12/15/2015
The Province has made recent changes to the accessibility laws in Ontario. The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) was preceded by the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001 (ODA), which set the foundation for accessibility in the public sector. The Ontario government has removed sections of the ODA which are comparable to those addressed by the AODA or its regulations. Effective December 1, 2015, twelve sections of the ODA have been repealed. These sections are largely duplicated or addressed in a comparable manner by the AODA or its regulations. This change will positively reduce the administrative burden on municipalities. In particular, three sections of the ODA that directly impact municipalities were repealed as follows: 1. Section 11 - Municipal Accessibility Plans