Accessibility Services Canada

Accessibility Services Canada (formerly Accessibility Ontario) is a training and development organization that helps nonprofits and businesses in Canada to understand and comply with provincial accessibility legislation.

Accessibility Services Canada has helped thousands of organizations successfully meet, and exceed, their legal requirements. A trusted and respected provider of training and consultation on accessibility, Accessibility Services Canada brings solutions to your organization’s needs at each phase of  compliance. Whether it is risk mitigation, complex multi-year strategies, barrier identification, accessibility audits, or ongoing training requirements, we are committed to meeting the accessibility needs of all organizations.

On June 21, 2019 the Accessible Canada Act (ACA) received Royal Assent, making it law in Canada. The Accessible Canada Act is federal accessibility legislation. Its stated purpose is to achieve a barrier free Canada by 2040. The Act gives powers to the Government of Canada, the Canadian Transportation Agency, and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to create new legal requirements to advance accessibility in federal employment, the built environment, transportation, procurement of goods, services and facilities, information and communication technologies, communication, and the design and delivery of programs and services. 

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) aims to identify, remove, and prevent barriers for people with disabilities.  The AODA became law on June 13, 2005 and applies to all levels of government, nonprofits, and private sector businesses in Ontario that have one or more employees (full-time, part-time, seasonal, or contract). 

The AODA includes requirements that all organizations must meet, with deadlines specific to an organization’s type and size. The AODA is made up of five parts, or Standards, and deadlines for compliance began as of January 1, 2010.

Learn more by visiting their website's Legislation page.

Resources: Accessibility Services Canada has collected some excellent resources for you to review on the AODA and accessibility. 

Training: Accessibility Services Canada offers training on a variety of topics, including accessible social media, website and document design principles.

Learn more by visiting their website at accessibilitycanada.ca