Our goal is to achieve accessibility for Ontarians with disabilities by 2025.

Disability community will have 50% representation on standard development committees.

Ontario’s disability community will now have a stronger voice in the development of accessibility standards. The ministry is adjusting the membership of the accessibility standards development committees to make sure that half the members of each committee are representatives of the disability community.

The new structure will provide a fair balance that will help the committees develop meaningful solutions to breaking down the barriers that people with disabilities face every day.

Because the committees are at various stages of work, they will not be required to start their work from the beginning. Committee meetings in January, February and, if necessary, March will be postponed while new members join. The committees will start meeting again this spring to resume their work.

Ontario's first accessibility standard, the customer service standard, came into effect on January 1, 2008. Find out what this means for businesses and organizations in Ontario. more

Making Ontario accessible for people with disabilities

Ontario has an important law. It’s called the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. It’s the first of its kind in Canada.

People with disabilities should have the same kind of opportunities as everyone else. They should be able to do the things that most of us take for granted — going to work or school, shopping, taking in a movie or eating out.

That’s the goal of Ontario’s legislation. Businesses and organizations who provide goods and services to people in Ontario will have to meet certain accessibility standards in five important areas of our lives:

• customer service
• transportation
• information and communications
• built environment
• employment

[Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA)]

• [Frequently Asked Questions about the AODA]
• [Guide to the AODA]

[ADOAccessibility Directorate of Ontario]

[Accessibility Standards Advisory Council of Ontario]

• [Membership]
• [Terms of Reference]

[What is a standard?]