Towards an Accessible Ontario Accessibility for Ontarians with

Towards an Accessible Ontario Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 Canadian Assistive Devices Association March 26, 2012 Accessibility Directorate of Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services

Purpose To provide an overview of: • Importance of accessibility • Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) • Customer Service Standard • Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation • Status of built environment legislation • Compliance assistance & resources available to organizations 2

Why Accessibility? The Numbers 15. 5% people with disabilities • About 1. 85 million people in Ontario have disabilities • Seniors aged 65+ could more than double to 4. 1 million by 2036 • By 2017, more seniors than children aged 14 and under 3

Why Accessibility? The Economics • Labour Market Impact – Unemployment rate five times as high – High rate of job performance and retention – Increase employment income by up to $618 million – Increasingly dependent on a workforce with disabilities or aging • Business Impact – Revenue increases across the economy, particularly in the tourism and retail sectors. – Opportunity for businesses to compete and succeed: • attract customers & build customer loyalty • develop and market products • improve services for everyone 4

Why Accessibility? Benefits Everyone • Accessibility not only helps people with disabilities, it benefits: – seniors – families travelling with young children – shoppers – visitors with luggage Accessibility is the right thing to do!!! 5

An Accessible Ontario by 2025 Leader in Accessibility • First in the world to mandate accessibility instead of react to complaints • First in the world that requires staff to be trained on accessibility • First in Canada with a clear goal and a time frame in which to meet that goal 6

About the AODA The Goal & Standards An accessible Ontario by 2025 in five key areas of daily living: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Customer Service Addresses how organizations offer equal access to their goods/services. Transportation Addresses ways to prevent and remove barriers to transportation so that everyone can more easily travel in Ontario. Employment Requires organizations to have a process on how to accommodate persons in activities such as interviews, workplace duties, etc. Information and Communications Makes the ways organizations send and receive information and communications accessible to persons with disabilities. Built Environment Will address access to and within buildings and outdoor spaces. 7

Accessibility Customer Service Standard Who has to Comply • The customer service standard is simply about: – Understanding that customers with disabilities may have different needs – Helping them access your goods and services • Applies to all organizations with at least one employee in Ontario, that provide goods or services to the public or other organizations • 360, 000 organizations have to comply: – January 1, 2010 - broader public sector – January 1, 2012 - private and not-for-profit sectors • 60, 000 organizations have to report: – only those with 20+ employees – file report by December 31, 2012 8

Accessibility Customer Service Standard What you have to Do to Comply 1) Develop customer service policies and procedures for serving people with disabilities. 2) Make sure that your policies and procedures are consistent with the principles of independence, dignity, integration and equality of opportunity. 3) Have a policy on allowing people to use the following to access your goods and services: – assistive devices – service animals – support persons 4) Consider a person’s disability when communicating 9

Accessibility Customer Service Standard What you have to Do to Comply 4) Provide training on accessible customer service: – – 5) staff, volunteers, contractors, and anyone who deals with the public on your behalf anyone involved in developing customer service policies, practices and procedures Let people know about: – – 7) admission fees (if any) for support persons temporary disruptions in services or facilities Set up feedback process. Determine how to: – – – receive feedback respond to feedback make information about the process available to the public 10

Training on Assistive Devices • Training must cover the following: – Instruction on how to interact with people with disabilities who use assistive devices or require the assistance of a service animal or a support person – Instruction on how to use equipment or devices available at your premises or that you provide • Accessibility Standards for Customer Service: Training Resource has unit on assistive devices: – What is an assistive device? – About commonly used assistive devices – How to interact with customers who use assistive devices 11

Accessibility Customer Service Standard Documentation Public sector and organizations with 20+ employees must also: 1) Complete an online report on your compliance by the reporting deadline. 2) Document in writing all of your policies and procedures on how you provide accessible customer service. 3) Notify customers that all of the documents required by the standard are available upon request. 4) When providing documents required under the standard, make sure the information is in a format that takes into account the person’s disability. 12

Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR) • Regulates three accessibility standards: Information and Communications; Employment; and Transportation • Came into effect on July 1, 2011 and is now law. • Applies to all organizations in the public, private and non-profit sectors. • All Broader Public Sector organizations must report their compliance with the IASR • Private and not-for-profit organizations with 50+ employees must also report compliance online • Requirements will be phased in over time, giving organizations time to integrate the accessibility requirements into their regular business processes. 13

Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation General Requirements • Develop policies to support each standard • Establish and maintain multi-year accessibility plans • Train employees and volunteers on the regulation & the Ontario Human Rights Code, as applicable 14

Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation Summary of Standards Information and Communications • Will help people with disabilities access information and communications that many of us rely on every day (e. g. accessible formats and websites and web content. Employment • Builds on existing requirements of the Ontario Human Rights Code • Will help organizations support and keep more skilled employees • Will make accessibility a normal part of finding, hiring and communicating with employees who have disabilities Transportation • Will make it easier for people with disabilities to get to where they need to go. 15

Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation Early Requirements As of January 1, 2012… • Accessible Public Safety Information (I & C Standard) – Organizations that prepare emergency procedures, plans or public safety information and make them available publicly must provide this information in accessible formats or with communications supports on request. • Workplace Emergency Information for Employees with Disabilities (Employment Standard) – Employers are required to have individualized workplace emergency response information prepared for employees with disabilities. – Applies to permanent and temporary disabilities. • Guidelines and templates have been developed to help organizations meet this requirement 16

Accessibility Reporting Who Needs to Report? • Businesses and organizations covered by an accessibility standard – Customer Service: organizations with 20 or more employees – IASR: organizations with 50 or more employees • File reports online through the Service. Ontario (www. serviceontario. ca) • Must make accessibility reports available to the public 17

Accessible Built Environment What to Expect • Changes will be reflected in two areas: – Within buildings, including: • entrances, doorways and corridors • public washrooms – In outdoor spaces, such as: • play spaces • pedestrian trails • accessible parking spaces • Focus is on a go-forward basis 18

Getting to Compliance A Progressive Approach Compliance Assistance Self-Certification Accessibility Reporting Reports Audited; Risk Assessment Used to Determine Follow-up Supported by public education and awareness 60, 000 obligated organizations required to report Non-compliant reports, non-filers, patterns of complaints Inspections & Enforcement Orders and penalties — Based on risk and severity of violation 360, 000 organizations will be required to comply with standards 19

Public Education Strategy Helping Organizations Comply • Information, free tools, and resources distributed through: – ontario. ca/Access. ON – key events and conferences – stakeholder websites, newsletters, and publications • AODA Contact Centre (Service. Ontario) • Partnerships with key provincial umbrella organizations. The En. Abling Change Program is an annual program that: – provides funding for projects that will make a significant impact on improving accessibility and/or promote compliance with the AODA. – seeks partners who have the vision, leadership and commitment to improve accessibility. – seeks partners whose impact is broad enough to be felt throughout an industry or sector, or across several sectors. 20

En. Abling Change Partners 21

Getting to 2025 Make Accessibility Your Business • Learn about, identify and remove barriers • Implement accessibility standards • Work together to pool ideas and resources • Nurture a culture of accessibility at work and in your community • Visit our website to learn more and get updates Be an Accessibility Champion! 22

Links and Resources Access. ON www. ontario. ca/Access. ON Click on “What do I need to do? ” AODA Contact Centre (Service. Ontario) Toll-Free: 1 -866 -515 -2025 TTY: 416 -325 -3408 / 1 -800 -268 -7095 Fax: 416 -325 -3407 Service. Ontario Publications (to order resources online): www. publications. serviceontario. ca Facebook. com/Access. On @Ont. Min. Community 23