All organizations with 20 or more employees (including non-profit organizations), are required to submit their AODA compliance report by December 31, 2014. Organizations with 50 or more employees are required to include in their report compliance with the accessibility regulations implemented on January 1, 2014.
As its objective of ensuring all of the province’s businesses are fully accessible for those with disabilities by January 1, 2025, the government of Ontario has implemented several requirements under the Ontario Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (“AODA”) that will come into effect on January 1, 2015. The new requirements include the following:
Private sector employers with 50 or more employees (“large employers”)
- Large employers must provide training on the requirements of Ontario’s Integrated Accessibility Standards (“IAS”) and the sections of Ontario’s Human Rights Code that pertain to accessibility.
- If a large employer has processes regarding receiving and responding to feedback from customers, the employer must ensure that these processes are accessible to persons with disabilities.
Private sector employers with under 50 employees (“small employers”)
- Small employers must consider accessibility requirements if they are designing, procuring or acquiring of a self-service kiosk. Large employers were to have complied with this requirement by January 1, 2014.
- Small employers must develop, implement and maintain policies that outline how they are to meet the accessibility requirements outlined in the IAS. Large employers should have met this requirement by January 1, 2014.
Non-compliance with these new regulations can result in fines of up to $100,000 per day for corporations and up to $50,000 per day for every director or officer with fiduciary responsibilities in a corporation.
This blog is provided as information and a summary of workplace legal issues.
This information is not intended as legal advice.
