New accessibility regulations under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (A.O.D.A.) coming into effect for Ontario businesses January 1, have more to do with your customer service policies, procedures and staff training than about your physical facility.
The first of five standards, the Customer Service Standard requires businesses provide accessible customer service to persons with disabilities. The other four standards; Information & Communication, Employment, Built Environment and Transportation, will follow over the next few years.
Not only is accessibility law, it makes sound business sense. Currently, 1 in 7 Canadians has a disability, and persons with disabilities spend $25 billion/yr in Canada. Accessibility helps ensure your products and services are available to the entire market while improving corporate perception, customer satisfaction and consumer loyalty.
Is your business accessible? We can tell you.
Need assistance implementing and complying with accessibility laws? We can help.
To learn more about the new accessibility laws, visit