Under the AODA, private or non-profit businesses with twenty to forty-nine (20-49) workers, or fifty (50) or more workers, must complete accessibility reports every three (3) years. The next accessibility reports for private or non-profit businesses are due on December 31st, 2023. Therefore, private or non-profit businesses with twenty (20) or more workers should complete their reports by this deadline. In addition, if businesses have technical difficulties, they should let the Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility know. The Ministry can help resolve technical problems.
Accessibility Reports for Private or Nonprofit Businesses
Businesses complete the report by filling in a form on the Ontario government’s website. They must download the form and open it with Adobe Reader, not in their browsers. The first two (2) pages of the form are instructions. Then, workers must click to open the rest of the form. However, once the whole form is opened, the instructions will no longer appear on the workers’ screens. Therefore, workers filling in the form should copy or print off these two (2) pages to look at as they complete the form. Furthermore, one (1) or more workers in a business can complete a form. Workers can save the form and send it to coworkers so that they can complete it together.
Workers start completing the form by selecting their business category (private or nonprofit business). Selection ensures that all questions on the form will apply. Workers must then input their business’s legal name and business number (BN9), from federal or provincial tax returns. Businesses without a BN9 should contact the government to receive an AODA identifier. Next, the form asks for businesses’ number of workers. Finally, one (1) senior member of the business must give their name and contact information. This senior member, called the certifier, will later confirm that the report is complete and accurate. The certifier must have legal authority to make this claim.
Workers must then answer the yes-or-no questions on the form. Once they have answered all questions, businesses submit the form by clicking a button at the bottom.
Our next article will discuss some of the questions in accessibility reports for private or nonprofit businesses.