Information and Communications Standard
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.
Communications
As used in the Information and Communications Standard, refers to the interaction between two or more people or entities when information is provided, sent or received.
Conversion Ready
Any electronic or digital format that facilitates conversion into an accessible format, such as braille, large print, audio, etc.
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.
Educators
Employees who are involved in program or course design, delivery and instruction, including staff of school boards.
Government of Ontario and 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.
Information
As used in the Information and Communications Standard, refers to knowledge, data and facts that convey meaning and that exist in any format, such as text, audio, digital or images.
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.
Internet Website
An organization’s external website that is available to the public and contains a collection of related web pages, images, videos or other digital assets. It is accessible through an Internet address known as a Uniform Resource Identifier.
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.
Live Captioning
Text alternative provided in real-time for information captured for a live event. Provides both speech and non-speech audio information needed to understand the content including sound effects, music, laughter, speaker identification and location.
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.
Pre-recorded Audio Descriptions
Narration added to the soundtrack of visual media (including television and film, dance, opera, and visual art). Describes important visual details that cannot be understood from the main soundtrack alone. Consists of a narrator describing the on-screen action during the natural pauses in the audio. Often used by people with vision loss.
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.
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.
Web Content
Any information that may be found on a web page or web application, including text, images, forms and sounds.
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0
An international standard for making websites and web content accessible to people with a wide range of disabilities. Was developed by a team of experts from around the world. The first version, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 1.0, was released in 1999. WCAG 2.0 was released in 2008.
The information contained on this page is for informational purposes only.
It does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice.