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 emergency preparedness and response requirements throughout the AODA Standards.
Emergency Preparedness and Response Requirements Throughout the AODA Standards
Under the Information and Communications Standards, organizations with publicly-available emergency procedures, plans, or public safety information must make this information accessible, upon request. For example, someone might request:
- An emergency safety brochure in large print, Braille, or an accessible digital file
- A safety video with audio description, captions, or Sign Language interpretation
Similarly, the Employment Standards require employers to provide individualized workplace emergency response information to any employee who needs it. Emergency information is any visual or audio material that explains what workers should do if there is an emergency at the workplace. Examples of emergency information include:
- Posters displayed in prominent locations
- Videos workers watch during training
If an employer knows that a worker needs this information due to their disability, the employer must provide that information in an accessible way as soon as possible.
In addition, employers must provide individualized information during emergencies to any employee who needs assistance due to a disability. Most often, this individualized information takes the form of creating and implementing individualized workplace emergency response plans for workers who need them. Employers must consult with workers who need this form of individualized information, comparable to consultation about individualized accommodation plans.
Likewise, the Transportation Standards require providers of conventional transit and specialized transit to create, implement, and maintain policies for emergency preparedness and response. Providers must also document these policies and make them available to the public, including in accessible formats upon request. In addition, conventional transit providers must comply with technical requirements for vehicles, including for stop-request and emergency response controls.
Clarifying Emergency Preparedness and Response Requirements
The Committee reports that these four (4) separate AODA requirements for emergency preparedness and response confuse staff of organizations trying to comply with them. Therefore, the Committee recommends that all requirements in the AODA Standards about emergencies should appear together in one place. For instance, all requirements could appear prominently in the General Requirements of the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR). As a result, organizations could easily reference all related requirements and establish which components they need to comply with.