Barrie Construction Association Alison Smith has forwarded a legal advisory briefing about the impending Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) regulations to be imposed at the beginning of 2004.
The rules apply to businesses with 50 or more employees. However, there are also rules for organizations with 20 or more employees, and a report by lawyers Sherrard Kuzz LLP says non-compliance is a significant concern.
Private sector organizations were also to have complied with the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service by January 1, 2012; and organizations with 20 or more employees in Ontario were to have filed a report with the provincial government confirming compliance by December 31, 2012.
To date, approximately 70 per cent of private sector organizations with 20 or more employees have failed to file their compliance report, and the Government of Ontario has now commenced what appears to be an enforcement blitz aimed at the private sector.
Failure to comply with the AODA can result in substantial administrative penalties.
You can download the lawyers’ document here.
