Since the coming into force of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (the “AODA”), employers have had to comply with numerous deadlines, as set out in the regulations made under the AODA: the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service regulation (Ontario Regulation 429/07) and the Integrated Accessibility Standards regulation (Ontario Regulation 191/11).
Employers with 50 or more employees were required to have complied with all of the requirements of the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service regulation by January 1, 2012.
Pursuant to the Integrated Accessibility Standards regulation, employers with 50 or more employees must comply or have complied with the following deadlines:
By January 1, 2014: Create policies, plans and procedures and a multi-year accessibility plan setting out how the employer will satisfy the requirements of the Integrated Accessibility Standards regulation. Employers must also ensure that all new web content complies with the World Wide Web Consortium Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 Level A.
By December 31, 2014: File an Accessibility Compliance Report with the Ministry of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure.
By January 1, 2015: Provide training regarding the requirements of the Integrated Accessibility Standards regulation and the Ontario Human Rights Code as it pertains to people with disabilities. If the employer has a process for receiving and responding to feedback, the employer must also ensure that the feedback process is accessible to people with disabilities.
For more information regarding the requirements of the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service and the Integrated Accessibility Standards regulations, see our blog posts AODA Update – Compliance Deadlines Approach for Integrated Accessibility Standards and AODA Update – What’s Next for Ontario Employers. If your business has any questions regarding its obligations or requires assistance meeting any of the above obligations, please contact Stephanie Brown at SBrown@somlaw.ca.