Accessibility standards in all industries to be set within five years
In what’s hailed as a “historic” bill, the government of Ontario has unanimously passed a law to make the province fully accessible in 20 years for residents with disabilities.
Under the new Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, industry groups will work with the government and people with disabilities to develop mandatory standards particular to each industry.
The standards address the full range of disabilities, including physical, sensory, hearing, mental health, developmental and learning. They will be set in both the public and private sectors, and may include:
•accessible pedestrian routes and entrances into buildings;
•lower counter heights at cash registers to accommodate wheelchairs;
•accessible washroom facilities:
•adaptive technology in the workplace; and
•staff training in serving customers with learning disabilities.
Bill 118 passed third reading May 10, 2005 and will take effect once it receives royal assent.
Representatives of industry, government and advocacy groups will form committees to develop standards in each sector. They will also develop timelines for compliance, including steps required in the first five years or less. The committees will also set targets for successive stages of five years or less.
Once the government adopts the standards proposed as regulations, compliance will be mandatory. Organizations covered by the standards will have to confirm compliance in regular accessibility reports, which are made public.
The minister will also file an annual report on the progress of removing and preventing barriers. A new Accessibility Standards Advisory Council will be formed to advise the minister.
The passage of the bill was hailed both by business groups and advocacy groups for people with disabilities.
David Lepofsky, chair of the Ontarians with Disabilities Act Committee, said in a statement that this bill represents the culmination of 10 years of lobbying work, including “dozens of all-candidates debates, public hearings and public forums, hundreds of interviews, and thousands and thousands of emails, letters and faxes.”
Doug DeRabbie, government relations director at the Retail Council of Canada, said accessibility is a benefit to business. “It means more customers and therefore more sales opportunities. Many retailers are already discussing how they improve accessibility to customers with disabilities,” he said in a government press release.
Under the new Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, industry groups will work with the government and people with disabilities to develop mandatory standards particular to each industry.
The standards address the full range of disabilities, including physical, sensory, hearing, mental health, developmental and learning. They will be set in both the public and private sectors, and may include:
•accessible pedestrian routes and entrances into buildings;
•lower counter heights at cash registers to accommodate wheelchairs;
•accessible washroom facilities:
•adaptive technology in the workplace; and
•staff training in serving customers with learning disabilities.
Bill 118 passed third reading May 10, 2005 and will take effect once it receives royal assent.
Representatives of industry, government and advocacy groups will form committees to develop standards in each sector. They will also develop timelines for compliance, including steps required in the first five years or less. The committees will also set targets for successive stages of five years or less.
Once the government adopts the standards proposed as regulations, compliance will be mandatory. Organizations covered by the standards will have to confirm compliance in regular accessibility reports, which are made public.
The minister will also file an annual report on the progress of removing and preventing barriers. A new Accessibility Standards Advisory Council will be formed to advise the minister.
The passage of the bill was hailed both by business groups and advocacy groups for people with disabilities.
David Lepofsky, chair of the Ontarians with Disabilities Act Committee, said in a statement that this bill represents the culmination of 10 years of lobbying work, including “dozens of all-candidates debates, public hearings and public forums, hundreds of interviews, and thousands and thousands of emails, letters and faxes.”
Doug DeRabbie, government relations director at the Retail Council of Canada, said accessibility is a benefit to business. “It means more customers and therefore more sales opportunities. Many retailers are already discussing how they improve accessibility to customers with disabilities,” he said in a government press release.
