Every four years, the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario appoints someone to review the AODA. Moreover, this reviewer spends time meeting with the public, especially people with disabilities. During these meetings, attendees discuss possible improvements the AODA might need. Based on this public feedback, the reviewer writes a report about how effective the AODA and its mandates are. In addition, the reviewer recommends steps the government can take to improve the Act. In this article, we list the recommendations in the third review of the AODA, published in 2019.
Recommendations in the Third Review of the AODA
The Honourable David C. Onley, former Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, wrote the third review of the AODA. In this review, he recommends many changes the government can make that will help the AODA become better law. For instance, Onley recommends that the Ontario government should:
- Renew its Leadership in Implementing the AODA
- Avoid creating accessibility barriers with public money
- Set an example as an accessible workplace and service provider
- Coordinate provincial and federal disability laws
Moreover, Onley also recommends that the government clarify some basic concepts in the AODA, such as:
- Defining what “accessibility” means
- Clarifying how the AODA relates to Ontario human rights law
- Updating the definition of “disability”
Recommendations for Cultural Changes
In addition, Onley recommends how changes to our culture can help people understand disability more clearly. As a result, Ontarians may be more willing to create a barrier-free province. For example, Onley recommends:
- Fostering awareness of every-day accessibility
- A public education campaign on the business case for accessibility
- Disability in school curriculums at every level
- Accessibility training for architects and other design professionals
Recommendations for Improving AODA Standards
Furthermore, Onley recommends improvements to current and future AODA standards. For instance:
- Developing the education and healthcare standards
- Updating the Information and Communications Standards
- Creating more standards, and updating the AODA’s general provisions
- Updating all standards to remove barriers for people with environmental sensitivities
Recommendations for Structural Improvements
Onley also recommends improving all standards and laws governing buildings and public spaces. For example, these improvements include:
- Strengthening the Ontario Building Code and the Design of Public Spaces Standards
- New standards and incentives for retrofitting buildings
- Tax incentives and grants for housing accessibility
- Reforming how infrastructure projects are managed
Recommendations for Enforcing the AODA
Onley describes many problems with current methods for enforcing the AODA. Therefore, he recommends new methods of enforcement, including:
- A complaint system for reporting AODA violations
- A resource centre to help organizations learn how AODA standards apply to their services
- A website providing reliable AODA expertise
Finally, Onley outlines the barriers to employment that people with disabilities face. He recommends that the government improve its strategy for employing people with disabilities. He also recommends that the government commit to solving a number of small problems in every-day accessibility.
In addition to direct recommendations, Onley’s review also includes discussion of more disability barriers, and suggestions from attendees about how to remove these barriers. Our next article will list these suggestions.