The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 is legislation designed to to make Ontario barrier-free to people with disabilities. Businesses and organizations who provide goods and services to people in Ontario will have to meet certain accessibility standards in five areas: customer service, transportation, information and communications, built environment and employment.
Ontario’s first accessibility standard, the customer service standard, came into effect on January 1, 2008. The legal requirements of the accessibility standards for customer service are stated in Ontario Regulation 429/07. Organizations are required to establish policies, practices and procedures on providing goods or services to people with disabilities and provide training to staff who interact with the public.