What is the AODA and what does it mean to you?
September 15, 2017
The Ontario government passed the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) in 2005.
This post has been updated: December 2023
The purpose is to make Ontario accessible to people with disabilities by 2025. UFCW Locals 175 & 633 is on schedule to meet that requirement.
AODA Accessibility Standards will affect 360,000 organizations in Ontario, including government, the broader public sector, and private and not-for-profit organizations.
The ultimate goal of the AODA is to: Create a universally accessible and inclusive society.
It will accomplish this by identifying and removing barriers – whether physical, or in policies and practices. In addition to evident physical impairments, disabilities can include:
- Vision loss or difficulties;
- Deafness or being hard of hearing;
- Intellectual or developmental impairment;
- Learning disabilities; &
- Mental health issues.
The Accessibility Standard for Customer Service became the first law of the AODA in 2008. It set out requirements for accessible customer service for people with disabilities.
The Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (Ontario Regulation 191/11) became law in 2011. This regulation includes Accessibility Standards for:
- information and communications,
- employment, and
- transportation.
Each Standard requires developing policies and training employees. In addition, the Standard includes timelines for compliance, with different requirements phased in over several years. This means, that your Union as well as your employer must meet the AODA Standards within the provided timelines.
In particular, the AODA focuses on five key standards that require accessibility improvement:
- Customer Service,
- Information & Communication,
- Transportation,
- Employment, and
- Design of Public Spaces.
“The Local Union takes accessibility seriously and the policy we developed reflects our commitment,” said President Haggerty.
Download/read a copy of the UFCW Locals 175 & 633 Accessibility Policy:
or contact the AODA Administrator by email @ membership@ufcw175.com or phone at 1-800-565-8329 / 905-821-8329 extension 2233.
“We believe that improving accessibility is the right thing to do,” said President Haggerty. “We welcome feedback from the Members. If you have any questions or comments please contact us.”
AODA Administrator:
1-800-565-8329 / 905-821-8329 x 2233 or membership@ufcw175.com