The "Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act"

At first glance you might ask why I am writing about this issue in a real estate newsletter. Well, this law requires all employers to comply and that includes owners, managers and tenants. The first of several requirements for employers under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act comes into effect on January 1, 2012. As of that date, all employers in Ontario who provide goods and services must be compliant with the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service (the "Standards") under the Act.

Different requirements are in place for businesses with less than 20 employees than for businesses with 20 or more employees. For our purpose, we will deal with employers with 20 or more employees. Those employers are required to:

• Establish policies, practices and procedures governing the provision of goods and services to persons with disabilities;
• Provide training to all people who interact with the public on the organization's behalf, as well as to those who are involved in developing the organization's policies and procedures (for Training Resources, visit here);
• Allow persons with disabilities who use service animals or support persons to enter areas that are open to the public or that are open to other third parties where the organization is providing goods or services;

For the complete article view the document below.