What is the AODA?
The acronym "AODA" stands for Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act - an important piece of legislation that became law in 2008. The goal of the Act is to create an accessible society for persons with disabilities in Ontario.
According to recent Canadian statistics, approximately 1.85 million people in Ontario have a disability (or one in seven people), and that number is expected to rise significantly over the next 20 years with our aging population. Everyone - individuals, communities, businesses, and organizations - has a role to play in making Ontario accessible for all Ontarians. The Act is comprised of five Standards:
- The Customer Service Standard
- The Integrated Standard, made up of the following three standards:
- Communication and Information,
- Transportation, and
- Employment
- The Built Environment Standard.
The public sector is already compliant with the Customer Service Standard as of January 1, 2010; and all private businesses in Ontario must be compliant by January 1, 2012.
The next standard, the Integrated Standard, along with its dates for compliance have now been finalized. For more information, please Contact Us.
Are You Ready for AODA?
The AODA relates to any business or organization, regardless of size, that either has employees and operations or customers in Ontario.
The act is made up of 5 standards, and the deadline for compliance with the first standard – the Customer Service standard – is closer than you might think!
By January 1, 2012, all businesses and organizations are legally required to comply with the requirements of the Customer Service standard.
The consequences of not complying are severe! Every person who is guilty of an offence under this Act is subject to penalties of up to $50,000 for individuals and $100,000 for corporations for each day the offence occurs or continues to occur.
Global Learning has developed an AODA Small Business Solution in a Box™ to help you get ready for AODA. It includes programs, services, and training solutions designed to assist organizations across Ontario, large and small, navigate through the complexities of this new legislation. Furthermore, we are very proud to announce that the Canadian Paraplegic Association Ontario has endorsed our AODA Expert mobile app!
Beyond 2010 Breakfast...
Beyond 2010 Breakfast Event: Are you ready for AODA?
On September 20th, 2010, Global Learning held an informative breakfast event sponsored by KPMG focused on the fast-approaching AODA requirements. We had a great turnout and look forward to working in partnership with many of the companies who joined us at this seminar.
Due to the overwhelming response to past events and with the fast approaching AODA responsibilities, Global Learning has decided to hold additional AODA breakfast sessions in 2011. If you are interested in attending, please contact info@egloballearning.com
If you would like to obtain more information on Global Learning’s AODA Small Business Solution in a Box™, please contact Jessica Prentice, Director of Client Services jprentice@egloballearning.com.
< top >
