standards

Orders and penalties— Based on risk and severity of violation

20

Public Education StrategyHelping Organizations Comply

• Information, free tools, and resources distributed through:

– ontario.ca/AccessON

– key events and conferences

– stakeholder websites, newsletters, and publications

• AODA Contact Centre (ServiceOntario)

• Partnerships with key provincial umbrella organizations. The EnAbling Change Program is an annual program that:

– provides funding for projects that will make a significant impact on improving accessibility and/or promote compliance with the AODA.

– seeks partners who have the vision, leadership and commitment to improve accessibility.

– seeks partners whose impact is broad enough to be felt throughout an industry or sector, or across several sectors.

21

EnAbling Change Partners

21

22

Getting to 2025Make Accessibility Your Business

• Learn about, identify and remove barriers• Implement accessibility standards• Work together to pool ideas and resources• Nurture a culture of accessibility at work and in

your community• Visit our website to learn more and get updates

Be an Accessibility Champion!

23

Links and Resources

AccessONwww.ontario.ca/AccessONClick on “What do I need to do?”

AODA Contact Centre (ServiceOntario)Toll-Free: 1-866-515-2025TTY: 416-325-3408 / 1-800-268-7095Fax: 416-325-3407

ServiceOntario Publications(to order resources online): www.publications.serviceontario.ca

@OntMinCommunityFacebook.com/AccessOn