Accessibility

People with disabilities represent a significant and growing part of our population. According to Statistics Canada, more than 1.5 million Ontarians have disabilities -- about 13.5% of the population. It is estimated that 20% of the population will have disabilities in two decades.

The City of Orillia is committed to developing, implementing, maintaining, and enhancing accessibility in the areas of information and communications, employment, and transportation for all residents with disabilities, in a manner that:

• Respects the individuals' dignity and independence;
• Provides an equal opportunity to utilize, and benefit from, the City's goods and services; and
• Allows persons with disabilities to benefit from the same goods and services at the same time, and location, as all other residents. 

Provincial Legislation

In 2001, the Province introduced the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001 (ODA), which stated that every municipality having a minimum population of 10,000 shall establish an Accessibility Advisory Committee.

The Accessibility of Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA), is a law passed by the Ontario legislature that allows the government to develop specific standards of accessibility and to enforce them. The standards are made into laws called regulations, and they provide the details to help meet the goals of the AODA. The AODA is the foundation on which the standards are built.

The purpose of the accessibility standards is to move organizations in Ontario forward on accessibility. The standards will set requirements in a number of key areas and will be reviewed at least every five years. New requirements may be added. Ontario will move step by step towards accessibility that is widespread and commonplace. The goal of the Act is to make the Province of Ontario completely accessible by 2025.

Businesses and organizations that provide goods and services to people in Ontario will have to meet certain accessibility standards in five important areas of our lives.

Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation 191/11

The Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation IASR is being phased in between now and 2021.

• Customer Service - To help remove barriers for people with disabilities so they can access goods, services or facilities.
• Transportation - To make it easier for everyone to travel in the province.
• Employment - To help make hiring and employee support practices more accessible.
• Information and Communications - To help organizations make their information accessible to people with disabilities.
• Design of Public Spaces - To help organizations make new and redeveloped outdoor public areas accessible.

We attempt to make our website documents Accessible however, some of these documents may not completely meet the AODA Accessibility requirements. If you require assistance or communication support, please contact 705-325-1311 or e-mail us.

For more information about the Province's accessibility legislation and these standards, please visit Making Ontario Accessible.