One in seven people in Ontario have a disability, a number that is expected to reach one in five within 20 years because of an aging population. No wonder then that the Ontario government is calling on private and not-for-profit organizations to make their workplaces more accessible. The new AODA forces organizations with 20 employees or more to conform to mandatory standards in customer service, employment, transportation, information and communications and new construction. Customer service is the immediate priority, carrying a Jan. 1, 2012 deadline, and the other standards will be phased in over the next decade.

Kristin says discrimination based on disabilities has long been prohibited in the workplace, but only enforced when people complained. AODA positions Ontario as the world’s first jurisdiction to move from complaints-based legislation to a proactive regulatory regime concerning mandated accessibility.

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