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Accessible Product Labels

The first review of the AODA’s Information and communications Standards became public in 2020. In this review, the AODA Information and Communications Standards Development Committee outlines improvements to make information and communications accessible for people with disabilities by 2025. The Committee recommends changes to the Information and Communications Standards, to identify, remove, and prevent accessibility barriers in information. In addition, the Committee recommends an alternative system for developing, updating, and enforcing AODA standards. This new system would affect the Information and Communications Standards, as well as other existing and future standards. This article will discuss the Committee’s recommendations for accessible product labels.

Accessible Product Labels

The Information and Communications Standards do not require accessible formats for most products or product labels. As a result, many people with print disabilities cannot easily read these labels. However, technology now makes accessible digital formats easier to create than ever before. Therefore, the Committee recommends that the province should start producing product labels in accessible digital formats.

To begin this process, the Ontario government would need to consult with the federal government about jurisdiction over products. In other words, the two governments would need to agree about what product labels are under Ontario’s jurisdiction. The consultation may also encourage the federal government to produce accessible digital labels for products in its own jurisdiction.

After this consultation, Ontario could begin the process of creating accessible product labels in digital formats. The Committee recommends that medical products should be a priority for accessible labeling. In addition, the Ontario government should consult with stakeholders from various industries about methods for labeling their products accessibly.

The Committee recommends that, in the first year after the Standards are updated, the governments of Ontario and Canada should write a joint report about their strategies for producing accessible product labels. If the governments do not write this report jointly within that year, the Committee recommends that Ontario should create its own strategy and expert committee to begin making product labels accessible.