Accessibility laws help improve accessibility for people who have disabilities. Since your job is to advise municipal councils on how to identify, remove and prevent barriers for people with disabilities, it’s important for you to understand Ontario’s accessibility laws. Here’s a quick summary:

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA)

The Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001 (ODA)

The Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001 applies to the government and public sector to improve accessibility for people with disabilities.

Under the ODA, all municipalities , if specified in a regulation under the ODA, may:

  • establish an accessibility advisory committee if the municipality has a population or 10,000 or more
  • prepare an accessibility plan each year and make it available to the public
  • include people with disabilities in their planning processes, such as the members of the accessibility advisory committee
  • remove barriers over time (the act gives municipalities the flexibility to set their own priorities and timelines)

Other laws that might be useful for Accessibility Advisory Committees to know about. Other laws may be applicable to accessibility in Ontario. As a member of an Accessibility Advisory Committee it is recommended that you become familiar with these other Acts. It is also recommended that you consult the appropriate ministry responsible for each Act.

The Planning Act

Municipal governments plan their communities, including streets, parks, public transit, libraries, social housing and other social services. The Ontario Planning Act guides the planning of land use in Ontario. Accessibility advisory committee members review those planning documents.

Ontario’s Building Code

The Building Code Act governs the way buildings are constructed, renovated or changed. The Building Code is a regulation under this act and sets out requirements that help maintain standards for, among others, barrier-free accessibility. Municipalities enforce the Building Code Act and the Building Code.

Under the Building Code, a building and its facilities are barrier-free if people with physical or sensory disabilities can approach, enter and use them. The requirements apply (but are not limited) to:

  • parking
  • entrances
  • elevators
  • washrooms
  • halls
  • doorways and doors
  • spaces in seating areas
  • ramps
  • signs

The Building Code’s requirements for barrier-free design apply to most uses of buildings. There are a few exceptions, such as:

  • houses, including semi-detached houses, duplexes, triplexes, town houses, row houses and boarding or rooming houses with fewer than 8 boarders or roomers
  • high-hazard industrial buildings
  • buildings that are not intended to be occupied on a daily or full-time basis

The Building Code does not require building owners or operators to upgrade their existing buildings to meet the current Code requirements. However, when building owners renovate a building or change their buildings’ use, they may be required to meet Building Code requirements for barrier-free accessibility.

The Ontario Human Rights Code

The Ontario Human Rights Code protects people from discrimination and harassment. It clearly sets out rights and responsibilities for everyone in Ontario.

The Blind Persons’ Rights Act

The Blind Persons’ Rights Act provides someone who is blind the legal right to:

  • be accompanied by a specially trained guide dog in all facilities open to the public, and not be charged an extra fee for the guide dog
  • equal housing opportunities, and no special conditions or terms can be imposed because of a guide dog’s presence

The act prohibits discrimination against blind persons who use guide dogs in the areas of services, accommodation, facilities and occupancy. It also prohibits persons who are not blind from using white canes.