Legislation / Codes

 

There are several pieces of legislation that guide the efforts of the Western community in both protecting the rights of persons with disabilities and ensuring we create and maintain a barrier-free community.

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), 2005

The purpose of the AODA, 2005 is “to achieve accessibility for Ontarians with disabilities with respect to goods, services, facilities, accommodation, employment, buildings, structures and premises on or before January 1, 2025, by developing, implementing and enforcing accessibility standards”. For more information on the AODA visit the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities website.

Accessibility Standards for Customer Service

Organizations that provide goods or services to people in Ontario are required to make their services accessible to persons with disabilities. The legal requirements of the standard are set out in Ontario Regulation 429/07 under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005.

Ontarians with Disabilities Act (ODA), 2001

The Ontarians with Disabilities Act (ODA), 2001 predates the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). Although the AODA received Royal Assent on June 13, 2005, the provisions of the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001 (ODA) remain in force until the ODA is repealed. For additional information on the ODA visit the website of the Ontarians with Disabilities Act Committee.

Ontario Human Rights Code

The Ontario Human Rights Code recognizes the inherent dignity and worth of every person and provides for equal rights and opportunities without discrimination. Section one of the OHRC affirms the right to equal treatment in services without discrimination because of disability. For more information visit the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s website.

Canadian Human Rights Act

The purpose of this Act is to enact the principle that “all individuals should have an opportunity equal with other individuals to make for themselves the lives that they are able and wish to have and to have their needs accommodated, consistent with their duties and obligations as members of society, without being hindered in or prevented from doing so by discriminatory practices”. Disability is one of the prohibited grounds of discrimination. For more information visit the Canadian Human Rights Commission’s website.

 

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