The Accessibility for
Ontarians with Disability Act
and Transportation
October 27, 2006
First, a little about
OCTA Members include
Transit (in 76 Ont. Municipalities)
Industry Suppliers (30)
Non-Profit Partners (8)
Ministry of Transportation
Vehicle Mix Includes
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Conventional Buses
Articulated Buses
Mini Buses
Streetcars
Subways
Rail
Light Rail
Vans
Taxis
Privately Owned Vehicles
ODA, 2001
 Municipalities
 Public
transit systems
 Hospitals
 School boards
 Universities & Colleges
ODA, 2001
Must create an
annually updated
Accessibility Plan
& make it public
- No standards
- Limited
enforcement
…created
dissatisfaction …
AODA
AODA, 2005
Develop, Implement &
Enforce Standards:
Goods
- Services
- Accommodation
- Employment
- & Buildings
…by January 1, 2025
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AODA
Intent of Accessibility Standards
- Set policies to remove & prevent barriers
- Address full range of disabilities
- Mandatory
- Apply to all sectors, public & private
- Staged in 5 yr. periods
- Within existing funding envelopes
AODA
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Enforcement:
Accessibility reports made public
Self-certification by organizations
Incentives
Inspections and audits where necessary
Fines for filing false reports or obstructing
an inspector
AODA
Standards Development
Committees
Common Standards
Service – in progress
 Information & Communication – fall 2006
 Built Environment – winter 2007
 Employment – spring 2007
 Customer
AODA
Standards Development
Committees
Sector Specific
Standards
Transportation
First and only, to date
AODA
SDC Process
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SDC develops standards
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SDC recommends standards to Minister
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Minister’s Accessibility Adv. Cttee reviews Standards
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Standards are posted 45 days for public input
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Public input forwarded to SDC
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SDC makes final recommendations to Minister
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Accepted standards are adopted as regulations
AODA
Transportation SDC
Established January 2006
1 Chair and 27 Members:
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8 Agencies for People with Disabilities
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6 Provincial Ministries
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1 Municipal Managers, Clerks & Treasurers
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1 Ontario Federation of Labour
AODA
Transportation SDC
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Cont’d
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2 Taxi Companies
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1 Motor Coach and School Bus Industries
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5 Public Transit Systems
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1 Association des municipalités Francophones
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1 School Board
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1 Ontario Universities Association
AODA
Transit Resource Team
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26 representatives from across the province
Providing key analysis & input to standards
development and development process
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Facilitating communication to stakeholders
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Writing position papers
AODA
What will
legislated
Standards likely
affect?
AODA
For Public Transit:
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Service Standards
Eligibility Criteria
Trip Lengths
Service Hours
Service Area
Fares
Vehicles
AODA
Other AODA Standards:
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Bus Stops
Subway Stations
LRT Stops
Shelters
Terminals
Office Buildings
Ticket/Pass Outlets
AODA
Cont’d
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Print Media
Electronic Media
Signage
Call Centres
Employee Training
Customer Training
Hiring
Communications Policies
AODA
…and AODA will impact:
Roads
Bridges
Ferry Services
Trucking
Inter-City & Tour Coach
School Busing
Taxis
Emergency Services
AODA 2005
Issues to be aware in Standards Development
Timelines
Process
Affordability
AODA
Timelines
The aggressive timetable has
created many issues…
AODA
Process
Issues Include:
 Pre-planning
 Standards
 Best
used from other countries
practices
AODA
Process
 Consistency
 Linkages
 Education
AODA
Affordability
Issues Include:
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Who pays?
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The impact on services
(700 million + transit trips per year)
AODA
In Conclusion:
The AODA touches
upon every aspect
of life
… it is not just about
accommodating
people in
wheelchairs!