Is Your Organization Compliant with AODA? It Should Be. Here’s Why

Did you know that employers with 20 or more employees are required to file a report with the Ontario government confirming they have complied with their obligations under the Accessibility with Ontarians with Disabilities Act (“AODA”) by December 31, 2017?

Employment Standard

This regulation under AODA applies to all employers. It  requires an employer to comply with at least nine (9) new obligations such as notifying job applicants that, where needed, accommodations for disabilities will be provided, on request.

Employers with 50 or more employees have two additional obligations including the duty to prepare a written individual accommodation plan for every disabled employee who has requested an accommodation for a disability.

Customer Service

This regulation under AODA requires all employers to, among other things, provide customer service training to employees.

An employer with 50 or more employees is required to prepare written customer service accessibility policies.

Multi Year Accessibility Plan

An employer with 50 or more employees is required to  establish, implement, maintain and document a multi-year accessibility plan. This plan outlines the organization’s strategy to prevent and remove barriers and meet its requirements under the Integrated Accessibility Standards regulation.

Ignorance of the Law is No Excuse

Many employers are not aware of their obligations under AODA, and have therefore not complied with them, and do not know about the obligation to inform the Ontario government that they have complied with their obligations under AODA by December 31, 2017.

Fixed Fee AODA Compliance Service

The MacLeod Law Firm has developed a fixed fee service that will get an employer into compliance with AODA before the December 31, 2017 reporting deadline. A description of this service is found here. 

If you have questions about this service, please contact Nadia Halum at [email protected], or Doug MacLeod at 416 317-9894.

For 30 years, Doug MacLeod of the MacLeod Law Firm has been advising employers on all aspects of the employment relationship. If you have any questions, you can contact him directly at 416 317-9894 or at [email protected]