of Accessibility Standards. It is also responsible for providing public education
and guidance for accessibility planning and programming. Other functions
include advising the Minister on the composition of the committees empowered
to develop Accessibility Standards; preparing training materials for members of
these committees; advising the Minister on various aspects of enforcement of the
Act and regulations; reviewing Accessibility Standards and advising the Minister
on their effectiveness and implementation; and making recommendations to the
Minister on making changes to or establishing new legislation or programs to
improve opportunities for people with disabilities.^8
The AODA required that a review of the effectiveness of the Act and regulations
be undertaken within four years of the coming into force of the legislation.^9 The
Government appointed Charles Beer to conduct this review. His report, entitled
“Charting a Path Forward”, was delivered in February 2010 and can be accessed
online.^10 Further similar reviews are required to be done every three years.^11
The Government has appointed Mayo Moran, Dean of the Faculty of Law,
University of Toronto to lead the next review.
In response to some of the recommendations in Beer’s report, the Government
recently established the Accessibility Standards Advisory Council. The Council
has a mandate to review the existing Accessibility Standards and develop new
Standards based on advice and feedback from stakeholders.^12 It is therefore
likely that additional Accessibility Standards will be developed and that there will
(^8) Ibid.
(^9) AODA, supra note 1 at s 41(1).
(^10) Charles Beer, Charting A Path Forward: Report of the Independent Review of the Accessibility
for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (February 2010), online: Ministry of Community and
Social Services
http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/en/mcss/publications/accessibility/charles_beer/tableOfContents.asp
x. 11
12 AODA, supra note 1 at s 41(5).^
Information on the Accessibility Standards Advisory Council is available online: Ministry of
Economic Development, Trade and Employment
http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/en/mcss/programs/accessibility/partnerships/asac/index.aspx.