Integrated Accessibility Standard

Accessibility Plan: What does it mean?

The new Accessibility Standard requires that every large organization file an Accessibility Plan by January 1, 2013. This Plan has to cover a 5 year plan and must be reviewed and updated regularly. Each plan has to include your company’s strategy to prevent and remove barriers for anybody with a disability. This definition of disability includes visible and invisible disabilities and also temporary, episodic and permanent disabilities.
The prevention of barriers means that there are policies, practices and procedures that ensure that all people with disabilities are included in all parts of your company.

The removal of barriers includes an examination of all of your company’s policies and practices to ensure that none of them are inadvertently excluding people with disabilities. This has to be done in an organized and efficient fashion and needs to ensure that policies are examined with an accessibility lens. To begin, each company should examine the following sections: customer service, information and communication, built environment and employment.

According to the Integrated Accessibility Standard this accessibility plan needs to be available to the public and available in accessible formats. It also has to be reviewed and update every five years. The Accessibility Directorate of Ontario will be examining this to ensure that compliance is key and people with disabilities are included in all parts of your company’s life.

What is your company or organization’s plan for the examination, removal and prevention of barriers for people with disabilities?

If you are interested in learning more about Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) or how to make accessibility a natural part of your business through the application of Corporate Social Responsibility, please contact Sandra Broekhof @ 416-503-1035 or sandra_broekhof@sympatico.ca or visit www.accessibilitycompliance.ca