Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) Welcomes You

We hope you find this site a great resource for all things to do with the AODA and that you'll come back often as we continually update the site.

Bad Eyes Sees the PDF Light

By Geof Collis
Badeyes Design & Consulting
May 11, 2010

Ok, you win!! I’ve been converted!!

I’ve been advocating for years the need for providing an alternate document along with the Portable Document Format (PDF) because all I ever received was an inaccessible PDF.

I asked nicely over and over again. I tried real hard to be patient. When push came to shove, I filed a Human Rights complaint. Still to this day your websites are littered with inaccessible PDFs. I almost gave up!!!

Well, almost.

Bad Eyes Sees the PDF Light- Full Article

Annual Report 2009-2010: Educate Empower Act

Adding our voice on the AODA
Posted to site July23, 2010

For the past year, the OHRC has been busy reviewing and commenting on areas where standards are being developed under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).

Disability continues to be one of the most cited grounds in discrimination complaints so this will continue to be a priority. People continue to face issues
like getting a ramp so they can enter their apartment building, or being put on the end of the list in hospital emergency rooms because they have a mental health issue.

Annual Report 2009-2010: Educate Empower Act- Full Article

Political Candidates Shouldn’t Pay for Accessibility: Report

Last Updated: Tuesday, July 20, 2010 | 5:52 PM ET
The Canadian Press

A new report says accessibility costs should not be included towards spending limits for political candidates with disabilities, but at least one former
politician says more is needed to remove barriers.

In a report released Tuesday, the Ontario Human Rights Commission said costs like sign-language interpreting and braille translation should be exempted.

Political Candidates Shouldn’t Pay for Accessibility: Report- Full Article

Celebrating Us!

By John Rae
Notes for an address at the 7th Annual Simply People celebration at Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto,Tuesday, July 20, 2010.

Tonight is for us, and about us! Tonight is a time for us to celebrate our accomplishments and to redouble our efforts to bring about true equality for all persons with disabilities in Canada and around the world.

Celebrating Us!- Full Article

Disabled Ontarians Can’t Access New Transit Payment Method

Aaron Broverman
Jul 19th 2010 at 12:00PM

Prestocard is a new project meant to make it easier for Ontarians in the GTA, Hamilton and Ottawa to pay their transit fare. Throughout the summer people will be able to travel through various transit systems in Ontario simply by loading money onto a card using the phone, the website or a kiosk. Once the card is loaded with the desired amount, the traveler simply waves it in front of the station’s reader and is on their way — whether by bus, GO Train or subway.

Disabled Ontarians Can’t Access New Transit Payment Method- Full Article

Open Letter – Accessibility for Ontarians with Disability Act (AODA)

By Catherine Gardner
July 19, 2010

Dear Premier Dalton McGuinty, (Open Letter)

Mr. McGuinty, I must ask how it is that people with disabilities can expect
the AODA to have any enforcement teeth when the Leader of the Provincial Government
which passed this AODA Act fails to provide accessibility at his own riding
office!

Terminating a Disabled Employee Can Be a Costly Decision

Friday, July 16th, 2010
By: Cedric P. Lamarche

A recent decision from the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal serves as a reminder that employers should tread carefully when dealing with
employees suffering from disabilities.

Terminating a Disabled Employee Can Be a Costly Decision- Full Article

Integrating People With Disabilities (PWD) Into the Workplace

White paper
Summary of Deloitte’s Dialogue on diversity roundtables
July 2010

Setting the stage

Making diversity a priority in Canadian organizations is imperative – not just because it is the right thing to do, but because it is critical to the future
success of our businesses and our economy.

Integrating People With Disabilities (PWD) Into the Workplace- Full Article

The OHRC Introduces a New Resource for Human Rights and Mental Health

Posted to site July 5, 2010

The Ontario Human Rights Commission has serious concerns about the degree to which people with mental health disabilities experience discrimination in areas such as employment, housing, and services. Discriminating against someone because they have a mental health disability or addiction is a violation of Ontario’s Human Rights Code.

The OHRC Introduces a New Resource for Human Rights and Mental Health- Full Article

Accept No Substitutes!

By Geof Collis
Bad Eyes Design & Consulting
July 3, 2010

For the longest time I’ve was advocating against the Portable Document Format (PDF), none of them were accessible to my screen reader so I”Settled” for plain text, to me it was the lesser of evils. At no time did I ever care for the Microsoft Word format, next to an inaccessible PDF it was just as bad.

Accept No Substitutes!- Full Article

Henderson: Enough with the Talk. It’s Time for Action.

By Helen Henderson
Disabilities Reporter
June 26,2010
Time to get the lead out.

We’ve had enough committees, more than enough promises. If Ontario is serious about being an inclusive province, the time is now.

Time to get beyond the cumbersome committee process and establish an arms-length Ontario Accessibility Standards Board to lead the way.

Henderson: Enough with the Talk. It’s Time for Action.- Full Article

Will the McGuinty Government Keep Its Election Promise of Effective Enforcement for the AODA?

June 15, 2010

In the 2003 provincial election, Dalton McGuinty promised that the
Disabilities Act his Government would pass would have effective enforcement.
Seven years later, and half a year after the first accessibility standard went into effect under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities
Act, we are only now learning some limited details about what enforcement there will be.

Will the McGuinty Government Keep Its Election Promise of Effective Enforcement for the AODA?- Full Article

Mcguinty Government Uses Public Tax Dollars to Develop Public Transit Smart Cards with Barriers Against People With Disabilities

June 21, 2010

SUMMARY

We want to bring to your attention a very troubling example that shows the need for the Ontario Government to develop a new, concerted policy, procedure and practice to ensure that it does not use public funds to create, perpetuate or exacerbate barriers against persons with disabilities in goods, services
or facilities. This is also a compelling case showing why the forthcoming Information and Communication Accessibility Standard, which the Government is
still developing, must effectively set strong accessibility requirements for electronic kiosks.

Mcguinty Government Uses Public Tax Dollars to Develop Public Transit Smart Cards with Barriers Against People With Disabilities- Full Article

Releasing Constraints: The Impacts of Increased Accessibility on Ontario’s Economy

June 14, 2010

In 2005, the Ontario Legislature passed the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act to improve accessibility across the province. The disability
community saw the legislation as a milestone in the government’s commitment to creating a level playing field for all Ontarians. But many businesses and municipalities across the province responded with skepticism, believing the act would result in increased costs and result in few benefits. However Releasing Constraints: The Impacts of Increased Accessibility on Ontario’s Economy- Full Article

Will the McGuinty Government Fully Implement the Recommendations of the Government-Appointed Charles Beer Independent Review of the AODA?

June 13, 2010

SUMMARY

A very current question in our campaign for a fully-accessible Ontario is whether the McGuinty Government will fully implement the Report of the
Government-appointed Charles Beer Independent Review of the AODA. The McGuinty Government received the Beer Report in February 2010, some four months ago. It did not release it to the public until May 31, 2010.

Will the McGuinty Government Fully Implement the Recommendations of the Government-Appointed Charles Beer Independent Review of the AODA?- Full Article

AODA Alliance Releases its Detailed Analysis of the Charles Beer Independent Review Report on the Effectiveness of the Government’s Implementation of the AODA

June 3, 2010

The AODA Alliance here releases a thorough analysis of the Charles Beer Independent Review of the Ontario Government’s implementation of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (about 20 pages). We hope you find this helpful as an explanation of what the Report found, and how much it responds to concerns and issues we have been raising.

The disability community advocated for the AODA to include a requirement that there be periodic independent reviews of the AODA’s implementation, to get
an independent assessment of how effective is this law and its implementation. The Charles Beer Independent Review shows that it was very important for
this Independent Review process to be included in the AODA. It now remains to be seen whether the Government will implement this Report fully, or leave
it to gather dust on some shelf.