The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA), is a law passed by the Ontario legislature that allows the government to develop specific standards of accessibility and to enforce them.

The AODA was designed to make Ontario more accessible by identifying, removing and preventing barriers for persons with disabilities. The AODA has five standards, the first of which is the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, Ontario Regulation 429/07. Other proposed standards are being developed in the areas of transportation, information and communications, employment and built environment. The customer service standard applies to all people, businesses and organizations that provide goods and services to the public or to other businesses or organizations with one or more employees.

The goal of the customer service standard is to ensure that people with disabilities are given the same access to goods and level of customer service as everyone else. Businesses are expected to provide goods and services under the principles of dignity, independence, integration and equal opportunity. The Standard also mandates measures surrounding communication, assistive devices, guide dogs, service animals and service dogs, support persons, service disruptions, feedback and training.

To inquire about additional information, contact aoda@ihsa.ca.

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