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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:
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Respects the individuals' dignity and independence;
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Provides an equal opportunity to utilize, and benefit from, the City's goods and services; and
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Allows persons with disabilities to benefit from the same goods and services at the same time, and location, as all other residents.
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.
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.
The Accessibility Standard for Customer Service was the first standard to become law.
Accessible Standards for Customer Service Regulation 429/07
The next three standards - Information and Communications, Employment, and Transportation - have been combined under one regulation, the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation. This regulation is now law and the requirements currently in regulation are being phased in between 2011 and 2021.
Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation 191/11
- Customer Service - Establishing accessibility standards around customer service.
- Transportation - Making it easier for people with disabilities to get to where they need to go.
- Employment - Expanding Ontario's labour pool and welcoming people with disabilities into more workplaces.
- Information and Communications - Giving people with disabilities access to more of the information we all depend on.
- Built Environmental Standard - Helping remove barriers in buildings and outdoor spaces for people with disabilities. Work continues on this fifth and final standard.
City of Orillia Multi-Year Accessibility Plan
Multi-Year Accessibility Plan, Annual Status Report - 2016
Multi-Year Accessibility Plan, Annual Status Report - 2015
Multi-Year Accessibility Plan, Annual Status Report - 2014
Multi-Year Accessibility Plan, Annual Status Report - 2013
Provincial Accessibility Compliance Report - 2015
Provincial Accessibility Compliance Report - 2013
View City of Orillia's policies:
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.
Download the City of Orillia Customer Service Feedback Form
Planning an event? Check out this informational brochure on how to make it accessible.
For more information about the Province's accessibility legislation and these standards, please visit Making Ontario Accessible.
