Transportation 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 Plans
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.
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.
Commuter Rail
A class of rail-based, multi-unit transportation. Is used for public passenger transportation between urban areas and their suburbs and is provided on designated lines between stations.
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.
Conventional Transportation Services
Public passenger transportation services on transit buses, motor coaches or rail-based transportation that operate only within Ontario. These services are provided by designated public sector organizations as described in paragraph 5 of Schedule 1 of the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation, but does not include specialized transportation services.
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.
Ferry
A vessel that weighs 1000 gross tonnes or more and provides passenger transportation services only within Ontario. Ferries are used by the general public and may carry only passengers or passengers and motor vehicles.
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.
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.
Integrated Accessible School Transportation Services
Integrated transportation means that all students, including students with disabilities, travel on the same school transportation vehicles.
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.
Mobility Aid
Devices used to facilitate the transport, in a seated posture, of people with disabilities.
Mobility Assistive Device
A cane, walker, or similar aid.
Motor Coaches
A class of bus of monocoque design, which provides intercity, suburban or commuter passenger transportation service. A motor coach has a baggage storage area that is separate from the passenger cabin.
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.
Rail-based Transportation
Any single or multi-unit passenger transportation vehicle that operates exclusively on rails. Includes streetcars, subways, light rail vehicles, commuter rail and inter-city rail. Is operated by a public transportation organization as described in paragraph 5 of Schedule 1 of the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation.
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.
Specialized Transportation Services
Public passenger transportation services that are designed to transport people with disabilities and that operate only within Ontario. These services are provided by designated public sector transportation organizations as described in paragraph 5 of Schedule 1 of the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation. It also applies to other transportation services provided by public school boards, hospitals, colleges, universities, municipalities (including these that license taxicabs or that provide conventional transportation services) and certain ferries.
Subways
A class of rail-based transportation, which is multi-unit and provides service on designated lines between stations. Designed to operate on a grade separated from highways, as defined by the Highway Traffic Act.
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.
Taxicabs
A motor vehicle as defined in the Highway Traffic Act, that is licensed as a taxicab by a municipality, and has a seating capacity of not more than six people, not including the driver. A taxicab is hired for one specific trip to transport one person or group of people for which only one fare or charge is collected or made for the trip. A taxicab is not a car pool vehicle.
Transit Buses
A class of bus that is designed and intended to be used for passenger transportation. Are operated on highways, as defined in the Highway Traffic Act.
The information contained on this page is for informational purposes only.
It does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice.