Skip to main content Skip to main menu

Assessing and Improving AODA Compliance in Public Spaces

Under the AODA, public-sector organizations must complete accessibility reports every two (2) years. Similarly, private-sector organizations 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 organizations in both the public and private sectors are due on December 31st, 2023. Therefore, organizations should have the knowledge they need to complete their reports, this time next year. In the coming year, organizations can gain this knowledge by assessing how compliant they are with AODA standards. Moreover, organizations can use this assessment to improve the accessibility of their services. In this article, we will outline ways of assessing and improving AODA compliance in public spaces.

Assessing and Improving AODA Compliance in Public spaces

All public-sector organizations, and private-sector organizations with fifty (50) or more workers, need to report on their compliance with the AODA’s Design of Public spaces Standards. However, organizations of all sizes need to comply with these standards. For instance, organizations with new or renovated public spaces need to ensure that visitors with disabilities have access to:

Furthermore, organizations with fifty (50) or more workers must ensure the accessibility of new or renovated:

How to Assess AODA Compliance in Public spaces

Organizations can assess their AODA compliance by requesting anonymous feedback from customers, workers, or other visitors who have needed accessible features. For instance, visitors can explain whether:

  • They could park their vehicles in accessible spaces
  • There was enough room to exit vehicles with ramps and transfer to assistive devices
  • Parking spaces were close enough for them to reach buildings or events easily

Similarly, customers, workers, and visitors could explain whether they could:

  • Wait in lines or waiting areas that:
  • Receive service at accessible counters
  • Enjoy leisure time on a trail or beach
  • Travel independently on all paths or walkways
  • Access public eating areas with their friends or families
  • Watch their children join peers on accessible play spaces

Accessing Older Public Spaces

Alternatively, if a business does not have accessible features, visitors with disabilities must still be able to access their services. Therefore, visitors could also give feedback about how well staff supported their access needs. For example, visitors can explain whether staff:

  • Knew what accessible features their premises had, or did not have
  • Invited them to wait in an accessible place
  • Alerted them when their turn for service came, when line areas were not accessible
  • Provided service away from high counters when needed
  • Served them remotely if parking and paths were not accessible
  • Recommended locations with more welcoming:
    • Trail or beach access
    • Eating areas
    • Play spaces

Customers, workers, or visitors describing their positive or negative experiences can help staff recognize what they should or should not do when supporting visitors’ access to their spaces. An organization receiving mostly negative feedback is likely not compliant with the AODA. As a result, the organization will need to make changes, which could include:

Accessibility Consulting

In addition, organizations could enter short-term or on-going contracts to consult with people who have disabilities. Alternatively, organizations could request the services of professional organizations that specialize in assessing accessibility. In either case, an accessibility assessor with lived experience of disability could assess:

  • The quality of AODA training
  • Plans for new or renovated spaces, to ensure that accessible features are included

Moreover, consultants could also help organizations find resources to support them in strengthening their policies and services.

Improving AODA Compliance in Public spaces

Even if organizations are fully compliant, they can still make changes to their policies and services to enhance accessibility. For instance, the standards only mandate accessibility in buildings and spaces that are new or redeveloped. These legal limitations mean that older buildings and spaces are closed or unwelcoming to people with certain disabilities, including people who:

However, older public spaces can exceed AODA requirements by retrofitting accessible features. When organizations retrofit their spaces, in addition to welcoming visitors with disabilities, these spaces offer many other benefits. For example, accessible areas for walking, waiting, or eating could benefit:

  • Families with babies or small children
  • Shoppers with carts

In addition, people who develop disabilities later in life can continue to patronize organizations with accessible features. Organizations that go above and beyond the AODA standards can prove that they value all visitors.

Back to top