Ontarians with Disabilities Act
Encyclopedia
The Ontarians with Disabilities Act is the short title of the Ontario
Government's Bill 125 - "An Act to improve the identification, removal and prevention of barriers faced by persons with disabilities and to make related amendments to other Acts". The Act received Royal Assent on 14 December 2001 and came into force on February 7, 2002. A new piece of legislation was enacted to address accessibility issues, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 in 2005. The Ontarians with Disabilities Act remains in force.
The Bill's original purpose had been to achieve a barrier-free Ontario for persons with disabilities
-- a right of full participation. It was to require the timely removal of existing new barriers, within reasonable time lines and in accordance with reasonable cost parameters. It was meant to apply to employment, public transit, education, provincial and municipal government services and facilities, and other goods, services and facilities offered to the public.
Those who supported the idea of an ODA hoped that it would require government bodies, and others bound by law to identify the barriers that they now have which impede persons with disabilities from full participation, and to design reasonable plans consistent with their resources to remove these barriers and to prevent new ones from being created, all within reasonable time lines. They wanted it to allow for the enactment of regulations with input from disability groups, business interests and others, to set out measures to be implemented to achieve the ODA's goals, and reasonable time lines for their achievement. It was meant to incorporate an effective, fair and timely process for enforcement.
However, Bill 125 became a weak act that suggested voluntary action without enforcement, penalties or deadlines. Critics of the Bill (e.g. the Ontarians with Disabilities Act Committee) have petitioned the government to revisit the Act and pass a stronger, more effective Act, which they did in 2005 with the enactment of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005
(AODA).
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
Government's Bill 125 - "An Act to improve the identification, removal and prevention of barriers faced by persons with disabilities and to make related amendments to other Acts". The Act received Royal Assent on 14 December 2001 and came into force on February 7, 2002. A new piece of legislation was enacted to address accessibility issues, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 in 2005. The Ontarians with Disabilities Act remains in force.
The Bill's original purpose had been to achieve a barrier-free Ontario for persons with disabilities
Disability
A disability may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these.Many people would rather be referred to as a person with a disability instead of handicapped...
-- a right of full participation. It was to require the timely removal of existing new barriers, within reasonable time lines and in accordance with reasonable cost parameters. It was meant to apply to employment, public transit, education, provincial and municipal government services and facilities, and other goods, services and facilities offered to the public.
Those who supported the idea of an ODA hoped that it would require government bodies, and others bound by law to identify the barriers that they now have which impede persons with disabilities from full participation, and to design reasonable plans consistent with their resources to remove these barriers and to prevent new ones from being created, all within reasonable time lines. They wanted it to allow for the enactment of regulations with input from disability groups, business interests and others, to set out measures to be implemented to achieve the ODA's goals, and reasonable time lines for their achievement. It was meant to incorporate an effective, fair and timely process for enforcement.
However, Bill 125 became a weak act that suggested voluntary action without enforcement, penalties or deadlines. Critics of the Bill (e.g. the Ontarians with Disabilities Act Committee) have petitioned the government to revisit the Act and pass a stronger, more effective Act, which they did in 2005 with the enactment of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005
The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 is a statute enacted in 2005 for the purpose of improving accessibility standards for Ontarians with physical and mental disabilities to all public establishments by 2025.- Source :*...
(AODA).
See also
- Disability Discrimination ActDisability Discrimination Act 1995The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which has now been repealed and replaced by the Equality Act 2010 , except in Northern Ireland where the Act still applies...
for the corresponding UK legislation. - Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is a law that was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1990. It was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H. W. Bush, and later amended with changes effective January 1, 2009....
for the corresponding American legislation.