AODA accessibility policy (Ontario)
An AODA-compliant accessibility policy covering the customer service standard, the integrated accessibility standards, employment, information & communications, and the workplace emergency response.
AODA Accessibility Policy
Effective
1. Purpose & commitment
The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) requires Ontario employers to remove barriers to accessibility. This policy describes how (with Ontario employees) meets its obligations under AODA and the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (Ontario Regulation 191/11).
2. Guiding principles
We are committed to dignity, independence, integration, and equal opportunity for people with disabilities. People with disabilities are entitled to access our goods, services, and workplace on the same terms as anyone else, with reasonable accommodations as required.
3. Customer service standard
We provide our services in a way that respects accessibility. This includes welcoming service animals and support persons, allowing assistive devices, providing accessible alternatives when our regular service is temporarily disrupted, and training employees on how to interact with people with disabilities.
4. Employment standards
We notify candidates and employees of the availability of accommodations during recruitment and throughout employment. We provide individualized accommodation plans for employees with disabilities, develop documented return-to-work processes for employees absent due to disability, and consider accessibility needs in performance management, career development, and redeployment. We provide individualized workplace emergency response information to employees whose disability makes it necessary.
5. Information & communications
We make our public-facing information accessible on request. Our website meets WCAG 2.0 Level AA (or successor standard adopted under AODA). Feedback processes are accessible. Documents that we make available to the public are provided in accessible formats on request, in a timely manner and at no additional cost.
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6. Training
All employees, volunteers, agents, and contractors who interact with the public on our behalf or who help develop our policies receive training on the AODA Customer Service Standard, the Ontario Human Rights Code as it pertains to disability, and the requirements of this policy. Training is provided as soon as practicable after appointment to the role and on changes to applicable policies.
7. Feedback
Feedback on our accessibility — including complaints about how we have failed to meet AODA obligations — can be sent to . We respond in writing, in an accessible format on request, and aim to acknowledge feedback within 10 business days.
8. Multi-year accessibility plan
Where required by the size of our Ontario workforce, we maintain a multi-year accessibility plan that outlines our strategy for preventing and removing barriers and meeting AODA requirements. The plan is reviewed and updated at least once every five years and is posted on our website. Smaller employers (under 50 employees) are not required to publish a written plan but maintain equivalent internal documentation.
9. Review & reporting
This policy is reviewed annually and after any change to AODA or its regulations. Public-sector and large private-sector employers file accessibility compliance reports with the Ontario government on the schedule prescribed by regulation; smaller employers maintain internal records.
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Made with WalnutsHR Paper · Reviewed for Ontario · April 2026
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No compliance hints for this jurisdiction yet — your document looks good for the basics. Have a lawyer review before sending anything consequential.
About this template
AODA compliance is mandatory for every Ontario business that has at least one employee. The specific obligations scale with headcount — at 50+ employees you must publish an accessibility plan and a public-facing statement; at 20+ certain training and policy requirements apply; below 20 the customer service standard still applies. This template covers the full set so it works at every size.
When to use it
- You operate in Ontario and have at least one employee.
- You're preparing for an AODA compliance report (large private-sector employers file every three years).
- You're updating your handbook or onboarding materials and need an accessibility section.
What to include
- Commitment statement and guiding principles.
- Customer service standard — service animals, support persons, assistive devices.
- Employment standards — accommodation, return-to-work, individualized emergency response.
- Information and communications standard — WCAG 2.0 AA on public sites.
- Mandatory training requirement.
- Accessible feedback channel.
- Multi-year accessibility plan reference (where required by size).
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between AODA and the Ontario Human Rights Code?
The Code is a rights framework — it prohibits discrimination based on disability and requires accommodation up to undue hardship. AODA is a regulatory framework — it specifies operational standards (training, accessible communications, customer service) that apply to all Ontario organizations. They reinforce each other; you have to comply with both.
Do remote-work-only employers need this?
Yes — AODA applies to any organization with at least one Ontario employee, regardless of physical location. The customer service and employment standards still apply; the built-environment standards (which only kick in for new construction) generally don't.
What about other provinces?
Manitoba (AMA), Nova Scotia, and BC have their own accessibility legislation; Quebec's framework is different again. This template is Ontario-specific. We'll add provincial variants as Paper expands.
Legal disclaimer. AODA is enforced by the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario. Penalties for non-compliance can reach $100,000 per day for corporations. The Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation has phased-in deadlines that have already passed for most employers; the WCAG 2.0 AA web requirement applied to most large private-sector employers in 2021. Verify your specific obligations against the regulator's most current guidance.
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