NEW AODA COMPLIANCE OBLIGATIONS FOR SMALL EMPLOYERS

The start of the new year brought with it new compliance standards under the Integrated Accessibility Standards Requlation of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (“AODA”). As of January 1, 2017, small organizations will have to ensure that they comply with the applicable provisions of the Accessible Employment Standards, which focus on the recruitment and ongoing support of employees with disabilities.

 

Who is Affected

Small organizations refer to private and not-for-profit organizations that have between 1 and 49 employees, but not designated public sector organizations, the Government of Ontario, or the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

Employees include each full-time, part-time, seasonal and contract worker, irrespective of employment status. Volunteers and independent contractors are not included in the determination of which entities are considered small organizations. However, small organizations may still have to train the volunteers and independent contractors with whom they deal on various accessibility standards in order to fully comply with the AODA.

Small Organization Compliance with the Accessible Employment Standards

General Recruitment

Small organizations now have an obligation to notify their employees and the public that they will accommodate the needs of people with disabilities in their hiring process. The notification can either be made in each job posting or through a general post on the organization’s website.

What are some unique issues that small organization have to deal with in terms of accessibility?

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 @ 416-579-1035 orsandra_broekhof@sympatico.ca