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Braillito Maps · Accessibility guides

The AODA: Ontario’s accessibility law for businesses and non-profits

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, the AODA, applies to every person or organization in the public and private sectors of Ontario (AODA, 2005, section 4). Its detailed rules are in one regulation, the Integrated Accessibility Standards, which sets the standards for customer service, information and communications, employment, transportation and the design of public spaces (O. Reg. 191/11, section 1). For a business or a non-profit, what applies depends on how many employees it has in Ontario; those with 20 or more file an accessibility compliance report every three years, and the next deadline is December 31, 2026 (ontario.ca: compliance report). This guide explains each standard, the training the law requires and for whom, the rules for websites, and where to read the official texts.

This guide summarizes the sources it cites; it is not legal advice. The official texts are the reference.

What the AODA is

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (S.O. 2005, c. 11) set out to achieve accessibility for Ontarians with disabilities with respect to goods, services, facilities, accommodation, employment, buildings, structures and premises on or before January 1, 2025, by developing, implementing and enforcing accessibility standards (AODA, 2005, section 1). The standards themselves are made as regulations, and each one names the persons or organizations it applies to (AODA, 2005, section 6).

The Act defines a barrier as anything that prevents a person with a disability from fully participating in all aspects of society because of the disability: a physical or architectural barrier, an information or communications barrier, an attitudinal or technological barrier, a policy or a practice. Its definition of disability includes blindness or visual impediment and reliance on a guide dog or other animal (AODA, 2005, section 2).

The AODA does not reduce any other legal obligation towards persons with disabilities (AODA, 2005, section 3), and the regulation is not a replacement for the requirements of the Human Rights Code (O. Reg. 191/11, section 1(2)). When a provision of the Act or of a standard conflicts with another Act or regulation, the one that gives the highest level of accessibility prevails (AODA, 2005, section 38).

Who has to comply

The Integrated Accessibility Standards apply to the Government of Ontario, the Legislative Assembly, every designated public sector organization, such as a municipality, and every other person or organization that provides goods, services or facilities to the public or other third parties and has at least one employee in Ontario (O. Reg. 191/11, sections 1(3) and 2). That includes shops, restaurants, charities and every other business or non-profit; one with no employees in Ontario is exempt (ontario.ca: rules for businesses and non-profits).

The regulation sorts organizations by their number of employees in Ontario: a small organization has at least one but fewer than 50, and a large organization has 50 or more (O. Reg. 191/11, section 2). The ministry tells businesses to count full-time, part-time and seasonal employees and contract workers, and not to count employees outside Ontario, volunteers or independent contractors, while staying responsible for making sure that volunteers and contractors who serve the public on its behalf follow the standards (ontario.ca: rules for businesses and non-profits).

The Integrated Accessibility Standards (O. Reg. 191/11)

Ontario Regulation 191/11 brings the five accessibility standards together in one text, with general requirements first and compliance rules at the end (O. Reg. 191/11, section 1(1)).

The parts of the Integrated Accessibility Standards, Ontario Regulation 191/11.
Part What it covers Source
I. General accessibility policies, multi-year plans for large organizations, self-service kiosks and training O. Reg. 191/11, Part I
II. Information and communications feedback, accessible formats and communication supports, emergency information, websites and web content O. Reg. 191/11, Part II
III. Employment recruitment, accommodation, workplace emergency information, return to work, performance management and redeployment O. Reg. 191/11, Part III
IV. Transportation transit and other transportation providers O. Reg. 191/11, Part IV
IV.1. Design of public spaces trails, beach access routes, eating areas, play spaces, paths of travel, parking, service counters, queuing lines and waiting areas that are newly built or redeveloped O. Reg. 191/11, Part IV.1
IV.2. Customer service policies, assistive devices, service animals, support persons, notices of disruptions, training and feedback O. Reg. 191/11, Part IV.2
V. Compliance how administrative penalties are set O. Reg. 191/11, Part V

An organization can be subject to more than one standard at the same time (AODA, 2005, section 6(5)): a restaurant with 30 employees, for example, deals with customer service, information and communications and employment, and with public spaces only when it builds or redevelops one.

What a business or non-profit has to do, by size

The ministry’s page for businesses and non-profits groups the requirements in three bands (ontario.ca: rules for businesses and non-profits). Each band adds to the one before it.

AODA requirements for businesses and non-profits, by number of employees in Ontario.
Employees in Ontario What the organization does Source
1 to 19 creates accessibility policies (documenting them is not required); trains staff and volunteers; provides accessible customer service; follows accessible employment practices; provides information in accessible formats on request; considers accessibility when it buys self-service kiosks; meets the public spaces standard when it builds or renovates ontario.ca: rules for businesses and non-profits; O. Reg. 191/11, sections 3, 6, 7 and 12
20 to 49 all of the above, and files an accessibility compliance report every three years ontario.ca: compliance report
50 or more all of the above, and documents its policies with a statement of commitment; writes a multi-year accessibility plan, posts it on its website and reviews it at least once every five years; keeps training records; documents its customer service policies; has a written process for individual accommodation plans and a return-to-work process; makes its public websites accessible ontario.ca: rules for businesses and non-profits; O. Reg. 191/11, sections 3, 4, 7, 14, 28 and 29

The accessibility compliance report: the December 31, 2026 deadline

The Act requires every person or organization to which a standard applies to file an accessibility report with a director, annually or at such other times as the director may specify, and to make it available to the public (AODA, 2005, section 14). The ministry’s compliance report page sets out who files and when (ontario.ca: compliance report):

  • Businesses and non-profits with 20 or more employees file every three years. The deadline for the current report is December 31, 2026 (ontario.ca: compliance report).
  • Designated public sector organizations, including municipalities, file every two years. Their deadline was December 31, 2025, and they still have to file the 2025 report if they missed it (ontario.ca: compliance report).

The report is filed through the Accessibility Compliance Reporting Portal. To complete it, the ministry lists the organization’s legal name, its business number (BN9), its number of employees, and a certifier: a senior officer with legal authority to say that the report is complete and accurate (ontario.ca: compliance report). The Act requires a statement certifying that the information is complete and accurate, signed by a director, a senior officer or another person with authority to bind the organization (AODA, 2005, section 15). Organizations also have to notify the ministry of a change in address, primary contact, number of employees or status, for example if they now have fewer than 20 employees (ontario.ca: compliance report).

Filing is a legal obligation under the AODA, and an organization that does not complete its report could face enforcement measures, which can include financial penalties (ontario.ca: compliance report).

AODA training: what the law requires and for whom

Every organization covered by the regulation has to train, on the accessibility standards and on the Human Rights Code as it relates to persons with disabilities, all of its employees and volunteers, every person who participates in developing its policies, and every other person who provides goods, services or facilities on its behalf (O. Reg. 191/11, section 7(1)). The ministry says this applies to organizations with one or more employees, and does not cover employees outside Ontario (ontario.ca: training).

The training has to be appropriate to each person’s duties, given as soon as practicable, and repeated on an ongoing basis when the policies change (O. Reg. 191/11, section 7(2) to 7(4)). For customer service, the regulation spells out what it must include (O. Reg. 191/11, section 80.49(2)):

  • a review of the purposes of the Act and of the customer service standard;
  • how to interact and communicate with persons with various types of disability;
  • how to interact with persons who use an assistive device or need the help of a guide dog or other service animal, or of a support person;
  • how to use the equipment or devices on the premises that help provide goods, services or facilities to a person with a disability;
  • what to do if a person with a particular type of disability is having difficulty accessing the goods, services or facilities.

Large organizations, with 50 or more employees, keep records of the training, with the dates it was given and the number of people trained, and prepare a document describing their training policy that they give to anyone on request (O. Reg. 191/11, sections 7(5), 80.49(5) and 80.49(6)). The regulation sets the content, the people and the timing of the training, not who delivers it, and the ministry says it does not endorse or recommend any accessibility consultant (ontario.ca: training).

The customer service standard

Every provider of goods, services or facilities needs policies that respect the dignity and independence of persons with disabilities, integrate their service with the service to everyone else unless an alternative is necessary, give them an equal opportunity to obtain, use and benefit from it, and communicate in a way that takes the disability into account. The policies also deal with the use of assistive devices (O. Reg. 191/11, section 80.46).

  • Guide dogs and other service animals. Where the public has access to the premises, a person with a guide dog or other service animal is allowed in with the animal and keeps it with them, unless the animal is excluded by law; if it is, the provider offers other measures (O. Reg. 191/11, section 80.47(2) and (3)). An animal counts as a service animal if it can be readily identified by a vest or harness, or if the person has documentation from one of the regulated health professionals the regulation lists (O. Reg. 191/11, section 80.45(4)).
  • Support persons. A person with a disability and their support person may enter together. If there is an admission fee, the provider gives advance notice of what, if anything, the support person pays (O. Reg. 191/11, section 80.47(4) and (6)).
  • Temporary disruptions. When a facility or service that people with disabilities usually rely on is disrupted, in whole or in part, the provider gives notice to the public with the reason, how long it is expected to last and any alternatives (O. Reg. 191/11, section 80.48).
  • Feedback. Every provider has an accessible process for receiving and responding to feedback about how it serves people with disabilities, and makes information about it readily available (O. Reg. 191/11, section 80.50).
  • Documents. A document the standard requires is given in an accessible format or with communication support on request, in a timely manner and at no more than the regular cost (O. Reg. 191/11, section 80.51).

Information and communications

Every organization makes its feedback processes accessible and tells the public that accessible formats and communication supports are available (O. Reg. 191/11, sections 11 and 12(3)). On request, it provides information in accessible formats and with communication supports, in a timely manner, at a cost no more than the regular one, after consulting the person about which format suits them (O. Reg. 191/11, section 12). Accessible formats may include large print, recorded audio, electronic formats and braille; communication supports may include captioning, plain language and sign language (O. Reg. 191/11, section 2).

An organization that prepares emergency procedures, plans or public safety information and makes it available to the public also provides it in an accessible format or with appropriate communication supports, as soon as practicable, on request (O. Reg. 191/11, section 13(1)).

Websites: WCAG 2.0 Level AA

Designated public sector organizations and large organizations make their internet websites and web content conform with the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, first at Level A and then at Level AA (O. Reg. 191/11, section 14(2)). For large organizations the schedule was (O. Reg. 191/11, section 14(4)):

  • by January 1, 2014, new internet websites and their web content at WCAG 2.0 Level A;
  • by January 1, 2021, all internet websites and web content at WCAG 2.0 Level AA, except success criteria 1.2.4 Captions (Live) and 1.2.5 Audio Descriptions (Pre-recorded).

The rule covers websites, web content and web-based applications that the organization controls directly or through a contract that allows it to modify them, and content published after January 1, 2012, except where meeting it is not practicable (O. Reg. 191/11, section 14(5)). Businesses and non-profits do not have to make their intranet or extranet meet WCAG 2.0 (ontario.ca: websites). Section 14 names the Government of Ontario, the Legislative Assembly, designated public sector organizations and large organizations; every organization covered by the regulation still provides information in an accessible format on request (O. Reg. 191/11, sections 12 and 14).

Employment

Every employer notifies employees and the public that accommodation is available for applicants with disabilities, tells applicants selected for an assessment that accommodations are available on request, and tells the successful applicant about its accommodation policies when it makes a job offer (O. Reg. 191/11, sections 22 to 24). It informs employees of its policies supporting employees with disabilities, provides accessible formats and communication supports on request, and gives individualized workplace emergency response information to employees who need it (O. Reg. 191/11, sections 25 to 27).

Employers that are not small organizations also have a written process for documented individual accommodation plans and a documented return-to-work process (O. Reg. 191/11, sections 28 and 29). Performance management, career development and redeployment take into account the accessibility needs of employees with disabilities (O. Reg. 191/11, sections 30 to 32).

Design of public spaces and transportation

The Design of Public Spaces standard applies to public spaces that are newly constructed or redeveloped (O. Reg. 191/11, section 80.2(1)); redeveloped means planned significant alterations, not maintenance such as painting and minor repairs (O. Reg. 191/11, section 80.1). The ministry lists parking lots and sidewalks, service counters, fixed waiting lines, waiting areas with fixed seating, recreational trails and beach access routes, playgrounds and public eating areas, and says the standards only apply to new construction and to renovated existing public spaces (ontario.ca: rules for businesses and non-profits).

The transportation standards in Part IV deal with public passenger transportation, such as conventional transportation services on transit buses, motor coaches and trains (O. Reg. 191/11, section 33).

Offences in the Act

The Act makes it an offence to give false or misleading information in an accessibility report, to fail to comply with an order of a director or of the Tribunal, and to intimidate or penalize someone for seeking to enforce the Act or for co-operating with an inspection. On conviction, the fine is up to $50,000 for each day the offence continues, or up to $100,000 for each day if the person is a corporation (AODA, 2005, section 37).

Separately, a director can order an organization to pay an administrative penalty; the regulation sets out how the amount is determined (O. Reg. 191/11, section 83).

Where to read the official texts

The AODA on Braillito Maps

A barrier removed helps only the people who know about it. Braillito Maps is a community map that answers ten questions about each place: step-free entrance or ramp, wide doorway, accessible washroom, accessible parking, tactile paving, braille signage, braille menu, audible signals, guide dogs welcome and a quiet environment.

Several of them match the standards in this guide. Guide dogs welcome is the service animal rule of the customer service standard; the braille menu and the braille signage are information in an accessible format; the step-free entrance, the parking and the service counter belong to the design of public spaces. Each question is answered yes or no, or stays without data until someone knows, and the score of a place is the number of yes answers out of ten, always shown with its number, never by colour alone.

If you run a shop, a restaurant or a non-profit in Ontario, add your place with its answers, so that customers with disabilities find it before they set off. If what a place says is wrong, it can be reported. Meet Braillito Maps.

Frequently asked questions

What is the AODA?

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, Ontario’s accessibility law. It applies to every person or organization in the public and private sectors of Ontario, and its standards are made as regulations (AODA, 2005, sections 4 and 6).

Who has to comply with the AODA?

The Government of Ontario, the Legislative Assembly, designated public sector organizations, and every person or organization that provides goods, services or facilities to the public or other third parties and has at least one employee in Ontario (O. Reg. 191/11, section 1(3)).

When is the next AODA compliance report due?

For businesses and non-profits with 20 or more employees, December 31, 2026; they file every three years. Designated public sector organizations file every two years, and their last deadline was December 31, 2025 (ontario.ca: compliance report).

Who needs AODA training?

All employees and volunteers, everyone who participates in developing the organization’s policies, and everyone who provides goods, services or facilities on its behalf, as soon as practicable (O. Reg. 191/11, sections 7 and 80.49).

Do I have to keep AODA training records?

Organizations with 50 or more employees in Ontario keep records with the dates of the training and the number of people trained (O. Reg. 191/11, sections 7(5) and 80.49(5)).

Does the AODA require an accessible website?

Yes, for designated public sector organizations and organizations with 50 or more employees: since January 1, 2021, all internet websites and web content must conform with WCAG 2.0 Level AA, except live captions and pre-recorded audio descriptions (O. Reg. 191/11, section 14(4)).

Are guide dogs allowed in Ontario businesses?

Yes. Where the public has access, a person with a guide dog or other service animal may enter with it and keep it with them, unless the animal is excluded by law from the premises; then the provider offers other measures (O. Reg. 191/11, section 80.47).

More accessibility guides

  • Accessible Canada Act: Canada’s federal accessibility law: who it applies to, accessibility plans, feedback and progress reports, Accessibility Standards Canada and penalties.
  • Accessibility laws by country: the ADA, the UK Equality Act, the Accessible Canada Act, Australia’s DDA and the EU rules, and what each covers.
  • Guide dogs: how they work, where they can go under the ADA, and how to act around one.
  • Braille signage: which signs need braille under the ADA, how high they go, on which side of the door, and the size of the dots.
  • Accessibility symbols: what the wheelchair symbol means, where it is required and the other access symbols.
  • Universal design: the seven principles, with an example from a building for each.
  • Equality Act reasonable adjustments: the three requirements of section 20, why the duty is anticipatory, who pays, and what a shop, restaurant or service can change in its building.
  • ADA compliance: a checklist for small businesses, with the 2010 Standards section behind each item.
  • All accessibility guides

Sources

Every figure in this guide comes from one of these official texts, which we read in October 2026.

  1. Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (S.O. 2005, c. 11). Legislative Assembly of Ontario, on e-Laws (ontario.ca/laws), consolidated text current from April 19, 2016; read October 2026.
  2. O. Reg. 191/11: Integrated Accessibility Standards. Government of Ontario, on e-Laws (ontario.ca/laws), consolidated text current from March 30, 2026 (last amendment O. Reg. 69/26); read October 2026.
  3. Completing your accessibility compliance report. Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility, on ontario.ca, updated February 19, 2026; read October 2026.
  4. Accessibility rules for businesses and non-profits. Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility, on ontario.ca, updated June 16, 2026; read October 2026.
  5. How to train your staff on accessibility. Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility, on ontario.ca, updated September 21, 2026; read October 2026.
  6. How to make websites accessible. Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility, on ontario.ca, updated September 21, 2026; read October 2026.

Braillito Maps

Find places with ramps, accessible toilets or tactile paving near you in Braillito Maps

In Braillito Maps, every place answers ten questions: step-free entrance or ramp, wide doorway, accessible restroom, accessible parking, tactile paving, braille signage, braille menu, audible signals, guide dogs welcome and a quiet environment. It is built by the people who need it, and every place gets a score out of ten.

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