On January 1, 2008, the first accessibility standard under the AODA, the Accessibility
Standards for Customer Service,^65 came into effect. The standard applies to designated
public sector organizations and every other person or organization that has more than
one employee and provides goods or services to members of the public in Ontario. It sets
out requirements for making the provision of goods and services more accessible to
people with disabilities. Public sector organizations were to have complied with the
standard by January 1, 2010 and private businesses, non-profit organizations and other
service providers (including law firms) were to have complied by January 1, 2012.
Under the standard, public sector organizations and businesses with more than one
employee must:
- Establish policies and practices on providing services to people with disabilities^66
- Take reasonable efforts to ensure that policies are consistent with the principles of
dignity, independence, integration and equality of opportunity^67 - Train staff on interacting and communicating with people with various types of
disabilities^68 - Allow service animals to enter the business or organization’s premises^69
- Permit support people to accompany people with disabilities into the business or
organization’s premises^70 - Provide documents that are required by the Regulation in accessible formats.^71
For example, the Regulation requires public sector organizations and other
providers of goods or services that have at least 20 employees in Ontario to
prepare documents describing policies on providing services to people with
disabilities.
65 O. Reg. 429/07
66 Ibid., s. 3(1)
67 Ibid., s. 3(2)
68 Ibid., s. 6
69 Ibid., ss. 4(2), 4(3)
70 Ibid., s. 4(4)
71 Ibid., s. 9