The Accessibility Standards Advisory Council assists the Minister who is in charge of the AODA by offering advice. More than half of Council members must be people with disabilities.
The Accessibility Standards Advisory Council
The Accessibility Standards Advisory Council advises the Minister about the process for creating new AODA standards. Likewise, the Council also confers with the Minister regarding the progress of standards development committees. Moreover, the Council advises organizations about submitting their accessibility reports. Furthermore, the Council works with the Minister on programs that spread public awareness of the AODA and its purpose. Finally, the Council must assist the Minister with any other elements of the Act that the Minister oversees. The Minister may require the Council to consult members of the public about any of these matters, and to submit reports.
The Minister can pay the Accessibility Standards Advisory Council for its time and expenses. The Lieutenant Governor determines the amount that the Minister pays Council members. In addition, the Minister can appoint members of the Council to be part of an accessibility standards development committee. However, the AODA does not explain how this appointment impacts the Council’s ability to advise on a committee’s progress. For instance, the AODA does not state whether a Council member sitting on a committee can also advise about that committee. This arrangement could be a conflict of interest. In contrast, the Act does not mention whether the Council offers advice without the presence of members who are also on standards development committees. This solution would maintain the Council’s neutrality, but would mean that the Council sometimes has fewer members.
The Accessibility Standards Advisory Council supports the Minister in charge of the AODA. The Council also helps to monitor the government’s progress in implementing the Act. With the AODA standards development committees, the Council ensures that people with disabilities have some impact on how the Act develops.