Presentation slides from Peter Gesiarz of CHF Ontario to a CoAction workshop on September 13, 2018

1. AODA: equal opportunities to
participate in everyday life
September 13, 2018
Peter Gesiarz, Program Manager, CHF Canada

2. Agenda
• Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act - overview
• Initial AODA standards (2012)
• Changes – January 1, 2016
• Changes – January 1, 2017
• Changes – January 1, 2018 and beyond
• Resources

3. Why accessibility legislation?
• 1.85 million people in Ontario have disabilities (15% of the
population)
• It’s an untapped labour market …
• With an estimated spending power of $25 billion a year
• People with disabilities have not had equal access to
services, employment, transportation, information or
buildings that others in Ontario enjoy

4. Accessibility legislation is about disability
Definition in the AODA same as in Ontario Human Rights Code
• Physical disability
• Mental impairment or developmental disability
• Learning disability
• Mental disorder
• Injury where benefits claimed under WSIB

5. Accessibility standards
for people with disabilities

6. Accommodation under
Human Rights legislation

7. Accessibility for Ontarians with
Disabilities Act
• Proclaimed in 2005
• Applies to every business and organization (public or
private) in Ontario
• Sets out accessibility principles
• Provides for accessibility standards (regulations)
• To be phased in by 2025

8. AODA principles
• Dignity
• Independence
• Integration
• Equality of opportunity

9. Accessibility standards (regulations)
• Customer service
• Employment
• Information and communications
• Transportation
• Design of public spaces

10. Regulatory implementation

11. Compliance

12. Mandatory independent review
The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and its
standards (regulations) are to be reviewed on a regular basis.
2010 - Charles Beer
2015 - Mayo Moran
2020 - Honourable David C. Onley

13. Initial AODA standards
• Customer Service Standard
• Integrated Accessibility Standards

14. Co-ops and the customer service standards
Any engagement or contact between a representative of the
co-op and a co-op member or the public …

15. Customer service requirements
• Have policies and procedures for serving people with disabilities
• Communicate in a way that takes a person’s disability into
account
• Permit service animals except where prohibited by law
• Permit people to bring a support person to access co-op services

16. Customer service requirements
• Post admission fees policy for support people
• Provide notice of service disruptions
• Let customers with disabilities provide feedback on service
• Train managers, staff, volunteers, third parties who:
o Offer service to members or the public
o Are involved in developing policies and procedures

17. Policies and procedures
• Must address measures your co-op takes to ensure people
with disabilities have access to services
• Must uphold principles of dignity, independence,
integration and equality of opportunity
• Must include policy on use of assistive devices – no
requirement for co-op to supply devices
• No prescribed format or detailed contents

18. Amendments to the AODA
– January 1, 2016
• Amendments to AODA consolidate the Customers Service
Standards and Integrated Accessibility Standards into a single
customer service Accessibility Standard.

19. 2016 amendments
Under the new consolidated regulations, housing co-operatives
are affected by changes in the following areas:
• Training
• Service animals
• Support persons
• Accessible documents

20. Training
• Employee
• Volunteer
• Policy developer
• or persons who provides goods, services and facilities on behalf
of the organization

21. Training
• General membership: presentation on the co-op’s AODA policy
• Committee members: interactive online training that gives
volunteers the tools they need to interact with people with
disabilities: http://www.findmyspark.ca/resources-non-profits
• Staff and directors: more comprehensive training sessions such as:
http://www.accessforward.ca

22. Service animals
An expanded list of regulated health professionals may now
authorize a service animal
• Audiologist
• Nurse
• Physician
• Chiropractor
• Occupational therapist
• Psychotherapist
• Mental health therapist
• Optometrist
• Registered psychotherapist

23. Support persons
• Prior to requiring the presence of a support person, an
organization must first consult with the person with a
disability and consider the health and safety implications
based on available evidence
• The presence of a support person may then only be required
if there is no other reasonable way to protect the health and
safety of the person or of others on the premises

24. Accessible documents
• An organization is still required to provide certain
documents or information (e.g., policies) in a
format that takes into account a person’s
disability
• Now, upon request, the organization must make
these documents accessible by arranging for
accessible formats or communication supports

25. Communication supports
• Reading the written information aloud to the person directly
• Exchanging hand-written notes (or providing a note taker or
communication assistant)
• Captioning or audio description
• Assistive listening systems
• Augmentative and alternative communication methods and
strategies (e.g., the use of letter, word or picture boards, and
devices that speak out)
• Sign language interpretation and intervenor services
• Repeating, clarifying or restating information

26. Amendments to the AODA – January 1, 2017
– Make your public information accessible when
asked
• Types of information that can be requested in an
accessible format include:
• Emergency plans and procedures
• Maps, warning signs and evacuation routes
• Information about alarms or other emergency alerts
• Customer service feedback processes
• Workplace information for employees
• Other public or member information

27. Accessible public information
• Members, employees, and the public know that written
information and other forms of communication are available
in accessible formats, upon request, by posting notice on a
website, promotional material, or on a bulletin board
• Accessible formatted information will be provided in a timely
manner without charge

28. Feedback processes
for employees and the public
• Feedback regarding the way the co-op provides goods
and services to people with disabilities can be made in
person, by telephone, in writing, by email, by diskette,
online, or by any other method

29. Amendments to the AODA – January 1, 2017
– Make your employment practices accessible
• Hiring
• Workplace information
• Talent and performance management
• Communicate accessibility policies

30. Accessible employment practices
• The co-op will notify employees and the public that it will
accommodate the needs of people with disabilities in the
hiring process by posting the information on a website or on
a job posting

31. Accessible employment practices
The co-op will provide workplace information in an accessible
format if an employee requests it

32. Accessible employment practices
• The co-op will consider the needs of an employee with
disabilities when conducting a performance review or during
career develop by providing accommodations to successfully
develop skills or take on new responsibilities
• The co-op will tell its employees about policies to support
people with disabilities, including changes to policies.

33. Amendments to the AODA – January 1, 2018
– Make new or redeveloped public spaces accessible
This applies to:
• Accessible parking
• Exterior paths of travel
• Service-related elements
• Outdoor public-use eating areas
• Maintenance
• Recreational trails and beach access routes
• Outdoor play spaces

34. Does everyone has to renovate
their building?
• The AODA does not apply to a building’s physical structure
• The Ontario Building Code was amended to enhance
accessibility requirements. (January 1, 2015)
• Ontario’s Building Code is administered by the Ministry of
Municipal Affair

35. Accessible parking
• Off-street parking includes open area parking lots and
structures intended for the temporary parking of vehicles
by the public, and includes visitor parking in these
lots/structures

36. Service-related elements
• Accessible waiting areas
• Accessible service counters

37. Maintenance
Document routine maintenance procedures for accessibility
features, such as:
• Stairs
• Sidewalks
• Trails

38. Amendments to the AODA – January 1, 2021
Make all websites and web content accessible
• Beginning January 1, 2014: new public websites,
significantly refreshed websites and any web content
posted after January 1, 2012 must meet Web Content
Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level A
• Beginning January 1, 2021: all public websites and web
content posted after January 1, 2012 must meet WCAG 2.0
Level AA other than criteria 1.2.4 (live captions) and 1.2.5
(pre-recorded audio descriptions)

39. AODA resources

40. AODA resources

41. AODA resources

42. CHF Canada
▪eALERTs
▪Sample by-laws and policies
▪Education
▪Resources
▪Lobbying