The Customer Service Standard and
The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act
The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) is a law that sets out accessibility standards that organizations must follow. The standards aim to make Ontario more accessible and inclusive.
Accessibility Plan
An accessibility plan describes the actions an organization will take to prevent and remove barriers and when it will do so. An accessibility plan creates a road map for an organization to increase accessibility. It’s the actions that support an organization’s commitment to accessibility and its accessibility policies.
Accessibility Policy
An accessibility policy states what rules or principles an organization will put in place to support achieving its accessibility goals.
Accessible Formats
Formats that are an alternative to standard print and are accessible to people with disabilities. May include large print, recorded audio and electronic formats, and braille.
Accommodation
Making arrangements to allow a person with a disability to equally benefit or participate. There is no set formula for accommodating people with disabilities. The person involved must be consulted. Some examples of accommodation: flexibility in work hours or break times or providing a document in an accessible format such as large print.
Communication Supports
Supports that individuals with disabilities may need to access information. Some examples include plain language, sign language interpreter, reading the information out loud to a person with vision loss, adding captioning to videos or using written notes to communicate with someone who is hard of hearing.
Conventional Transportation Service Provider
A designated public sector transportation organization as described in paragraph 5 of Schedule 1 of the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation, that provides conventional transportation services that operate only within Ontario.
Deaf
Describes a person who has severe to profound hearing loss, with little or no remaining hearing. Some use sign language, such as American Sign Language (ASL), to communicate. Others use speech to communicate using their remaining hearing and hearing aids, technical devices, cochlear implants, and/or lip reading (also known as speech reading).
Deafened
Describes a person who grows up hearing or hard of hearing and experiences profound hearing loss slowly or suddenly. The person may use speech with visual cues such as captioning or computerized note-taking, lip reading (also known as speech reading) or sign language.
Designated Public Sector Organization
Refers to organizations listed in Schedule 1 (Broader Public Sector) of the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation. These organizations include hospitals, universities, colleges of applied arts and technology, district school boards, and organizations that provide public transportation. Designated public sector also means every municipality and every person or organization listed in Column 1 of Table 1 of Ontario Regulation 146/10, of the Public Service of Ontario Act, 2006.
Facilities
Refers to rooms or spaces used to provide a service, such as a stadium or banquet hall. It does not refer to the physical structure of a building.
Government of Ontario and the Legislative Assembly
Includes every ministry of the Government of Ontario, the Office of the Premier, and the Legislative Assembly including constituency offices of the members of the Assembly.
Hard of Hearing
Describes a person who has hearing loss ranging from mild to severe, and occasionally profound. They use remaining hearing and speech to communicate. The person may supplement communication by lip reading (also known as speech reading), hearing aids, sign language and/or communication devices.
The Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation
The Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR) sets out the accessibility standards under the AODA. The standards are rules that businesses and organizations in Ontario need to follow to identify, remove and prevent barriers so that people with disabilities have more opportunities to participate in everyday life. The standards are: Customer Service, Information and Communications, Employment, Transportation and Design of Public Spaces.
Intervenor
A professional support person who helps a person who is deafblind to access information and with communication.
Large Designated Public Sector Organization
A designated public sector organization with 50 or more employees (such as municipalities, hospitals, universities, colleges of applied arts and technology, district school boards, and organizations that provide public transportation).
Large Organization
A private or not-for-profit organization that provides goods, services or facilities to the public or to other organizations and has 50 or more employees in Ontario. It does not include the Government of Ontario, Legislative Assembly, or designated public sector organizations.
Legislative Assembly
Refers to the Offices of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario including all the offices of the Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs), their constituency offices in their ridings and the offices of those appointed on the address of the Assembly, such as the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
Ontario Government
Refers to the executive of the government and operational branches, including all the ministries of the Government of Ontario and the Office of the Premier.
The Ontario Human Rights Code
The Ontario Human Rights Code (the Code) is a provincial law that gives everybody equal rights and opportunities without discrimination in specific areas such as jobs, housing and services. The Code’s goal is to prevent discrimination and harassment.
Oral Deaf
Describes a person who has severe to profound hearing loss. Most use speech to communicate, using remaining hearing and hearing aids, communication devices or cochlear implants, and lip reading (also known as speech reading). Some use sign language.
Small Designated Public Sector Organization
A designated public sector organization with one to 49 employees such as the Ontario Office of the Fairness Commissioner and some municipalities.
Small Organization
A private or not-for-profit organization that provides goods, services or facilities to the public or to other organizations and has one to 49 employees in Ontario. It does not include the Government of Ontario, Legislative Assembly, or designated public sector organizations.
Specialized Transportation Service Provider
A designated public sector transportation organization as described in paragraph 5 of Schedule 1 of the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation, that provides specialized transportation services that operate only within Ontario.
Support Person
A person who accompanies a person with a disability to help with communication, mobility, personal care, medical needs, or with access to goods, services or facilities.
Third Parties
Other businesses or organizations that may be your customers. This includes consultants, manufacturers and wholesalers as well as providers of other business and professional services.
TTY Phone Line
A device that allows users to send typed messages across phone lines. TTY (teletypewriter) users can directly call other TTY numbers or they can place a call through a relay service operator to communicate with someone who uses a standard phone. A standard phone user can also place a call through a relay service operator to a TTY user.
Undue Hardship
Occurs when the benefit of providing accommodation is outweighed by severe negative effects such as very high cost or health and safety issues. Concrete evidence is required to establish undue hardship.
The information contained on this page is for informational purposes only.
It does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice.