The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) is an Ontario law established to create a fully accessible province by 2025. This legislation mandates specific accessibility standards across various sectors for organizations operating within Ontario. An AODA assessment is the formal process organizations undertake to measure their current operations against the requirements of this act. The primary function of this assessment is to identify, prevent, and remove barriers that restrict the full and equal participation of people with disabilities in society. This process is a legal obligation that drives the integration of accessibility into the core functions of an organization.
Defining the Scope of Compliance
The obligation to perform an AODA assessment and file subsequent reports varies based on an organization’s sector and size. All organizations in Ontario with at least one employee are subject to the act’s standards, but specific requirements scale up with employee count. Private and non-profit organizations are typically categorized based on whether they have fewer than 20, 20 to 49, or 50 or more employees.
Small organizations (one to nineteen employees) have foundational obligations like providing accessible customer service and training staff. Organizations with twenty or more employees, including private businesses and non-profits, must complete a mandatory Accessibility Compliance Report, generally due every three years. Designated public sector organizations, such as municipalities, must file their compliance report on a more frequent, two-year cycle. Large organizations (50 or more employees) and all public sector entities must also develop and maintain a multi-year accessibility plan, which provides a strategic roadmap for barrier removal.
Key Standards Subject to Review
The AODA assessment focuses on compliance with the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR).
Customer Service Standard
This standard requires organizations to establish policies ensuring goods and services are provided in a way that respects the dignity and independence of people with disabilities. This reviews practices such as allowing service animals and support persons, providing notice of planned service disruptions, and offering accessible feedback mechanisms.
Information and Communications Standard
This standard mandates that organizations make their information available in accessible formats upon request. A major component involves digital accessibility, requiring public-facing websites and web content to conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA criteria. This ensures that people using assistive technologies can perceive, operate, and understand the online information provided.
Employment Standard
The assessment reviews an organization’s practices for hiring, retaining, and supporting employees with disabilities. This includes ensuring that recruitment processes are accessible, providing individualized accommodation plans for workers, and making workplace information available in accessible formats. The goal is to eliminate barriers throughout the entire employment lifecycle, from application to career advancement.
Design of Public Spaces Standard
This standard addresses physical accessibility in newly constructed or significantly redeveloped public elements. The assessment reviews elements like accessible parking spaces, access routes, service counters, waiting areas, and recreational trails. This ensures that the physical environment is usable by people with various mobility or sensory disabilities.
Conducting and Reporting the AODA Assessment
The AODA assessment process begins with an internal audit where an organization systematically reviews its policies, procedures, and physical infrastructure against the applicable standards. This internal review involves documenting accessibility policies, confirming mandatory staff training, and identifying any gaps in compliance. The organization must maintain records of these internal efforts and documentation to demonstrate ongoing compliance with the act.
The final step is the mandatory filing of the Compliance Report with the Ontario government, which is a self-attestation of the organization’s compliance status. Failure to complete and file this report by the prescribed deadline is a legal violation that can trigger enforcement action. Non-compliance can result in significant financial penalties, including administrative monetary penalties levied daily. For corporations, these fines can reach a maximum of $100,000 per day for continuing offenses.