Latest Headlines

Continued Radio Silence on Key Accessibility Issues So Far from the Ford Government – And Other Accessibility News

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance Update United for a Barrier-Free Society for All People with Disabilities http://www.aodaalliance.org aodafeedback@gmail.com Twitter: @aodaalliance

March 3, 2019

SUMMARY

Here is a collection of sundry important updates on several fronts in our campaign for accessibility for people with disabilities.

1. Still No Action from the Ford Government on Ending the Shutdown of the Health Care and Education Standards Development Committees and on the Forthcoming Release of the Final Report of the David Onley AODA Independent Review

Continued Radio Silence on Key Accessibility Issues So Far from the Ford Government – And Other Accessibility News. Read full article.

Temporary Service Disruptions: When and How to Notify Customers

Under the Customer Service Standard of the AODA, service providers must notify customers about temporary service disruptions. Temporary service disruptions happen when services that customers with disabilities might rely on are temporarily unavailable.

Temporary Service Disruptions

There are many reasons why different kinds of services might be temporarily unavailable, including:

Temporary Service Disruptions: When and How to Notify Customers. Read full article.

Scheduled maintenance on structural features, such as:
- Accessible parking spaces
- Ramps
Unexpected events, such as:
- An out-of-order accessible washroom

Still Work to Do in Meeting Accessibility Standards

By Sue Tiffin
Published Feb. 26, 2019

When Anna Froebe, an independent HR consultant who works with business owners in this community, is asked how many businesses are likely not compliant with the rules and deadlines they must follow to meet provincial accessibility standards under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, she doesn’t hesitate to offer a guess.

Still Work to Do in Meeting Accessibility Standards. Read full article.

Understanding Service Animals

Under the Customer Service Standard of the AODA, service providers’ policies must state that they welcome service animals. The Standard discusses how service providers must allow service animals in almost all public places. It also outlines what providers must do to accommodate customers who need to go to places where their service animals are excluded by law. However, service providers committed to obeying these laws may still have many questions about service animals, such as what they do and how to behave around them. Here we offer some best practices for understanding service animals that service providers should follow.

Understanding Service Animals. Read full article.

Accessibility in the Digital Age: Okanagan Parent Voices Concern Over Technology Accessibility

By Jules Knox
Reporter/Anchor Global News

In the midst of a digital revolution with smartphones and apps, there are some people who are fighting a battle so they don’t get left behind. A blind Okanagan parent is speaking out after School District 23 introduced an app that he says makes it difficult for him to report his daughters’ absences from class.

Accessibility in the Digital Age: Okanagan Parent Voices Concern Over Technology Accessibility. Read full article.